MASSACHUSETTS. The intro duction of Freemasonry into this country, through •warranted lodges, established upon the basis of legal Masonic authority, dates from July 30, 1733. Upon the application of several brethren, Free and Accepted Masons, residing in the town of Boston, Province of Massachusetts, for authority to establish a Provin cial Grand Lodge, a warrant was granted by the Right Worshipful Lord Viscount Montacute, Grand Master of Masons of England, dated April 30, 1733, appointing Right Worshipful Henry Price, Provincial Grand Master of New England, and dominions and territories thereunto belonging, with free power and authority to nominate and appoint his Deputy Grand Master and Grand Wardens. On the receipt of this commission, the brethren assem bled July 30, 1733, at the "Bunch of Grapes" tavern, State Street, Boston, when the charter of Con stitution was read, and the Right Worshipful Grand Master duly in vested and congratulated; a Grand Lodge, under the title of "St. John's Grand Lodge," was formed, and the Grand Officers and in stalled in due and ancient form. A petition was then presented by several brethren, residing in Bos ton, praying to be constituted into a regular Lodge; and it was voted that the same be granted. This Lodge was styled " The First Lodge in Boston," or ' • St. John's Lodge.' Thus was Masonry established in North America. In the year 1751 a number of brethren who had traveled, and many of whom had been initiated into the mysteries of the Craft in ancient lodges abroad, be came emulous to cultivate the royal art in the western world. For this laudable purpose they petitioned the Grand Lodge of Scotland for a char ter to establish a Lodge. Tha prayer of the petitioners being granted, they received a dispensation, dated Nov. 30, 1752, from Sholto Charles Douglas, Lord Aberdour, then Grand Master, constituting them a regular Lodge, under the title of " St. An drew's Lodge, No. 82," to be holden at Boston, in the province of Massa chusetts Bay. The elitablishment of this Lodge was discouraged and opposed by St. John's Grand Lodge, who imagined their jurisdiction in fringed by the Grand Lodge of Scot land. They, therefore, refused any communications or visits from such members of St. Andrew's Lodge as had not formerly sat in their lodges, and this difficulty did not entirely subside for several years. The pros perous state of St. Andrew's Lodge soon led to great exertions for the establishment of an ancient Grand Lodge in the Province; and this was effected by the assistance of three traveling lodges, which were holden in the British army, then stationed at Boston, under the title of "The Massachusetts Grand Lodge." Dec. 27, 1769. On this festival, which was celebrated in due form, a commis sion from the Right Honorable and Most Worshipful George, Earl of Dalhousie, Grand Master of Masons in Scotland, bearing date May 30, 1769, appointing Joseph Warren to be Grand Master of Masons in Bos ton, New England, and within one hundred miles of the same, was read; whereupon the brethren pro ceeded, according to ancient usage, to instill the Right Worshipful Grand Master Warren, who after ward appointed and invested the other Grand Officers. Nov. 13, 1758,
a deputation was granted to the Right Worshipful Edward Hunt ingford, to hold a Lodge in his Majesty's 28th regiment, stationed at Louisburg. Of the further his tory of this deputation, or whether a Lodge under its authority was I ever organized, we have no authen tic record. In 1773, a commission was received from the Earl of Dumfries, Grand Master of Masons in Scotland, dated March 3, 1772, appointing Joseph Warren Grand Master of Masons for the Con. tiuent of America. April 19, 1775, hostilities commenced be tween Great Britain and America. Boston became a garrison, and was abandoned by many of its inhabit ants; and the regular meetings of the two Grand Lodges were suspended. June 17, by the contest of this event ful day on the hights of Charles town, Masonry sustained a heavy loss iu the death of Grand Master General Warren, who was slain con tending for the liberties of his country. October 6, 1779, a petition of a number of brethren, officers in the American army, praying that this (Massachusetts) Grand Lodge would grant them a charter to hold a traveling Lodge, was read, and Gen. John Patterson, Col. Benjamin Tupper, and Major William Hull, being nominated as Master and Wardens, voted that a dispensation be granted them, under the title of " Washington Lodge," to make Masons, pass Fellow-Crafts, and raise Masters, in any of the United States where there is no Grand Lodge; but in any State where a Grand Master presides they must apply for his sanction. The St. John's Grand Lodge resumed ite meetings after Boston was evacuated by the British army, and continued to move in harmony, granting char ters for the establishment of new lodges, in various places. Dec. 5, 1791, a committee of the Massa chusetts Grand Lodge was appoint ed to confer with the officers of St. John's Grand Lodge upon the sub ject of a complete Masonic union throughout this commonwealth, and to report at the next quarterly com munication. March 5, 1792, the committee brought in their report, and presented a copy of the consti tution and by-laws, and articles of association, as agreed to by St John's Grand Lodge, which were read, and receiving the deliberate at tention of the grand body, they were unanimously approved. June 9, following, the two Grand Lodges met, agreeably to previous arrange ments, unanimously elected Most Worshipful John Cutler Grand Mas ter of the United Grand Lodge, and, thereupon, passed the following resolution : "Resolved, That this Grand Lodge shall forever hereafter be known by the name of the Grand Lodge of the Most Ancient and Honorable Society of Free and Accepted Masons, for the Common wealth of Massachusetts." Thus were the prejudices and contentions so long indulged in most happily removed, and peace and harmony restored to the Order, not only in Massachusetts, but, as far as the original bodies had planted subor dinates, in the surrounding country.