MassachusettsYear1826
1826
JOHN ABBOT, Grand Master
Caleb Butler, Deputy Grand Master
Samuel Thaxter, Senior Grand Warden
John Keyes, Junior Grand Warden
Contents
NOTES
A 13th Masonic District was organized at the end of 1826. See note at District 13 Description on the Districts page.
EVENTS IN 1826
QUARTERLY COMMUNICATIONS
- 03/08 (Masons Hall, Boston): IV-1;
- IV-2: Committee on petition by St. Matthew's Lodge to remove to Andover from the north parish; "not regularly sustained‚" and rejected.
- 06/14: IV-24; committee reported that the petition be granted.
- IV-8: Committee appointed to inquire into "the expediency or necessity of Subordinate Lodges obtaining acts of Incorporation."
- 06/14: IV-16; Committee reported at length, Lodges directed not to pursue incorporation.
- IV-9: Boston Lodges' Masters to be appointed a committee to inquire about an organization called "The Independent Order of Odd Fellows" and "how far Masons are justifiable in uniting themselves with said Association."
- 06/14: IV-14; new committee appointed, to examine "other societies."
- 09/13: IV-32; report that it is inexpedient for Masons to associate.
- IV-2: Committee on petition by St. Matthew's Lodge to remove to Andover from the north parish; "not regularly sustained‚" and rejected.
- 06/14 (Masons Hall, Boston): IV-13;
- IV-14: Report by the Library Committee.
- IV-25: Communication from Grand Lodge of Nova Scotia.
- 09/13 (Masons Hall, Boston): IV-30;
- IV-36: Report of committee on misconduct of Masons not members of any particular Lodge; extensive commentary.
- IV-40: Committee appointed to consider expediency of directing the Grand Treasurer to provide the original charter of St. John's Lodge, Boston, to the lodge (i.e., with the same date of precedence.)
- 12/13: IV-48; petition granted "upon similar terms as were proposed to St. Andrew's Lodge."
- 12/13 (Masons Hall, Boston): IV-44; Annual Communication.
- IV-46: Committee of Boston lodges to be formed to consider a permanent place for Grand Lodge in Boston.
- IV-49: Report of Committee of Finance.
- IV-51: Report of Committee on Charity.
- IV-52: John Soley elected Grand Master. Other Grand Lodge officers elected.
- 12/27 (Masons Hall, Boston): IV-57;
- IV-57: Report of Grand Treasurer. The following lodges were reported delinquent:Note: Grand Treasurer reports 101 Lodges in the jurisdiction (we have 104+5 new charters granted in 1826, with 2 outside of Massachusetts.)
- Federal (10th District)
- Humanity (10th District)
- Mount Pleasant (10th District)
- Mystic (8th District)
- Rising Sun (8th District)
- Sumner (11th District)
- Wisdom (8th District)
- IV-62: Installation of Grand Master Soley and other Grand Lodge officers. Appointments of officers. Address by Rt. Wor. and Rev. Paul Dean.
- IV-57: Report of Grand Treasurer. The following lodges were reported delinquent:Note: Grand Treasurer reports 101 Lodges in the jurisdiction (we have 104+5 new charters granted in 1826, with 2 outside of Massachusetts.)
PETITIONS FOR CHARTERS
- 03/08: IV-7; Petition for Mount Ararat Lodge, Petersham, granted.
- 03/08: IV-8; Petition for Doric Lodge, Southbridge, referred.
- 06/14: IV-15; granted.
- 06/14: IV-25; Petition for a lodge in the north parish of Adams, referred.
- 09/13: IV-33; rejected. despite a reliance "upon the good intentions of the petitioners" but that there are only 2000 inhabitants, not enough to support two lodges.
- 06/14: IV-25; Petition for a lodge in Valparaiso, Chile, referred.
- 09/13: IV-35; Committee on the petition for a lodge in Valparaiso "returned the papers and they were thereupon placed on file."
AMENDMENTS TO GRAND LODGE BY-LAWS
- 03/08: IV-6; Suggested amendment to the Grand Constitutions that a petition for a new lodge not be granted at the communication at which it is presented; voted that it should be adopted. (Language for the petition appears in 1825 on page III-568).
