Old Lodge Warrants And Certificates.

to erect a Lodge of Freemasons in the city of Dublin , of such persons who , by their knowledge and skill in Masonry , may contribute to the Avell-being ancl advancement thereof . We therefore , duly weighing the premises , ancl having nothing more at

heart than the prosperity and true advancement of Masonry , ancl reposing special trust ancl confidence in our trusty and well-beloved brothers , the said James Rafter , John King , ancl George Harland , of Avhose ability ancl knowledge in Masonry

we are satisfied , do by these presents , of our certain knowledge ancl their motion , nominate , create , authorize and constitute the said James Rafter , Master , John King ancl George Harland , Wardens of a Lodge of Free ancl Accepted Masons to be held

by them ancl their successors , lawfully admitted in the said lodge for ever , and we do hereby give and grant unto the said James Rafter , John King , and George Harland , ancl their successors , lawful authority from time to timeto proceed to

, election of a UBAV Master ancl Wardens , to make such laws , rules ancl orders as they from time to time shall think proper ancl convenient for the woll-bein _ r ancl orderinff

of the said lodge , reserving to ourselves and our successors , Grand Masters ancl Grand Wardens of Ireland , the sole right of deciding all differences Avhich shall be brought by appeal before us and our successors , Grand Masters and Grand Wardens of Ireland .

" In witness Avhereof Ave have hereto set our hands ancl seal of office , this tAventyfourth clay of October , in the year of our Lord God 1732 , and in the year of Masonry 5732 . " Intra pli . " JOHN DENNELLYSecretary . "

, There are several lodges with the date of their decade of last century ascribed to them still in existence in Ireland , Whether they all haA'e the right to be so designated , we cannot 3 et determine , but most probably they are about the age stated , for

there must have been many lodges in active Avork before 1740 , ancl the early history of Freemasonry in Ireland has yet to be written . Tnere is no lodge in that country which claims an existence prior to the Provincial Grand Lodge of Munster ( or Grand Lodge , as it is sometimes called ) , so that there is no evidence , as yet , of lod ges being in existence in Ireland before

the premier Grand Lodge of the world was established at London , A . D . 1717 . In Scotland there are many , hoAvever , which were Avorking in the seventeenth century , and Avhich still continue to be lodges of Free and Accepted Masons . There are of this class—Mother Lodge of KilwinningNo . 0

, , at Kilwinning ; St . Mary ' s Chapel , No . 1 , Edinburgh ; Cannongate Kilwinning , No . 2 , Edinburgh ; Scoor and Perth , No . 3 , Perth ; St . John ' s , 3 Ms ., Glasgow ; Cannongate and Leith , No . 5 , Leith ; Hamilton Kilwinning , No . 7 , Hamilton ; St .

John ' s , No 9 , Dunblane ; Ancient , No . 30 , Stirling ; Aberdeen , Lodge No . 34 , Aberdeen ; St . John ' s Kilwinning , No . 57 , Haddington ; ancl the ancient lodge at Melrose . There are also several which have records , or can prove their existence as lodges during the early part of the last century , when there was no Grand Lodge in Scotland , it not having been instituted

until 1736 . Particulars of a goodly number of these "Ateliers" are to be found in my friend Lyon ' s " History of the Lodge of Edinburgh , " and many interesting details of their early career are thus preserved in a Avork Avhichfor interest ancl valuehas

, , neA * er been surpassed by any writer on Freemasonry in this or any other country . Our desire , however , in distributing these " sparks" through the medium of the Voice , is to make known fresh items of Masonic history as they are traced ancl

brought to light , so Ave shall not quote UOAV from Lyon ' s splendid Avork , but advise our readers to procure copies for their OAVU perusal . We append one of the earliest lodge certificatesin conclusion of our present

com-, munication , ancl Avhich Avas granted by the ancient lodge at Aberdeen . It has not been published before , and it will be found curious ancl instructive to the Masonic

student . [ Copy , 1749 . ] " We , the Master , Wardens ancl Deacons of the Honourable the Mason Lodge of the city of Aberdeen , number Three of the kingdom of Scotland , do hereby certify and declare that the bearer

hereofWil-, liam Jeans , of Aberdeen , is a just ancl Avorthy member , lawfully Entered , Past ancl Raised Avithin the said lodge , and has bore distinguished offices in the same , during Avhich time he has behaved himself as