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

NOTES ON THE OLD MINUTE BOOKS OF THE BRITISH UNION LODGE , NO . 114 , IPSWICH . A . D . 1762 .

BY BRO . EMRA HOLMES , 31 . P . M ., M . E . Z ., St . Luke ' s Chapter , P . M . M ., P . E . C ., P . E . P ., M . W . S ., Victoria Chap ., Rose Croix ,, Past Provincial Grand Registrar of 'Suffolk , Past Grand Inspector of IVorlcs ( Mark ) Past Grand Provost , Order of the Temple , die ., < hc .

A VERY interesting book is the first Minute Book of this old Lodge—though it has seen much service and fared ill in the hands it has passed through . It seems to have got into the possession of some cowan , and to have been given over

to the tender mercies of some child or children , for almost every leaf has a piece snipped out of it , and youthful scraAvls and attempts at caligraphy disfigure almost

every page . The first page in the book , apparently one is lost , Avhich is dated Sth April , 1762 , contains a part of the 3 rd rule , or by-law , which has reference to the ballot , Avhite and black beans being used as at present in determining the important question as to whether a candidate should or should not be received into the time-honoured

fraternity . " Fourthly , " runs the rule , " That after every brother has put in a bean as directed the box be then delivered to the master bv the secretary for his inspection . Fifthly and lastly—that if the master find a black bean in the box no further mention shall

be made to the intended member . " A very considerate rule this last , and one Avhich might be more generally adopted than it is . The secrecy of the ballot we have knoAvn to be more honoured in the breach than the observance—though not

m the loclffe of Avhich Ave are Avriting . IT And touching this said system of ballot it would be Avell if there Avere some fixed rule as to IIOAV it should be exercised . Tn England an entered apprentice can exercise his ri ght of voting on question before

any the lod ge , from the election of W . M . to the admission of a candidate to the mysteries and privileges of Freemasonry . In America , v * e believe , it is different ; no brother can vote until he is a Master Mason .

Iu England the ceremony of voting differed in differait lodges . In some the deacon carried round the ballot box to each member , and a most objectionable practice , since the officer could hardly fail to see how the brother voted , and the secrecy of the ballot became a farce . Iu

other lodges the brethren went indiscrimately and all in a heap up to the treasurer ' s desk , and thus confusion Avas made , and the importance of the ballot was not impressed on the . neophyte by a ceremony winch should always be done " decently

aud in order . " But to return to the British Union and its first record of minutes . This volume appears to have served the double purpose of a minute and presence book , and underneath the by-laAvs quoted we have the

signatures of the brethren present . Jno . Clarke , Master ; John Hunter , Senior Warden ; W . Clarke , Junior Warden ; John Prentice , Stephen Buston , Thos . R . Scott , John Concour , Joseph Clarke , Wm . Prentice . There is no date to this meeting , but the next one is dated Sth April , 1702

, when , iu addition to the names mentioned iibove , there appear to have been two visitors present , Jonas Phillips and Marchal Cvdksen , the latter probably a foreigner . A note is put af the bottom of the entry to the effect that a certain brotherAvhose

, name has been cut out , bemg absent forfeits sixpence . The next meeting appears to have been held 19 th April , 1762 . At this lodge Bros . Thos . Nichol-Scott , Jon - Clarke and John Concour Avere raised Masters ; and there is a N . B . that certain of the

brethren , all but the visitors and candidates in fact , each paid Gd ., we will suppose for refreshment . At the meeting dated 17 th May , 1762 , only four brethren appear to have been present , and the lodge seems to have been under the rule of the J . W .,

neither the W . M . nor S . W . being there . At a lodge held on the 21 st June , Wm . Paxman Avas proposed for ballot on St . John ' s day , together with Robert Fenn , and accordingly on the 24 th June it appears they Avere regularly made , agreeable to the

by-laAvs heretofore entered iu this book . At the same time John Hunter was , Avith the unanimous consent of this lodge , elected Master for the ensuing half-vear , Wm . Clarke , S . W ., and J . Prentice , J . W ., of the lodge . This is a very interesting minute , since it would apviear that a century ago