Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Freemasonry In The Seventeenth Century ; Chester, 1650-1700—Appendix.
FREEMASONRY IN THE SEVENTEENTH CENTURY ; CHESTER , 1650-1700—APPENDIX .
BY BKO . W . HAKKY ETLANDS , F . S . A . 13 ANDLE HOLME , in the list preserved in Harl . MS . No . 2054 , gives tlie - ± *> names of twenty-six persons who had paid various sums of money to be free masons . Amongst these his own name is found . This list must have been written before 1700 , and is an extremel y valuable document , beino- , believethe onllist of the kind of
I , y ( an English lodge ) in existence of such an early date . The fact that the names of Randle Holme , gentleman , William Street , Alderman , and Samuel Pikes , tailor , are included in the list , shows very clearly that the Fraternity , or Lodge , was not composed entirely of operative-masons . I am inclined to think that these are not the only "free Masons " in the list to be classed as speculative masons .
Some explanation of the manner of selection of the wills maybe considered necessary . Being at once satisfied on looking over the memorandum of Randle Holme that it referred to persons connected with the Cit y of Chester , I selected from a list of the names mentioned therein , as recorded in the Index of Wills , etc ., at Chester , all the documents referring to persons bearing the same names described as "of Chester . " When two occur , they are both here given .
In some of the wills the testator is distinctl y stated to have been a mason , for example , William Wade , 1716 . William Woods . 1699 . James Mort , 1684 . ! John Lloyd , 1674-5 ; and the name of "Peter Bostock of the City of Chester , Mason " is recorded as one of the Executors of the will of William Woods mason ' dated 1699 , proved 1706 . This date , 1699 , may perhaps help us in deciding the date of the document left b y Randle Holme , as , had Peter Bostock been a mason when the list iledhis
was comp name , ought , we may suppose , to have been included . Another point may add some weight ; if the John Lloyd , mason , whose will is here printed , is the John Lloyd occupying the twenty-second place in Randle Holme ' s list , then the list must have been made before 1675 , * the date on which the will was proved . It may be worth noting that in these wills the title of "Mason" is used , and not "Freemason , " as in the will of Richard Lllom , f 1667 , and other records of which I have notes .
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Freemasonry In The Seventeenth Century ; Chester, 1650-1700—Appendix.
FREEMASONRY IN THE SEVENTEENTH CENTURY ; CHESTER , 1650-1700—APPENDIX .
BY BKO . W . HAKKY ETLANDS , F . S . A . 13 ANDLE HOLME , in the list preserved in Harl . MS . No . 2054 , gives tlie - ± *> names of twenty-six persons who had paid various sums of money to be free masons . Amongst these his own name is found . This list must have been written before 1700 , and is an extremel y valuable document , beino- , believethe onllist of the kind of
I , y ( an English lodge ) in existence of such an early date . The fact that the names of Randle Holme , gentleman , William Street , Alderman , and Samuel Pikes , tailor , are included in the list , shows very clearly that the Fraternity , or Lodge , was not composed entirely of operative-masons . I am inclined to think that these are not the only "free Masons " in the list to be classed as speculative masons .
Some explanation of the manner of selection of the wills maybe considered necessary . Being at once satisfied on looking over the memorandum of Randle Holme that it referred to persons connected with the Cit y of Chester , I selected from a list of the names mentioned therein , as recorded in the Index of Wills , etc ., at Chester , all the documents referring to persons bearing the same names described as "of Chester . " When two occur , they are both here given .
In some of the wills the testator is distinctl y stated to have been a mason , for example , William Wade , 1716 . William Woods . 1699 . James Mort , 1684 . ! John Lloyd , 1674-5 ; and the name of "Peter Bostock of the City of Chester , Mason " is recorded as one of the Executors of the will of William Woods mason ' dated 1699 , proved 1706 . This date , 1699 , may perhaps help us in deciding the date of the document left b y Randle Holme , as , had Peter Bostock been a mason when the list iledhis
was comp name , ought , we may suppose , to have been included . Another point may add some weight ; if the John Lloyd , mason , whose will is here printed , is the John Lloyd occupying the twenty-second place in Randle Holme ' s list , then the list must have been made before 1675 , * the date on which the will was proved . It may be worth noting that in these wills the title of "Mason" is used , and not "Freemason , " as in the will of Richard Lllom , f 1667 , and other records of which I have notes .