UPREME GRAND CHAPTER of ROYAL ARCH MASONS of ENGLAND ESPECIAL CONVOCATION r st July, 19 66 London Freemasons' Hall 19 66 Lawrence Roger, 11th Earl of Scarbrough, K.G. First Grand Principal, 1951- I. T r CIV Vi iting Delegations 2. To receive Their Excellencies the Grand Principals 3. To open Supreme Grand Chapter 4. To welcome Visiting Delegations 5. To receive an Address on the origins of the Supreme Grand Chapter by E. Comp. A. R. Hewitt 6. To close Supreme Grand Chapter by \ 11111'1 IIIMIIII 11111111.111'(11111 Ill' 11, Ill(' l Jukt- or SllS~l'X,1 E, I .ihrruian and • mp, A. I . HEWITT, P.C.st.B. urator, United Grand Lodge of England. Introduction The founding of Grand Chapter The Charter of Compact The first subordinate Chapters Some early famous Royal Arch Masons The 'Antients' The early years Representation in Grand Chapter An attempted schism Period of stagnation The new century Events leading to 'Union' The 'Union' Supreme Grand Chapter Appendix I: York and Wigan Appendix II: The Charter of Compact, 1766 (') The complete version of the Address delivered in Grand Chapter. IlIjl'CI(lud .tI. '1'11(' ol'i ill 01 I{o nl 1'('11Mnsolll'Y i. I ~lrI,jl'I I 111111"I I I 11I I rI 1111' mind' r mas ni s h lars r I' III re thall Oil' hllllLiI'('d 1'111 ,11111,III 1\1111' 01 research by th se of the pr s nt n~ury, t wl: ',11 S Illll~'h I, 1I~I'd, I 11'1,"IS still much to do before the truth IS discovered, If It v r will It, SOl "" lu-licvc that the third degree and the Royal Arch had a common origin an I that ~h former led to the latter, a point of view supported by the fact that that which was lost in the third is found in the Royal Arch, Others have suggested that, at one time, it was part of the third degree cer~mony which wa~ mutilated to provide a 'fourth', a view rejected by scholars m more r~cent times, ~noth~r view was that the ceremony was imported from the continent, but this agam has been rejected, Anderson in his 1723 Constitu~ions refers to the Royal.Art on numerous occasions, to the right of congregatmg members of a lodge ~nt.o a Chapter and to the assembling of the Grand Chapter or Lodge, Some, It IS suggested, read too much into these allusions and are .to? ready to accept them as evidence of the existence of the Royal Arch within a few years of the founding of Grand Lodge. Arguments of the scholars concerning the ori~in of the degree cannot be considered here but there is no doubt that something was taking shape in the 1730s which later became the Royal Arch .though the form and content of that 'something' is still obscure, It was not until 1744 that printed reference to it occurred, firstly in Faulkner's Dublin Journal where mention is made of a 'Royal Arch carried by two Excellent Masons' and secondly in Dr. Fifield D'Assigny's Serious and Impartial Enquiry into the cause of the present decay of Freemasonry in Ireland, 1744. The first of these may have been a reference to an ornamental arch carried in procession, The importance of the second reference is, of course, beyond doubt-e-it indicates that a reputable brother was made a Royal Arch Mason in London some few years before. Laurence Derr:lo~t, in later years, rec?rded. ~hat he ~as l~ade a Royal Arch' Mason in Dublin m 1746. What ever Its ongm there IS evidence that the degree was being increasi~gly conferred in England, I~eland and Scotland in the 1750s, a decade which saw the emergence of a nval Grand Lodge in England, that of the so-called 'An:ients', in, 1751, the rr:en:bers of which dubbed the premier Grand Lodge the Moderns ~ecau.se of Its innova- tions in the Craft ritual, facts too well known to need reiteration here. It is curious that, officially, the premier Grand Lodge did not look kindly upon the Royal Arch, although many of its I~lembers accepted and. emb;aced the degree which was worked and conferred m many .Craft lodges m sprte ~f official opposition. The premier Grand. Lodge's attitude to the Order IS reflected in two much quoted remarks of ItS Grand Secretary, Samuel Spencer. 'Our Society is neither Arch, Royal Arch or Antient' he wrote in 1759. Again in 1767 he stated 'the Royal Arch is a Society we do not acknowledge and which we hold to be an invention to introduce innovation and to seduce the brethren.' Spencer was himself a member of the Order which he joined on the 30th July, 1766! On the other hand, the new 'Antients' Grand ~od(Se acknowledged it with enthusiasm; the degree was openly conferred ID Its lodges with its consent and. approval. Indeed, t~e first printed se.t of Rules and Regulations of the 'Antients' states that ancient m~sonry consists of four degrees, the Apprentice, the Fellow Craft and the. Sublime Degree of Mas~er, and go on to provide that a brother well versed m these degrees and havinz 8 dHI 1IIIIII'rI 1111Irlllll Id Ill' IlOdfJ.I', 1'"ll1ldl,,1 I I 1"1. I 1,111 d,I,' 1'1 I", IIIIIIIIII'd III 1111' 111111111 d'lIlT, 1111'11 ill I{il d 1'1'11, '11 follows' he rules I11I1 '111111 ,','I 11' Irllll