Records?

[Tamrin]

Records?

[George Power, June 1986, A Second Masonic Miscellany:
A Further Collection of Items of Masonic Interest, MMT Printers Limited, Belfast]

Perhaps if there were a `Guinness Book of Masonic Records' the following items might be included.

Earliest known appearance of the word FREEMASON in a printed work; `A Pilgrimage of Perfection', printed in 1526 by Richard Pynson, Printer to Henry VIII.

Earliest known use of the SQUARE and COMPASSES: about 1353 B.C. in Egypt at the time of King Tutankhamun.

Earliest noted moralising on the SQUARE and COMPASSES: Confucious 478 B.C. "A Master Mason, in teaching his Apprentice, makes use of the compass and the square. Ye who are engaged in the pursuit of wisdom must also use the Compasses and Square."

Oldest MINUTES of any Lodge: A.D. 1598 Aitcheson's Haven Lodge No. 36 of Grand Lodge of Scotland. The Lodge ceased in 1866.

Oldest MINUTES of a surviving Lodge: 31st July 1599 Lodge of Edinburgh No.1 Grand Lodge of Scotland.

Shortest MINUTES for one meeting: Lodge Upton 1227 English Constitution: "Lodge opt in due form with SP Lodge closed in df".

Shortest MINUTES for a whole year: Lodge at Youghal, Ireland: Minutes for the year 1733-4: "24th June 1734 Edward Hally, Masr. Wm. Farmer, John Lane, Wardens, John Ellums Daniel Wood, Dackens."

Earliest WARRANT in the World was issued by Grand Lodge of Ireland in 1727.

Oldest WARRANT preserved was issued by Grand Lodge of Ireland 1st February 1731 to a Lodge in Mitchelstown, Co. Cork. It is still in use.

First official CONSTITUTION was produced in 1723 by Dr. James Anderson for Grand Lodge of England.

First GRAND LODGE in the world was formed on 24th June 1717 at the Goose and Gridiron alehouse after a preliminary meeting at Apple Tree Tavern London. There were four Founding Lodges.

First Lodge composed of Red Indians was Cherokee Lodge No. 21 of the Grand Lodge of Arkansas, U.S.A.

Most V.S.L.'s, Lodge 7178 Singapore uses the V.S.L.'s of seven different faiths.

Earliest INITIATION in England: In 1641 Sir Robert Moray by some military brethren at Newcastle-on-Tyne; they were from Lodge Edinburgh No.1 Scotland.

[p.11 -> p.12]

Earliest English INITIATION 16th October 1646: Elias Ashmole at a Lodge in Warrington, Lancashire.

Earliest Lodge in Europe: 1721 in Mons and Dunkirk.

Earliest warranted English Constitution Lodge outside England was French Arms Lodge, Madrid, Spain, 15th Feb., 1728. It was founded by the Duke of Wharton, G.M., 1722-3 in his own apartments in Madrid, 1728.