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Lodge of Friendship No 44 Instituted Ancient Lodge No 39 1755 Revived 1803 Re numbered No 44 1863 2019 1
RULES and ORDERS Which are punctually to be observ d and kept by the most Ancient Honourable Constant Amicable Friendly and Agreeable Fraternity of Free and Accepted MASONS and in order to prevent all feuds Controversies Illegal Arguments or debates which might in any sort disturb or make void the true intent of this our Unanimous Conjunction We the Master Wardens and Deacons with the rest of the members of this Lodge by and with the approbation and consent of the Grand Lodge have thought proper to prescribe and establish the following Rules 3
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Imprimis That a Lodge of Free and Accepted Ancient Masons be held at the Sign of St Ann s Church and Mitre in Manchester or elsewhere on the first Monday of each calendar month that such Lodge consist of one Master two wards two Deacs a Secretary and Tyler with as many members as the Master and Majority shall think proper That all the Members shall appear in clean decent apparel with proper clothing observe a due decorum while the Lodge is engaged in what is Serious and Solemn otherwise the transgressor shall not sit in this Lodge without leave obtained from the Master and Majority 2d That the hours of meeting be observ d as follows from 25th March to the 10th September at 7o clock in the evening and sitt until Ten and from the 10th of Septr as foresaid to the 25th March following from 6 till 9 o clock and if any Memr be absent one hour after the time of meeting he shall be fin d One Penny and if absent the whole night or time of business he shall be fined Two Pence except such absentee be sick confin d or three miles from the place of meeting and that all such fines be put in the box 5
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3d That the Master be chose by Ballot Viz the Wardens shall stand candidates for the chair on the Lodge night before each St John s day that the candids withdraw while every free member gives his vote in favour of him he deems most worthy each Free member having one vote and the Master Two When done the candidates shall be called in and the Master shall declare him duly elected who hath the majority Then the Master Elect shall nominate a candidate for the Senr Warden s place at which time the body shall nominate one in opposition to be balloted for in like manner and so on every inferior officer etc And that no person be put in such election but such as by their known skill and merritt shall be deemed worthy of performance 4th That the Master and Wardens of this lodge shall attend the Stewards and Grand Lodge if convenient upon all emergencies having proper notice from the Grand Secretary and when in the Grand or Stewards Lodge he they or either of them shall have full power and authority to transact all matters relating to this as full and truly as if we the whole body were there present Vide Rule 12 7
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5th IF any member refuse to serve any of the aford Offices he or they shall be fin d as follows viz the Master 5 shillings Each Warden Secretary 2 6 each Deacon One Shilling and to be fin d the like sum if they don t serve their full time Except for reasons mentioned in the 2d rule That the members of this Lodge shall meet to dine together on every St John s day between the hours of 12 and Two o clock that each Member pay Two Shillings on the Lodge night before each St John s towards defraying the Charges of the Festival that the Wardens be appointed as Stewards for the day to transact all matters relating to the feast that the new officers be instal d immediately after dinner and that all Visiting Brethren who dine at such feast shall pay 2 6 for dinner and their further dividend if need be Sojourners Excepted 6th On every lodge night each member shall spend Four Pence and put Four Pence in the box the Junr Warden shall keep an exact acct of the reckoning and acquaint the body when their complement are in and upon his negligence or omission he shall be accountable for the deficiency 9
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7th No Visitor to be admitted after Lodge Hours nor at any time without leave obtained from the presiding officers and if admitted shall spend equal with the members No brother shall be admitted to visit a second time until he becomes a Member of a Regular Ancient Lodge and his name is registered in the Grand Lodge Book Sojourners Excepted 8th Any person desirous of being made a Mason in this Lodge shall be openly reported in Lodge hours by members of this Lodge on the lodge night before his making viz his name Occupation and place of abode in order that the members may make a strict Enquiry into the Candidate s Character and that the sd member who make such report shall at the same time deposit five shillings to ensure the lodge of his coming and if Approv d of and made he shall pay 2 2 0 and cloath the Lodge if required including the above five shillings but if the Bren don t approve of his character and will not make him the above five shillings shall be faithfully returned to him but in case the Lodge approve of him and he fail coming then shall he forfeit his five shillg to the brethren And it is hereby declared that no person be made or admitted a Member of this Lodge but such as are of mature age Free from bondage upright in body and limbs and indued with the senses of a man and likewise has an Estate Trade Office Calling or some visible way of acquiring a reputable livelihood as becomes the Members of this Ancient and Honourable Society 11
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9th Vide Rule 21 Any Mason desirous of becoming a member of this Lodge shall be reported as before and if admitted he shall pay five shillings viz Two Shillings and Six pence to the Box of this Lodge One Shilling to the Grand fund for the relief of Distresse d Freemasons six pence to the Tyler and one shilling to the Grand Secretary for registering him to this number 10th If any Brother in this Lodge Curse Swear of offer to lay wagers or use any reproachful Language in deregation of God s name and Corruption of Good manners or interrupt any Officer while speaking shall be fin d at the discretion of the Majority then present 11th If any member of this Lodge come disguis d in Liquor he shall be admonished by the Master for the first offence for the second of a like nature he shll be fin d One Shilling and for the third he shall be excluded without Certificate and reported to the Grand 12 All fines dues c that become due to this Lodge shall be paid on the third Lodge night after they become due Otherwise the transgressor or Brother so indebted shall not Vote in this Lodge and if not Clear d on St John s Day he shall be excluded 13
