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KING DAVID'S LODGE

Location: X

Chartered By: X

Dispensation Date: date

Charter Date: date

Current Status: status


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HISTORY

It was towards the end of the American Revolutionary war in 1780 that Moses Michael Hays transferred from New York and established in Newport, with the assistance of some of his Jewish brethren and members of the predominantly Christian community, King David’s Lodge No. 1, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons. St. John’s Lodge of Newport, designated No. 1 had been constituted on December 20, 1749, but was in a moribund state at this time. The least that can be said about the Hays group was that it nurtured and further developed Freemasonry in Rhode Island during the decade of the 1780’s. From its records we learn of many acts of Masonic Charity and obtain an impression of growth and vitality.

In “Scottish Rite Freemasonry” by Samuel Harrison Baynard, Jr. (1938), there is a section referring to the Masonic activity of the 18th century Newport Jewish community. Baynard states:

On February 23, 1769, Provincial Grand Master George Harrison issued a Warrant for a Lodge in the City of New York, to be known as King David’s Lodge, in which he named Moses Michael Hays, ‘A Hebrew of Masonic distinction’, as Master, Mike Myers as Senior Warden and Issac Moses as Junior Warden, and for several years the Lodge continued on even tenor of its way, until the time of British occupancy on New York City, a great number of wealthy Jews left the city, with their families and possessions, and took up their abode elsewhere, some in Philadelphia, and some in Rhode Island, and some in Connecticut.

Moses Michael Hays, together with his family and many of his close associates, emigrated to Newport, Rhode Island, he taking with him the Warrant of King David’s Lodge, and there he took up again his Masonic labors by organizing a new King David’s Lodge under the authority of the Harrison Warrant, occupying the oriental chair, with Moses Seixas as Senior Warden and David Lopez as Junior Warden.

From another source (Henry W. Rugg’s ‘Freemasonry in Rhode Island’) it is learned that Moses M. Hays, under a warrant of Brother George Harrison, Esquire, Grand Master (New York), is empowered to form and establish a Lodge by the name King David’s Lodge No. 1 and

“whereas we having found several true accordingly convened for the purpose at a room convenient for holding a Lodge this evening, June 7th, 1780 and in Masonry 5780, and after having appointed the following brethren to the office for this night affixed to their respective names, viz, Moses M. Hays, Master; Moses Sexis {sic}, Senior Warden; David Lopez, Junior Warden; Jeremiah Clarke, Treasurer; Henry Dayton, Secretary; Solo A. Myers, Deacon.”

The account continues:

“The regularity of King David’s Lodge was open to serious questioning, but it lived and flourished for some ten years, when prior to the formation of the Grand Lodge of Rhode Island, its membership was merged in the revised St. John’s Lodge of Newport. King David’s Lodge included a goodly number of active and zealous Craftsmen among whom mention may well be made of its founder and first Worshipful Master, Moses M. Hays, afterwards Grand Master of Masons in Massachusetts, and Moxes Seixas and Peleg Clarke, who were conspicuously active in Masonic interests for many years, each of them attaining the highest office, that of Grand Master in the Grand Lodge of Rhode Island.”

In 1790 George Washington came to Newport. On this occasion Washington, himself a member of the Masonic fraternity, was presented the address of the members of King David’s Lodge. There is on record President Washington’s reply wherein stated:

To the Master, Wardens and Brethren of King David’s Lodge in Newport, Rhode Island:
Gentlemen:

I have received the welcome which you give me in Rhode Island with pleasure and I acknowledge my obligations for the flattering expressions of regard contained in your address with grateful sincerity. Being persuaded that a just application of principals on which the Masonic Fraternity is founded must be productive of the private virtue and public prosperity, I shall always be happy to advance the interest of the society, and to be considered by them as a deserving Brother.

My best wishes, gentlemen, are offered for your individual happiness.

George Washington

The concluding event is the rather short history of the Lodge has been summed up by Donald E. Spears, 33rd degree, in his paper entitled “The Jews and Masonry in the United States Before 1810.” This Masonic historian wrote in his a949 commentary; “Under the date of September 20, 1790, the record of King David’s Lodge shows that a committee was appointed to confer with the members of the First Lodge in Newport and request them to revive their Lodge, when this Lodge will cease their existence and become members thereof. Eleven members of St. John’s Lodge participated in the revival and one hundred and thirty members of King David’s were absorbed in the reorganized Lodge.” The following year, the revived St. John’s Lodge of Newport and St. John's Lodge of Providence formed the Grand Lodge of Rhode Island at a meeting held in the Old Colony House, Newport.

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