History of The Grand Lodge

of the

Commonwealth of Virginia.

 

It may be of interest to some readers that there is a connection between Lodge St. Bryde No. 579 and The Grand Lodge of Virginia.

Bro. Jim Jack, P.M. is an Affiliate Member of The Civil War Lodge of Research No. 1865 and our present W.S.W. Bro. Alasdair Dunlop has an Affiliation paper before the Lodge.

 

There were nine chartered Lodges known to have been invited to participate in the organisation of the Grand Lodge of Virginia or the Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of Ancient, Free and Accepted Masons of the Commonwealth of Virginia as it is officially known. 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. It should also be pointed out that Mother Kilwinning while acting as a Grand Lodge chartered Lodges at Tapahannock in 1758 and at Falmouth,Virginia

in 1775. That Freemasonry 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 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 organisation of the Grand Lodge, these were Tappahannock 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 6th. May 1777. 

Mathew 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, The Grand Masters of England, Scotland, Ireland, Pennsylvania and America; 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 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 on 23rd June 1777 for the purpose of electing a Grand Master. Pursuant to adjournment, delegates from five Lodges, Blandford, Port Royal, Fredericksburg, Williamsburg and Cabin Point

met at Williamsburg on 23rd. June. 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 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. of October 1778.

The meeting was held and four Lodges attended. Right Worshipful Warner Lewis, Past Master of Botetourt Lodge of maned, but declined to accept. 

Right Worshipful John Blair, Past Master of Williamsburg Lodge was unanimously elected the first Grand Master of Masons in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Thus was created "according to prescription and usage,the first Grand Lodge was thus constituted in America".

The Installation of Grand Lodge Officers occurred on  October 30th. 1778 at which time there was a good attendance of Brethren from the several Lodges. After his Installation, Grand Master Bro. 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; Rev. James Madison, Grand Chaplain; Mattew Anderson, Grand Sword Bearer; and William Urie,

Grand Tyler. 

So began the glorious history of Freemasonry in Virginia.