KingDavid

KING DAVID LODGE

Location: Taunton

Chartered By: Josiah Bartlett

Charter Date: 06/12/1798 II-130

Precedence Date: 06/12/1798

Current Status: Active

NOTES

Alfred Baylies merged into this Lodge, 07/18/1974.
Ezra merged into this Lodge, 09/15/1995.
Charles H. Titus and Ionic (Taunton) merged into this Lodge, 06/17/1998.

PAST MASTERS

Seth Padelford, 1798, 1799; SN
John Wilson Smith, 1800
William Seaver, 1801, 1802, 1805
Foster Swift, 1803, 1804
Seth Johnson, 1806
Hillard Earle, 1807-1809
Simeon Tisdale Carver, 1810
Gilbert Everett, 1811
James Crossman, 1812-1814
Thomas W. Turpin Bicknell, 1815
Seth Presbrey, Jr., 1816, 1817
John Presbrey, Jr., 1818-1820
Thomas Clark Brown, 1821, 1822, 1828, 1848
James Williams Crossman, 1823, 1846, 1847
Samuel Caswell, Jr., 1824
John Baylies, 1825
William Ware Crossman, 1826, 1827
James Thurber, 1830, 1831
John Howard, 1832-1845
James Mann Cook, 1849-1852; SN
William Cox, 1853-1855
William Moulton Parks, 1856-1858, 1864
Edward Mott, 1859-1861; Mem
Jeremiah Jones Whitmarsh, 1862, 1863
John Edward Browne, 1865, 1866
Charles Henry Titus, 1867
Charles Frederick Johnson, 1868-1870
Charles Andrew Reed, 1871
William Edward Wilcox, 1872, 1873
Alfred Baylies Hodges, 1874
Henry Newton Hopkins, 1875, 1876
Abner Coleman, 1877, 1878
George Frederick Soule, 1879
Lorenzo Luce, 1880
Marcus Almon Dary, 1881
James Alfred Messinger, 1882, 1883; Mem
Isaac Dean Paull, 1884, 1885
Daniel Lampson Brownell, 1886, 1887
George Bryant Warren, 1888
Edward H. Temple, 1889-1891; SN
James P. Williams, 1892, 1893
Henry D. Atwell, 1894
Walter T. Soper, 1895, 1896
Albert E. Robinson, 1897, 1898
Shubael F. Hammett, 1899, 1900
Edwin N. Clark, 1901
Nathan P. Shedd, 1902
John H. Eldridge, 1903
William M. Dean, 1904
Charles F. Foster, 1905
Frank P. Lincoln, 1906
William E. Pratt, 1907
James C. Brown, 1908
Willard W. Morse, 1909
Eugene H. Brownell, 1910
George A. Bosworth, 1911
Lewis E. Higgins, 1912
James D. Donaldson, 1913
Levi L. Wetherbee, 1914
Ralph D. Dean, 1915
Edward W. Burt, 1916, 1917; N
Clifford H. Macomber, 1918
Stephen W. Pollard, 1919
Charles H. Walker, 1920
Arthur S. Sartoris, 1921
Lucius T. Cushman, 1922
Arthur R. Knox, 1923
Louis T. Wood, 1924
Henry W. Atkins, 1925
Ralph L. Witherell, 1926
Harrie W. Forbes, 1927
Clarence W. Boyden, 1928
Francis C. Sartoris, 1929
Charles S. Cowin, 1930
Robert W. MacGlashing, 1931; N
Stetson W. McKenney, 1932; N
Oscar C. Hall, 1933
Charles N. Hackett, 1934; N
Earle A. Hopkins, 1935
Carleton B. Henry, 1936; N
David A. MacAdam, 1937
George Cleathero, 1938
Robert W. Williams, Jr., 1939
William H. Stevenson, 1940
Kenneth A. Terwilliger, 1941
A. Milton French, 1942
George F. Riley, 1943
Kenneth F. Richardson, 1944
Myron T. Briggs, 1945
Robert W. Williams, III, 1946, 1998; PDDGM
Lynton L. Drinkwater, 1947
Donald H. Campbell, 1948
Albert C. Pero, 1949
Thomas Hughes, Jr., 1950
William F. Gay, 1951
Stuart E. Cushman, 1952
Stanley D. Briggs, 1953
Robert F. King, Jr., 1954
William E. Baker, Jr., 1955
G. William Hurst, 1956
William F. Gimpel, 1957
Neil S. Sweet, 1958
Gerald M. DeCosta, 1959, 1973
Richard W. Boyden, 1960
Gilbert Wrigley, 1961, 1974
James T. McAloney, Jr., 1962
Alfred R. Nason, 1963, 1975
David W. Harrison, 1964
Raymond W. Crane, 1965
John G. Loja, Jr., 1966
Richard W. Davidson, 1967
Toon W. Wong, 1968
Sumner T. Varnum, 1969
Stanley Young, 1970
Roland E. Gooch, 1971, 1972
Albert C. Watson, 1976, 1985, 1995
Jeffrey J. Jackson, 1977, 1980, 1996
Norman R. Gwilliam, 1978
Herbert A. Anderson, 1979
Emile J. Rouleau, Jr., 1981
William R. Epp, Jr., 1982
Charles E. Rouleau, 1983
Neil S. Sweet, 1984
Lawrence J. Ducharme, 1986
Richard H. Williams, 1987, 1989
Andrew G. Forbes, 1988, 1991
George F. Sylvia, Jr., 1990
Gerald R. Blanchard, 1992, 1993
Keith A. Rogers, 1994
Charles E. Rouleau, Jr., 1997
John M. Martin, 1999, 2000
Michael J. Douglas, 2001, 2002
Joseph S. Mozzone, 2003, 2004
John W. Ruggles, II, 2005, 2006
Jonathan Siskind, 2007-2011
Christon J. Riendieau, 2012
S. Joshua Pack, 2013

