Masonic Lodges

This information, which covers the years 1765 to 1828, was extracted from [Osborne 1901]. The book is inconsistant in one or two areas, though whether from inaccurate transcription or errors in the source records it is hard to tell. Note that I know no more of the art and mystery of freemasonry than is contained in this book.

The first lodge founded in Cornwall was No. 146 “Kings Arms”, Falmouth on 20 May 1751. West Penwith followed along shortly with No. 199 “Ship and Castle”, Penzance (founded 14 Jun 1755 but for which no records seem to survive) and No. 240 “Ship”, St. Ives. The early lodges were named after the Hotel or Public House in which they met, usually twice monthly in a private room.

No. 240 “Ship”, St. Ives

This was founded on 16 Jul 1765 when the officers were John KNILL (Worshipful Master), W. H. STEPHENS (Senior Warden), Thomas LANE (Junior Warden), TRENGROUSE (Secretary) and Nathanial HICKS (Treasurer), John EDWARDS and William HITCHENS (Enrolled Apprentice). No others than these seven were permitted to be elected Worshipful Master which ultimately caused the closure the lodge in 1780. The numbering of lodges was rather eratic, this one being, on occasions 360 (1769), 284 (1775) and 227 (1786). They met on the first and third Thursdays of each month and subscriptions began at 7/6 per quarter.

Highlights from later business, where names were mentioned, were:—

• 30 Jul 1765 Henry HOLMES elected Enrolled Apprentice (EA) and Tyler.
• 17 Feb 1767 W. H. STEPHENS elected Master and the other officers rotated around
• 3 Mar 1767 Nathanial HICKES and Francis JAMES elected EA. [as forenames are rarely used in the records it is not certain, but probable, that this HICKES is the same as the founder member]
• 17 Apr 1767 Timothy MAJOR elected EA.
• 4 Aug 1767 Thomas LANE elected Master, Nicholas WALLIS (of full age on enquiry) elected EA. A joint procession was held with the “Star”, formerly the “Ship and Castle” of Penzance on St. John’s day. Sir. John St. AUBYN gave the lodge ten guineas towards furniture for the meeting room.
• 20 Oct 1767 Capt. Samuel GEEN, jr. elected EA.
• 3 Nov 1767 Visitors P. CHOEN and George PAPPS. John KINGSTONE, Thomas SLADE & Christopher WALLIS elected EA.
• 14 Oct 1768 Bros. RICHARDS & RICHARDSON appear in the accounts.
• 1 Nov 1768 Robert BROWN & John GEEN made EA.
• 27 Dec 1768 TRENGROUSE elected Master.
• 2 May 1769 lodge number changed (this being the same as 240 above).
• 1 Jan 1771 Timothy GOLDSMITH elected EA.
• 3 Mar 1771 TRENGROUSE died.
• 2 Apr 1771 no meeting on account of the marriage of Bro. HICKS eldest daughter.
• 19 Mar 1771 John KNILL elected Master.
• 3 Mar 1772 Visitor Isaac BENJAMIN. Dues reduced to 2/6 per quarter. Application by Mrs. BONET, widow of Bro. Rinc BONET for alms.
• 10 Mar 1775 relief granted to Bro. JONES.
• 24 Oct 1775 relief granted to Bro. S— P— & family. (if it is any help in identifying this man, the papers indicate that he had a son, Charles, who was the cause of the family’s financial problems. He was not a member of the lodge.) Bro. James WALLIS also mentioned in correspondance.
• 3 Jul 1776 Bro. T. ALLEN mentioned in correspondance.
• 17 Jun 1777 John EDWARDS was by this time Master.
• 27 Dec 1777 W H STEPHENS elected Master.
• 5 May 1778 Henry HOLMES Jnr. elected EA.
• 15 Aug 1778 funeral of Henry HOLMES Snr. attended.
• 16 Mar 1779 William WORTH secretary.
• 20 Apr 1779 Nathanial HICKS elected Master.
• 4 Jan 1780 Bros. MORGAN, Andrew STEVENS & Richard JENKIN(S) mentioned for the first time. Alexander JAMES elected. This was the meeting in which discsent was recorded about the constitution, Francis STEPHENS refusing to attend. Others followed suit.
• 18 Jan 1780 the disturbance continued and an election of Master failed. It was clear that the root of the problem was the inflexibility of the bylaws disallowing any but the founder members becoming Master, also the absence of John KNILL on government business in London for some years.
• 3 Oct 1780 summonses issued to all members to attend next meeting. This was the last recorded meeting.
• 4 Sep 1794 relief paid to Bro. FISHER Snr. though how this was arranged or who by is not clear.

