VIRGINIA. Writers on the early history of Freemasonry in the United States, particularly of the time when they were colonies of the British government, are often em barrassed in their researches, and are unable to furnish the "tangible proof" of the first introduction of the Order into certain well-estab lished localities among the early settlements of this country. The historian is often sorely perplexed from the fact that the materials within his reach are in many instances only speculations, pre sumptions, or the—too frequently questionable—statements of "the oldest inhabitant." The difficulty, therefore, of preparing a continuous history of Freemasonry in America lies mainly in the presumptive char acter of much of the evidence that makes up its record. That there is some cause for this lack of reliable evidence is beyond dispute. The many difficulties that surrounded the habitations of the first emi grants; the wild and unsettled con dition of the country; the war of the Revolution, when the merciless foe burned and destroyed every kind of property within his reach; the frequent ecclesiastical and political persecutions which have from time to time been brought against the Order, and the slight interest taken by our predecessors in the preserva• tion of Masonic records—these, with other causes, will, in some measure, account for the scarcity of reliable Masonic data, at the present time. We are led to these reflections after examining the scanty materials which we find for the subject under discussion as well as of that already disposed of. For the matter of this sketch I am indebted to a very able and interesting address on the " History of the Grand Lodge of Virginia, by R. W. JOHN Dove, M. D." Bro. Dove has been an active member of the Grand Lodge of Virginia for fifty, and its Grand Secretary for more than thirty, years. He says: "The first Lodge of An cient York Masons was chartered Dec. 22, 1733, in the village of Norfolk, by the title of Royal Exchange Lodge, No. 172. The second Lodge was chartered by the Grand Lodge of Scotland for Port Royal, by the name of Kilwinning Cross, in 1755. The third was chartered by the same Grand Lodge for Petersburg, by the name of Blandford Lodge No. 83, in 1757. The fourth was chartered by the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts for Fredericksburg, July 21, 1758, having some years before obtain ed a dispensation. The fifth was chartered by the Grand Lodge of England for Hampton, Nov. 6, 1773, by the name of St. Tamany; and, on the same day, by the same grand body, the sixth Lodge was chartered for Williamsburg, by the name of Williamsburg. The seventh was chartered by the same for Gloucester, Nov. 6, 1773, by the name of Botetourt. The eighth was chartered by the Grand Lodge of Scotland for Cabin Point, April 5, 1775, by the name of Cabin Point Royal Arch. Beside these are found on the registry of the Grand Lodge of Scotland that St. John's Lodge No. 111 was constituted at Norfolk in 1741; also there was a Lodge at Falmouth, and one chartered for Yorktown, Aug. 1, 1755, by the Grand Lodge of England. That there were others in the State (mili tary lodges no doubt) is proven by a letter written in 1843, by R. W. John Barney, the Grand Lecturer of Ohio, in which he says: Capt. Hugh Maloy, aged ninety-three, is now living in or near Bethel, Cler mont Co., who was initialed in 1782, in Gen. Washington's Marquee; Gan. Washington presided in per son, and performed the initiatory ceremonies.' " At a convention of delegates from Norfolk, Kilwinning Port Royal Cross, Blandford, 191 litimsburg, az-d Cabin Point Royal Arch lodges, met at Williamsburg, Va., May 6, 1777, for the purpose of choosing :3. Grand Master for the State of Virginia. The convention decided, by unanimous vote, that a Grand Master ought to be chosen to preside over the Craft in Virginia, and a committee was appointed to present, to the Fraternity at large, the reasons for this step. May 13,
following, the convention received the committee's report, which pre sented four reasons for the course contemplated, viz : 1. That the lodges in Virginia were working under five distinct and separate au thorities, viz: the Grand Masters of England, Scotland, Irellind, Penn sylvania, and America, the last at second hand; consequently, they could not assemble in annual com munication to manifest the distin guishing characteristics of Masonry, or settle whatever differences might arise among the respective lodges for want of a common tribunal. 2. No precedent could be found by the committee Masonry had ever derived any benefit from the foreign appointment of a Grand Master in this country, those officers being but little known and slightly regarded. 3. There was no tribunal for the correction of abuses, and no settled authority for the establish ment of new lodges. 4. The Grand Lodges of England, Scotland, and Ireland, having established their own right of election upon the inherent privilege of Masons, dis tinct from all foreign power what ever, the committee conceive that the Masons of Virginia have the same rights and privileges which Masons in other lands, in all times, heretofore had confessedly enjoyed. After the discussion of this able caper, the convention then ad journed to meet at Williamsburg, June 23, ensuing. Upon that day, the delegates of five lodges assem bled, ag,reeably to adjournment, and declared themselves unanimously of opinion that a Grand Master of Virginia is essential to the pr.)sperity and dignity of Jlasonry in general; but, there not being a majority of the Virginia lodges represented they declined proceeding at that time to an election. The conven tion recommended, however, that each lodge petition its own Grand Master (in England, Scotland, etc., as the case might be,) to appoint some one worthy Mason, resident in .this State, as Grand Master thereof, with power to resign such authority to a convention of all the lodges when they should meet and elect a Grand Master. And for this purpose the convention re commended that GENERAL GEORGE WASHINGTON,commander-in-chief of the revolutionary army, should be the individual to whom the charter of appointment should be made, but he declined. The convention re assembled, Oct. 13, 1778, four lodges being represented, and adopted a resolution, unanimously, that there was a sufficient number of lodges present to proceed to business. Decided that the power and au thority of Cornelius Harnet, as Deputy Grand Master of America, had ceased to exist. John Blair, of Williamsburg, was then unani mously elected Grand Master. He was installed Oct. 30, ensuing, and thus the long-desired object of an Independent Grand Lodge was accomplished.
Royal Arch Masonry was intro duced into Virginia under the auspices of Joseph Myers, one of the Inspectors General of the An cient and Accepted rite, of the southern jurisdiction, at Charleston, S. C. The SUPREME GRAND ROYAL ARCH CHAPTER was organized at Norfolk, May 1, 1808. This grand body is not in affiliation with the General Grand Chapter of the United States.
The GRAND ENCAMPMENT was or ganized about 1823; was represented in the Grand Encampment of the United States in 1826; soon became dormant. Organized new Grand Encampment in 1845, without ap proval of the Grand Encampment of the United States. In 1851 united again with the Grand En campment of the United States; seceded again in 1861; renewed her allegiance to the Grand Encamp ment of tl.e United States in 1866.