THE ARCANE SCHOOLS - Fort Myers Beach Masonic Lodge No. 362

Lords Dunbarton and Hinchinbroke at the Fountain's Tavern Lodge to consider
the Festival of St. John's. Philip Duke of Wharton was elected G.M. 25th June,
1722, and Brother J. T. Desaguliers Deputy. Brother Gould has given good
reasons for believing that Anderson's statements of 1738 on this point, as well as
upon others, are unreliable. Brother William Cowper
was appointed Grand Secretary, {497} and G.M. Wharton approved a Ceremony
for Installing the Master of a Lodge. Wharton at this time was much embarrassed
having inherited an impoverished estate, and was himself a man reckless in his
expenses. Stukely records that on the 3rd November the Duke of Wharton and
Lord Dalkeith visited the Lodge of which Stukely was Master. In this year J.
Roberts printed the version of a MS., in which are the "New Regulations," as to
one Master and Assembly which his copy says was passed 8th December, 1663;
it contains the Clause that a Freemason must be fully 21 years of age. At this
time the Grand Lodge claimed the sole right to confer the grade, or grades, of
Fellow and Master; it is thought that one grade is implied, if it is two it indicates
the sense in which they regarded the rights of Assembly given in the "Cooke
MS."
In 1723 Francis Earl of Dalkeith was Grand Master, and in this year Brother
James Anderson, a presbyterian divine, and a genealogist, published the first
"Book of Constitutions," which he had compiled from the old MSS., and other
sources, by order of the Grand Lodge. It was dedicated to the Duke of Montague
by J. T. Desaguliers the Deputy Grand Master, and Brother Gould is of opinion
that Anderson, as an Aberdeen Man introduced Scottish terminology into the
English Craft. As a Scottish Antiquary the author would be well acquainted with
the Customs of the Lodges and the Masters' Incorporations, and whilst the early
years of Grand Lodge resembles the Scottish Lodges, the grant of "Fellowcraft
and Master," to the private Lodges, and the sending of Masters and Wardens to
Grand Lodge brings it into line with the Incorporations, but Desaguliers had also
visited the Edinburgh Lodge. This year an engraved list of Lodges was begun by
Brother John Payne, in a small volume; the "Freemason an Hudibrastic Poem,"
appeared, and attacks on the Society began in the Press.
In 1724, 1725, 1726,the Grand Masters were Charles Lennox Duke of Richmond;
James Hamilton Lord {498} Paisley; and William O'Brian Earl of Inchiquin.In 1724
the office of Grand Treasurer was instituted. We gave particulars, in our last
Chapter of a considerable Lodge at Chester of which Randle Holme was a
member, and it is probable that admissions were continued, for in the year 1724
three Lodges were accepted at Chester and Brother F. Columbine was appointed
the Provincial Grand Master. On the 27th November, 1725, Grand Lodge passed
a Resolution granting the privilege of Masters to Private Lodges, -- "the majority
of the members being Masters may make Masters at their discretion." No doubt
Grand Lodge found its time fully occupied with affairs of the government; and this
led, a little later, to the sanction of "Masters Lodges," or meetings for the sole
purpose of making Masters. The lampoon on the
Freemasons and Gormogons appeared, and in 1726 the "Freemasons'
Accusation and Defence." Anderson seems to have withdrawn from the Grand
Lodge until 1730. A copy of the old Constitutional Charges appeared in 1726