Info on a friends older find

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The Masonic record of John F. Kaufman is, as shown in Membership Book 3-1, p.144: Age: 22; Occupation: Druggist; Residence: Philadelphia; All Degrees in Orange (as of 1825 called LaFayette) Lodge No. 71 in 1856: Entered Apprentice September 24, Fellow Craft October 22, Master Mason November 26. He was suspended for non-payment of dues in 1859.



He probably joined Columbia Royal Arch Chapter No. 91. M.L. may stand for what is termed a Mark Lodge. One often joins Royal Arch soon after joining a Masonic lodge, and one must be a Mason to do so. The Mark degree is the next one after Master Mason. Please contact [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] for that record. It is a Royal Arch Masonry charm or watch fob.



Best, also for the Holidays,

Glenys A. Waldman

Librarian

Great research, the Mason's still have alot of secrets left to be told. that's a wonderful pc of history...


MLHUDSON

A most interesting event occurred during the latter years of the Civil War when Port Royal was occupied by Union troops. In 1864 the Lodge room was broken into by a Yankee soldier, who stole the silver officers' jewels, originally a gift to the Lodge from Brother David Crosse, a member of Kilwinning Lodge in Scotland and the father of the John Crosse who wrote the letter requesting the original charter. Bragging about the fine silver items he found, he attracted the attention of Brother Emory Packard, a Union soldier and member of Paul Revere Lodge in Brockton, Mass.

Brother Packard, recognizing the significance of the stolen jewels, first attempted to cajole the thief into returning them, or giving them to Packard for safekeeping. When this failed, he next offered to buy the items. This was not easy, for as Packard stated, "there was little money in the army." After some effort, he finally managed to beg and borrow enough funds to purchase the items from the thief, and then had them shipped to his Lodge in Massachusetts for safe keeping until the "current unpleasantness" came to an end.

After the war the brothers of Paul Revere Lodge returned these historic Masonic jewels to Port Royal and they are now in the possession of Kilwinning Crosse Lodge No. 2-237, of Bowling Green, the successor to the Lodge at Port Royal.


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