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Over 100 new issues of The Children’s Friend and The Orphan’s Friend are now available on DigitalNC, thanks to our partners at the Grand Lodge of Ancient, Free and Accepted Masons of North Carolina. Both published for an orphanage in Oxford, North Carolina, The Children’s Friend was in print from January to May 1975, and The Orphan’s Friend succeeded it until May 1895. DigitalNC already hosted The Orphan’s Friend from 1876 and 1877, and this addition expands that range to include issues from 1875 and 1883. This batch also includes all known issues of The Children’s Friend from 1875.
Despite being written for an audience of children, the issues are text-heavy. However, their contents definitely relate to news and issues of interest to children or teens, such as stories, lessons, and updates about local or national happenings. The following are clippings which illustrate the variety of materials included in these newspapers:
“The Origin of Newspapers,” The Children’s Friend, May 5, 1875
Click here to browse all issues of The Children’s Friend, and here for all issues of The Orphan’s Friend. DigitalNC is grateful to the Grand Lodge of Ancient, Free and Accepted Masons of North Carolina for their partnership in making these papers accessible. To learn more about the Grand Lodge, visit their partner page here, or their website here.
Twenty new items from the Grand Lodge of Ancient, Free and Accepted Masons of North Carolina are now online, thanks to their continued partnership. These recently digitized materials are mostly comprised of minute books recording various lodges’ meetings, but also includes some petitions for establishing or reestablishing new lodges, a charter for a new lodge, members listings, an address to a lodge, and a scrapbook. Geographically, the new additions document masonic activities in Raleigh, Halifax, High Point, Trenton, Charlotte, Oxford, Lincolnton, Smithfield, and Wilmington, North Carolina. The materials span centuries, with a copy of the Charter for the Royal White Hart Lodge No. 403 of Halifax from 1767 and a scrapbook from the Numa F. Reid Lodge No. 344 of High Point from the 1960s.
To learn more about The Grand Lodge of Ancient, Free and Accepted Masons of North Carolina, visit their partner page or their website.
A page from the Book of Marks of the Chorazin Chapter no. 13 of the Royal Arch Masons of Greensboro, NC, 1914
A new batch of items from The Grand Lodge of Ancient, Free and Accepted Masons of North Carolina are now available online. The recently digitized materials consist largely of minute books, account ledgers, and membership rolls from the Grand Lodge and various other Masonic lodges in North Carolina. Also included is a selection of twentieth-century scrapbooks, bylaws, historical sketches, and programs from several different lodges. The textual materials originate mainly from lodges in the Raleigh and Greensboro areas and date from the early 19th century to the 1960s.
Officers of the Order of Colonial Masters at the Royal White Hart Lodge no. 2, 1911
Accompanying the textual materials are two groups of photographs, the first detailing various activities and features of the the Royal White Hart Lodge No. 2 of Halifax, NC in 1911. The second group of photographs documents a ball held on April 18, 1962 which celebrated the installation of Charles Carpenter Ricker as Grand Master of Phoenix Lodge No. 2 in Raleigh, NC. A single photo, taken circa. 1915, which details a gathering of Oasis Shriners in Charlotte, NC, accompanies the two larger sets.
To see more materials from The Grand Lodge of Ancient, Free and Accepted Masons of North Carolina, visit their partner page or take a look at their website.
A new batch of materials from our partner, The Grand Lodge of Ancient, Free and Accepted Masons of North Carolina are now up on DigitalNC. This set includes minute books, scrapbooks, historical manuscripts, letters and charters, some dating back to the 18th century. Several physical artifacts have been digitized, including a commemorative apron and a souvenir pin from the turn of the 20th century.
A celebration for the installation of James Brewer as Grand Master in 1961.
The minute books are from all around the state, including Chapel Hill, Charlotte, Statesville and Boone. Also included is a letter from Edward K. Graham, President of UNC, to Grand Master Andrews inviting him to the 1916 University Day ceremony. There are also several scrapbooks included, with photographs including receptions and various programs, including the 275th Anniversary of the United Grand Lodge of England in West London in June 1992.
