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History of Masonry in Virginia
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There
were nine (9) chartered Lodges known to have been invited to participate
in the organization of the Most Worshipful Grand Lodge, A.F. & A.M.,
of the Commonwealth of Virginia. How long these Lodges have been
functioning has not been definitely established. They had been chartered
by the Grand Lodges of Scotland, England and Ireland. That
Masonry was operating in Virginia prior to the establishment of any
chartered Lodge seems very probable, though documentary proof is wanting.
In this English colony it is very probable that there were some Lodges
operating under the law of “immemorial custom,” in which case a
charter was not deemed necessary, or if desired, required long periods of
time to clear through the Grand Lodge channels of the Mother country. In
the meantime, meetings were being held and some work done. The nine Lodges
and their locations were Norfolk, at Norfolk; Port Royal in Caroline
County; Blandford, at Petersburg; Fredericksburg, at Fredericksburg; Saint
Tammany, at Hampton; Williamsburg, at Williamsburg; Botetourt, at
Gloucester Courthouse; Cabin Point, in Prince George County, and Yorktown,
at Yorktown. Three
other Lodges were located in Colonial Virginia but apparently took no part
in the organization of the Grand Lodge, These were Tappahannock Hobb's
Hole, at Tappahannock; Winchester, at Winchester; and Falmouth Kilwinning,
at Falmouth. Responding
to a proposition from Williamsburg Lodge suggesting that the officers of
the said Lodges, or their deputies, meet in Williamsburg, for the purpose
of choosing a Grand Master for the State of Virginia, delegates from
Norfolk, Port Royal, Blandford, and Cabin Point met in Williamsburg on May
6, 1777. Matthew Phripp, of Norfolk, was elected President of the meeting,
and James Kemp, of Port Royal, Secretary. It
was the unanimous opinion of the convention that a Grand Master ought to
be chosen to preside over the Craft in Virginia. A committee was appointed
to prepare a statement giving the reasons for such action. This committee
reported on May 13, 1777. The
report of the committee cited the fact that the then chartered Lodges had
been established under five distinct and separate authorities, viz: The
Grand Masters of England, Scotland, Ireland, Pennsylvania and America (the
last at second hand); that little benefit could be derived from a Grand
Master appointed by foreign authority; that recourse to a "Grand
Lodge beyond the sea" was almost impossible, hence a Grand Lodge at
home was a matter of necessity; that the Mother Grand Lodges claimed the
right to elect their officers distinct and separate from any foreign power
whatever, and that therefore they were privileged to claim the same
right—a right that Masons in all time had enjoyed. The
contents of the report were sent to each chartered Lodge in the State,
with a request that delegates be sent to a convention to be held in
Williamsburg, June 23, 1777, at 10:00 o'clock A.M., for the purpose of
electing a Grand Master. Pursuant
to adjournment, delegates from five Lodges, viz: Blandford, Port Royal,
Fredericksburg, Williamsburg, and Cabin Point, met at Williamsburg on June
23, 1777. It was unanimously agreed that the election of Grand Master was
essential "to the prosperity and dignity of Masonry." It
was suggested that the several chartered Lodges contact their respective
Grand Masters in the Mother country and solicit the appointment of some
worthy Mason resident within the State of Virginia as Grand Master
thereof, and that the authority of the several Grand Lodges of England,
Scotland, and Ireland, be thus united in one and the same person. It was
further recommended that His Excellency, General George Washington, was a
proper person to fill the office of Grand Master. However, if the
individual Lodges should prefer some other person, they were to notify
Williamsburg Lodge. If no selections had been made by June 1, 1778, a
convention, to be called by the Master of Williamsburg Lodge, should
proceed to elect a Grand Master. Right Worshipful James Mercer, President of the Convention, called the convention as hereinafter provided, for the 13th day of October, 1778. The meeting was held agreeably to the call. Blandford, Williamsburg, Botetourt and Cabin Point sent delegates. Robert Andrews of Williamsburg Lodge, was named Master of the Convention. After its organization, the convention proceeded to the election of a Grand Master. Right Worshipful Warner Lewis, Past Master of Botetourt Lodge, was named, but declined to accept. Right Worshipful John Blair, Jr., Past Master of Williamsburg Lodge, was then unanimously elected the first Grand Master of Masons in the Commonwealth of Virginia, was pleaded to accept the office. Thus was created, “according to prescription and usage, as adopted in London, in 1717, by and through the Representative System, as practiced on that occasion and adopted by constitutional provisions as binding for all time—the first Grand Lodge was thus constituted in America.”* The
installation of Grand Lodge Officers occurred on October 30, 1778, at
which time there was a good attendance of Brethren from the several
Subordinate Lodges. After his installation, Most Worshipful Brother Blair
was pleased to appoint the following Grand Officers: Right Worshipful Rev.
Robert Andrews, Deputy Grand Master; Dr. James Taylor, Senior Grand
Warden; James M. Fontaine, Junior Grand Warden; Dr. John Minson Galt,
Grand Treasurer; Duncan Rose, Grand Secretary; the Rev. James Madison,
Grand Chaplain; Matthew Anderson, Grand Sword Bearer, and William Urie,
Grand Tiler. So began the glorious history of Masonry in Virginia. |