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MOUNT CARMEL LODGE

Location: Lynn

Chartered By: Isaiah Thomas

Charter Date: 06/10/1805 II-276

Precedence Date: 06/10/1805

Current Status: Active

NOTES

V-33: Mount Carmel Lodge divided its property, about $3000, among about 25 brethren. In 1845, when the charter was to be restored, most would not return the funds.

A banner presentation appears as part of the Newburyport Feast of St. John in June 1849.

• Mount Sinai Lodge merged here, 06/15/1989.
• Damascus Lodge merged here, 03/12/2001.
• Bethlehem Lodge merged here, 10/09/2006.

PAST MASTERS

REFERENCES IN GRAND LODGE PROCEEDINGS

• Petition for Charter: 1805
• Petition for Restoration of Charter: 1845
• Consolidation Petition (with Mount Sinai Lodge): 1989
• Consolidation Petition (with Damascus Lodge): 2000
• Consolidation Petition (with Bethlehem Lodge): 2006

ANNIVERSARIES

• 1905 (Centenary)
• 1955 (150th Anniversary)
• 2005 (200th Anniversary)

VISITS BY GRAND MASTER

• 1807 (Bigelow; Constitution of Lodge and installation; Special Communication)
• 1847 (Robinson; installation; see below)
• 1881 (Lawrence)
• 1885 (Howland)
• 1889 (Endicott)
• 1899 (Hutchinson)
• 1905 (Sanford; Centenary; Special Communication)
• 1911 (Flanders)
• 1919 (L. Abbott; "Welcome Home Night")
• 1955 (W. Johnson; 150th Anniversary; Special Communication)
• 1989 (Ames; 2 visits, including Consolidation; Special Communication)
• 1992 (Darling)
• 2001 (Bauer; Consolidation; Special Communication)
• 2005 (Hodgdon; 200th Anniversary)
• 2006 (Hodgdon; Consolidation; Special Communication)

BY-LAW CHANGES

1875 1880 1882 1900 1902 1903 1904 1908 1910 1912 1936 1942 1949 1950 1973 2004 2007

HISTORY

• 1905 (Centennial Address, 1934-169; see below)
• 1955 (150th Anniversary History, 1955-156; see below)

CENTENNIAL HISTORICAL ADDRESS, JUNE 1905

From Proceedings, Page 1905-81:

HISTORICAL ADDRESS BY THE RECORDING GRAND SECRETARY.

MOST WORSHIPFUL GRAND MASTER, WORSHIPFUL MASTER, BRETHREN AND FRIENDS: The Committee of Arrangements has wisely planned a new departure from the practice of Lodges heretofore in celebrating their Centennial Anniversaries. An important feature of the exercises on such occasions has been the Historical Address. While that portion of the services is always interesting to the members of the Lodge, various causes often delay and sometimes prevent the publication of the tale that is told. In order to avoid such disappointment in this case, some members of the Committee have been for a year past diligently and laboriously gathering the material for the history of the Lodge and the biographies of its most active members. The narrative has been embodied in an elegant volume now ready for delivery. To the speaker is assigned merely the duty of telling you something of the early history of the Grand Lodge which granted the charter of Mount Carmel Lodge and of the Brethren who were prominent in the Grand Body at and about that time.

BEGINNINGS OF SPECULATIVE MASONRY

Speculative Masonry, as now practised all over the world, is the outgrowth of operative Masonry. Until within about three hundred years no candidates were admitted to the Fraternity except those who were actively engaged in operative Masoniy. At some time between 1600 and 1650 they began to admit distinguished men without regard to profession or trade. Many Brethren were bitterly opposed to the innovation and it progressed very slowly.

In those days there was no Grand Lodge. The General Assembly, as it was called, was held once a year, which any Mason might attend. As the number of non-operative Brethren increased, the old forms and rules fell into disuse, and the practice of the Lodges became very irregular. To remedy this difficulty, in the year 1717 the four oldest Lodges in London met together and organized the first Grand Lodge, choosing as the first Grand Master the oldest Master in their number. Before the date last named the history of our Fraternity is very indefinite and full of doubts and difficulties, but from that time forward it is tolerably clear and easily traced.

Sixteen years later the Grand Master of England issued a deputation to Henry Price, of Boston, appointing him Provincial Grand Master of New England. By virtue of this authority Brother Price organized a Provincial Grand Lodge on July 30, 1733, and granted a warrant for the first Lodge in Boston, which he constituted on the thirtieth of the next month. In the following year Brother Price received "Orders from the Grand Lodge in England to Establish Masonry in all North America." On the fifteenth of February, 1749, Thomas Oxnard, Provincial Grand Master, one. of the successors of Henry Price, constituted the second Lodge in Boston. In 1783 these, two Lodges were united under the name of St. John's Lodge, now the oldest Lodge on this continent.

The three British Grand Lodges have always been accustomed to establish their own Lodges at pleasure.in any territory where no Grand Lodge exists; the three Provincial Grand Lodges often working side by side for years in perfect harmony. In accordance with this practice, the Grand Master of Scotland issued a deputation in 1769 to Joseph Warren, of blessed memory, "appointing him to be Grand Master of Masons in Boston, New England, and within one hundred miles of the same," which authority, on the third of March, 1772, was extended over " the Continent of North America." On the eighth of March, 1777, nearly two years after the death of General Warren, the Brethren of his Provincial Grand Lodge chose their own Grand Master, thus establishing the first independent Grand Lodge in this country.

Grave doubts were entertained as to the Masonic propriety of this proceeding. Many of the Brethren maintained that, according to Masonic law, the Grand Lodge and all the Lodges he had warranted died with the Grand Master, and that new authority must be obtained from the parent Body; while the patriot portion of the Fraternity argued that, inasmuch as the political relation of the two countries had been severed, it was proper that the Masonic connection should be terminated.

UNION OF 1792 AND AFTER

These doubts and difficulties were practically settled by the union on the fifth of March, 1792, of the two organizations — the Provincial Grand Lodge established by Henry Price, sometimes called the St. John's Grand Lodge, and the independent Grand Lodge known as the Massachusetts Grand Lodge. Nearly all the Lodges in the Commonwealth united in this happy movement, the last to give in its adhesion being the Lodge of St. Andrew, of Boston, which had received from the Grand Lodge of Scotland the charter under which it is still working, hearing date in 1756. In 1813 a similar union was effected in London between the rival factions which had existed there for some seventy-five years, known as "Ancients" and "Moderns."