UNC President Edward K. Graham inviting Grand Master Andrews to wear his Masonic regalia to the 1916 University Day ceremony
Commemorative apron honoring the services of Walter Scott Liddell
To see more materials from The Grand Lodge of Ancient, Free and Accepted Masons of North Carolina, visit their partner page or take a look at their website or our previous blog posts.
Gavel made from the wood of the Council Oak.
A photo of Cecil Liverman from the scrapbook documenting his time as Grand Master of North Carolina.
New materials from our partner, The Grand Lodge of Ancient, Free and Accepted Masons of North Carolina are now up on DigitalNC. This batch features minute books, scrapbooks, resolutions, and proceedings, along with images of a historic gavel. The gavel was made circa 1900 from the wood of the Council Oak at Quaker Meadows in Burke County, NC, where the leaders of the patriot forces met on September 30, 1780 to plan their attack on British and Loyalist forces at Kings Mountain.
Two scrapbooks focus on the Grand Lodge career of Cecil Liverman. The first documents his time as a Mason Officer from 1976-1983, and the second documents his year as the Grand Master of Masons in North Carolina from 1982-1983. The scrapbooks include photographs, letters of correspondence, news clippings, event programs, and more.
Lodge officers at the cornerstone laying for Selma Lodge #320 on June 2, 1983.
To view these new items, click the links below:
To see more materials from The Grand Lodge of Ancient, Free and Accepted Masons of North Carolina, visit their partner page or take a look at their website.
Letter to the Grand Secretary of the Grand Lodge of North Carolina from St. Tammany Lodge No. 30
A new batch from Grand Lodge of Ancient, Free and Accepted Masons of North Carolina is now available on DigitalNC! The batch includes more than 40 additions to the North Carolina Memory and Images of North Carolina Collections. Dating from as early as 1778, these items document the rich history of Masonry in North Carolina.
An interesting find from this batch includes a Letter to the Grand Secretary of the Grand Lodge of North Carolina from St. Tammany Lodge No. 30 (pictured to the left). This item, dated to 1807, documents the Tammany Lodge of Wilmington, N.C. in their attempt to expel a member from the group for his “unpardonable” behavior. His crimes included defaulting on debts, cheating his patrons, and “swindling every creature who placed trust in him.”
Also from this batch, are several materials documenting the construction of several Masonic landmarks in the Raleigh area, including the Masonic Temple (designed with help from Leslie N. Boney, Sr.) and the headquarters on Glenwood Avenue.
Album Relating to Josephus Daniels House, Page 3
To learn more about the Grand Lodge of Ancient, Free and Accepted Masons of North Carolina, please visit their contributor page or the website.
Minute Book No. 9 of Saint John’s Lodge, 1922-1930
Thanks to our partner, The Grand Lodge of Ancient, Free, and Accepted Masons of North Carolina, DigitalNC has published five new items that document St. John’s Lodge No. 3 from New Bern, N.C.
Four new minute books continue the story documented by the Lodge’s members. There are currently 11 minutes books from this lodge available on DigitalNC, with the earliest documenting the group’s activities beginning in 1772. The Lodge existed even prior to the founding of the United States, offering a unique look into the institution.
This series also represents the change over time in the Lodge’s means of documentation, switching from the handwritten notes and logs in the 8th minute book and prior, to the mix of printed and handwritten documents from the 9th and 10th minute books, and finally the typed documentation from the 11th.
These minute books could be excellent and complete records for researchers interested in any number of things relating to the history of the masons and fraternal orders, history of New Bern and North Carolina, and genealogy research. The later, typed documents are also full-text searchable.
You can see all of the newest additions at the links below:
To learn more about the Saint John’s Lodge and the Grand Lodge of Ancient, Free, and Accepted Masons of North Carolina, please visit the contributor page or the home page.
