Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1922-10-20
NEGRO MASONRY
EnQIlSh Lord Gave Masonic Patent
to. Boston Black.
PRINCE HALL Was FIRST MASTSR
Original Warrant Said to Be Older
Than Declaration of Independence
New York Grand Lodge Raising
Funds for a Big Temple.

Than Declaration OF lnoepenoenoe-
New York Grand Lodge Raising
Funds for Big Temple.
Walton in The World.
The ancestry of negro Freemasonry
in the United States. generally termed
prince Hall Masonry" antedates by
sixteen months the adoption Oh the
Declaration of independence. ....
On March 6, ITS, in British Army
Lodge holding a warrant under the
Grand Lodge Of England, and attached
to one of the regiments stationed In
or near Boston, commanded by Gen.
Gage, Prince Hall and fourteen other
negroes were duly initiated and ad-
mitted as members of good standing in
the Masonic fraternity. '-
Nine years later the fifteen negro
Masons, all of whom resided in Boston,
applied to the Grand Lodge Of England
for permission to be set apart as a
regular lodge. The application was
granted and a warrant issued them on
| September 20, 1884, authorizing the
4
setting up of a regular lodge to be
known as African Lodge, No. 459, with
Prince Hall as master.
It was not until about April 20, 1887,
that the warrant from the Mother
Grand Lodge of the World was re-
ceived, the delay in delivery being pri-
marily due to chaotic conditions su-
perinduced by strained relations ex-
listing between the Colonies and Great
Britain Four days after the warrant
had been turned over to Prince Hall
and his colleagues, the African lodge
was organized and entered on the Eng
.rish Registry with other Colonial Ma
sonic bodies.
The original warrant issued by the
Grand Lodge Of England to the fifteen
negroes is to this day kept in vault
in Boston by the Prince Hall Grand
Lodge of Massachusetts,. The docu-
ment reads as follows:
WARRANT. OF CONSTITUTION
To All and Every:
Our Right Worshipful and Loving
Brethren: We, Thomas Howard, Earl
of Effingham, Lord Howard, &C., Act
ing Grand Master, under the authority
of His Royal Highness, Henry Freder-
lex, Duke of Cumberland, c., Grand
Master Of the Most Ancient and Hon
orable Society of Free and Accepted
Masons, send greeting:
Know ye that we, at the humble pc
tition of our Right Trusty and we'll
beloved brethren, Prince Hall, Boston
Smith, Thomas Sanderson, and several
brethren residing in Boston, New Eng
land, in North America, do hereby con-
stitute the said brethren into regular
Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons,
under the title or denomination of At
rican Lodge, to be opened in Boston,
aforesaid, and do frrthe5 as their said
petition and Of the great trust and
confidence reposed H. every Of the said
above named brethrer, hereby appoint
the said Prince Hall to be Master;
Boston Smith, Senior Warden; and
Thomas Sanderson, Junior, and Tor
such further time only as shall be
thought by the brethren thereof, 1t be-
ing our will that this, our appointment
of the above officers, shall in no wise
affect any further election Of officers
of said Lodge but that such election
shall be regulated, agreeable to such
bylaws of the said lodge as shall be
consistent with the Grand Laws OF the
society. contained in the Book or Con-
stitution; and we hereby will, and re-
ouire of you, the said Prince Han
Lodge, to take special care that all
and every, the said brethren, are 10
have been regularly made Masons, and
that they do observe, PERFORM ana
keep all the rules and orders conlalheu
In the Book. of Constitutions; ana 1ur-
thor that YOU do from time to time
cause to be entered, in a book kept lor
that purpose, an account OF your pro-
ceedinss in the Lodge, together with
all such rules, Orders and Regulations
as shall be made for the good govern
ment of the same that in no wise you
omit in every year to send to u.s. or
orr successors, Grand Masters, or
Rowland Holt, Esq. our Deputy Grand
Master, for the time being, an account
of your said proceeding, and copies OF
all such Rules, Orders and Regulations
as shall be made as aforesaid, togeth-
er with the list of the members OF the
Lodge. and reasonably be expected TO-
ward the Grand Charity.
Moreover, we will, and require OF
] YOU, the said Prince Hall, as soon as
conveniently may be, to send an ac-
count in writing of what may be done
by virtue of these presents.
Given at London, under our
hand and seal Of Masonry,
| (sEAL) this 2sth day of September
A. L., 57S4. A. D. 1854, by
the Grand Masters COM
mand. ~
r. HOLT, Deputy Grand Master.
Attest: WILLIAM WHITE, Grand
Secretary.