The last of the Lodges, and especially St. Andrew's, came into our own union largely through the influence of Isaiah Thomas, the Grand Master who signed the charter of Mount Carmel Lodge. He was one of the most remarkable men of his time; in life and character strongly resembling Benjamin Franklin; of great energy and natural ability. Some of his biographers have represented that he never received any education at all. He used to say himself that six weeks' schooling was all he ever had, and poor at that. As in Franklin's, case, the printing office was almost his only school, and he his own schoolmaster. The story of his useful life has often been told, so far as the public reaped the benefit of it. The same sterling qualities were manifested in his Masonic service. We have so often and so recently rehearsed his praises that it scarcely seems necessary to repeat them now.

He served as.Grand Master in 1803, 1804 and 1805, and again in 1809. It was during the last-named year that he succeeded in inducing the last of the Lodges to come under the jurisdiction of the united Grand Lodge. Since the union of 1792 it has been the general custom for our Grand Masters, who are elected annually, to serve for three successive years. Only three have been elected afterwards for a second term : Isaiah Thomas, as already stated, Timothy Bigelow and John Abbot. To Timothy Bigelow belongs the distinction of having been the only Grand Master, since the union, who served two full terms, namely in 1806, 1807 and 1808, and again in 1811, 1812 and 1813. Between these two terms the office was filled by Isaiah Thomas in 1809, and by a scarcely less distinguished Revolutionary patriot, Josiah Bartlett, in 1810. John Abbot served in 1824, 1825 and 1826, and again in 1834. In 1825, on the fiftieth anniversary, he laid the corner-stone of the Bunker Hill Monument, assisted by General Lafayette, in the presence of two hundred soldiers of the Revolution, forty of them being surviving veterans of the battle. In 1834 it became the same Grand Master's sad duty to announce to his Brethren the death of the illustrious Marquis.

The strong character, the marked ability and consequent powerful influence of Isaiah Thomas are further attested by the fact that two of his apprentices succeeded him as Grand Master, Timothy Bigelow and Benjamin Russell. With the exception of a single year these three Brethren presided over the Grand Lodge from 1803 to 1816 inclusive. During the year 1810 the chair of Solomon was filled by Dr. Josiah Bartlett, a famous Revolutionary soldier, who had served as our Grand Master in 1798 and 1799, but then felt obliged to decline a third year's service on account of the pressure of professional duty, greatly to the regret of his Brethren.

TIMOTHY BIGELOW

Timothy Bigelow was one of the most distinguished lawyers of his time, the eldest son of a gallant officer of the Revolutionary War, of the same name. He was born in Worcester, April 30, 1767. As a boy he served for two }^ears in the printing office of Isaiah Thomas, and in 1779 in the quarters of the Continental Army posted to watch the British forces in Rhode Island. In such apparently unsuitable schools he managed to pick up enough of the rudiments to obtain admission in 1782, at the age of fifteen, to Harvard College, where he gained high rank in a distinguished class and was graduated in 1786. The pious bent of his mind may perhaps be inferred from the fact that on his Commencement Day he took part in a discussion of the question "Whether Religious Disputation Promotes the Interest of True Piety."

He at once entered upon the study of law, varying its monotony by a few weeks' service as a volunteer in the small force hastily enlisted for the suppression of Shay's Rebellion. On his admission to the Bar in 1789 he began the practice of his profession in Groton; where he is said to have sat in his office for six weeks without earning a fee, his patience being at length rewarded by a service for which the compensation was a pistareen, a small Spanish silver coin then in common circulation and worth about eighteen cents.

This day of small things was of short duration. Even then it was said of him : "His acquirements are great, his studiousness indefatigable, his fluency astonishing." Of course his business soon became widely extended. For years he was one of the leading counsel in Middlesex and Worcester Counties, and later became prominent at the Suffolk Bar. It is believed that in a practice of thirty-two years he tried more cases than' any lawyer we have ever had in the Commonwealth — the number being estimated at fifteen thousand.

For a long series of years he served either in the Senate or House of Representatives of the Commonwealth. In 1805 he was chosen Speaker of the House, an office which he filled for eleven years — eight of them in succession—a.longer service than is recorded of any other Speaker. It was in that office that he is said to have given a striking illustration of his remarkable memory. Although the House numbered more than three hundred members, it is related that within three days after they came together he could call them all by name — a feat requiring a recollection of faces as well as names. He presided over that branch of the Legislature with signal ability and popularity, although he entered warmly into the strenuous and exciting politics of the times as an opponent of the policy and measures of the General Government, particularly the embargo.

He married, Sept. 30, 1791, Lucy, the daughter of Hon. Oliver Prescott, an officer of the Revolutionary Army and for many years Judge of Probate for Middlesex County. They had a numerous family. In 1806, the first year of his Grand v Mastership, he removed to Medford and opened an office in Boston. He took great delight in horticulture and his grounds on the banks of the Mystic river were famous for their beauty. He died there, of typhus fever, May 18, 1821, at fifty-four years of age. His wife survived him thirty-one years, dying on the fifteenth of December, 1852, and retaining in a remarkable degree to an advanced age her youthful freshness and beauty.

Brother Bigelow was initiated in St. Paul Lodge, of Groton, in July, 1797, aud served as Worshipful Master in 1802, and perhaps longer; he was Senior Grand Warden in 1804 and 1805, but at the Quarterly Communication of the Grand Lodge held on the tenth of June in the latter year, when the charter of Mount Carmel Lodge was granted, he occupied the chair of the Deputy Grand Master.

The charter, however, does not bear his signature, Brother Joseph Laughton signing as Senior Grand Warden pro tem. In those days, so different from our own, in most matters, especially those Masonic, the motto was Festina lente — hasten slowly. Probably the charter was not engrossed until several weeks after it was voted. In the meantime Brother Bigelow had set forth on what was considered a great journey. On the eighth day of July, 1805, in company with four other gentlemen, he started from Boston to-visit the Falls of Niagara, intending to return by way of Montreal and Lake Champlain, a trip of 1355 miles, occupying exactly six weeks. He kept a daily journal while on the journey, which was lost sight of for many years. In 1876 it was discovered among some old family papers and published by a grandson, who kindly furnished a copy for our Grand Lodge Library. During the summer of 1815 he kept a "Diary of a Visit to Newport, New York and Philadelphia," which was published in 1880. Probably the charter was prepared while Brother Bigelow was absent on the first-named journey, and signed by a predecessor as Senior Grand Warden.

