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

of securing really good officers , and good working . Of course sickness , the pressing emergencies of public or private avocations Avould be always fairly considered ; but these apart , brethren AVIIO Avillingly accept oflice should be made to fulfil the duties appertaining thereto .

At the lodge meeting held on the Sth February , 1763 , Mr . George Ward and Mr . John Watson , of Harwich , Avere proposed to be admitted brethren , and the latter appears to have been initiated and admitted to the second degree of Masonry

the following lodge night . At this time it was " ordered by the lodge that no person be ever proposed for being made a brother unless the proposing brother Avill promise to pay the usual admittance fee of a guinea" [ the full amount charged

, for initiation at that time ] " in case the person so proposed should fail attending at the time then fixed for his making , unless a satisfactory reason be given for his nonattendance . " It Avould be well if this rule were enforced now generally . No

candidate should ever be alloAved to be proposed until the proposition fee , obtained from him , and not advanced by the proposer , be paid . A great deal of unnecessary trouble and annoyance Avould be spared if this admirable by-hiAv Avere at till times strictly enforced .

On the 3 rd October , 1703 , Bros . Wm . Prentice , William Paxman and Robert Fenn Avere raised Masters . The last two of these brethren had been made August , 1762 , and it would be Avorth knowing whether a year was required to elapse between the passing and raising , as at

present practised in some countries , and notably , Ave believe , in Prussia . There is a regular record of visitors' names at this period , but nothing to show from Avhat lodges they hailed . At the St . John ' s Festival , 27 th December , 1763 , Bros . Wm . Etiefer , John Watson and Richard Bennett Avere raised Masters . Watson had been

initiated and admitted to the second degree of Masonry , February , 1763 ; Enefer had been " admitted a brotherand raised a felloivcraft , " November 1762 , by Avhich we may conclude that a muchloDger interval elapsed between the passing and raising , than is UOAV deemed necessary , in the one case ten months , and iu the other more than tAvelve months being the period alloAved to pass before the brethren Avere deemed eligible

for the Master ' s degree . It does not appear , however , that there Avas any fixed rule upon the subject . Bro . James Clements , a visitor who had previously attended the lodge in October , 1763 , was " raised a Master" at the lodge meeting , 20 th February , 1764 . At the previous lodge

Wm . Swain , schoolmaster , of Woodbridge , Avas ballotted for , and unanimously approved of , for initiation ; and at the following one Gardiner Whiteside , of Yarmouth Ship ( probably a publican , let us hope not a sinner ) , was duly ballotted

for , and Avas made the next meeting . In June , 1764 , Thos . Buck was ballotted for , accepted , and "immediately raised a fellow craft , " the term passed apparently not being used at this period . Several foreigners appear to have visited the

British Union from time to time , as Ave may gather from the mention of such visiting brethren as Peter Mitaux , Avho subsequently joined the lodge , Benjamin Didior , Jasper Fatry ( in another place spelt Ftetus ) , Arnold Grownwald , & c .

Gardiner Whiteside , made in June , was raised to the third degree of Masonry in September , 1764 , Avhich seems conclusively to shoAv that there was no settled rule as to the limit of time between coiifemn « the

degrees longer than that allowed b y the Book of Constitutions . On the 17 th December , 1764 , there were four visitors present , hailing respectively from St . John ' s ( AVC presume New Brunswick ) , SunderlandNorwich and

, Harwich . This is the first notice of the locality from whence the visiting brethren came . A . regular record appears throughout of the absentees as Avell as of those

present . At the meeting held December , 1765 , we find the record of the names of the Master , Wardens and Tyler , who Avere all elected by the lodge . At the meeting held 7 th December , 1767 , William Kolly , a vizitant ( sic ) brother , and

Thos . Woodwards , Peter Wootton , William Clarke , Joseph William and John Spooner , Avere all raised Masters . Wm . Clarke , an inn-holder , one of the brethren named , it appears Avas ballotted for in June , 1766 , aud probably was made the next lodge night , but there is , unfortunately , a hiatus between June , 1766 , and December , 1767 , through the destructiveness of the juveniles