Title page from St, John’s Lodge Minute Book No. 3, page 2
New materials from The Grand Lodge of Ancient, Free and Accepted Mason of North Carolina are now available on DigitalNC!
These items are artifacts from St. John’s Lodge No. 3, located in New Bern, NC. This lodge is third oldest in North Carolina and still meets in their historic building in the downtown area of New Bern. The minute books, dating as early 1772, document the Lodge’s happenings and meetings. Each of the minute books contain the handwritten notes of the Lodge secretary and include the names of members and visitors. These primary documents could serve as an excellent resource for those interested in studying freemasonry in North Carolina as well as those interested in genealogy of the area.
One of the most unique instances in the minute books is documentation of the funerals of members. The authors drew images of the caskets and documented the pall bearers, carriers, and others who participated in the final rights of deceased brothers.
St, John’s Lodge Minute Book No. 2, page 14
You can see all of the newest additions at the links below:
To see all of the items please visit the Grand Lodge contributor page. To learn more about St. John’s Lodge No. 3, please visit the website.
The Grand Lodge of Ancient, Free and Accepted Masons of North Carolina have provided additional materials for publication on DigitalNC’s website. Included in this batch is a number of minute books, photographs, various petitions from early lodges in North Carolina, and the first three issues of the Trestleboard, which was a newsletter that circulated among the members of three lodges in North Carolina (Hiram Lodge No. 40, William G. Hill Lodge No. 218, and Raleigh Lodge No. 500). Also in this batch are two scrapbooks from past grand masters of the Grand Lodge, Charles A. Harris and Ava Clarence Honeycutt.
Grand Master Harris at a groundbreaking ceremony in Oxford
Newspaper clipping feature past grand masters Henry Grainger and Jack Honeycutt
Another fascinating piece of Freemason history that was digitized in this batch is the Book of Marks from Raleigh Chapter No. 10 of Royal Arch Masons. This book catalogs the marks that each Royal Arch Mason chose to represent himself. Entries are listed between the years 1863 and 1914. This tradition of choosing a personalized mark comes from the practice of medieval freemasons, who would inscribe a mark on a stone in their building sites as a way to claim their work. A number of prominent citizens of North Carolina are found in this book, including Alexander Boyd Andrews Jr., a prominent lawyer and UNC alumnus, amateur historian, and active member of the Masons who went on to become Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of North Carolina; John Nichols, a Raleigh printer and abolitionist who went on to become a member of the United States Congress and active member of the Knights of Labor; and Marshall de Lancey Haywood, who served as the librarian for the North Carolina Supreme Court and the historian for the Grand Lodge.
Mark of John Nichols
Mark of John Whitelaw
Mark of J.H. Mullins
Mark of A. Rosengarten
To browse the full collection of materials from the Grand Lodge of North Carolina, visit their contributor page, and for more information on some of these materials, see these previous blog posts.
A new batch of materials has been uploaded to DigitalNC from The Grand Lodge of Ancient, Free and Accepted Masons of North Carolina. These new materials are all proceedings from the meetings of various groups associated with the Freemasons. Most of the proceedings from this batch are from the Grand Lodge of A.F. & A.M., but there are also documents from the Convention of Royal Arch Masons, the Grand Commandery of Knights Templar of the State of North Carolina, the Grand Council of Royal and Select Masters of North Carolina, and the M.E. Grand Royal Arch Chapter of North Carolina.
![Proceedings of the Grand Lodge of Ancient, Free and Accepted Masons of North Carolina [1891]](https://www.digitalnc.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/grand-lodge.jpg)
Proceedings of the Grand Lodge of Ancient, Free and Accepted Masons of North Carolina [1891]
Secrets of Leaksville Lodge #136
These proceedings are just a few of the many items that the Grand Lodge of North Carolina has provided for digitization. For more information about their other materials on DigitalNC, visit their contributor page or see these previous blog posts. For more information about the Grand Lodge of North Carolina itself and their activities, see their website.
