any other body, and was independent of the General Grand Royal Arch Chapter of the United States."

From the above statement it would appear that the Grand Royal Arch Chapter, organized in 1813, voluntarily surrendered its independent jurisdiction and enrolled itself under the General Grand Chapter, which body continued until 1831, and having ceased her operations by not meeting and electing officers, as required by the General Grand Constitution, it ceased to exist. All the existing subordinate chapters came immediately under the jurisdiction of the General Grand Chapter, which alone had legal authority over the jurisdiction thus vacated, as by Article 2, Section 2, of the General Grand Constitution. The deceased Grand Chapter could only be revived by Article 2, Section 9.

The committee recommended and which was unanimously adopted: That Holland Chapter, No. 9, be directed to resume its labors under the direction of its former officers and members, with power to fill existing vacancies, and that it be required to make its annual returns, and settle its dues with the General Grand Secretary.1

In the proceedings of the General Grand Chapter for 1847 we find in a report on Holland Chapter, No. 9, "that the Charter of said Chapter has been either lost or stolen; and that the dispensation under which it has been working for the past year expires by the terms of its own limitation with the present session of this Gen. eral Grand Chapter. They therefore respectfully recommend that the General Grand Secretary be authorized to execute a new Charter, to take the place of that which has been lost, etc., which was accepted."

The General Grand Chapter at this session " Resolved, That there is not at this time any constitutional and legally authorized Grand Royal Arch Chapter in the State of Louisiana.

"Resolved, That the Association holding its meetings in the City of New Orleans, and assuming to exercise the functions and authority of a Grand Chapter of Royal Arch Masons is an irregular and unauthorized Masonic body; and it is hereby disowned, and repudiated as spurious, clandestine, and illegal."

Masonic intercourse, public and private, was interdicted, and

1 Proceedings of the General Grand Chapter from 1798 to 1856, pp. 193-195.

2 Ibid., pp. 218, 219.

due notice of these resolutions was to be forwarded to the acting Secretary of said body by the General Grand Secretary.1

The Deputy General Grand High-Priest reported at this session, September 14, 1847, that since the session of 1844 he had issued dispensations to the following bodies in Louisiana: New Era, No. 2; Red River, No. 3; East Feliciana, No. 4. No dates given. He had also issued a dispensation to Holland Chapter, No. 1, at New Orleans, to continue work until the present session,3 April 7, 1845, and a new Charter recommended, which was done as above stated. When the Charter to East Feliciana, No. 4, was granted, by request of the chapter the name and place were changed to Clinton, to be located at Clinton. At the same time charters were granted to New Era, No. 2, at New Orleans; Red River, No. 3, at Shreveport; viz. September 15, 1847.

At the fourteenth meeting of the General Grand Chapter, September 10, 1850, a committee reported that "on the personal knowledge of one of their own members who represents that State (Louisiana) in this Body, that those difficulties are now adjusted, and that the different Grand Bodies of that State, in all degrees of Masonry, are now united as one in that harmony without which our Order can not exist."5

At this session (1850) the General Grand King reported "that he had authorized Holland Chapter, No. 1; New Era Chapter, No. 2; Red River Chapter, No. 3, and Clinton Chapter, No. 4, in the State of Louisiana, to organize and establish a Grand Chapter for that State; which they did in the City of New Orleans, on 1st day of May, 1848."

Maine.

As the territory occupied by Maine was a part of Massachusetts until it was made a State in 1820, the Grand Chapter of Massachusetts granted a Warrant of Constitution to organize a chapter in Portland, Me., February 13, 1805. The same Grand Chapter issued dispensations, December 17, 1819, to Montgomery, at Bath, and to New Jerusalem, at Wiscasset; on December 29, 1819, to Jerusalem Chapter, in Hollowell. Henry Fowle, Deputy Grand High-Priest, constituted these three chapters, respectively, July 18,

1 Proceedings of the General Grand Chapter from 1798 to 1856, p. 128.

2 Ibid., p. 209. 3 Ibid., 209. 4 Ibid., 225. 5 Ibid., p. 248.

6 Ibid., p. 253.

19, and 21, 1820, which was reported by him to James Prescott, Grand High-Priest.

These three chapters, with Mt. Vernon Chapter, of Portland, met in convention in Portland, 1820, and adopted the constitution of the Grand Chapter of Massachusetts provisionally, and the Grand Chapter Officers were chosen and organized and constituted the Grand Chapter of Maine.1

The first reference to Royal Masonry in Maine by the General Grand Chapter is found in the proceedings for the triennial meeting, September 15, 1826,2 when the committee reported the legal constitution of the Grand Chapter, and by resolution adopted, that Grand Chapter was recognized and received under the authority and sanction of the General Grand Chapter.

This Grand Chapter had the honor of having two of her Members selected as General Grand Officers in the General Grand Chapter of the United States, viz.: Robert P. Dunlap, General Grand High-Priest for three terms, in 1847, 1850, and 1853; and Josiah H. Drummond, General Grand High-Priest in 1871.