REFERENCES IN GRAND LODGE PROCEEDINGS

Petition for Charter: 1798
Consolidation Petition (with Alfred Baylies Lodge): 1974
Consolidation Petition (with Ezra Lodge): 1995
Consolidation Petition (with Charles H. Titus and Ionic (Taunton) Lodges): 1998

ANNIVERSARIES

1898 (Centenary)
1923 (125th Anniversary)
1948 (150th Anniversary)
1973 (175th Anniversary)
1998 (200th Anniversary)

VISITS BY GRAND MASTER

1881 (Lawrence; 3 visits, including hall dedication; Special Communication)
1898 (Hutchinson; Centenary)
1902 (Gallagher)
1904 (Sanford)
1908 (Blake; 2 visits)
1923 (Ferrell; 125th Anniversary; Special Communication)
1927 (Simpson; Veterans' Night)
1931 (H. Dean)
1948 (Keith; 150th Anniversary; Special Communication)
1963 (Osgood; Hall dedication; Special Communication)
1973 (Vose; 175th Anniversary; Special Communication)
1974 (Vose; Consolidation; Special Communication)
1979 (Melanson)
1983 (Berquist)
1987 (Ames)
1995 (Lovering; Consolidation; Special Communication)
1998 (A. Johnson; 2 visits; 200th Anniversary and Consolidation; Special Communications)

BY-LAW CHANGES

1869 1870 1875 1883 1886 1897 1901 1902 1905 1911 1913 1914 1920 1921 1928 1933 1937 1940 1945 1954 1959 1962 1972 1980 1985 1990 1993 1997 1998 2004 2012

HISTORY

1923 (125th Anniversary History, 1923-129)
1948 (150th Anniversary History, 1948-103)
1973 (175th Anniversary History, 1973-133)
1998 (200th Anniversary History, 1998-82)

125TH ANNIVERSARY HISTORY, JUNE 1923

From Proceedings, Page 1923-129:

One hundred and twenty-five years ago, on June 12, 1798, a Charter was granted the Masons of Taunton for an organization under the name of King David Lodge. The names of the Charter members were as follows:

Seth Padelford
William Seavey
Abiathar Ingell
Nathaniel Terry
Samuel Crocker
Philip Padelford
William Carver
Samuel Wilde, Jr.
James Sproat
Enos Williams
William A. Crocker
Benjamin Harris
John W. Smith
David Vickery
Apollos B. Leonard
Thomas Weatherby
Daniel Crossman

The first meeting places were at the homes of the Brothers and at the old Weatherby Tavern. The first work was conferred in Academy Hall, situated where the Bristol Academy now stands. In 1807 the Lodge met at the Weir, where it remained up to 1817. On January 10, 1810, occurred the death of Wor. Seth Padelford, the first Master. On St. John's Day, 1816, the Lodges of the neighboring towns celebrated the day with a dinner and an address by Rev. Bro. Richard Carrique, of Attleboro. On December 18, 1818, it was voted to build a Masonic Hall, which was dedicated on St. John's Day, 1820, and was occupied up to 1837, when, owing to the anti-Masonic excitement, it was sold at auction. From 1830 to 1846 only three members were admitted. During this period the Charter was retained and meetings held by several faithful Brothers. It is a fact that all the Lodges in this section, at that time, with the exception of Fellowship, of Bridgewater, and King David, gave up their Charters.