WIII'I'II!1(,d Lac/go possesses the p w r I f rrning .uul hoklin l.od "s ill ('adl r LlI se S v'l':tl cl gr ,that last of which, from ils PI'('-('Jllin('IIG', is den minat cl am n Masons a Chapter.' The founding of Grand Chapter It was the attitude of official disfavour on the part of the Premier Grand L dg towards the Royal Arch in the 1750s and early 1760s which led its Royal Arch members to establish a body to encourage, govern and control t~e degree. The need for such a body became stronger as the degree grew ID popularity with many distinguished 'Moderns' joining the order. The 'Antient' masons felt no need for a separate body, the degree being accepted as a part of masonry by their own Grand Lodge which encouraged it and watched over its affairs as is evident from a minute of that Grand Lodge, dated March 2, 1757, when it was ordered that the 'Masters of the Royal Arch shall ... be summoned to meet and regulate things relative to that most valuable branch of the Craft.' With this example before them and the opposition of their own Grand Lodge the 'Mod erns' Royal Arch Masons saw no future for the degree unless something was done to foster and encourage its development. So the seeds of the first Grand Chapter were sown. It had its beginnings at a meeting at the Turk's Head, in Gerrard Street, Soho, London, of 'Companions of the E.G. & R.C. commonly called the Royal Arch ... this twelfth day of June, 1765, in full Chapter assembled' to quote the minutes of that meeting. There had been five earlier informal meetings at which brethren 'passed the Arch', paid fees, and on one occasion conducted 'particular business relating to the lodge.' At what might be described as the inaugural meeting on the 12th June the Companions resolved to hold a Chapter monthly, settled fees payable, laid down requirements for brethren desiring 'to pass the ~r~h', made arrangements regarding safe custody of the cash, and settled similar matters. These resolutions were described by John Dashwood as a Manifesto which was 'virtually the self-conferred Charter under which the Chapter considered itself entitled to act.' They were signed at the following meeting by 29 brethren other signatures being added later. At the first meeting byelaws were also enacted 'for the regular conducting of the Chapter' being a series of resolutions regulating proceedings in the Chapter, the wearing of robes, etc. The first description of a Royal Arch apron is also to be found in one of the resolutions which laid down that 'all the Companions wear aprons (except those appointed to wear robes) and the aprons shall be all of one sort or fashion, viz., white leather indented round with crimson ribbon and strings of the same, with a THin gold displayed on the bib and purple garters indented with pink.' Presumably the garter referred to was what is now known as the sash, an obsolete meaning of the word. It is interesting to note that familiar Royal Arch names and offices were in use by this time-PZ, PH and PJ, E and N, a Principal Sojourner and Sojourners. Companions elected to office are shown and described as :- Bro. Keck, Senr. PH Bro. Maclean, PZ Bro. Aynson (or Ayanson) PJ 9 11111, (! dIIlWII', "II/If 1/1iI/ SII}IIIIII/I'I 1I1'(), FI( W\'I' g \ SI'('/I'/ll/il',1 Br , In , 11\1,.11 'H N f (In the minutes of the 14th December, 1770, r lOlling t the 'k :lillll 01 /'1(11'011 and Principals, reference is made to the M.E.Z., an 1 for the Ilrst t iiuc 10 Prophet H, and Priest J.), A list of Brethren present on the 12th June is giv n in the Minute book, and contains 34 names, A further list of 'Members' includes 51 names (with two deletions), a good beginning for a new body. This was by no means the first Chapter, others were already in existence, a fact obvious from the new Chapter's byelaws of December 26th 1766 under which concessions were made in the matter of fees to be paid' by brethren exalted in 'the Caledonian Chapter, or some Chapter in the Country or beyond the seas.' Very little is known of them. Nowhere is a specific name of the new Chapter given but as the preamble to the first set of resolutions referred to 'Companions of the E.G. & R.C.' Excellent Grand and Royal Chapter has always been assumed to have been its title, It was first thought that this body consisted of the Royal Arch brethren of the Caledonian Lodge or old Caledonian Chapter but Sadler and Dashwo?d have disproved this. Some kind of special relationship with the Caledoman Chapter, however, was acknowledged, because of the concession made in respect to its Companions, to which reference has just been made. The Chapter continued to meet regularly. It held an anniversary feast and elected new Officers on the 8th January, 1766'. A statement of income and expenditure for the first year shows an income of £83.18.3 with an expenditure of £84.18.1, a small deficit of 19j10d. In its second year it held 15 meetings and an anniversary. feas.t. Of these, the meeting of the 11th June, 1766, proved