Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Extracts From The Records Of An Old Assembly Of Knights Templar Meeting At Bolton.
" Rules and Regulations " Agreed on by the Knights Templars of St . John of Jerusalem , now of Malta , who hold an assembl y in Bolton , are as follows : — " 1 st . That the time of meeting be the first Friday in March , June , September , and December , at 6 o ' clock , and that every member do deposit one shilling to the fund , and four pence to spend .
" 2 nd . That the clothing be black velvet sashes lined AVith crimson sarsnet . " 3 rd , That a Knight Templar be admitted for five shillings , to be spent . " 4 th . That every Knight dubb'd by us do pay one guinea , to he disposed as follows : —10 s . 6 d . to the fund , 2 s . 6 d . to the Chancellor , for certificates , & c , 2 s . Gd . to the Tyler , and 5 s . Gel . to be spent . " 5 th . That three swords be purchased , the property of the fund , for the use of the
standing officers , and likewise jewels , & c , " 6 th . That a subscription be established for the purposes of discharging the debts that may he incurred , to be refunded by instalments when the fund is able to make a dividend of 20 per cent ., beginning ivith the largest subscriber . " To these rides are attached the signatures of T . Rycroft , G . G . ; Wm . Johnson , 1 G . W . ; Thos . Wilson , 2 G . W . ; Thomas Heaton , Chancellor ; ancl eight others ; also the impression
in black Avax of a triangular shaped seal , containing various emblems of a Knight Templar character . Underneath the seal is the date , " 26 th October , 1785 . " Meetings of the Assembly appear to have been held on 12 th , 15 th , 18 th , 19 th , 23 rd , and 26 th October , 1785 , 15 th December , 1785 , 20 th January , 1786 , 4 th April , 1787 , and' 2 nd lime , 1787 , but no minutes of such meetings are recorded , the only records thereof being lists of membersAvith the dates of admission ancl payments of fees and subscriptions .
, There is also a " List of the Knights who entered into a subscription in pursuance of the CthBye-law , "and the amounts subscribed , ancl the dates " when rec " and " Avhen paid back , " from Avhich it seems £ 7 . 5 s . was subscribed by 17 Knights , in suras ranging from 21 s . to 5 s .
Under date 4 th September , 1789 , are the records of the last meeting named in the book , viz .: — " Besolved , That this Assembly be discontinued . " " Eesolved , That those members who do not attend before eight o ' clock this evening he considered as not entitled to any benefit from the fund , they , having forfeited their shares by non-attendance , according to notice given or sent to them . " " Besob'ed that W . Johnson and Jas . Stewart , from the circumstance of their
residing in Manchester , shall be excepted from the last resolve and considered as present . " " Resolved that A M , having disobeyed former summonses , he considered as not a member of this Assembly . " " Besolved that the transaction book , as far as is Avritten on , be destroyed , and that the rest with the jewels be disposed of to the best advantage , also that the certificate plate ancl the seal , with the parchments for certificates , be sealed up and laid in the lodge chest . "
" Resolved that the money arising from the present fund and the disposal of the jewels and transaction book be divided among the following members ( here follow 8 names ) . Reducing the expenses of everyone from the beginning to an equality . " From subsequent entries in the Book , the funds appear to have been so divided , and at Hie end of the Book is a cash account , shoAving the various items of receipt ancl disbursement , amongst the receipts being : — " To an abatement at this Book not being filled , & c , 2 / - " Fortunatelhoweverthe resolution" that the Transaction Book far is written
y , , , as as on ne destroyed , " has not yet been carried into effect , nor is it probable that it will be for some bine to come . These memorials of our ancient brethren are too precious in the present day to be destroyed . Doubtless , in many parts of this country , there are to be found numerous ° hl records of Freemasonry , Avhich it would be interesting to peruse , and Ave can only express a hope , which Ave are sure will be echoed by the readers of the Magazine , that the possessors ° l them will see their way to re-producing them in the Masonic Press .