At the revival of Masonry in 1846 an agreement was made with the Odd Fellows to occupy their hall. This arrangement continued until 1865, when a contract was made to occupy the upper story of the new Central Passenger Station. From 1861 to 1865 the Lodge worked day and night making members who were soldiers or were about to become such; about fifty members taking part in the Civil War. On February 10, 1864, occurred the Masonic burial of three Brothers who were killed in battle and were brought home. A Masonic service was held in the Broadway church, Reverend and Worshipful Brother Charles H. Titus officiating, and the remains were interred in Mt. Pleasant Cemetery.

The seventy-fifth anniversary was held April 12, 1873, with an address by Rev. Bro. Lewis B. Bates, and a banquet served in Music Hall, in which the Grand Officers participated. In December, 1866, Alfred Baylies Lodge received its Charter; in 1867 Ionic, and in 1873 Charles H. Titus, the Charter members for these Lodges withdrawing from King David. January 19, 1881, the Lodge-room now in use was leased for Masonic purposes and dedicated by officers of the Most Worshipful Grand Lodge. On June 15, 1898, occurred the celebration of the one hundredth anniversary, and it was one of the largest gatherings of Masons ever held in Taunton and an occasion long to be remembered by those who participated.

During the past twenty-five years the Lodge has moved forward, increasing in membership and influence. Special meetings of more than ordinary interest have been held. On June 17, 1908, the one hundred and tenth anniversary w'as observed with Wor. Albert Brying Robinson presiding as he had previously done at the one hundredth anniversary. There have been many interchanges of visits with Lodges of nearby cities. The Cable Club, composed of Masons of the New York and New Haven Railroad, and the Trowel Club of the New England Telephone Company have made fraternal visits and worked degrees.

The Taunton Masonic Corporation, composed of representatives of the Lodges meeting in Masonic Hall, bought the paraphernalia of King David Lodge and leased the hall we now occupy. The Masonic Home is an established fact.

Our patriotism was again shown in the late World War when thirty-one of our members enlisted, many of them seeing service over there, Bro. Andrew Leslie Jencks giving his life to the cause and Clifford Haskins Macomber being called to the ranks the day after he was installed Master, spending the next two years in France, returning home shortly after the Armistice was signed.

The character of the men composing King David Lodge is evidenced by the positions of trust and responsibility held by them in every walk of life.

King David Lodge was the thirty-first Lodge in the state to receive a Charter. It has had eight District Deputy Grand Masters, two Grand Chaplains, one Recording Grand Secretary, one Grand Sword Bearer, two Grand Stewards, one Grand Pursuivant and one elected Most Worshipful Grand Master, who declined to serve. There were seventeen members at the institution of the Lodge, three hundred and eleven at its one hundredth anniversary, and five hundred and fifteen to date. Seventy-two Masters have presided, twenty-six of whom are living. One thousand three hundred and thirty-one regular communications have been held.

OTHER

1819 (Petition for remission, III-211)
1820 (Report on delinquency, III-295; Petition for remission, III-306)
1821 (Report on delinquency, III-341)
1848 (Petition for remission, V-174, V-179)
1929 (Participation in North Attleboro corner stone laying, 1929-181)

GRAND LODGE OFFICERS

Edward W. Burt, DDGM, District 28 (Taunton), 1931, 1932; N
James M. Cook, DDGM, District 7, 1860-1864; SN
Charles N. Hackett, DDGM, District 28 (Taunton), 1964, 1965; N
Carleton B. Henry, DDGM, District 28 (Taunton), 1951, 1952; N
James L. Hodges, DDGM, District 13, 1827; SN
Robert W. MacGlashing, DDGM, District 28 (Taunton), 1941, 1942, 1963; N
Stetson W. McKenney, DDGM, District 28 (Taunton), 1963; N
James Alfred Messinger, DDGM, District 23 (Taunton), 1890, 1891, 1892; Memorial
Edward Mott, DDGM, District 23 (Taunton), 1903, 1904; Memorial
Joseph S. Mozzone, Deputy Grand Master 2007
Seth Padelford, DDGM, District 4 (Southeast), 1802, 1803, 1804, 1805; SN
Edward H. Temple, DDGM, District 28 (Taunton), 1911, 1912; SN
Charles H. Titus, Grand Chaplain 1869-1871, Recording Grand Secretary 1871-1878
Robert W. Willams, III, DDGM, District 28 (Taunton), 1978, 1979