to be of outstandmg Importance for the future although the minutes are somewhat laconic-they record 'This night the Right Honble and Right Worshipful Grand Master Lord Blayney passed the Royal Arch and became a member of the Excellent Grand and Royal Chapter.' Lord Blayney was, of course, G.rand ¥a~ter of the 'Moderns' and it seems that he was immediately elected First PrmClpa.1for at the next meeting on July 2nd, 1766, he is shown as such. At that meetmg J ames Heseltine, who was to become Grand Secretary of the 'Moderns' three years later, was exalted. On July 30th, 1766, Rowland Berkeley, Grand Treasurer, and Samuel Spencer, Grand· Secretary, joined. Thus four more eminent 'Moderns', as individuals, acknowledged the Royal Arch. The Charter of Compact Perhaps the most momentous meeting of all was that held on July 22nd, 1766, when the famous Charter of Compact was signed. By thatdocument the Grand and Royal Chapter of the Royal Arch of Jerusalem was constituted and our Supreme Grand C~a.pter o~ to-day is the direct descendant of that body. The mmutes are tantalizingly SIlent on the thought and discussion which the preparation of this document must have entailed; its adoption and signing are not even recorded, In addition to Blayney's signature it bears those of James Galloway, Thomas D~nckerley, Francis Flower (the Scribe E.) John AlIen and others. Further SIgnatures were added at later dates. By this 10 tlllIllIllIlll I11I 111111111111111111 11111111'" illl'IlllI 111111 ,111'11 III /1' 1111 WI'II f',IIIIIII'il '( )111'(111111111"I /1111111111111 11111 /'1,,11'1'111111', 1I IIIMIIIIIII·d uul l'I'I'('II'd Ill(' (:I'uld IIld I{o Id (Ill Ipl"1 "I I'll(' I{o 01 AI'('II (JI .Jrl'IIH ~klll wiLh [ull JJOW('I.' to hi Id .uu] ('(lIIVI'1I1 (111 Ipll'I'S :llId :\HSI'III!Jlios, make, alter and aut' r-u law' f r the h('lll'r coudu 'ling and 1" rulatin tb cl gr thr ughout the Globe and to consti tu L " WI rint nd an 1 r gulate other Chapters. It included provisions re: rulatin r such matters as who should preside in the absence of the Most I~x 11 nt Grand Master (as he was then called), jewels and regalia, an official s al, fees, exaltations, admissions to the Order, meetings and an annual festival. The jewels to be worn by Grand Officers and Companions of the Order are illustrated in the margin of the Charter; the breast jewel worn today is basically the same. The design of the badge, the T over H, is also clearly shown, The exclusiveness of the Order is emphasised by the Sixth article which provides that none but discreet and experienced Master Masons shall receive exaltation to this sublime degree, As has already been mentioned the Charter was signed by Lord Blayney and others on the 22nd July, 1766, the date which it originally bore but it now appears to bear the date 22nd July, 1767. The true date at some period had been tampered with and changed from 1766 to 1767, a falsificatiori exposed in the course of an investigation by J. R. Dashwood in 1951, although as early as 1891 W. H, Rylands' believed that the document was executed in 1766. Dashwood suggests the following explanation for the falsification :- "We know that, although most of the foremost Grand Officers had been exalted into the Royal Arch, it was not favourably regarded by the 'Modems' Grand Lodge. What then, must have been the horror of its opponents when they heard that, not only had the Grand Master allowed himself to be exalted during his period of office, but he had also accepted the titular Presidency of the Order as the natural corollary of his Craft Office, had presided at the meetings of the Chapter held since his exaltation, and had agreed to a Charter of Compact setting up a Grand Chapter with 'power to grant Charters? I think that some person or persons unknown were determined to try to undo the worst of the damage by making it appear that Lord Blayney had acted, not in his official capacity as Grand Master, but in his private,.capacity after he had laid down that office; the easiest way to effect this was by post-dating the Charter by a year to a time when his successor had been installed, and the insertion of the letter 'P' [in front of the words Grand Master] to suggest that he was no longer in Office and was acting irresponsibly." (2) The formation of the Grand Chapter had a mixed reception-a warm welcome from the rank and file of the 'Moderns' in, or wishing to become members of the Order, but with consternation on the part of the leaders of that Grand Lodge, particularly as their Grand Master was the head of the new body. In spite of the drawing up of a Charter constituting the original Chapter into a supreme body it continued to meet as a Chapter. True, there are references in the minutes to the First Principal as the E.G.P,Z. and M.E.Z. and on the 26th December, 1766, the Companions were reminded that it was the day for electing Grand Officers when Blayney was continued as 'G.M. of (I) TheR.A. Chapter of St. James, 1788-1888, 