Very little is known about
the first 20 years of our lodge. If minutes were kept - and there is
no reason to suppose that they were (The Premier Grand Lodge did not
issue Masonic certificates until 1756, or register members until
1768. It is therefore possible that there was no obligation upon
lodges to record minutes until about this time?) they have not
survived. Grand Lodge records do show that its byelaws were submitted
and that charity contributions were made during the period.
The first printed known statement referring
to the Lodge, is in Pine's Engraved List of
1734, where it appears as No 97 meeting at the New Inn Exeter
Andrew Brice a Past Master
of our lodge called the Lodge the Apollo in his
will (1773) but he also refers to his brethren of St John's
Lodge
as the Lodge
met at this time in the Apollo Room of The New Inn Apollo was
probably a colloquial name.
On the 29th November 1754 the Lodge was erased. Surviving minutes show
that the Lodge continued to meet during this period. On
the 16th January 1759 the Lodge was held at Ye New Inn,
When it was proposed by and agreed to by Brethren of the Lodge
that two guineas should be paid to Brother Wade to be presented to the
Grand Lodge by way of subscription towards the Charitable uses in order
to have our Lodge re-instated, which money was paid by the Treasurer to
Brother Wade accordingly. After which business done the Lodge was
closed
in good order.
Within three weeks, that is to say on the 5th
February 1759 St John's Lodge was re-instated by the Grand
Lodge of
England; showing that the only reason for its previous erasure was
the delay in forwarding the required Charity Contributions. However
its punishment was to rank junior to the Lodge last constituted, it
was allocated the number 239. In 1770 at the re-numbering of lodges
it was allowed to rank next after all others constituted in its
original year of foundation, 1732 and given the number 48. Its
actual number according to strict seniority would then have been 44,
therefore it is now 39 instead of 37 which is the number of Anchor of
Hope, Bolton constituted on the 23rd of October 1732 (number 38 was
allocated to The Union, an Antient Lodge at Chichester formed in
1812).
It is perhaps worthy of
note that two guineas would have been approximately the Mayor of
Exeter's weekly salary in 1759, quite a considerable sum!
In these early days of our
Lodge the brethren often met in the daytime, a summons dated Dec 16th
1764 reads,
Brother,
You are desired to meet the Master and Brethren at a Lodge to be held
at
the New Inn on Thursday next, by 11 o'clock in the morning,
to transact business.
N.B. Dinner to be on the table at 2. o’ clock.
If you cannot attend be pleased to signify the same by a line to your
affectionate Brother.
By order of the R.W.M.S. Moore Secretary.