Maryland.

A circular letter from Concordia Chapter in Baltimore was issued to all the chapters in Baltimore and the "Encampment of Excellent, Superexcellent, Royal Arch" (in the District of Columbia), inviting them to send representatives to a convention to be held in the city of Washington, January 21, 1807, to take into consideration the propriety of forming a Grand Chapter for the State of Maryland and the District of Columbia.

Those chapters in Baltimore which met in this convention were Washington, Concordia, and St. John's.

We find from Compn. Edward T. Schultz's History of Capitu lar Masonry in Maryland that "Undoubtedly [Washington Chapter] was the Royal Arch Chapter of Jerusalem, instituted in 1787 by virtue of the dispensation or warrant of Lodge No. 7, Royal Arch Chapter of Jerusalem, at Chestertown, and was attached to Lodge No. 15, now Washington Lodge, No. 3." This chapter finally was merged with Concordia in 1822.

Companion Schultz informs us:1 "It is probable that Royal Arch Chapters were attached to most of the active Lodges in the State. Hiram Lodge, No. 27, at Port Tobacco, as we have seen, resolved to open a Royal Arch Chapter.' There is evidence to show that more than one dispensation was granted in the year 1797. Brother David Kerr was at the time Grand Master, and by virtue of the power and control of the Royal Arch Degree, believed to be inherent in Grand Masters, issued his dispensations for the formation of these several Chapters which then, in connection with the Chapter attached to Washington Lodge, formed, June 24, 1897, the first Independent Grand Chapter in the United States. The Grand Chapter claimed to have been organized in 1796 in Pennsylvania, was an appendage to the Grand Lodge of that State, and did not become independent until the year 1824."

In the above statement of Companion Schultz we heartily concur. The Grand Chapter of 1797 in Maryland became dormant in 1803, and was revived in 1807, according to documents shown in Companion Schultz's history."

A Grand Royal Arch Convention was held by the H. Royal Arch Chapters in the State of Maryland and District of Columbia in the city of Washington on January 21, 1807. Washington, Concordia, and St. John's chapters of Baltimore, Federal and Washington Naval of Washington City and Potomac Chapter of Georgetown of the District of Columbia were present by their representatives. This Convention resolved unanimously to organize a Grand Chapter for the State of Maryland and the District of Columbia. They elected the Grand Officers, and opened the Grand Chapter in ample form. A committee was appointed to frame a constitution, which reported, and their report was unanimously adopted.

The degrees recognized by this Grand Chapter were Mark Master, Past Master, Most Excellent Master, and Royal Arch.

We make the following extract from Companion Schultz's Freemasonry in Maryland: 3

"Since the finding of these books (old Records), documents have been brought to light, which in connection with them throw much light upon the early history of the Grand R. A. Chapter of Maryland, and the District of Columbia, which as it will be seen

1" History of Capitular Masonry in Maryland," pp. 321, 322, 323.
2 Ibid.
3 Vol. i., pp. 317, 318.

was the title of the body subsequently formed by the representatives of the chapters in Baltimore and Washington.'

The great care, diligence, and indefatigable zeal of Companion Schultz manifested in his history, deserve especial mention by all succeeding historians of Masonry, for his valuable additions to the ancient history of Masonry in Maryland in all the branches-and we continue our extracts:

Some months since we learned that the Masonic papers of Philip P. Eckel, which were supposed to have been lost or entirely destroyed, were in the possession of his granddaughter, Mrs. David J. Bishop, living in this city (Baltimore), and who has since most kindly placed them at our disposal. These papers were found to be of great interest as they disclosed the existence of Masonic bodies held in Baltimore prior to the year 1800, that were not previously known or mentioned by any Masonic writer."

Brother Eckel was perhaps the most active and zealous Mason that ever lived in this jurisdiction; there is scarcely a record or document existing in this State, from about 1792 to 1828, that does not mention his name in some capacity. Mackey says: "He was one of the most distinguished and enlightened Masons of his day;" and we add to this that he was evidently an "Inspector General" of the A..A.. S.. Rite. Companion Schultz furnishes fac-simile copies of several of the documents referred to, and to prove that a Grand Chapter existed in Baltimore is such a copy of a "dispensation from David Kerr, Grand High-Priest, to Philip P. Eckel as HighPriest, to assemble a sufficient number of Companions to open and hold a chapter of Royal Arch Masons, etc., in Baltimore, which was to continue in force until June 20, 1797. This dispensation is dated May 8, 1797.

No further records or documents of any description have been discovered in reference to the Grand Chapter organized in 1807, and the reorganization which occurred in the year 1814. On May 9th of that year delegates from Chapters Nos. 1, 2, and 3 met in the city of Baltimore, when a constitution for the Grand Royal Arch Chapter of the State of Maryland and District of Columbia was adopted and Grand Officers elected.1

This Grand Chapter continued with above title until the withdrawal of the chapters located in the District of Columbia, except

1 Schultz's "History of Maryland," vol. i., p. 325.