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HISTORY OF JERUSALEM LODGE
1849-1949
CHAPTER II
FORMATION
Organizational Meeting
On the evening of December 5th, 1848, a number of Freemasons met by appointment in Hindes Hotel-on the site where the registry office now stands (90 King St. W.) for the purpose of forming themselves into a Masonic Lodge.
Bro. H. S. Reid was called to the chair and the following brethren were present: Levi Bigelow, James English, Dr. Geo. H. Low, Edward Floody, John Galbraith, A. Hindes, Robt. McCutcheon, John McGuire, Isaiah Tole, Francis Brinker, Rufus Baker and P. Brady.
Resolutions Adopted
The following resolutions were adopted:
- That application be forthwith made to the Provincial Grand Secretary for a Charter of a Masonic Lodge to be held in the Village of Bowmanville in the Township of Darlington and that a dispensation be applied for until the Charter be supplied.
- That the following names be inserted in the Charter:
Master .................................................... ISAIAH TOLE
Sr. Warden ............................................ RUFUS BAKER
Jr. Warden ............................................. JAMES ENGLISH
- That the Lodge be styled Jerusalem Lodge.
Original Donors
At the same preliminary meeting the undersigned agreed to pay Henry S. Reid the sums set down opposite their respective names on or before December 15th, 1848, as an advance for the purpose of procuring a Charter for the said Masonic Lodge to be established.
Application to the Grand Lodge of England
The following is a verbatim copy of the application made to the Provincial Grand Secretary of the Grand Lodge of England:
To the Most Worshipful Grand Master of the United Fraternity of Ancient, Free and Accepted Masons of Canada West:
We, the undersigned, being regularly registered Masons of the lodges mentioned against our respective names, having the prosperity of the Craft at heart, are anxious to exert our best endeavours to promote and diffuse the genuine precepts of the Art, and for the convenience of our respective dwellings and other good reasons, we are desirous of forming a new lodge to be named Jerusalem Lodge.
In consequence of the desire, we pray for a Warrant of Constitution, empowering us to meet as a regular lodge at Bowmanville on Wednesday of, or next before, the full moon of every month, and there discharge the duties of Masonry according to the forms of the Order and Laws of Grand Lodge, and we have nominated Brother Isaiah Tole to be the first Master, Bro. Rufus Baker to be the first Senior Warden, and Brother James English to be the first junior Warden of the said lodge.
The prayer of this petition being granted, we promise strict obedience to the Commands of the Grand Master and Laws and Regulations of Grand Lodge.
Darlington Newcastle District,
13 December, 1848.
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Isaiah Tole
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No. 273 Ireland 4/
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Rufus Baker
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Canton Lodge U.S. 4/
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Henry Reid
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St. Johns Lodge Cobourg 2/6
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Alphonso Hindes
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No. 19 Whitby 4/
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George H. Low
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St. Johns Lodge Cobourg 2;% 6
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William Moore
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St. Johns 83 England 2/6
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John Simpson
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St. Johns Lodge Cobourg 2/6
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James English
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No. 213 Milivale Ireland 4/
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Edward Floody
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753 Ireland 4/
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William Crozier
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204 Ireland 4/
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James Cranfield
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343 Ireland 4/
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We the undersigned officers of Unity Lodge No. 19, Whitby, do cheerfully recommend the above named brethren as fit and proper persons to obtain a Charter for a new Lodge.
JOHN PLAYTER, Secretary.
Unity Lodge Room,
Whitby, January 4th, 1849.
First Dispensation
The Dispensation was dated December 18th, 1849, and it appears that this was handled by Francis Richardson, Provincial Grand Secretary.
The petition for Warrant was granted and signed Zetland, G. M., Aug. 7th, 1850.
The Warrant or Dispensation bore the date of 14th December, 1849, and was granted by The Earl of Zetland, Grand Master of the United Grand Lodge of England to Jerusalem Lodge No. 28, Bowmanville. You will please note that the original number was 28.
It is also interesting to note that the number of the Lodge or Warrant was given number 850 and the address was Bowmanville, Canada West, Ontario. This no doubt was the number on the register for the Grand Lodge of England.
According to the result of a search recently made of all old documents held in a strong room in London, England, the foregoing information was obtained. It was also learned from this search that they had no record of receiving any returns, and that the Warrant was returned and Jerusalem Lodge was erased from their records by the Grand Lodge of England on the 23rd November, 1857. They have the record of Jerusalem Lodge being transferred to the Grand Lodge of Canada (Ontario) and re-numbered 31.
From the foregoing information and historic records available it appears that Jerusalem Lodge operated under a dispensation from the Grand Lodge of England from June, 1849, until the first Charter was received.
Charter Members
The Charter Members constituting Jerusalem Lodge at its inception were as follows: Bros. Isaiah Tole, Rufus Baker, James English, Henry S. Reid, John Simpson, Edward Floody, Alphonso Hindes, Robt. McCutcheon, Geo. H. Low and Peter Brady.
The original Lodge room was specially built on the top story of what was then known as Hindes Hotel.
The First Meeting
The first meeting was held in June, 1849, when Bro. Isaiah Tole was elected as their first Worshipful Master.
Wor. Bro. Isaiah Tole (see picture on page 4) the first Worshipful Master of Jerusalem Lodge held that office from June, 1849, to June, 1851. You will please note that the installation was held in June at that time.
The first initiated member was Bro. R. S. Manning who was later (1857) Worshipful Master of Jerusalem Lodge and according to the records it is to him along with Bro. John Keachie that we are indebted for most of the early history of this Lodge.
The Grand Lodge of Canada Formed
The Grand Lodge of Canada in the Province of Ontario was formed Nov. 2, 1855, at Hamilton. Most Wor. Bro. Wm. Mercer Wilson was the first Grand Master.
Number Change and New Charter
Jerusalem Lodge which had hitherto been numbered 28 was then duly numbered 31 on the Grand Register of Canada. The Lodge seal was changed from 28 to 31 in 1859.
A new Charter (see a print of this Charter on page 32) was granted to Jerusalem Lodge duly signed by Thos. B. Harris, Grand Secretary, and endorsed by the name of Wm. Mercer Wilson, Grand Master of Simcoe, Province of Ontario, and also by Thos. B. Ridout, Deputy Grand Master.
The names written on this Charter were: John Milne, W.M.; John McLeod, S.W.; Geo. Smart, J.W., and Bros. R. S. Manning, John B. Fairbairn, F. F. McArthur and Dr. Geo. H. Low.
The date of this Charter is July 14th, 1858.
Thus was formed Jerusalem Lodge and now 100 years later let us pause for a moment and reflect on the farsightedness of the ten men, who, by undaunted courage and a most sincere love of Freemasonry, established a Lodge which has won for itself an honoured place in that ever-growing family of sister lodges.
May we who are its members on this Centenary Celebration be worthy and capable of carrying the torch which they held so high.
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