BEGINNINGS OF MOUNT CARMEL LODGE

Grand Master Bigelow officiated in person at the important ceremony of the constitution of Mount Carmel Lodge on the twenty-fourth of June, 1807, two years after the charter was granted. The practice at. the present day is to have the ceremony performed within two or three weeks after the charter is voted, but one hundred years ago the practice in this respect seems to have been very irregular.: We have recently observed an instance reported in the Grand Lodge Records where the constitution of a Lodge took place more than seven years after its charter was granted. Probably these delays were largely owing to the lack of the necessary facilities for travelling and the consequent difficulty of assembling the considerable number of competent Grand Officers needed for the service. It seems hardly credible to us, but the carrying through of such a ceremony in that day, even in a locality no farther distant from headquarters than Lynn, was an achievement to be regarded with pride.

BENJAMIN RUSSELL

Another prominent actor on that occasion was the Grand Marshal, Benjamin Russell, who six years later succeeded Timothy Bigelow as Grand Master. He also was an apprentice of Isaiah Thomas, and like his master picked up most of his education in the printing office. He was born in Boston, Sept. 13, 1761, the son of John Russell and the nephew of Joseph Russell, long the Town Treasurer of Boston.

His connection with the memorable events of his time commenced at a very early age and continued through the whole of his long life. On the morning of the nineteenth of April, 1775, as he was wont to tell, the exercises of Master Carter's Town School in Scollay's buildings were disturbed by martial music. One of the boys was sent out to learn the occasion for the dreaded sounds. He soon returned with the information that the British troops had attacked the "Yankees" at Lexington and Concord, that several of each party had been killed, that reinforcements had been sent for and the "Regulars" were parading on Boston Common in great numbers. Master Carter at once declared "Boys, war has begun — the school is broken up." As Major Russell used to say: "This announcement was received with three cheers, and the boys, having gained their own freedom, sallied forth to see whether the men would gain theirs."

Some of the boys, and among them Ben Russell, followed the British troops through Roxbury to the college grounds in Cambridge, where they rested, while the soldiers marched on through Wrest Cambridge to Lexington. Towards sunset the boys had the pleasure of seeing, at some distance, the British in full retreat, followed by the "Yankees." The college buildings were converted into barracks, where the boys were given quarters and rations, serving as clerks to some of the patriot companies. This relation was continued about four months and during that period the boys saw something, and heard a great deal, of the battle of Bunker Hill and the burning of Charlestown.

One day in August, the father and uncle, having escaped from Boston, came suddenly upon the boy while engaged in commissary duty. The surprise of the encounter was rather enhanced by the attempt of the father to give the young soldier a good shaking as a reward for his four months in the line of independence, a proceeding which the soldiers would not permit. The father and son, however, at once repaired to the tent of "Old Put," an honorable discharge was granted, and the next day the pair proceeded to Worcester, where the boy was bound as an apprentice to Isaiah Thomas.

There he became associated, as a fellow apprentice, with Timothy Bigelow, and together they enjoyed the advantages of a school in which such minds could not fail to profit, a "school where the highest principles of liberty were taught." In 1780 Brother Thomas was drafted for service in the Revolutionary Army. Young Russell volunteered to go in his stead and served until the army was disbanded. Between these three men, Thomas, Bigelow and Russell, the most sincere, cordial and uninterrupted friendship prevailed through life.

An interesting anecdote is related of his experience while in the service. One day as he was passing a certain tent the curtain blew aside and he saw many comrades assembled there, among whom he observed an ordinary sergeant of one of the regiments on an elevated seat and covered, while uncovered sat General Washington among the multitude. Being accustomed to regard the Commander-in-Chief almost with reverence, as one of the greatest of human beings, he could not understand why one of the least should be more honored than the greatest. Upon enquiry he was informed that the assembly he had seen was a Lodge of Masons and that one of the tenets of the Craft was the equality of all men. So pleased was he with the idea that he declared he would seek to become a Freemason as soon as he returned home.

On his release from the army he resumed his trade and, following the example of his master, started a newspaper, which he christened the Columbian Centinel. The first number was issued on the twenty-fourth of March, 1784, and it was continued until his death, Jan. 4, 1845. Many comments were made on the spelling of the second word of the title. On the day of the first appearance of the paper, meeting an intimate friend on the street who told him the word was misspelled, that it should have been Sentinel, he replied, "Well, Cen. it is and Cen it shall be," and Cen. it was to the end of its existence. During the whole period it was the most popular and influential newspaper in New England, if not in the country. Its readers said it seemed to come everywhere like a familiar acquaintance. It told them just what they wanted to know. The editor kept about the streets — he saw and knew everybody — he gathered something from every current of conversation as it drifted by.

During the French Revolution the office of the editor was the resort of the principal refugees; they constantly sought his advice and his purse was generously at their service. The most celebrated among these visitors were Louis Philippe and Louis Napoleon, the former of whom always retained a lively sense of gratitude for Major Russell's kindness, and after coming to the throne urgently invited him and his family to come to Paris as the Royal guests.

During his long life Brother Russell had been familiar with some of the most remarkable events in the history of the world — the Revolutionary War, the French Revolution, the wars of Napoleon, the adoption of the Constitution of the United States, the introduction of steam for .transportation by land and water, and many other facilities, objects of wonder in his day but now in common everyday use. Many of the most famous men of two centuries he had seen and of not a few he was an intimate friend — Washington, Warren, LaFayette, Franklin, Jefferson, Webster, Clay, Calhoun and Choate. What a wonderful experience!

Brother Russell had an active part in bringing about the union of our two Grand Lodges in 1792. He served for many years as Marshal of the Grand Lodge, and the record of an occasional ceremony when he was absent shows how greatly his experience and skill were missed in the arrangement and conduct of the ceremony. Fortunately he was present at the constitution of Mount Carmel Lodge in 1807, and all went well. Seven years later he followed his friend Bigelow as Grand Master — then too all went well.