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Extracts From The Records Of An Old Assembly Of Knights Templar Meeting At Bolton.
" Rules and Regulations " Agreed on by the Knights Templars of St . John of Jerusalem , now of Malta , who hold an assembl y in Bolton , are as follows : — " 1 st . That the time of meeting be the first Friday in March , June , September , and December , at 6 o ' clock , and that every member do deposit one shilling to the fund , and four pence to spend .
" 2 nd . That the clothing be black velvet sashes lined AVith crimson sarsnet . " 3 rd , That a Knight Templar be admitted for five shillings , to be spent . " 4 th . That every Knight dubb'd by us do pay one guinea , to he disposed as follows : —10 s . 6 d . to the fund , 2 s . 6 d . to the Chancellor , for certificates , & c , 2 s . Gd . to the Tyler , and 5 s . Gel . to be spent . " 5 th . That three swords be purchased , the property of the fund , for the use of the
standing officers , and likewise jewels , & c , " 6 th . That a subscription be established for the purposes of discharging the debts that may he incurred , to be refunded by instalments when the fund is able to make a dividend of 20 per cent ., beginning ivith the largest subscriber . " To these rides are attached the signatures of T . Rycroft , G . G . ; Wm . Johnson , 1 G . W . ; Thos . Wilson , 2 G . W . ; Thomas Heaton , Chancellor ; ancl eight others ; also the impression
in black Avax of a triangular shaped seal , containing various emblems of a Knight Templar character . Underneath the seal is the date , " 26 th October , 1785 . " Meetings of the Assembly appear to have been held on 12 th , 15 th , 18 th , 19 th , 23 rd , and 26 th October , 1785 , 15 th December , 1785 , 20 th January , 1786 , 4 th April , 1787 , and' 2 nd lime , 1787 , but no minutes of such meetings are recorded , the only records thereof being lists of membersAvith the dates of admission ancl payments of fees and subscriptions .
, There is also a " List of the Knights who entered into a subscription in pursuance of the CthBye-law , "and the amounts subscribed , ancl the dates " when rec " and " Avhen paid back , " from Avhich it seems £ 7 . 5 s . was subscribed by 17 Knights , in suras ranging from 21 s . to 5 s .
Under date 4 th September , 1789 , are the records of the last meeting named in the book , viz .: — " Besolved , That this Assembly be discontinued . " " Eesolved , That those members who do not attend before eight o ' clock this evening he considered as not entitled to any benefit from the fund , they , having forfeited their shares by non-attendance , according to notice given or sent to them . " " Besob'ed that W . Johnson and Jas . Stewart , from the circumstance of their
residing in Manchester , shall be excepted from the last resolve and considered as present . " " Resolved that A M , having disobeyed former summonses , he considered as not a member of this Assembly . " " Besolved that the transaction book , as far as is Avritten on , be destroyed , and that the rest with the jewels be disposed of to the best advantage , also that the certificate plate ancl the seal , with the parchments for certificates , be sealed up and laid in the lodge chest . "
" Resolved that the money arising from the present fund and the disposal of the jewels and transaction book be divided among the following members ( here follow 8 names ) . Reducing the expenses of everyone from the beginning to an equality . " From subsequent entries in the Book , the funds appear to have been so divided , and at Hie end of the Book is a cash account , shoAving the various items of receipt ancl disbursement , amongst the receipts being : — " To an abatement at this Book not being filled , & c , 2 / - " Fortunatelhoweverthe resolution" that the Transaction Book far is written
y , , , as as on ne destroyed , " has not yet been carried into effect , nor is it probable that it will be for some bine to come . These memorials of our ancient brethren are too precious in the present day to be destroyed . Doubtless , in many parts of this country , there are to be found numerous ° hl records of Freemasonry , Avhich it would be interesting to peruse , and Ave can only express a hope , which Ave are sure will be echoed by the readers of the Magazine , that the possessors ° l them will see their way to re-producing them in the Masonic Press .