18g!, p.2. (2) A.Q.C. lxiv, 136. II Cadwallader, 9th Lord Blayney (1720-1775) First Grand Principal, 1766-69 12 1111 1\111,11' 1111 IllIllh 111111 \111 11 I 11111·d 1111 1',1111'1111111111111111111', ,1111101.1 11111 1111 ,111.111111 11'l'lilll', ,lIllllIll'd 'I I1 111111111111111, '1'111' fllNI Illtill,lIillll 11111 ,I III,III~I' ~.I (,111111111\ III il~ NI till, i~ I Iltilllill' 01 1 111\1I'Iilll-\ Iwlt! (lll LlII' 1111\ (kllll"'I" Ilbll, !I( which i( W!lH 'ol'<1('I','d that ill the ncx; sunuu IlS the (:11:11)(1'1' Ill' dl'sil'vd to :lIt('lld )11 v 'ry spc ial atl'airs.' N thinz more is recorded so wll:l( tile 'spc 'i~dafl'airs' w r is unknown. The first subordinate Chapters It first exercised its powers as a Supreme body on the 13th January, 1769,' I Y authorising the constitution of three subordinate Chapters-No. 1 to Bro. Brook and other Companions to meet privately as might be convenient; No. 2,. to Royal Arch Masons residing at Manchester; and No. 3, to Royal Arch Masons residing at Portsmouth. Of these original Chapters only the third is still in existence, namely, the Chapter of Friendship, now No. 257, Portsmouth. At the same meeting it was ordered that the Past and Present Officers should meet to 'consider of laws and regulations necessary under our present' Compact'. A seal 'for the public' use of the Society according to the plan specified in the Charter' was ordered to be made at the February meeting. So ended the period of restraint. At the January meeting of the following year. several regulations and amendments necessary under the Charter were debated. The matter was again before the Grand Chapter at a number of subsequent meetings but eight years were to elapse before laws and regulations were printed (1778). 'Proper minutes' were ordered to be made which, hitherto, had been sparse in the extreme. On the 14th July, 1769,' Warrants Of Constitution were sealed in respect of four Chapters-No. 1, Bro. Brook's Chapter denominated the Restoration Lodge or Chapter of the Rock, London; No. 2, the Manchester Chapter denominated the Euphrates Lodge or the Chapter of the Garden of Eden; No. 4, the Bethlehem Lodge or Chapter of the Nativity at Burnley; and No. 5, the Cana Lodge or, Chapter of the First Miracle at Colne. The Warrant of the Portsmouth Chapter, No. 3, denominated the Lodge of Tranquillity or Chapter of Friendship, was sealed at the following meeting, 11th August, 1769. There is no obvious reason for the delay in sealing, ; Friendship's Warrant which had been approved in the January. The granting., of a constitution to the Most Sacred Lodge or Chapter of Universality, No. 6,' London, was agreed to on the 13th October, 1769. Another, also numbered 6" was granted to certain Companions to meet 'at Bury, Lancashire, un-named; in the minutes but later denominated the Lodge of Intercourse or Chapter; of Unanimity. An eighth Chapter, Lodge of Hospitality or Chapter of Charity: at Bristol was approved on the 8th December, 1769. Other Warrants followed slowly at intervals but by 1781 a total of 25 had come into existence, mainly in the Provinces. Only three London Chapters had been founded, probably because Grand Chapter itself served most of the needs of the Metropolis. The first overseas Chapter was Warranted in 1774, to meet (rather vaguely) in Bengal; the next, in Calcutta, was Warranted in 1778. In 1780 some Com- panions in Quebec were granted a Warrant but no further information about it appears in the Register. The following year saw the first Warrant for a Chapter in a foreign country, at Genoa, one being granted to Comp. John Collett, the British Consul, and two other Companions. In the same year Dunckerley granted a Dispensation to some Companions of the First Regiment of Dragoons quartered at New Sarum for holding a Chapter there for one 13 H.R.H. Henry Frederick Duke ofCumberland, K.G. (1745-1790) Patron of the Order, 1774-90 year-in his letter to Grand Chapter Dunckerley reported that they had 'worked under authority from Perth and were exalting gratis'. A Warrant was also granted to Companions of the First Regiment of Foot in 1781 but nothing further is known of Royal Arch activities in these Regiments. Were these the first Military Chapters under the English Constitution? The practice of calling each a Lodge as well as a Chapter has so far gone unexplained. The use of craft titles and expressions was intermingling with an emerging Royal Arch nomenclature and, being a period of transition, it may have been thought desirable to link the established craft with the newly independent degree. Obviously the new Grand Chapter had no pretensions to the right of constituting craft lodges. This early practice of linking a Royal Arch Chapter to a craft lodge was adopted after the 'Union' in 1817 and is followed today. In the matter of the use of craft titles it is noted that the word 'brother' or 'brethren' continued to be current until 1778 or 1779-the first recording in the minutes of 'Companions' present