MOUNT CARMEL

Mount Carmel has always had good neighbors, among them are Philanthropic, of Marblehead, Essex, of Salem, and Jordan, of Danvers — now Peabody. For years Philanthropic was called the "Lodge at Marblehead" and the name by which it is now known does not appear to have been given until 1778, although it commenced work in 1760. An interesting fact in its history came to light a few years ago from a letter of the first Master written in the year last named. The writer gave the names of the Brethren who had been initiated during the first fortnight of the work of the Lodge. Among them was the name of John Pulling. He was probably the man who hung in the belfry of the Old North Church the lantern which was the signal for Paul Revere's famous ride to Lexington and Concord. The two men were intimate friends. It is not likely that such a delicate and dangerous duty would have been entrusted to any one not a Mason. Between 1760 and 1775 Paul Revere is recorded as a frequent visitor at Philanthropic Lodge and John Pulling at St. Andrew's Lodge. The other party who is sometimes claimed as Paul Revere's confidant in this matter was Robert Newman, who was made a Mason in Saint John's Lodge, of Boston, in 1783, the year of the peace — eight years after the lantern incident.

To Jordan Lodge belongs the credit of having communicated light to Rufus Choate. He served that Lodge as Junior Warden in 1825 and as Senior Warden in 1826 and 1827. In 1824 he commenced practice in Danvers, but soon removed to Salem. In 1841 he was elected to the U.S. Senate, to fill out the term of Daniel Webster, who had been appointed Secretary of State. In 1842 he was asked to accept a nomination as Grand Master. He replied that he would gladly serve the Fraternity in that capacity, but the pressure of professional duties would not permit. We must all regret that the name of that brilliant genius could not adorn our roll of Grand Masters.

The question is sometimes asked, Why did the founders of Mount Carmel Lodge select that name? It is often an interesting study to trace the thoughts.and motives of our Brethren in that matter. At and about the time of the Revolutionary War the names of Lodges were largely drawn from the politics of that day, such as Union, Columbian, Warren, United States, Federal, Hancock, Republican, Liberty, American Union and Freedom. Every State has its Washington Lodge and almost everyone its Lafayette Lodge, and some States have several of each. When St. Andrew's Lodge divided on the question of sustaining the independent Grand Lodge, Paul Revere withdrew with the minority and enrolled their Lodge as St. Andrew's, No. 1, under the new Grand Lodge. It was soon found inconvenient to have two Lodges called St. Andrew's in the same town and Revere changed the name of his to Rising States. This title so tickled the fancy of Gen. Mordecai Gist, afterwards Grand Master of South Carolina, that he used it in naming his sons, calling one. Rising and the other States.

Early in the last century there seemed to be an inclination to revert to the practice of earlier times by selecting names drawn from the Bible. The founders in the present case certainly made a wise choice. Mount Carmel is said to be one of the most striking features of the country of Palestine, the only great .promontory on the low coast, rising about one thousand feet above the level of the plain and extending some six or eight miles. Its name signifies The Garden of God, a title given to it because it abounded with every variety of tree, shrub and flower known in Palestine. Its fame was not confined to that country.

It was visited even in ancient times by famous men from various parts of the world, among others by our ancient friend and Brother the great Pythagoras; also by Vespasian, who went there to consult the oracle supposed to be located there, which, as Tacitus tells us, had neither image nor temple. To Bible readers it is most familiar from its connection with the lives of the great prophets of Israel, Elijah and Elisha. The fiery zeal of the one and the kindly tenderness of the other are inseparably connected in our minds with Mount Carmel. There Elijah brought back Israel to allegiance to Jehovah and there his prayers brought down vengeance and slaughter upon the prophets, of the false god. It was there that the Shunamite woman found Elisha when she sought his aid in restoring to life her son.

May we not reasonably suppose that the founders of Mount Carmel Lodge dreamed that it might, in time come to be like a beautiful mountain among the Lodges, a veritable garden of the Lord in this community, displaying in abundant measure the beauty of noble and manly lives and the sweet fragrance of generous and kindly deeds? If such w*ere the thoughts of the sponsors of the new Lodge, may we not fairly claim that their anticipations have been realized to some extent? Let us hope that their successors, both present and future, may "better the instruction."

150TH ANNIVERSARY HISTORY, JUNE 1955

From Proceedings, Page 1955-156:

By Worshipful Archie M. Simons.

We are privileged this evening to celebrate one hundred and fifty years in the life of a great Institution, Mount Carmel Lodge, A.F. & A.M.

As we read these pages may we pause occasionally and give thought to the contributions we of today are making to this Lodge and to our glorious Fraternity, for it will continue to be true that no man who is correctly informed about the past will be disposed to take a despondent view of the future.

"The heights by great men reached and kept
Were not attained by sudden flight,
But they, while their Brethren slept,
Were toiling upward in the night."

We pause here to extend warm and sincere fraternal greetings to the Brethren of Amicable Lodge, Cambridge, Worshipful Roger W. Jones, Master, who are also celebrating their one hundred and fiftieth anniversary, having been instituted on the same day, June 10, 1805, as our Lodge. May they ever continue to disseminate Light and Truth, and may they ever be a force for good in the community. The first entry in the records of Mount Carmel Lodge reads thus:

The following persons, viz: Amariah Childs, Ezra Collins, Thomas C. Thacher, William Frothingham, Frederick Breed, William Ballard, Francis Moore, Jr., Aaron Breed, Aaron Leonard, Samuel Brimblccom, Thomas Witt, Joseph Robinson, Jonas W. Gleason, Joshua Ballard, David Crane, and Richard Johnson, being all Master Masons, assembled together some time about the first of June, A.L. 5805, and agreed to form themselves into a Lodge, by the name of Mount Carmel Lodge, and after choosing Amariah Childs, Master, and William Ballard, Senior, and Francis Moore, Junior Wardens, they signed a petition to the Grand Lodge for a Charter, which was granted at the quarterly communication in June the same year.

Just why the name Mount Carmel was selected by the founders of the Lodge is problematical, as there is not the slightest hint in the records.

The first recorded date of a meeting is July 3, A.L. 5805, at which time Ezra Mudge, John Hawks and Joseph Watson were proposed as candidates for the degrees.

At the meeting on November 13, 1805, the first code of by-laws was adopted. An extract from these follows:

"The Lodge shall open at such hour after sunset, from time to time, as shall be appointed by the Master, and shall close at or before ten in the evening, unless urgent business requires the attention of the Lodge at a later hour."

