Notes On The Old Minute Books Of The British Union Lodge, No. 114, Ipswich. A.D. 1762.

R . W . M . aud brethren present that any visiting brother from ye Lodge of Perfect Friendship should pay no more than Is . for each visit to this Lodge ; and it is also agreed by the R . W . M . and brethren of the Lodge of Perfect Friendship that no brother from the British Union Lodge

shall pay any more than Is . for each visit to them . So a treaty of reciprocity appears to have been entered into , ancl the most favoured country clause of modern commercial treaties anticipated . At the folioAving meeting it was " ordered and

agreed that if any brother chooses to eat supper he must pay that expense extraordinary as no eating is allowed to be paid for out of the fund of the Lodge . N . B . — the above is ordered to be made the 25 th

article m ye code of by-laws . This Avas an excellent rule , and one that should be universally adopted , but it would have been better had it extended to the drinking as well as eating . Bro . William Lane ivas elected December , 1785 , as R . W . M ., and

Mr . John Morgan , surgeon , was proposed for initiation , and on the folioAving Lodge nig ht the quarterage Avas raised from 3 s . to 4 s . In February Mr . Hugh Dyer , an operative mason , was proposed for initiation , and was initiated in March . Under

the head of disbursements we note" Relieved a stranger 2 s . 6 d . N . B . —The above stranger called himself Abraham Shrrief , an Algerine . " At the June meeting we note—to a distressed brother 2 s . 6 d ., and in the August following another note—to a stranger 2 s . 6 d .

At the November meeting , in 1786 , Ave find the following minute : — " This evening it was ordered by the R . W . M . and brethren present that ye Secretary do Avrite to Bro . Blomfield to inquire into ye merits of nominating a gentleman in the county to preside as Prov . Gr . Master to

fill ye vacancy of R . Holt , Esq ., deceased . N . B . —The gentlemen mentioned are P . C . Crespigny , Esq ., William Middleton , Esq ., and Holt , Esq . " The William Middleton here mentioned Avas no doubt the same gentleman mentioned in Burke as of

Crowfield Hall . He Avas son of Arthur Middleton , Governor of South Carolina , and his eldest son , AVIIO by the Avay appears to have been born this year ( 1786 ) , Avas created a Baronet in 1804 . He married the sister of Earl BroAvnlow . The present

representative of the family is Admiral Sir George Brooke-Middleton , and Shrublauds , the family seat , is one of the finest places in Suffolk . We do not think the gallant Admiral is a Mason . The P . C . Crespigny mentioned was probably the Philip Champion de Crespignywho was

, M . P . for Aldeburgh , Suffolk , and died in 1803 . It was his brother , Avho Avas created a baronet in 1805 , he having received the Prince Regent at his place in Surrey . He Avas Receiver-General of Droits of Admiralty for half a century , and his son

, the second baronet , Avho was MP . for Southampton , and married the daughter of the fourth Earl of Plymouth , Avas Provincial Grand Master of Hants . The De

Crespignys are of French extraction , and claim to descend from the Barons de Primes and Viscomte de Vire , who flourished about 1350 . There is little doubt but that either of these gentlemen Avould have dignified the office of Prov . Gr . Master for Suffolk .

The second minute-book of the British Union Lodge terminates Avith this record . We have alluded to the introduction of operative masons into our order as testified in these records , and we are disposed to suggest that Grand Lodge , the Supreme

Council 33 ° , and Grand Mark Lodge especially as being perhaps most nearly allied to operative Masonry , should foster the study of architecture in every Avay . Why should they not , for instance , give a gold medal aAvay every year to the writer of the best paper on architecture or archaeology ,

or any kindred subject , or for the best design for cathedral , church , castle , or mansion ? Would it not be a good thing if operative masons were encouraged to join us by being admitted at a lower fee , and in the case of the A . and A . Rite we believe it would popularise that Rite and

make it much more useful if all architects were given up to the 12 th degree , that of Grand Master Architect , for a nominal fee on taking the usual obligation of allegiance to the S . G . C . 3 3 ° . Further we submit that such offices as Grand and Prov .

Gr . Superintendent of Works in the Craft , and Grand Inspector of Works in the Mark Grand Lodge should he confined exclusively to professional architects or civil engineers , or to such as have made architecture and archeology their peculiar 2 M 2