Letter from John Bennett, Secretary, Lodge of Inhabitants, Gibraltar to James Heseltine,...

Letter from John Bennett to James Heseltine remarking that the recent war caused the Lodge to cease meeting with a resulting decline in membership. The Lodge is sending Grand Lodge thirty five Shillings, comprising half a crown for registration fees and half a crown each towards the Grand Charity with one Guinea collected by members which will be sent to London by Matthew Cowper. Remarks that the new Regiments arriving in Gibraltar have warrants to meet under the Grand Lodge of Scotland and Grand Lodge of Ireland. Asks if there is recognition with these Grand Lodges to enable the members to meet. There are other freemasons from England meeting under warrants issued by the Antients' Grand Lodge and asks whether 'these differences continue in England', as 'we expected when that incendious Dermott died that all those contentions would have ceas'd'. Provides list of new members including Robert Cooper, watchmaker aged 34; Peter Crusoe, carpenter aged 29; Robert Keeling, ironmonger aged 28; Joseph Horsey, tailor aged 28; Alexander Ross, tailor aged 34; John Dadd, sawyer aged 26 and Stephen Simpson, watchmaker aged 27.

SN 524

Lodge of Inhabitants was granted a warrant to meet as No. 285 by the Moderns' Grand Lodge on 12 July 1762. It met at an unknown location in Gibraltar. In 1770 the Lodge was renumbered as No. 231, as No. 185 in 1780, as No. 186 in 1781 and as No. 159 in 1792. No membership subscriptions or charity fund payments were received from the Lodge after 1800. Therefore it was erased after the union between the Moderns' and Antients' Grand Lodges to form the United Grand Lodge of England in 1813.