First PGM of Quebec

After the capture of Quebec, Lieutenant John Price Guinnett was proclaimed Provincial Grand Master on November 28, 1759, when a Provincial Grand Lodge was founded, which grouped six lodges of Maj. Gen. Wolfe's regiments. He was a member of Lodge 192 (Irish Constitution) of the 47th (Lancashire) Regiment of Foot. He later joins the Officers’ Lodge of that Regiment No. 10 under the PGL of Quebec. Why an unknown lieutenant was elected to this posiiton is strange unless high ranking officers felt they could not take on this job while the campaign was still raging, including Wolfe himself who was a member of Minden Military Lodge. It might be because Wolfe had died months earlier and he might well have been considered as the PGM.

The Grand Lodge of England never recognized Bro. Guinnett's election as it was deemed to be irregular. However, the situation was regularised when Colonel Simon Fraser was installed as Grand Master on 24 June 1760. A further article about Quebec will appear in the February edition.