was in the year 1778 but the word 'brother' was used in the body of the minutes for several meetings thereafter. The terms 'Most Excellent Grand Master' and 'Grand Master Z. H. and J.' were used. Indecision in terminology is also evidenced by the frequent change in the title of the Supreme body used in minuting over the years when no fewer than eight different styles occur, namely :- E.G. & R.C. [Excellent Grand & Royal Chapter] M.E.G. & R.C. [Most Excellent Grand & Royal Chapter] G. & R.C. of Jerusalem [Grand & Royal Chapter] M.G. & R.C. [Most Grand & Royal Chapter] G. & RC. [Grand & Royal Chapter] R.A.G.L. [Royal Arch Grand Lodge] G. & R.C. of the R.A. of Jerusalem [Grand & Royal Chapter of the Royal Arch] S.G.C. [Supreme Grand Chapter] SOIueearly famous Royal Arch Masons Of the distinguished Freemasons who joined the Order in the 18th Century mention has already been made of Lord Blayney, Rowland Berkeley, James Galloway, Francis Flower, j'ames Heseltine as well as Laurence Dermott of the 'Antients'. The Dukes of Cumberland and Clarence held the office of Patron. Early First Grand Principals included Lord Blayney, Charles Dillon, john Allen,' Heseltine, Dunckerley, Sir Peter Parker, Ruspini and Lord Rancliffe. The Duke of Manchester, Grand Master from 1777-1782, was exalted in 1778. Distinguished foreign Masons joined, including the Dukes of Pignatelli, Brunswick and Mecklenburg. One of the most distinguished names, both in Royal Arch Masonry and the Craft, is that of Thomas Dunckerley who did so much in promoting the Royal Arch throughout the country. He was exalted in a Portsmouth Lodge in 1754 and was one of the signatories to the Charter of Compact in 1766. The Minutes contain numerous references to him, chiefly in connection with the work of the Chapters he founded or sponsored and with his appointments to the Office of Superintendent in the various Provinces over which he presided, no fewer than 18. He was for a (I) See also p. 32 post. Pi short time Blayney's Deputy and became himself. Firs.t Gran.d Principal in 1791. He sometimes allowed his zeal to run away with him for m 1777 he was acquainted by 'polite letter' of Grand Cha~ter's d~sapprobation for exalting brethren in Colchester without a regular dlspensatlOn-he was not then the Superintendent in and over Essex. Again, in 11.80, he i~formed Grand Cha~ter that he had granted a certain Warrant and a Dispensation, but the Companions 'with the utmost respect for Compn. Dunckerley . : . cons.ldered these grants as exceeding the bounds of his office.' He was a most .mdefahg.able worker and the Royal Arch owes much to him. Shortly before his death m 1795 .he wrote to Grand Chapter a letter in which 'he most solemnly declares his surrender of the office of Superintendent of the several counties, etc. and every ot~er office named in the Grand Chapt.' The minutes merely refer to the receipt of the letter. His death on the 19th October is later recorded when accounts were being examined. The entry reads 'it was judged. proper t?at an enquiry should be' made of his executors for any Accts. relating to t~llS Order, as .he had received from time to time many sums of money for Registers, etc. which he had never communicated.' Such was all that could be said of him.! There is no comment, no word of appreciation of more than 40 years of service. The 'Antients' After five years of existence of a Supreme and independent ?ody of 'Modern' Royal Arch Masons, the 'Antients' began to react for I~ 1771 appeared signs in their Grand Lodge of a I~lOvement to set up their ~)Wn so-called Grand Chapter as a counterblast. It will be remembered;that, offi~lall~ the 'Modems' did not recognise a Royal Arch degree whereas the Antients readily accepted it as a valued part of freemasonry and, as such, alre~dy under the control and supervision of their Grand Lo?ge and not requmng any distinct organisation. Realising that, by the setting up of the new Grand Chapter, the Modems Royal Arch Mason~ ha? fir~l1ly established t~emselves as the chief exponents of the degree, the Antients sought to establish some kind of organisation of their own. At the meeting of the 'Antients' Grand Lodge of the 4th. December, 1771 Dermott (Dep. G.M.) 'informed Grand Lodge of the proceedmgs. of the Royal Arch meetings, viz. on the 2nd Oct. and 6th Nov. last' but there IS no separ<:,te record of such meetings. The Register of Members of the Royal Arch contains notes of what purport to be other similar meetings, mentioning, inter alia, one on the 3rd. January, 1772, but again there is no, ot.he: record. They could have been meetings of 'Masters of the Royal Arch similar to that called for on 2nd March, 1757 (to which reference has already been made). <In the 4th December, 1771, a matter concerning brethren who had been admitted Royal Arch Masons illegally was left for 'the next Grand Chapter', the first use of the actual words. Later in the same minutes is a reference to the 'R.A. Chapter'. These