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13th On a Lodge night in the Master s absence the Past M may take his place and in his absence by the Senr Warden and in his absence the Junr Warden and in the absence of all the Officers the Members according to Seniority and merritt shall fill the Absent Officers places c And that every Officer absent on a Regular Lodge night or otherwise duly summon d shall be fin d a Discretional fine over and above the Common fine of private Mems 14th That the master has full power and Authority to Call a Lodge of Emergency when Occasion require Where all members are to attend on proper Summons or be liable to pay Fines as on Regular Lodge nights 15th That the Box money and furniture of this Lodge be in the care of some responsible Brother as the Masr and Brethren shall think sufficient and the money be Dispos d of for Advancement of the Lodge and Benefit of the Brethren 16th The secretary shall keep a regular Register of all the Members according to the form laid down for the same and proper minutes of all the Transactions that are fit to be wrote and the same to be laid before the Grand Lodge Once a Quarter if required 15
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17th That no dispute arise in the Lodge bu shou d happen out of the lodge concerning masonry or otherwise which the Brethren can t decide between themselves in order to prevent Vexatious Law suits the said Dispute Complaint or Controversy shall be laid before this lodge and here decided if possible but if the brethren do not them agree the Master shall order his secretary to take proper minutes of the said Dispute Complaint or Controversy and lay the same before the Grand Lodge on their next meeting where the Disputants or Complainants are to attend if adjacent in order to have the matter fairly and impartially tried by all the free masons then present But in cases of none Compliance to such decision of the Grand such as refuse shall be for ever Excluded and deemed Unworthy of the Ancient and Honourable Society 18th The Master and Brethren of this Lodge when congregated together have full power and Authority to make Amend Correct or Explain these or such other By laws Rules and Orders as they shall think most proper and convenient providing such Alterations or Additions do not remove our Ancient land marks and if such amendment be made the Master shall send Copies of the same to the Grand Secretary for the Benefit of the Fraternity in General and by the Grand Secretary to be paid before the Grand Lodge in order to be by them passed into a General Rule 17
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Order of the Grand Dated June 1st 1757 Agreed Unanimously that all Warranted Lodges under the Ancient Constitution of London upwards of twenty miles distant from London shall have full power and Authority to put their own Dues and Contribution into their Box in order to enable them to relieve such Brethren as they shall think worthy and that in Consideration of this privilege the Members of such Lodges shall not have any Claim or Demand on the Grand Lodge more than as sojourners And it is hereby Ordered That every Member belonging to each Regular Lodge beyond the limits aforesaid shall pay the Sum of Six Pence yearly to the Grand as an acknowledgement of their submission Duty And that every Person made a Mason or Br that joins any Lodge beyond the distance aforesaid shall pay for Registry in the Grand Lodge Book the like sum of the Brethren in London viz 0 2 6 the former 0 1 0 the latter exclusive of the Grand Secretary s fee viz 0 1 0 each 19
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Vide 19th Contra Every New Made Mason shall pay the Tyler One shilling and every old Mason 6 pence And the Tyler shall take particular care not to admit any Visiter a second time that doth not belong to a Regular Ancient Lodge and his Name registered in the Grand Lodge Book sojourners excepted 20th That these Rules and Orders be read by the Secretary or some other Bro by the Master s Appointment to every new Member and otherwise as Occasion shall require Vide 21st Contra That the members of this Lodge shall pay their dues to the Grand Lodge for the relief of Indigent Freemasons Viz One Shilling p Quarter to be collected by the Secretary of this Lodgr and by him deliver d to the Master and by the Master paid in the Grand Fund with a True list of the members of this Lodge and the sum paid by each member wrote Opposite to his name in order that it may be fairly stated in the Grand Lodge Books 21
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25 That none be admitted to Visit this Lodge but such as can prove themselves Master Masons least they should disturb or break the harmony of Working Masters c Nor shall any Bror that has or may be hereafter Enter d in a lodge with more than three regular lodge nights next after he was enter d before he be raised under the penalty of Two Shills and Six Pence 26 And if any Member be found Guilty of any Misdemeanour not specified in the Aforesaid Rules and Orders he or they should be dealt with at the Discretion of the Master and Majority The aforsd are the true intent and meaning of the Grand Ruler for private Lodges Signed by Order Laue Dermott GS 25
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An Abstract from the Grand Lodge Rules That the Master and Wardens of all Regular Lodge under the Ancient Constitutions shall send their Names to the Grand Sec in order that as their several Lodges has or may deem them worthy and confer such honours on them so he the said Secretary shall enrol them on the list of the Officers to be recorded to posterity An Abstract from the Steward s Lodge Book That the names of Officers return d to the Grand Secretary be wrote by the Hand of each Master and Warden as often as installed in order to enable the G Secretary to distinguish True Certificates or petition for Charity from false ones 27
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These pages are reproduced by John Winstanley from the very first Minute Book of Antient Lodge No 39 which was the forerunner of Lodge of Friendship No44 29