The membership of the Lodge was limited to fifty. A member absenting himself for six successive meetings, if notified of the sixth, lost his right of membership. Seafaring men paid half rates annually. All others paid quarterages; and if any Brother was in arrears for four quarterages, he lost his membership, except in case of adversity. Twenty names were signed to these by-laws.

The first public installation of the officers of the Lodge took place June 24, 1807, in the Old Parish Meeting House on Lynn Common, under the direction of the officers of the Most Worshipful Grand Lodge, who graced the occasion by their presence. After the installation ceremonies, Most Worshipful Grand Master Bigelow delivered an appropriate charge.

On December 5, 1810, it was voted: "That the Lodge shall meet in future on the Monday evening on or preceding the full of the moon." On May 14, 1821, a committee was chosen to raise money, by subscription, for the purpose of building a Masonic Hall, the same committee to ascertain the cost of certain properties and expense of building.

June 11th of the same year the committee submitted the following report, which was accepted: "The committee appointed for building the Masonic Hall have received proposals from five different carpenters, and find the lowest sum named to be $873.50. Said proposals were made by George Blaisdell and Benjamin R. Sanborn, and we, your committee, have contracted with them at the price above named." This report was signed by Josiah Newhall, William Chadwell, Daniel L. Mudge, J. Gardner and Amos Tapley. The corner-stone of the new Masonic Building was laid June 25, 1821. November 12, 1821, the members met for the purpose of dedicating their new hall. A procession was formed at the hotel, and proceeded to Masonic Hall. Introductory prayer was offered by the Reverend Otis Rockwood, after which the hall was dedicated in ancient and ample form. The dedicatory prayer was offered by the Reverend Timothy Merritt, followed by an appropriate address by Right Worshipful Master Trevett.

At a meeting held on January 15, 1822, the Lodge chose seven Trustees — James Gardner, Amariah Childs, Samuel Brimblecom, Benjamin Oliver, Robert W. Trevett, Josiah Newhall and William F. Ingalls — to hold the property of the Lodge, and voted to petition the State Legislature for an act of incorporation. The Petition and Act was granted on February 9, 1822.

By the year 1832 the Anti-Masonic tempest had reached its full fury, and it was no longer popular to be known as a member of the Craft. During the year 1832 nine meetings were held. The records of the first eight were very uniform and monotonous: "The Lodge was opened on the third step in Masonry, then closed until our next regular meeting."

At the annual meeting, December 3, 1832, after electing officers for the ensuing year, it was voted: "That the Lodge, when adjourned, stand adjourned till the pleasure of the Right Worshipful Master and Wardens see proper to call them together."

The Lodge did not meet again until December 23, 1833, one year having elapsed since the last gathering. The members elected officers and adjourned, subject to the call of the Worshipful Master. Again a year elapsed before the Brethren met, this time on December 16, 1834. Officers were elected and various votes passed. Among the latter was one to the effect: "That the subject of surrendering the Charter be postponed till the next annual meeting."

This meeting proved to be the last one held until after the restoration of the Charter, as the next entry in the Record Book is dated 1845.

The so-called "Morgan disappearance," with the monstrous perversions which followed in the train of frenzied accusations, first focussed public attention on the Craft. From the New York county in which the movement had its birth in 1826, anti-Masonry spread to state after state. The elements that are ever ready to malign what they cannot control, to distrust what they are not privileged to enjoy, to belittle what they have been denied, and to attack what they conceive to be in such straits that no adequate resistance can be offered at once joined hands.

Mount Carmel Lodge, one of the special victims of combined bigotry, knavishness and misdirected zeal, was long and sorely pressed. Its members were vilified to a notorious degree, while the intolerance was, in general manifestation, nothing if not bitter. Enfeebled by defections, when moral courage was so thoroughly tested, the Lodge duly found itself compelled to succumb. A handful of Brethren were all that remained when, late in the year 1834, it was decided to yield to overwhelming odds. For ten years thereafter, until June 11, 1845, when work was resumed under the restored Charter, Mount Carmel Lodge was, to all intents and purposes, dead.

After the surrender of the Charter, it appears that the property of the Lodge was divided among the small number of members. Some of this was later restored to the Lodge. The member into whose hands the Square and Compasses fell evidently believed that they would never be reclaimed by the Lodge, because he had them melted and made into a pair of sugar tongs. Thus they served the purposes of both utility and ornament until the restoration of the Charter. Then the sugar tongs were again melted and shaped into their original form. As such, the Jewels are today in use, objects of special care, as they will be of renewed interest to the many Brethren to whom this recital of their disposition is presented for the first time.

During the years 1861-1864, there was issued to the Lodge what might be termed "blanket dispensations." These documents allowed the Lodge to confer the degrees upon certain candidates on occasions most convenient to the Lodge. In the large majority of cases, these candidates gave their occupation as "soldier in the United States Army." As some of these soldier candidates were not subsequently named in the records, to be balloted upon for membership, they must have joined the gallant host of those who sacrificed their lives that the Union might be preserved.

The foregoing are some of the highlights from the history of the first one hundred years of the Lodge. We now embark upon the second century of service to the Craft.

The officers who occupied the chairs as we embarked on our second century of service to the Craft were as follows:

• Wor. Albert Rowe Merrill, Master
• Bro. William M. Cowan, Senior Warden
• Bro. J. Harry Stiles, Junior Warden
• Wor. Rufus E. Hilliard, Treasurer
• Bro. Benjamin F. Arrington, Secretary
• Bro. Ebenezer Beckford, Chaplain
• Bro. Charles Orrin Breed, Marshal
• Bro. Theodore A. Manchester, Senior Deacon
• Bro. Clifton C. Dexter, Junior Deacon
• Bro. Frederic D. Merrill, Senior Steward
• Bro. Raymond T. Parker, Junior Steward
• Bro. William E. Dorman, Inside Sentinel
• Bro. Samuel S. Shepard, Organist
• Bro. Charles E. Irving, Tyler

Worshipful Raymond T. Parke, who served the Lodge as Master during the years 1912-1913, is the only member of this group living today, and is now our Senior Past Master.

The first communication following the one hundredth anniversary was called for Monday evening, July 10. Business of the evening: "To take action upon the Report of the Committee to provide suitable quarters for the Masonic Fraternity."