informal meetings of Royal Arch Masons were, it i.ssuggested, suddenly transformed into. a Gran? Chapter as a Im;t~er of expediency. Such a body met from time to time but It had no officers or Its own, Its first Regula- tions (1783) were submitted to the Grand Lodge for approval and were later (1788) ordered to be in~luded in the Gr.and Lodge Circular letter of the year. From 1794 the Regulations (confirmed m Grand Lodge, 3d December, 1794) were printed as part of the Grand Lodge Model rules, orders and byelaws for lodges, and continued so to appear up to the last issue in 1813. In view r6 of the imminence of craft union within a few months it is strange that rules should have been issued in 1813 at all. From time to time reports and trans- actions of this body are referred to in the Grand Lodge Minutes as having been confirmed or passed. The revised laws and regulations of 1807, contain a provision that they are to be considered as a part of the Rules and Orders of the Grand Lodge. Enough has been said to show that there was complete unity between the 'Antients' Grand Lodge and its Royal Arch body and that the so-called Grand Chapter possessed no independence of action; it was in no way comparable with the Supreme Grand Chapter established under the Charter of Compact of 1766. (There is evidence that transactions of this body of 'Antients' Royal Arch Masons were recorded but there is now no minute book extant). The appearance of this 'Antients' Royal Arch machinery made no notice- able impact on the Grand Chapter which continued to meet regularly, exalted candidates and issued Warrants, the latter somewhat slowly at first-eleven ill the first decade. Blayney remained as First Grand Principal until 1770 when he was succeeded by Charles Dillon. Rowland Holt was elected Patron, an appointment he held for 3 years to be followed in the next 40 years by only two others, the Duke of Cumberland (exalted in December, 1772), 1774-1790, and the Duke of Clarence, 1790-1813. The early years After difficulties regarding the place of meeting Grand Chapter moved to the new Freemasons' Tavern in December, 1775, when it was agreed to con- tribute 10 guineas towards the building of the first Freemasons' Hall-events which created further, if unofficial, links with the Grand Lodge. Again, the Grand Lodge approved an application from Grand Chapter for use of the Great Hall for an anniversary ball on 10th January, 1777. It will be recalled that at the first meeting held in June, 1765, regulations for the government of the Chapter and a set of byelaws were agreed. In March, 1770, it was resolved and agreed that the Officers should meet in Committee in order to form byelaws for the regulation of the Grand Chapter but no further reference to the matter appears in the minutes. Eight years were to elapse before laws and regulations first appeared in print under the title of Abstract of laws for the Society of Royal Arch Masons. The collection is prefaced by a homily on operative and speculative masonry, not, we should hasten to add, in quite such an imaginary vein as that in Anderson's first Book of Constitutions. Although the Minutes are silent on the subject of byelaws regulating subordinate Chapters it would appear that directions or instructions of some kind were issued in or about the year 1769. The Cana Chapter (one of the first to be constituted) possesses a record apparently contemporary with its Warrant of that year, containing 'Principia to be observed by all Regular Constituted Chapters of the Grand and Royal Arch.' Nine principles are set out, the first of which provides 'that as soon as the Chapter is duly formed an Account shall be transmitted to the Grand Chapter containing the Names of each respective Officer and Companion and that this be done Annually immediately after the Election'. Others provide 'full powers to make any Bye-laws for their own Government provided they don't interfere with the fundamental ones of the Most Excellent Grand and Royal Chapter' ; for the wearing of jewels and ornaments; against making innova- tions; and other matters. The tenor of these Principia indicate that they were not made by. the Chapter and must, therefore, have been issued by Grand Chapter for general guidance. If such be the case then the Cana's set is the only known copy in existence." The printed Laws of 1778 commence with a preamble. The first law provides 'That .