SPECIAL COMMUNICATIONS
- 01/26 (Ashfield): IV-11;
- IV-11: Constitution of Morning Sun Lodge and installation of officers; officiated by Rt. Wor. Oliver Fletcher, District Deputy Grand Master. Sermon by Brother Strong and an address by Rt. Wor. Alpheus Harding.
- 05/10 (Orange): IV-26;
- IV-26: Constitution of Orange Lodge and installation of officers; officiated by Rt. Wor. Alpheus Harding, Deputy Grand Master.
- 05/12 (Methuen): IV-42;
- IV-42: Constitution of Grecian Lodge and installation of officers; officiated by Rt. Wor. John Bartlett, District Deputy Grand Master. "Master's Degree" conferred upon the Master-elect; "religious exercises" by Rt. Wor. and Rev. Charles O. Kimball, and a sermon by Rt. Wor. and Rev. James Sabine.
- 05/20 (Weymouth): IV-28;
- IV-28: Constitution of Orphan's Hope Lodge and installation of officers; officiated by Rt. Wor. Joseph Richardson, District Deputy Grand Master.
- 07/26 (Billerica): IV-66;
- IV-66: Constitution of Clinton Lodge and installation of officers; officiated by Rt. Wor. William Whiting, District Deputy Grand Master.
- 09/06 (Plymouth): IV-28;
- IV-28: Constitution of Plymouth Lodge and installation of officers; officiated by Rt. Wor. Caleb Butler, Acting Grand Master.
- 09/27 (Oxford): IV-73;
- IV-73: Constitution of Oxford Lodge and installation of officers; officiated by Rt. Wor. John Homans, District Deputy Grand Master. Included a "Grand Procession."
- 10/04 (Enfield): IV-68;
- IV-68: Constitution of Bethel Lodge and installation of officers; officiated by Rt. Wor. John Mills, District Deputy Grand Master.
- 10/18 (Southbridge): IV-70;
- IV-70: Constitution of Doric Lodge and installation of officers; officiated by Rt. Wor. John Homans, District Deputy Grand Master. A Grand procession including neighboring "Lodges, Chapters and Encampment." An "elegant and appropriate Oration was delivered by Comp. Linus Child."
- 11/22 (Sterling): IV-66;
- IV-66: Constitution of Farmers Lodge and installation of officers; officiated by Rt. Wor. William Whiting, District Deputy Grand Master.
LIST OF LODGES BY DISTRICT (with date of precedence): 1826
DISTRICT 1
Abraham A. Dame, District Deputy Grand Master; 8 Lodges
- St. John's (Boston, 1733)
- Lodge of St. Andrew, (Boston, 1756)
- The Massachusetts (Boston, 1770)
- Columbian (Boston, 1796)
- Washington (Roxbury, 1796)
- Union (Dorchester, 1796)
- Mount Lebanon (Boston, 1801)
- Rural (Quincy, 1801)
DISTRICT 2
John Bartlett, District Deputy Grand Master; 15 Lodges
- Philanthropic (Marblehead, 1760)
- St. John's (Newburyport, 1766)
- The Tyrian (Gloucester, 1770)
- St. Peter's (Newburyport, 1773)
- Unity (Ipswich, 1779)
- Essex (Salem, 1792)
- Merrimack (Haverhill, 1802)
- St. Mark's (Newburyport, 1803)
- Mount Carmel (Lynn, 1805)
- Jordan (Danvers, 1808)
- St. Matthew's (Andover, 1822)
- Warren (Amesbury, 1822)
- Freedom (Woburn, 1824)
- Liberty (Beverly, 1824)
- Grecian (Methuen, 1825)
DISTRICT 3
Joseph Richardson, District Deputy Grand Master; 8 Lodges
- Old Colony (Hanover, 1792)
- Fellowship (Bridgewater, 1797)
- Corner Stone (Duxbury, 1801)