On Monday evening, October 30, 1905, the officers of the Lodge journeyed to Maiden where they were the guests of Converse Lodge. We quote an item from the notice of Converse Lodge for that evening: "Dinner will be served at 6:45 o'clock, and it would add to the dignity of the occasion if the brethren of Converse Lodge, who can make it convenient to do so at such an early hour, would appear in evening dress." One can but surmise the consternation which such a request would create were it to be made today.

Following the dinner the officers of Mount Carmel Lodge opened the Lodge on the Master Mason Degree at 7:45 o'clock. The first business following the opening was the reception of Right Worshipful Fred Hammond Nichols, District Deputy Grand Master, and a Past Master of Mount Carmel Lodge. During the work of the evening the officers of Mount Carmel conferred the second and third sections of the Master Mason Degree on the candidate of Converse Lodge.

For many years it was also the custom for the officers and members of the Lodge to exchange visits with our sister Lodge, Amicable, in Cambridge. It is to be regretted that this exchange of fraternal visits between Lodges was discontinued during the depression years following the crash of 1929.

On Monday, March 27, 1912, was held the first of a series of social events which for more than a decade were the high point in the social life of the Lodge and the community. This was the First Annual Pop Concert under the auspices of Mount Carmel Lodge at Casino Hall, Summer Street, Lynn.

These programs were arranged and managed with great care and skill for the entertainment and pleasure of all the members. The program began with a Promenade Concert from eight to ten o'clock, followed by dancing until midnight. Refreshments, consisting of all kinds of soft drinks and ices, were served on the main floor during the concert, and in the balcony during the entire evening. It is indeed regrettable that these occasions, along with many of the former customs of gracious living, have passed into the forgotten past.

These events were later succeeded by a series of Family Parties which proved to be quite popular for a few years prior to World War II.

THe membership of the Lodge as of August 31, 1905, was 426. During that year thirty-two were added by initiation, five had been removed by death and two by demits. We are happy to record that thirty-six of that number are still with us today. They are the men who have upheld the character, integrity and personality of our Lodge. They are the men who have maintained the "tenets of our profession pure and unimpaired" and have given to the present generation a rich and honorable heritage to preserve and maintain. They are our veteran members, and each is the proud possessor of the Veteran's Medal, presented by the Most Worshipful Grand Lodge. A list of those veteran members, with the dates of their initiation follows:

• George Spencer Bliss, Dec. 8, 1890
• Walter Henry Southwick, Oct. 26, 1891
• Barzillai Ellis Wright, Nov. 14, 1892
• John Marshall Nelson, Feb. 27, 1893
• Arthur Franklin Cary, Apr. 10, 1893
• William Boland Dibble, Sept. 10, 1894
• Charles Smith Jameson, Nov. 25, 1895
• Cyrenus Leonard Garritt, Feb. 23, 1897
• Jesse Morgan Holder, Nov. 8, 1897
• Herbert Otis Lewis, Nov. 14, 1898
• Lewis Willard Tatro, Mar. 13, 1899
• James Earl Hathaway, Mar. 13, 1899
• Cleveland John Campbell, Apr. 14, 1899
• John Frank Miller, Apr. 23, 1900
• Arthur Wellington Pinkham, July 8, 1901
• Carl Louis Hoffman, Mar. 10, 1902
• Raymond Tasker Parke, Dec. 8, 1902
• Harry Wilcox Merrill, Jan. 12, 1903
• Arthur Jonathan Higgins, Feb. 23, 1903
• Fred Munroe Collins, Mar. 11, 1903
• Arthur Hall Stiles, July 13, 1903
• Bert Parker Chick, July 13, 1903
• William Allen Stone, Oct. 26, 1903

The membership of the Lodge as of August 31, 1905, was 426. During that year thirty-two were added by initiation, five had been removed by death and two by demits. We are happy to record that thirty-six of that number are still with us today. They are the men who have upheld the character, integrity and personality of our Lodge. They are the men who have maintained the "tenets of our profession pure and unimpaired" and have given to the present generation a rich and honorable heritage to preserve and maintain. They are our veteran members, and each is the proud possessor of the Veteran's Medal, presented by the Most Worshipful Grand Lodge. A list of these follows:

• Charles Edwin Hood, Dec. 14, 1903
• George Edwin Clapp, Mar. 14, 1904

• Joshua Wendell Phillips Orne, Apr. 11, 1904
• Frank Harold Jacobs, Apr. 11,1904
• Ralph Henry Alton, Apr. 11, 1904
• George Hoxie Stickney, Apr. 11,1904
• Orris Burton Hazel, Feb. 27, 1905
• Paul Munroe Keene, Feb. 27, 1905
• Gerald Earl Turner, Feb. 27, 1905
• Charles Bernard Bethune, Mar. 13, 1905
• Frank Herbert Langworthy, Mar. 13, 1905
• George William Conway, Mar. 21, 1905
• Joseph Cree Wilson, Apr. 18, 1905

We honor and salute these Brothers, "Good men and true they must have been to come thus far on so noble and glorious an undertaking." May they enjoy happiness and contentment during the eventide of their life.

In the years following our hundredth anniversary, the membership increased rapidly, reaching an all-time high of 1123 for the years 1926 and 1928. Beginning with 1930 there was a gradual decline until the years 1942 and 1943, when the membership remained at 903 for those two years. Since that time the number on the roster has fluctuated somewhat, the Scythe of the Grim Reaper generally keeping pace with the number initiated. The membership reported on August 31, 1954, was 935.

The all-time high in the number admitted was 133 for the year ending August 31,1921, during the administration of Worshipful Thomas E. P. Wilson. The low point was for the years 1935 and 1936, when five were reported for each of those two years.

The 1055th regular communication of the Lodge, held on Monday evening, May 18, 1914, appears, in the light of future events, prophetic in its import, as that evening was designated as "Military Night." Three short months following this meeting the world was to be plunged into the cataclysm of World War I, into whose terrible vortex our own country was to be drawn in 1917.