The highest attendance at any meeting was 11, average 5. Other brothers not recorded above were ? WESTON, James HEE, Timothy MAJOR, ? HINGSTONE, George BOZET, Thomas HICKES (brother of Nathaniel), Ephraim GEEN & Timothy JOSE. The property of the “Ship” was transfered to the No. 678 “True Friendship” at Crowan founded on 19 May 1815. The minutes for thise appear in the same book as the “Ship” and include Thomas LEAN as first Master

Druid’s Lodge No 176 “Love and Liberality”, Redruth

This organisation was a much more subtantial affair and, though it is some distance outside of West Penwith, had many members from there, especially after the lodges in Penzance and St. Ives disbanded. Founded before 1777, it had members from all of Cornwall and some even as far afield as London, Wales, the north of England and Norway(!) including seven French prisoners of war in 1791.

The following members from West Penwith are recorded:—

• 5. Thomas HALSE (1 Dec 1768, merchant of Penzance aged 25)
• 23. Thomas WALLIS (6 Nov 1777 St. Ives)
• 73. Lemon HART (1 May 1798, merchant of Penzance aged 30)
• 97. Joseph HOCKING (7 Apr 1801, innkeeper of St. Ives aged 40)
• 98. Francis ADAMS (1 May 1801, ships carpenter of St. Ives aged 30)
• 100. Robert WALKER (2 Jun 1801, excise officer of St. Ives aged 40)
• 105. John HOSKING (4 Jan 1803, gentleman of Penzance, aged 38)
• 107. Jacob HART (5 Apr 1803, merchant of Penzance aged 24)
• 108. Thomas MERCER (16 Jan 1804, gentleman of St. Ives aged 40)
• 137. Lemon WOLFE (13 Aug 1806, merchant of Penzance aged 24).
• 156. Thomas FRY/TRY (1 Dec 1807, mariner of St. Ives aged 23)
• 161. Richard BRANWELL (4 Oct 1808, merchant of Penzance aged 36)
• 163. Samuel WILLIAMS (1 Nov 1808, mariner of Penzance aged 21)
• 164. James HICHENS (1 Nov 1808, mariner of Penzance aged 27)
• 168. James MATTHEWS (10 Oct 1809, sailmaker of Penzance aged 26)
• 169. Moses ISAAC (10 Oct 1809, gentlemen of Penzance aged 30)
• 171. Richard HOLMES (10 Oct 1809, shipwright of Penzance aged 24)
• 172. Samuel COLENSO (3 Dec 1809, saddler of Penzance)
• 176. John TREGERTHEN (2 Apr 1811, brewer of Lelant aged 22)
• 177. Arthur BERRYMAN (2 Apr 1811, ropemaker of St. Ives aged 26)
• 178. John MAJOR (2 Apr 1811, sailmaker of St. Ives aged 26)
• 194. William THOMAS (2 Feb 1813, ropemaker of St. Ives aged 24)

In the same way as above, the lodge number changed on occasions and it was also known as No. 113 “London Inn”, Redruth in 1790, No. 103 in 1803 and No. 127 in 1822.

A chapter of Royal Arch Masons (No. 79 “Love and Liberality” Redruth) was opened on 15 Jul 1791 and included in their number were

• 42. Lemon HART (24 Jul 1805, merchant of Penzance aged 37)
• 44. Jacob HART (17 Sep 1805, merchant of Penzance aged 21[?])
• 52. William CUNDY (28 Jul 1807, mariner of St. Ives aged 38)
• 81. John TREGERTHEN (11 Jun 1811, brewer of Lelant aged 22)
• 99. Richard PEARCE (12 Aug 1818, merchant of Penzance aged 26)
• 100. Richard EDMONDS (28 Apr 1819, attorney at law of Penzance aged 44)
• 103. Lemon WOLFE (15 Aug 1821, merchant of Penzance aged 38).
• 107. Thomas BRANWELL (16 Aug 1826, attorney at law of Penzance aged 25)

There was also a conclave of the Knights Templar of St. John of Jerusalem as a sub group of this lodge. It was founded on 19 Jun 1792 with John KNIGHT as Master and disbanded on his death in 1829. The knights included:—

• 9. Philip TREVENA (19 Jun 1792, gentleman of St. Ives aged 47)
• 66. Richard PEARCE (10 Mar 1819, merchant of Penzance aged 25)
• 71. Thomas BRANWELL (14 Aug 1827, solicitor of Penzance aged 26)

The book contains a facsimile of the signature and Mason’s Mark of Richard PEARCE of Penzance.