MassachusettsYear1861
1861
WILLIAM T. COOLIDGE, Grand Master
G. Washington Warren, Deputy Grand Master
William North, Senior Grand Warden
Jessee P. Pattee, Junior Grand Warden
Contents
- 1 QUARTERLY COMMUNICATIONS
- 1.1 03/13 Agenda
- 1.2 06/12 Agenda
- 1.3 09/11 Agenda
- 1.4 12/11 Agenda
- 1.5 Grand Constitutions Amendment Proposals
- 1.6 Grand Master's Address
- 1.7 Lodge By-Law Changes
- 1.8 Necrologies and Memorials
- 1.9 Petitions for Charters
- 1.10 Petitions for Dispensation for Lodges
- 1.11 Petitions for Restoration of Charter
- 2 SPECIAL COMMUNICATIONS
- 3 FEAST OF ST. JOHN THE EVANGELIST
- 4 LIST OF LODGES BY DATE OF PRECEDENCE: 1861
QUARTERLY COMMUNICATIONS
Held at Freemasons' Hall, Boston
- 03/13: VI-358;
- 06/12: VI-373;
- 09/11: VI-381;
- 12/11: VI-386; (Annual Communication)
03/13 Agenda
None.
06/12 Agenda
- VI-378; Presentation by the Grand Master of a patriotic Circular from the Grand Lodge of Tennessee, to which the Grand Lodge responded in a fraternal manner.
- VI-379; Note of the 83rd birthday of Rt. Wor. John B. Hammatt.
- VI-380; Acceptance of invitation to lay the cornerstone of Harvard Street Methodist Episcopal Church in Cambridgeport; the Grand Lodge proceeded with escort from Boston Commandery.
09/11 Agenda
- VI-384; Wor. Bro. Wilson, Past Master of Fredonia Lodge recognized.
- VI-385; Report of Charity Committee.
12/11 Agenda
- VI-387; Report of the Committee of Finance.
- VI-393; Re-election of Grand Master Coolidge (253 ballots) and other Grand Lodge officers.
- VI-393; Report of Charity Committee.
Grand Constitutions Amendment Proposals
None.
Grand Master's Address
- 03/13: VI-359; Report of the committee on the retiring Grand Master's Address.
- Regarding the appointment of a Committee of Foreign Correspondence: "A digest of the doings of the brethren elsewhere . . . would be of great value to us; . . .But the value of a report of such a committee would depend largely upon the qualification of the members, and their application to the arduous duties devolved upon them. This office [of the Corresponding Grand Secretary] has been hitherto more ornamental than useful; but in future, it is hoped it will possess both of these characteristics." They recommend that this office take care of these affairs.
- The committee applauds the suggestion that the work and lectures should be introduced into the subordinate Lodges, and that a Lodge that "does not have the ritual entirely at its command, word for word, letter for letter, and comma for comma" should perhaps be denied the vote at Grand Lodge.
- Further consideration was tabled and referred to a committee.
- 06/12: VI-379; Verbal report by Rt. Wor. G. Washington Warren.
Lodge By-Law Changes
- 09/11: VI-385; The Massachusetts Lodge, referred and accepted.
Necrologies and Memorials
- 03/13: VI-365; Death of Rt. Wor. and Rev. Paul Dean, Past Grand Master; presented by committee chaired by Rt. Wor. Jerome Van Crowninshield Smith.
- 03/13: VI-366; Death of Rt. Wor. C. Gayton Pickman, Past Junior Grand Warden; presented by committee.
- 03/13: VI-367; Death of Bro. Ebenezer Mower of Worcester at age 100.
- 06/12: VI-375; report presented by Rt. Wor. Winslow Lewis.
- 12/11: VI-392; Death of Rt. Wor. Sylvanus [Sylvester] Baxter, Past DDGM of the 8th District; referred to committee.
- 12/27: VI-402; report.
Petitions for Charters
- 06/12: VI-375; Petition for John Warren U.D., Hopkinton, granted.
- 06/12: VI-376; Petition for Dalhousie U.D., Newtonville, granted, with some revisions to By-Laws as noted.
- 09/11: VI-383; Petition for John Hancock U.D., Methuen, granted.
