Early History of Quebec

The battle which decided the fate of the City of Quebec, to which General Wolfe committed his army, was fought on September 13th, 1759, it was not until the 29th of that month that the British troops marched into theCity.

Bro. James Thompson, a Sergeant in the 78th Regiment (Fraser’s Highlanders’), had kept a record of the early meetings of the Craft in Quebec, as well as copies of letters written and received by him during the years he was Grand Secretary of the Provincial Grand Lodge of Quebec. From this record it is now established that the first joint meeting of the Lodges in the garrison was held on November 28th, 1759, which “was as soon as Convenient after the Surrender of this place to HisBritannic Majesty’s Arms.”

The huge influence of the military lodges in Quebec can be witnessed with the other lodges involved with the siege in 1759:

 15th (East Yorkshire) Regiment No. 245, (Irish) warranted 1754  28th (Gloucestershire) Regiment No. 35, (Irish) warranted 1734  28th Regiment "Louisbourg, Boston,

Modern," warranted 1758  35th (Royal Sussex) Regiment No. 205, (Irish) warranted 1749  40th (South Lancs) Regiment, No. 42,

K.R., " Ancient," warranted 1755  47th (North Lancs) Regiment, No. 192, (Irish) warranted 1748  48th (Northamption) Regiment, No. 218, (Irish) warranted 1750 Shortly after, in December of the same year, these lodges along with brethren within Wolfe’s army met to celebrate the Festival of St. John.

Returning to Quebec in the spring of 1760 on board “H.M.S. Vanguard” was Thomas Dunckerley, who later served the Craft in England with great distinction and enthusiasm. He was empowered under a general Patent of Appointment granted to him by the Grand Master of the premier Grand Lodge of England to regulate Masonic affairs where no Provincial Grand Master had been appointed. It was in virtue of this authority that he installed Colonel Simon Fraser, of the 78th Regiment, as Provincial Grand Master of Quebec. Colonel Fraser returned to England in the summer of 1760.

The Provincial Grand Lodge of Quebec continued to function until 1792, and during its period of existence sixty Lodges, many of which were military Lodges. Only two of these Lodges are still in existence – St. Paul’s Lodge, Montreal (1770) still on -the English Register, and Dorchester Lodge, Vergennes (1791) now No. 1 on the Register of the Grand Lodge of Vermont.

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

The Battalion returned to England in 1787, and while there it’s Lodge purchased the vacant Warrant No. 9. In 1790, the Battalion was again posted to Quebec, and a meeting of Lodge No. 9 is recorded on November 4th of that year. In 1829 this Lodge obtained a Warrant from the United Grand Lodge of England as a civilian Lodge, adopting the name “Albion”. It is now No. 2 on the Quebec Register. Another “Ancient” Warrant No. 241 was issued in 1787 to an Artillery unit stationed in the City of Quebec. In 1852 it received a “Warrant of Confirmation as St. John’s Lodge. It is now No. 3 on the Quebec Roll.

In 1869, at a Convention of lodges, a resolution was adopted establishing the Grand Lodge of Quebec and a year later seven more lodges had joined.

Square & Compass Pub

The Square and Compasspublic house in Dorset began life as a pair of cottages commanding a little bluff known as Lychard (meaning Bank), which overlooked the village and a marvellous view of the Channel. Around 1776, it became an alehouse, owned by Wareham brewer cum clay merchant, under the sign of The Sloop.

There were connections with smuggling, including skirmishes with excisemen at St Aldhelms Head. A new tenant landlord, a stone mason called Charles Bower, seems to have changed the name around 1830. He ran the place for more than 40 years, to be followed by his widow, then a series of tenants until 1907, when the Newmans took over. In the interwar years the pub became a fashionable watering hole for a creative set, the artist, Augustus John, cartoonist Low, pianist Harriet Cohen, actors Leslie Banks and Gwen Francon -Davis amongst many signatories of the Visitors' Book.