The notice stated that the Worshipful Master was to be assisted in the Work of the evening by the following Brethren:

• Right Worshipful Henry Gregory Jordan of the Lodge of St. Andrew.
• Worshipful Charles H. King, Presiding Master of Philanthropic Lodge, Marblehead
• Major Charles T. Cahill, Adjutant 2d Brigade, Past Master, Ancient York Lodge, Lowell
• Colonel Frank A. Graves, Commanding 8th Inf., Philanthropic Lodge, Marblehead
• Captain Frederick Gilberg Bauer, Hdqts., 8th Inf., Senior Warden, Eliot Lodge, Jamaica Plain
• Lt. George A. Kyle, B Company, 8th Inf., Palestine Lodge, Everett
• Lt. George H. Farwell, Hdqts., 8th Inf., St. John's Lodge, Boston
• Capt. Thomas J. Cobey, D Company, 8th Inf., Golden Fleece Lodge, Lynn
• Sgt. Thomas Livingston, B Company, 8th Inf., John Abbot Lodge, Somerville
• Major Frank S. Elliott, 8th Inf., The Tyrian Lodge, Gloucester
• Lt. Charles Guy Frost, formerly of I Company, 8th Inf., Mount Carmel Lodge

On Sunday, June 8, 1930, the 916th special communication of Mount Carmel Lodge was held for the purpose of commemorating the 125th anniversary of the Lodge.

The Lodge was opened at two o'clock in the afternoon, with the Worshipful Master, David Warren Fogg, presiding.

Following the opening of the Lodge, a procession was formed, consisting of the following Lodges:

• Benjamin F. Arrington Lodge, Wor. Henry O. Silsbee, 2nd, Master
• Bethlehem Lodge, Wor. George E. Hanson, Master
• Damascus Lodge, Wor. Harry W. Davis, Master
• William Sutton Lodge of Saugus, Wor. Kaler Perkins, Master
• Golden Fleece Lodge, Wor. C. Harry Hannaford, Master
• Mount Carmel Lodge, Wor. David Warren Fogg, Master

Members of Amicable Lodge of Cambridge and Wayfarers Lodge, Swampscott, joined with the members of Mount Carmel Lodge.

Led by a platoon of police, all members of the Craft, followed by Gove's Full Military Band, under escort of Olivet Commandery, No. 36, Knights Templar, the procession proceeded by way of Market Street, North Common Street, and South Common Street, to the First Congregational Church, corner of Vine and South Common Streets, to attend Divine Service. On arriving at the Church, the line was opened, and in Masonic form, the Lodges passed through the lines into the Church. By a strange coincidence, this was also an anniversary of the First Congregational Church, it being their 298th.

The address of welcome was given by the Worshipful Master, David Warren Fogg. Reverend Doctor Frederick W. Hamilton, Right Worshipful Grand Secretary, gave a very interesting address, comparing the present times with those at the beginning of the Nineteenth Century, when the Lodge was instituted. The sermon was delivered by Brother Reverend Edward Marsh, Chaplain of the Lodge.

The benediction was pronounced by Brother Reverend William Wallace Rose, D.D., minister of the First Universalist Church, Nahant Street.

At the close of the Service, the Brethren retired from the Church in form, the procession was re-formed and the Brethren returned to the Apartments, where the Lodge was closed in form. During the past fifty years, five members of the Lodge have served in the office of Secretary of the Lodge:

• R. W. Benjamin F. Arrington, 1901-1907
• R. W. Fred Hammond Nichols, 1908-1931
• R. W. Everett Benjamin Stacey, 1932-1942
• Wor. Archie Merrill Simons, 1943-1947
• R. W. Earl Record Galeucia, 1947-1954

For this same period, there have been four Brethren who have served in the office of Treasurer:

• Wor. Rufus E. Hilliard, 1891-1909
• Bro. Leon E. Wilson, 1910
• Bro. William J. Sanders, 1911-1923

and our present beloved veteran Treasurer, Brother David Dunbar, who has served from September 24, 1923, until the present, a total of thirty-one years and eight months.

On March 9, 1935, the Lodge presented Brother Dunbar with a Treasurer's Jewel, as a token of their esteem and appreciation of his service to the Lodge.

On December 6, 1928, the Most Worshipful Grand Lodge instituted the 29th Lodge of Instruction to serve the several Lodges in this area. The officers of Mount Carmel Lodge have been active supporters of this important phase of our Masonic activity since its inception here. Six of our Past Masters have served as Master of the 29th Lodge of Instruction:

• R. W. Harland Scott Cummings, 1929
• Wor. Thomas E. P. Wilson, 1930
• Wor. Edwin Alfred Damon, 1934
• Wor. James Gordon Smith, 1938
• Wor. Archie Merrill Simons, 1944
• Wor. Alton Irving Rouse , 1955

Through the years it has been the constant endeavor of the officers of the Lodge to keep the meetings on a high plane, entertaining and instructive to the members. Many fine degree teams have been invited to assist in the degree work, such as the East Lynn Post 291, American Legion, uniformed degree team, the Canopy Club, the Boston Police Square Club, the Hy XII Club of the General Electric Company, and many others.

Many fine speakers and entertainers have been presented, such as Brother Reverend William L. Stidger, D.D., Brother Reverend Andrew Richards, D.D., Brother Reverend William R. Leslie, D.D., Brother Captain Alexander Hunter, Alton Hall Blackington, and Brother Eddie Shore, formerly with the Boston Bruins, to mention but a few.

Perhaps no event was more popular than the famous Scots' Nichts, arranged and supervised by our Treasurer, Brother David Dunbar. Certainly the entrance of the Haggis "Wi' A' The Honours," "Properly prepared and vouched for," was a sight to thrill the heart of any Scots man, and many who were not Scots.

Following the dinner, consisting of a strictly Scotch menu, the Brethren would repair to the lodge-room for a short business meeting, to be followed by a program of Scotish entertainment.

Since our 100th anniversary, four Lodges have been added to the family of Lodges in Lynn: Damascus Lodge, instituted November 14, 1906; Bethlehem Lodge, instituted March 5, 1920; Benjamin F. Arrington Lodge, instituted April 2, 1928; and Mount Sinai Lodge, instituted March 16, 1946. In each of these Lodges, members of Mount Carmel Lodge were listed among the Charter Members, and with the exception of Benjamin F. Arrington Lodge, the first Master of each was a Past Master of Mount Carmel Lodge. We welcome them, with Golden Fleece Lodge, into the family of Masonic Lodges in our community. May their Light never grow dim.

