Cross Keys February 2022 (Freemasonry)

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Early History of the Craft in Quebec The battle which decided the fate of the City  47th (North Lancs) Regiment, No. 192, of Quebec, to which General Wolfe committed (Irish) warranted 1748 his army, was fought on September 13th,  48th (Northamption) Regiment, No. 1759, it was not until the 29th of that month 218, (Irish) warranted 1750 that the British troops marched into the City. Shortly after, in December of the same year, these lodges along with brethren within Bro. James Thompson, a Sergeant in the 78th Wolfe’s army met to celebrate the Festival of Regiment (Fraser’s Highlanders’), had kept a St. John. record of the early meetings of the Craft in Quebec, as well as copies of letters written Returning to Quebec in the spring of 1760 on and received by him during the years he was board “H.M.S. Vanguard” was Thomas Grand Secretary of the Provincial Grand Dunckerley, who later served the Craft in Lodge of Quebec. From this record it is now England with great distinction and enthusiestablished that the first joint meeting of the asm. He was empowered under a general PaLodges in the garrison was held on November tent of Appointment granted to him by the 28th, 1759, which “was as soon as Convenient Grand Master of the premier Grand Lodge of after the Surrender of this place to England to regulate Masonic affairs where no His Britannic Majesty’s Arms.” Provincial Grand Master had been appointed. It was in virtue of this authority that he inThe huge influence of the military lodges in stalled Colonel Simon Fraser, of the 78th RegQuebec can be witnessed with the other lodg- iment, as Provincial Grand Master of Quebec. es involved with the siege in 1759: Colonel Fraser returned to England in the summer of 1760.  15th (East Yorkshire) Regiment No. 245, (Irish) warranted 1754 The Provincial Grand Lodge of Quebec contin 28th (Gloucestershire) Regiment No. 35, ued to function until 1792, and during its pe(Irish) warranted 1734 riod of existence sixty Lodges, many of which  28th Regiment "Louisbourg, Boston, were military Lodges. Only two of these LodgModern," warranted 1758 es are still in existence – St. Paul’s Lodge,  35th (Royal Sussex) Regiment No. 205, Montreal (1770) still on -the English Register, (Irish) warranted 1749 and Dorchester Lodge, Vergennes (1791)  40th (South Lancs) Regiment, No. 42, now No. 1 on the Register of the Grand Lodge K.R., " Ancient," warranted 1755 of Vermont.

The First Meeting of the Craft in Quebec must have been colourful with the military brethren. Cross Keys January 2022

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