Petitions for Dispensation for Lodges
Mentioned in Grand Master's Address, beginning on Page VI-352:
- Orient, South Dedham (02/22)
- Pythagorean, Marion (07/13)
Army Lodges granted dispensations:
- Bay State Army #1, 3rd Regiment (05/06)
- Massachusetts Army #2, 16th Regiment (08/12)
- United Brethren Army #3, 17th Regiment (09/16)
- Fraternal Army #4, 25th Regiment (10/17)
- Bunker Hill Army #5, 2nd Regiment (11/04)
- Union (McClellan) Army #6, 1st Regiment of Cavalry (12/24)
Petitions for Restoration of Charter
None.
SPECIAL COMMUNICATIONS
None.
FEAST OF ST. JOHN THE EVANGELIST
(held at Masonic Temple, Boston, 12/27/1861); VI-398.
- VI-398: Lodge of Instruction.
- VI-400: Installation of Grand Master Coolidge and other Grand Lodge officers.
- VI-352: Report of the Grand Master for the preceding year:
- Corner Stone Layings:
- St. John's Episcopal Church, Lowell (04/15) by Rt. Wor. G. Washington Warren, Deputy Grand Master.
- First Universalist Church, Chelsea (05/30)
- Howard Methodist Episcopal Church, Cambridgeport (06/12)
- Lodge Hall Dedications:
- Hammatt, East Boston (01/02) consecration, constitution and installation of officers.
- John Warren, Hopkinton (01/17) consecration, constitution and installation of officers.
- New Bedford (01/22) and installation for Star in the East and Eureka Lodges.
- Southbridge (01/28), and installation for Quinnebaug Lodge.
- Dalhousie, Newtonville (06/24); consecration, constitution and installation of officers.
- John Hancock, Methuen (09/20); consecration, constitution and installation of officers.
- Pacific, Amherst (09/20) consecration, constitution and installation of officers.
- Worcester (11/12), and installation for Montacute Lodge.
- Corner Stone Layings:
- VI-405: "Elegant and beautiful address on the subject of Masonic friendship" by Rev. Bro. William R. Alger, and an original Ode by Bro. John K. Hall.
LIST OF LODGES BY DATE OF PRECEDENCE: 1861
This district layout is based on the O.P. edition of the Proceedings. However, this publication is riddled with errors, and some adjustment was necessary.
Note: There were 12 Districts in 1861, plus a special area for Chile.
DISTRICT 1
Benjamin Dean, Boston, District Deputy Grand Master; 11 Lodges
- St. John's (Boston, 1733)
- Lodge of St. Andrew, (Boston, 1756)
- Mount Lebanon (Boston, 1801)
- Bethesda (Brighton, 1819)
- Monitor (Waltham, 1820)
- Mount Tabor (East Boston, 1846)
- Baalbec (East Boston, 1852)
- Winslow Lewis (Boston, 1855)
- Revere (Boston, 1856)
- Pequossette (Watertown, 1856)
- Hammatt (East Boston, 1859)
DISTRICT 2
William Sutton, South Danvers, District Deputy Grand Master; 10 Lodges
- Philanthropic (Marblehead, 1760)
- St. John's (Newburyport, 1766)
- The Tyrian (Gloucester, 1770)
- Essex (Salem, 1791)
- St. Mark's (Newburyport, 1803)
- Mount Carmel (Lynn, 1805)
- Jordan (Danvers, 1808)
- Warren (Amesbury, 1822)
- Liberty (Beverly, 1824)
- Ashler (Rockport, 1851)
DISTRICT 3
William Sewall Gardner, Lowell, District Deputy Grand Master; 11 Lodges
- St. Paul's (Groton, 1797)
- Corinthian (Concord, 1797)
- Aurora (Fitchburg, 1801)
- Merrimack (Haverhill, 1802)
- Pentucket (Lowell, 1807)
- St. Matthew's (Andover, 1822)
- Grecian (Lawrence, 1825)
- Ancient York (Lowell, 1852)
- Caleb Butler (South Groton, 1859)
- Wilder (Leominster, 1859)
- John Hancock (Methuen, 1860)
DISTRICT 4
Daniel W. Taft, Blackstone, District Deputy Grand Master; 8 Lodges
- Montgomery (Milford, 1797)
- Olive Branch (Sutton, 1797)
- Solomon's Temple (Uxbridge, 1818)
- Franklin (Grafton, 1851)
- Blackstone River (Blackstone, 1855)
- Webster (Webster, 1858)
- Oxford (Oxford, 1859)
- John Warren (Hopkinton, 1860)
DISTRICT 5
Zachariah L. Bicknell, Weymouth, District Deputy Grand Master; 9 Lodges + 1 U.D.