~ccording to ancient custom, a complete Chapter of this supreme degree of Masonry, consists of the three Principals; who, when in Chapter assembled, are to be considered conjunctly as The Master; and each severally as.a Master; the three Sojourners, two Scribes, and seventy-two othe~s, as Council ; and that no regular Chapter of this exalted degree can consist of more; but that any number may be exalted and received as Com- panions, though not to hold the Staff of Office, or be considered as Counsellors when more than that number are present.' A regulation limiting a Chapter to 72 is in force today, thus explaining that part of the ritual in which the exaltee is told that he will ever have the right to bear a staff of office unless 72 of the elders are present-a point which has puzzled many a Candidate. Although the whole set of Laws cannot be given in any detail here it is interesting to note that Law 6 laid down the order of proceedings in Chapter, opening, reading of minutes, ballots, etc., ending with the requirement that the 'business of the Chapter must begin [in fact this follows the above items] by the introductory section and be proceeded in regularly' and if time should not permit. the completion of the lecture 'care must be taken at the succeeding one to begm where they before left off that the Companions may receive full instruction and be properly qualified for advancement'. This attempt to ensure regular instruction in the ritual by lecture (i.e. catechism) disappeared from the next issue of Laws, printed in 1782. The Laws made no reference to the apron (only to the ribbon, jewel and robes) the design of which had been laid down in 1765 when it was described as of 'white leather indented round with crimson ribbon and strings of the same with a TH of gold properly displayed on the bibb'. It seems attempts had been made to establish the custom of wearing the Royal Arch apron in Grand Lodge and in private lodges but Grand Lodge approval had not been forthcoming for on the 12th February, 1773, Grand Chapter resolved that the Royal Arch apron be disused in Grand Chapter until the Grand Lodge should permit Companions to wear it there and in lodges. In the matter of the device it is interesting to note that Grand Chapter on the 26th December, 1766, referred to the T and H and described it as meaning 'Templum Hierosolimae or the true Royal Arch Mason's mark or Badge of Honou~'. W ~ know, of course, .that over .the years the letters became joined, lost their senfs and developed mto what IS now referred to as the Triple Tau around which has grown a symbolism never in the minds of our Royal Arch forefa.thers and never intended by them. It was, to them, simply a symbol refernng to the Temple of Jerusalem and they and their successors in the 18th century had no part in weaving round it the significance which others have since. done. This is a matter which might well be pursued on some other occasion, The General Committee met in 1781 'to examine into the true origin (I) The text is set out in A.Q.C. Ixxi, p. 66. 18 ~nd intention of masonry', a matter which had apparently been raised earlier m Grand Chapter. A P.M.Z. (unnamed in the Minutes) said 'the matter could not be determined or. indeed the examination itself properly entered upon wIt!lout. a free ~md ~nmterrupted access to the Antients Druids Library'. To which library did this refer? In the same year the United Ancient Order of Druids was ~ound.ed. in London, an. order imitative of both Freemasonry and Odd fellowship. DId It possess from Its very beginning what Grand Lodge did not even at that date, a library? No more was heard of the enquiry. Little is known of Royal Arch ritual at the time of the formation of Supreme Grand Chapter and the Minutes tell nothing. They contain frequent reference from 1766 onwards to the fact that the 'different sections' were given, or the 'usual sections' were gone through. On March 14th, 1783, it was resolved that a Chapter be held regularly for the purpose of Instruction ~nly. In the May following reference is made to the necessity to frame regula- nons 'for the Chapters of Instruction'. There is other evidence however that in the third quarter of the century, ritual took the form of 'a questio~ and answer catechism much of which is to be found in the lectures of today. For the first few years of the Chapter the ceremony of admission to the degree was not uni~ormly referred to as an exaltation, in spite of the fact that the word was used m the Charter of Compact. New members variously 'became members' or were proposed to 'pass the Royal Arch' or simply to 'pass'. Others were 'exalted' or 'admitted to this supreme degree'. By the 1770s the term 'exalted' and 'exaltation' were in regular use. Representation in Grand Chapter Hitherto the Grand Chapter as a body consisted of the Grand Officers and tho~e elected to membership-exaltation in the Grand Chapter did not automatically confer membership, indeed, only a few of those exalted were elected. As the number of subordinate Chapters grew-by the end of 1783 thirty five ~ad com~ into being-so the Grand Chapter became less and less representative. Obviously such a state of affairs could not continue. The beginning of reform was brought about by a complaint received on the 13th .February, 1?84, from the Royal Cumberland Chapter of Bath, No. 28, that It had been Ignored by the Grand Chapter since its constitution 4 years previously. As a result Grand Chapter ordered a General Convention and appointed a Comm~ttee, which met on fo~r