- Norfolk Union (Randolph, 1819)
- Social Harmony (Middleboro, 1823)
- Orphan's Hope (Weymouth, 1825)
- Plymouth (Plymouth, 1825)
- Phoenix (Hanover, 1826)
DISTRICT 4
Thomas Tolman, District Deputy Grand Master; 10 Lodges
- Bristol (Attleboro, 1797)
- Montgomery (Medway, 1797)
- King David (Taunton, 1798)
- Rising Star (Stoughton, 1799)
- Constellation (Dedham, 1801)
- Charity (Milford, 1803)
- St. Alban's (Wrentham, 1818)
- Cassia (Medfield, 1823)
- Star in the East (New Bedford, 1823)
- Mount Hope, Fall River, 1824)
DISTRICT 5
William Whiting, District Deputy Grand Master; 11 Lodges
- Trinity (Lancaster, 1776)
- Middlesex (Framingham, 1795)
- St. Paul's (Groton, 1797)
- Corinthian (Concord, 1797)
- Social (Ashby, 1798)
- Aurora (Leominster, 1801)
- Pentucket (Chelmsford, 1807)
- Fredonia (Northboro, 1810)
- United Brethen (Marlborough, 1824)
- Clinton (Billerica, 1826)
- Farmers (Sterling, 1826)
DISTRICT 6
John Homans, District Deputy Grand Master; 16 Lodges
- Morning Star (Worcester, 1793)
- Fayette (Charlton, 1796)
- Olive Branch (Oxford, 1797)
- Meridian Sun (Brookfield, 1797)
- Mount Zion (Hardwick, 1800)
- Harris (Templeton, 1802)
- Thompson (Rutland, 1812)
- Solomon's Temple (Uxbridge, 1818)
- Leicester (Leicester, 1823)
- Eden (Ware, 1824)
- Carmel (Western, 1824)
- Orange (Orange, 1825)
- Bethel (Enfield, 1825)
- Oxford (Oxford, 1825)
- Doric (Southbridge, 1826)
- Mount Ararat (Petersham, 1826)
DISTRICT 7
Oliver Fletcher, District Deputy Grand Master; 6 Lodges
- Republican (Gill, 1794)
- Harmony (Northfield, 1796)
- Pacific (Leverett, 1801)
- Orion (Cummington, 1815)
- Golden Rule (New Salem, 1815)
- Mountain (Rowe, 1806)
DISTRICT 8
Edward F. Ensign, District Deputy Grand Master; 8 Lodges
- Friendship (Williamstown, 1785)
- Franklin (Cheshire, 1794)
- Cincinnatus (Great Barrington, 1795)
- Evening Star (Lenox, 1795)
- Wisdom (West Stockbridge, 1803)
- Sheffield (Sheffield, 1803)
- Rising Sun (New Marlborough, 1808)
- Mystic (Pittsfield, 1810)
DISTRICT 9
Eliab W. Metcalf, District Deputy Grand Master; 9 Lodges
- King Solomon's (Charlestown, 1783)
- Hiram (Lexington, 1797)
- Meridian (Watertown, 1797)
- Mount Moriah (Reading, 1798)
- Amicable (Cambridge, 1805)
- Good Samaritan (Reading, 1816)
- Mount Hermon (Malden, 1817)
- Bethesda (Brighton, 1819)
- Monitor (Waltham, 1820)
DISTRICT 10
John Mills, District Deputy Grand Master; 9 Lodges
- Federal (Blandford, 1792)
- Thomas (Monson, 1796)
- Jerusalem (Northampton, 1797)
- Mount Vernon (Belchertown, 1807)
- Friendly Society (Southwick, 1807)
- Mount Pleasant (Granville, 1808)
- Humanity (Holland, 1811)
- Hampden (Springfield, 1817)
- Morning Sun (Ashfield, 1825)
DISTRICT 11
Sylvester Baker, District Deputy Grand Master; 4 Lodges
- King Hiram's (Provincetown, 1795)
- Marine (Falmouth, 1798)
- Sumner (Dennis, 1801)
- Fraternal (Barnstable, 1801)
DISTRICT 12
Samuel H. Jenks, District Deputy Grand Master; 2 Lodges
OUTSIDE OF MASSACHUSETTS
No District Deputy Grand Master; 2 Lodges
- St. John's (Starbrock, Demarara, 1801)
- L'Hereux Reveil (Mayaguez, Puerto Rico, 1821)