There are eighteen living Past Masters of the Lodge at the present time:

• Wor. Raymond Tasker Parke, 1912-1913
• Wor. Charles Bernard Bethune, 1924-1925
• Wor. Wilbur Marshall Coolidge, 1926-1927
• Wor. Walter Edwin Richardson, 1928-1929
• Wor. Everett Rider Campbell, 1934
• Wor. Francis Lord, 1935
• Wor. James Gordon Smith, 1936-1937
• R. W. Earl Record Galeucia, 1938-1939
• Wor. Archie Merrill Simons, 1940-1941
• Wor. Lawrence Henry St. Jean, 1942-1943
• Wor. Sheldon Forrest Goldthwait, 1944
• R. W. Alfred Lewis Parsons, 1945
• Wor. Carl Francis Turner, 1946-1947
• Wor. John Roger Turnbull, 1948
• Wor. Lewis Almon Collyer, 1949-1950
• Wor. Carl Raymond Perry, 1951-1952
• Wor. Alton Irving Rouse , 1953-1954
• Wor. John Estes Moulton, 1955

Four of this number have been honored by appointment in Grand Lodge: R.W. Earl Record Galeucia and R.W. Alfred Lewis Parsons as District Deputy Grand Masters for the Salem 8th Masonic District; Wor. Walter Edwin Richardson as Junior Grand Steward; and Wor. Archie Merrill Simons as Junior Grand Deacon. In addition to these, Wor. James Gordon Smith has received the signal honor of having been awarded the coveted Joseph Warren Medal for Distinguished Service to his Lodge and to the Craft. Thus we come to the end of one hundred and fifty years in the history of Mount Carmel Lodge. We have completed a long period of steady growth and service to the Craft and to our community, and with the experience of the past, look hopefully forward to the tomorrows and the opportunities that lie ahead. Many matters of interest and importance in the history of the Lodge have been passed over in this brief sketch, not only because of lack of time in securing and editing the data, but in order that the patience of the listeners might not be unduly taxed.

"I have but marked the place,
But half the secret told,
That, following this slight trace,
Others may find the gold."
— Longfellow

OTHER

• 1821 (Report on delinquency, III-341, III-368)
• 1834 (Permission for remission of dues, IV-339)
• 1835 (Communication, IV-375)
• 1849 (Newburyport Feast of St. John; Description)
• 1851 (Remission of dues, V-341)
• 1894 (Participation in Nahant corner stone laying, 1894-41)
• 1895 (Jurisdictional dispute, 1895-216)
• 1898 (Participation in Lynn corner stone laying, 1898-112)
• 1904 (Participation in Nahant corner stone laying, 1904-75)
• 1912 (Participation in Nahant corner stone laying, 1912-62)

EVENTS

OFFICER LIST, DECEMBER 1826

From Masonic Mirror and Mechanics' Intelligencer, Vol. III, No. 2, January 1827, Page 10:’’

Officers of Mount Carmel Lodge, elected Dec. 20, 5826:

• R. W. John Lummus, M.
• W. Samuel Viall, S. W.
• W. Edmund Munroe, J. W.
• Bro. Ezra Hitchings, Treasurer.
• Bro. Samuel Hallowell, Secretary.
• Bro. Joseph N. Saunderson, S. D.
• Bro. Carey Libbey, J. D.
• Bro. Alfred Adams, S. S.
• Bro. William Ingalls, J. S.
• Bro. Isaac Story, Chaplain.
• Bro. George Johnson, Marshal.
• Bro. Jabez Hitchinson, Tyler.

OFFICER LIST, DECEMBER 1827

From Masonic Mirror and Mechanics' Intelligencer, Vol. III, No. 52, December 1827, Page 409:’’

• Past Master Br. Ezra Mudge, R. W. M.
• Past Master Br. Josiah Newhall, W. S. W.
• Past Master Br. Wm. Chadwell, W. J. W.
• Bro. Ezra Hitchings, Treas.
• Bro. Samuel Hallowell, Sec.
• Bro. John Lovejoy, S. D.
• Bro. Joseph N. Saunderson, J. D.
• Bro. Carey Libbey, J. D.
• Bro. Alfred Adams, Steward.
• Bro. William Ingalls, Steward.
• Bro. Isaac Story, Chaplain.
• Bro. George Johnson, Marshal.
• Bro. Jabez Hitchings, Tyler.

INSTALLATION OF OFFICERS, FEBRUARY 1847

From Moore's Freemason's Monthly, Vol. VI, No. 4, February 1847, p. 108:

On the 18th, the officers of Mount Carmel Lodge, at Lynn, were publicly installed by the Grand Officers. The hall was full to repletion. The address was delivered by Rev. Br. Bartlett, of Marblehead, and was well received, as were all the ceremonies of the evening.

GRAND LODGE OFFICERS

• Benjamin F. Arrington, Deputy Grand Master 1927
• Charles H. Colby, DDGM, District 8 (Salem), 1929; Memorial
• Harlan S. Cummings, DDGM, District 8 (Lynn), 1923, 1924; Memorial
• Lester A. Davis, DDGM, District 9, 2015
• Earl R. Galeucia, DDGM, District 8 (Salem), 1940, 1941; N
• Josiah F. Kimball, DDGM, District 7 (Lynn), 1895; SN
• S. Raymond King, Jr., DDGM, District 9, 2007, 2008
• William C. Maxwell, DDGM, District 5 (Salem), 1876, 1877, 1878; SN
• Fred H. Nichols, DDGM, District 7 (Lynn), 1904, 1905; SN
• Archie M. Simons, DDGM, District 8 (Salem), 1963, 1964; N
• Thomas Todd, Jr., DDGM, District 8 (Salem), 1979, 1980
• Robert J. Waugh, Jr., DDGM, District 8 (Salem), 2001; N

OTHER BROTHERS

• Edwin Maxwell; Memorial
• William Spinney; Memorial
• Benjamin Franklin Wheeler; Memorial

DISTRICTS

1803: District 2 (Newburyport and North Shore)

1821: District 2

1845: District 2

1849: District 2

1867: District 5 (Salem)

1870: District 2 (Charlestown)

1871: District 5 (Salem)

1883: District 7 (Lynn)

1911: District 8 (Lynn)

1927: District 8 (Salem)

2003: District 9

LINKS

Massachusetts Lodges