occasions, to arrange accordingly. At the March meeting of Grand Chapter It was ordered that invitations should be s~nt .to Principals of Chapters. The Convention was duly held on the 28th ~pnl ; It was narr:ed 'Co~,,:e?tio~ Night' and was attended by Principals of SIXCh.apters, des~nbed as visitors'. It turned out to be a very ordinary meeting at which a candidate was exalted and 'several sections was gone through by the Excellent and Sojourners, with the assistance of the most Excellent Masters and past Masters. The Chapter was closed in antient form and Perfect harmony'. All that could be said for it was that at least some of the sub- ordinate Chapters were represented. Efforts to broaden representation in Grand Chapter soon ~eased as no more Conven~ion nights were held and Principals :vere not specifically summoned to meetmgs. Occasionally 'visitors' attended m larger numbers than before and on one occasion, 6th May, 1785, the 'list of Chapters were called over'. By the beginning of 1790 sixty six Chapters had been Warranted and the need for change in the constitution was again apparent for on the 22nd April of that year a special committee resolved that 'it is the opinion of this Committee that the time is now arrived to form a plan for convening the Principals of the subordinate Chapters under the Constitution of the Grand and Royal Chapter, in Grand convocation; to ':lcquaint them. that the Officers of the Grand and Royal Chapter have had it m contemplation to commune with them for the benefit and advantage of R.A. Masons in general, and that it is requested of all Chapters to attend by their Principals on a day to be appointed'. It was further resolved that it 'is their opinion that the said Grand Convention do consist of all present and Past Grand Officers and the three Principals for the time being of all subordinate Chapters, who, convened, may take into their consideration all matters relative to R.A. Masonry in general and dispose of such sums of money ... to the purposes of Charity .. .' At the following meeting of Grand Chapter it was resolved accordingly, the purpose being for 'establishing a General Grand Chapter and a General Fund of the Order'. The matter was referred to on a number of occasions without much progress being made except that it was agreed (24th November, 1791) that the Convocation be held on the day following the feast of Craft Masons. Although not so described the Convocation was held on the 4th May, 1792, and was attended by 19 Grand Officers and Members of the Grand Chapter and 24 Principals representing 12 Chapters. Rules or bye-laws were approved, one of which laid down that 'two general Chapters of Communication agreeable to the Charter of Compact' should be held annually. Thus a dramatic change in the constitution of Grand Chapter came about but further reforms were to come. Subordinate Chapters and probably individuals as well were still not satisfied with the nature of Grand Chapter which continued to function both as a private Chapter and as a Governing body-it had always exalted candidates, elected Companions to membership and rehearsed the lecture. On the 17th December, 1795, it was resolved that 'in order to conciliate and to do away [with] every remaining jealousy and uneasiness (if such exists) amongst the several Chapters or any of them, that a Committee be now appointed ... to consider of the precise mode of separating the business of [the] Chapter and a Chapter for the purpose of exalting Master Masons to this Sublime degree'. At one of the meetings of the Committee consideration was given to the revival of Chapter No. 1 (Restoration Lodge or Chapter of the Rock Fountain Shilo) which, although Warranted on the 14th July, 1769, does not seem ever to have functioned as an independent Chapter. A special meeting of Grand Chapter was held on the 22nd April, 176~, to determine what would 'be most fit to do about the revival of the Chapter No. 1'. The revival of the Chapter was approved. It was also agreed that the Three Grand Principals should be the three Grand Masters, that meetings be held on the same evenings as those of Grand Chapter and that the present members of Grand Chapter be con- tinued as members of the revived Chapter. Presumably to avoid confusion between the two bodies it was further agreed that the meetings of Grand Chapter should thenceforth be styled 'meetings of the Grand Lodge of Royal Arch Masons' but they were, in fact, never so described. After other business was transacted it was finally resolved that those present should be a Committee of the revived Chapter No. 1 and open for business 'for the Transactions of 20 I ,\ which, vide their Book'. Unfortunately no Minute Book of the revived No. 1 has as yet come to light. The revival of this Chapter did not bring to an end the practice of electing members and exalting Candidates by Grand' Chapter; exaltations continued in Grand Chapter up to the year 1812. The original Grand Chapter Register