- Old Colony (Hingham, 1792)
- Rising Star (Stoughton, 1799)
- Corner Stone (Duxbury, 1801)
- Rural (Quincy, 1801)
- Norfolk Union (Randolph, 1819)
- Plymouth (Plymouth, 1825)
- Orphan's Hope (Weymouth, 1825)
- Paul Revere (N. Bridgewater, 1856)
- John Cutler (Abington, 1859)
- Orient (South Dedham, U.D.)
DISTRICT 6
Henry Goddard, Worcester, District Deputy Grand Master; 9 Lodges
- Morning Star (Worcester, 1793)
- Middlesex (Framingham, 1795)
- Meridian (Natick, 1797)
- Mount Zion (Barre, 1800)
- Quaboag (Warren, 1858)
- Montacute (Worcester, 1858)
- Trinity (Clinton, 1858)
- United Brethren (Marlborough, 1859)
- Quinnebaug (Southbridge, 1859)
DISTRICT 7
James A. Cook, Taunton, District Deputy Grand Master; 8 Lodges + 1 U.D.
- Fellowship (Bridgewater, 1797)
- Bristol (Attleboro, 1797)
- King David (Taunton, 1798)
- St. Alban's (Foxborough, 1818)
- Star in the East (New Bedford, 1823)
- Social Harmony (Wareham, 1823)
- Mount Hope (Fall River, 1824)
- Eureka (New Bedford, 1857)
- Pythagorean (Marion, U.D.)
DISTRICT 8
Sylvanus Baxter, Hyannis, District Deputy Grand Master; 8 Lodges
- Union (Nantucket, 1771)
- King Hiram's (Provincetown, 1795)
- Marine (Falmouth, 1798)
- Fraternal (Barnstable, 1801)
- Mount Horeb (West Harwich, 1854)
- DeWitt Clinton (Sandwich, 1855)
- Pilgrim (Harwich South Village, 1859)
- Martha's Vineyard (Tisbury, 1859)
DISTRICT 9
William S. Shurtleff, Springfield, District Deputy Grand Master; 9 Lodges
- Cincinnatus (Great Barrington, 1795)
- Evening Star (Lee, 1795)
- Thomas (Palmer, 1796)
- Wisdom (West Stockbridge, 1803)
- Mystic (Pittsfield, 1810)
- Hampden (Springfield, 1817)
- Lafayette (North Adams, 1847)
- Mount Moriah (Westfield, 1856)
- Berkshire (Adams, 1857)
DISTRICT 10
W.B.C. Pearsons, Holyoke, District Deputy Grand Master; 9 Lodges
- Republican (Greenfield, 1795)
- Harmony (Northfield, 1796)
- Jerusalem (Northampton, 1797)
- Mountain (Shelburne Falls, 1806)
- Bethel (Enfield, 1825)
- Chicopee (Chicopee, 1848)
- Mount Tom (Holyoke, 1850)
- Orange (Orange, 1859)
- Pacific (Amherst, 1860)
DISTRICT 11
John R. Hall, Somerville, District Deputy Grand Master; 10 Lodges
- King Solomon's (Charlestown, 1783)
- Hiram (West Cambridge, 1797)
- Star of Bethlehem (Chelsea, 1844)
- Mount Hermon (Woburn, 1854)
- Putnam (East Cambridge, 1854)
- Mount Horeb (Medford, 1855)
- Wyoming (Melrose, 1856)
- John Abbot(Somerville, 1857)
- Mount Vernon (Malden, 1857)
- Henry Price (Charlestown, 1858)
DISTRICT 12
Wyzeman Marshall, Boston, District Deputy Grand Master; 10 Lodges
- The Massachusetts (Boston, 1770)
- Columbian (Boston, 1796)
- Union (Dorchester, 1796)
- Washington (Roxbury, 1796)
- Amicable (Cambridge, 1805)
- St. Paul's (South Boston, 1846)
- Germania (Boston, 1854)
- Gate of the Temple (South Boston, 1855)
- Joseph Warren (Boston, 1856)
- Dalhousie (Newtonville, 1860)
- Aberdour (Boston, 1860)
CHILE DISTRICT
Charles T. Ward, Jr., Valparaiso, Special Deputy for Chile; 3 Lodges
- Bethesda (Valparaiso, Chile, 1854)
- Hiram (Copiapo, Chile, 1858)
- Southern Cross (Valparaiso, Chile, 1858)
ARMY LODGES
Dispensations were issued for the following Lodges: