Go to topF. F. Tupper in his anecdotal yet none-the-less interesting work Historic Liverpool, states that there were freemasons in Liverpool Township from the beginning of the settlement in 1759. Master Masons in the community at that time were John Rider, William Freeman1, Sylvanus Cobb2 and Thomas Gordon3. Cobb was one of the leaders of the settlement here and died at the Siege of Havana in 1762. Gordon was murdered at Port Mouton in 1768 and his murderers were hanged in what is now the gravel parking lot on Main Street opposite the Fire Hall. Perkins states that to a large degree the early settlers were anti- Masonic.
Perkins Diary confirms the beginning of a Masonic Lodge in Liverpool Township in 1766.
Friday, December 5th 1766…I sup with a number of Freemasons, at Eben Dogget’s4,[grantee] who, with Gilbert Malcolm, and Jesse Dodge, were introduced to that fraternity. The Lodge was formed two weeks ago, at which John Doggett, Esq.5[grantee, died 1773], Samuel Doggett6 [grantee], and Robert Slocombe7 [grantee and first Proprietors Clerk of Liverpool Township], besides the above mentioned, were entered. It causes much conjecture among the people. [In 1760 John and Samuel Doggett were among the partners in the first sawmill on the west side of the river at what is now Milton. Captain Robert Slocombe was a partner in the sawmill built the same summer on the east side of the river.]
The last sentence in this entry seems to confirm Tupper’s view that the early settlers had reservations about Freemasonry.
It is not known under what authority the Liverpool Lodge was established. Jonathon Belcher was Grand Master of Nova Scotia at this time, but there is no evidence to suggest the Liverpool Lodge was established under his authority. Tuper states there were then a number of Irish masons in America and he conjectures that there may have been a relationship between this Lodge and one of them. He further claims that Anthony Wayne, an agent of Benjamin Franklin, had some connection with the Liverpool Lodge although probably only as a visitor. The lodge met at the House of the Clerk of the Peace, Ebenezer Doggett, at the foot of King Street.
On March 2, 1791 the Liverpool Lodge petitioned for a warrant from the Grand Lodge of Nova Scotia under the name “Hibernia Lodge”. Does the chosen name which is an ancient appellation for Ireland led credence to Tupper’s contention that there was a connection between Liverpool Freemasons and Irish Freemasonry? In any event, the petition seems to have fallen on deaf ears for the warrant was not issued for seven years, not until 1798. It was finally granted by Grand Master Richard Bulkeley8 and Hibernia Lodge, Number 27 was entered on the provincial roll.
Some members of this lodge were: John McVicar, Port Medway who had served in the British Army in the American Revolution; Colonel William Freeman9; Elisha Calkin10, the Liverpool Post Master; Robert Huston, a shop keeper and a Loyalist from Shelburne; Captain Bartlett Bradford11, Captian of Liverpool’s first privateer, Lucy, Thomas Akins (whose son would found the Public Archives of Nova Scotia); Dr. Daniel Kendrick12 (a Shelburne Loyalist) and Robert Callaghan13, who married Liverpool’s chief lady land owner, Jane Callaghan, daughter of murdered Thomas Gordon. Enos Collins14 who was raised in 1799, was 72 years a Mason. He was very shrewd in business including privateering and was a founder of what is now the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce. He moved to Halifax and owned a large estate which is now St. Mary’s University Campus. He grew to be the wealthiest man in British North America and his estate was probated at six million dollars.
Tupper states that the chief “masonic woman” in Liverpool in the early days was Jane Callaghan. He says she had enough husbands and near male kin who were master masons to start a little lodge of their own. Indeed, she did have three husbands and eight children. I believe her family home may well have been the McLeod house which was recently torn down when its owner was unable to interest the municipality in accepting it as a gift. The house with its many unique features may have been built as early as 1760 and indeed, may have been brought here from New England. In any event, it certainly was one of the oldest houses in Nova Scotia: another of our heritage homes lost to the wrecker’s hammer.
Perkins makes the second of three diary entries about Liverpool Freemasons on Thursday, February 20th 1800..
The remains of Mr. Thomas Bennett are Buryed. The Corpse was carried to the Meeting House. Mr. Payzant preached a Sermon, from Eccleastes, 18.8, there is no discharge in that war, Mr. Man made the last prayer. The widow [Mary MacLeod] appeared much distressed. the Freemasons walked as Mourners.
Queens County Museum is able to shed some light on local Freemasonry during the first few years of the 19th century. There are two sets of minutes of Hibernia Lodge. The first which is a photo copy, covers December 8, 1801 to December 28, 1802. After the first meeting, there “was read a Circular Letter from the Grand Lodge [asking Hibernia Lodge to] contribute something towards finishing the Masonic [Lodge] in Halifax.” It was decided that no decision would be taken until St. John’s Day in order to give the Brethren time to give the request due consideration. It is worthwhile noting that the matter seems never to have been brought forward again!
On February 9th 1802, the minutes tell us that:
Brother [Elisha] Calkin complained to the Lodge that Brother [Thomas] Burnaby15 had refused to pay him for the premium which he had paid for him on his part of the Brig Rover for her first Cruize, and they agreed in the presence of the Lodge to Submit it to the decision of Brother William Freeman and Robert Hutton, to be settle on Monday next, and the parties agreed before the Lodge to abide by their award.
On June 10th we learn that:
An Entered Aprentice sic lodge was opened which brother Murray who had lawfully served his time as an EA and wishing to have his wages raised was examined & found worthy upon which the EA Lodge was Closed & a FC Lodge opened and he was passed to the Degree of Fellow Craft after which he was serious of obtaining further light in Masonry, was examined and found worthy, and the FC Lodge was closed & a MM Lodge opened when he was raised to the Sublime Degree of a Master Mason according to Ancient Custom.
During this time Hibernia Lodge met on the top floor of Zebulon Perkins’16 store which was located at the foot of Zebulon Perkins Lane, now Parker Street. It burned in the fire of 1899. The Minutes of the August 10th 1802 meeting approved the annual rent for the hall at 8 Pounds.
December 28th 1802 (apparently erroneously dated 1801 in the minutes) finds the brethren of Hibernia Lodge in a rather more festive mood:
We proceeded from the Lodge Room, all except Brothers Rogers & Burnaby, to Brother Alex Godfrey’s17 House where we was joined by Brother Wm. Freeman & F. Gardner18 and enjoyed our St. John’s festival; we band of Brother Sociebly sic agreeably & friendly and … depart in peace & good Harmony.
Membership of the Hibernia Lodge during this period was in the twenties: 1801 – 25 members, 1802 – 22 members and 1803 – 24 members. They included such notables as: Elisha Calkin (privateersman and owner of the house now occupied by Yorke Tutty), Joseph Freeman (first captain of the Liverpool Packet in 1812), Thomas Parker, Joseph Barss (most successful of the Liverpool Packet captains), Thomas Burnaby (captain of the privateer General Boyer), Benjamin Collins, Benjamin Knaut19 (privateersman), Stephen Smith (privateersman), Lodowick Harrington20 (of privateer Rover fame), Bartlett Bradford (captain of Liverpool’s first privateer, Lucy) and Alex Godfrey (renowned captain of the privateer brig Rover).
The second series of minutes came to the Queens County Museum in a rather unusual way. Walter and mary macDonald purchased the large old house across from Save Easy [at one time operated by Faye Truckier as a boarding house] and remodelled it to house their real estate and Alan Fownes’ law offices. During rewiring, floor boards in the top floor had to be temporarily removed. Here, Walt found some old documents carefully hidden away long ago. He showed them to me and I immediately recognized them as Masonic minutes from the very time referenced by Perkins in an 1804 diary entry. They cover the period from May 10th 1803 to November 10th 1807. Walt and Mary generously donated these important historical documents to the museum.
May 17th, 1803 records that an emergency meeting was held:
We unanimously agreed & concluded from this time forward each member shall pay 1s / night for dues..and further we are not to [go] off to refreshment till all the business of the night is done and Lodge closed & then to have something comfortable to drink & no more.
October 11th 1803 the Masons concluded to meet in “bretherens sic Houses” until Captain Zebulon Perkins came home at which time an effort would be made to rent his rooms again at a cost of 5s a night.
December 15th 1803 an Entered Apprentice Lodge was opened. “It is also agreed and voted that James Dexter shall have no more to do with the Lodge by reason [of] Sundry unanswered behaviours”.
January 10th 1804 Elisha Calkin was installed as Worshipful Master of Hibernia Lodge. It was “also agreed that bylaws be put in order, all fines & forfeitures be collected & a Lodge of Emergency shall be called in a few days. Dues collected.” This seems to have had a salutary impact on recalcitrants for it is noted in the February 6th minutes that “Many dues collected: Accts. settled & a bill paid to J. McLanan. 35 Pounds in all.”
February 14th there was an “Entered Apprentice Lodge for lectures. Fellow Craft Lodge opened to FC lectures”. April 10th 1804 “Brother Robert Huston21 declared off as he intends to remove from the Town very Soon.” The meeting of September 11th 1804 was cancelled: “This evening was so very stormy that the Brethren did not meet.”
October 9th the secretary notes: “So few Brethren present that we did not open the Lodge – But concluded to summon the brethren to Meet for the purpose of consulting about suspending the Lodge for a few months as the Brethren at home are so few & so negligent of attending.”22
On November 13th 1804 it was “agreed to meet on Thursday 22 instance at five of clock at the Hall & consult master to suspend the Lodge & from thence repair to Mr. [Fadey] Philip’s or some Convenient Place & have a Masonic Ball & Supper, the Expense which is to be paid out of the Lodge.” The Master was appointed to conduct the Ball and Supper. “We have also agreed to give the Widow of our late Brother Lodowick Harrington fourteen dollars, as a present from the Lodge.”
Perkins mentions Hibernia Lodge again on November 26th 1804 when he writes:
Col. Lovet drank tea & Spent the evening with me, Mr. Sutcliffe & Spouse also. Invited Col. Lovet to bring his son with him, but he was Ingaged, I believe with the Free Masons. I understand are about to Disolve sic their Lodge for the present, as their Number are diminished, & times hard &c. [Phineas Lovet came from Massachusetts about 1760 and settled in Annapolis Royal. From 1775-83 and from 1799-1811 he served as MLA for Annapolis Township and from 1808-1811 for Annapolis County.]
On that very night Lovet did attend Lodge, but rather than disbanding, James Parker offered as candidate, was balloted and found worthy of freemasonry “After which the lodge closed in good Harmony and we repaired to Mr. Phillips to enjoy a Supper & Ball.” It is also carefully noted that “Dues were collected”.
A week later on November 30th 1804, the Brethren gathered for more sobering business. “We agreed to Suspend the Lodge for a few months & meet on the Second Tuesday in December at Mr. McLean’s House to settle the Bills & have a Moderate Supper to be paid out of the Lodge funds.”
The next entry is not made until November 12th 1805 when the regular meeting was held at the home of the Master of the Lodge, Elisha Calkin. A visitor was Robert Huston, formerly a member of Hibernia and now a member Wentworth Lodge No. 32. At this meeting Grand Lodge dues of 4s each was collected.
There is not another entry for a full year. On November 11th 1806 there were a number of visiting brethren including: John Roberts Jnr. of Charleston Lodge No. 14; Thomas Akins of Hibernia Lodge No. 17, J.F.A. Loikles of St. John’s Lodge No. 29, Scotland and Matthew Murray of Seaforth Lodge 653, Ireland. At this meeting it was unanimously agreed that Hibernia would now meet every Quarter.
The last entry comes a full year later on November 10th 1807. Present at that meeting were Master of the Lodge Elisha Calkin, John McClanan, John Roberts, James Parker, Benjamin Collins and Joseph Barss. Those present “unanimously agreed to return the Warrant to the Grand Lodge and Dissolve our Lodge”. Grand Lodge dues were collected and Hibernia closed. Tupper claims that Hibernia dissolved on September 2, 1817 but these minutes certainly state otherwise.
So began the long hiatus for Freemasonry in Queens until the founding of Zetland Lodge in 1847.
1 William Freeman (b. Harwich, MA March 22, 1741) was one of the pioneers of Liverpool; merchant, trader and shipowner. He married Mary, daughter of Sylvanus Cobb in 1763. He was a JP, sheriff, judge of the inferior court of common pleas and lt.-col. of the militia. He was a member of the proprietors committee and proprietors’ treasurer. He and Perkins were partners in a number of ventures. He died March 3, 1816.
2 Sylvanus Cobb was a native of Plymouth, MA. He was a sea captain and soldier, serving at Louisbourg in 1745 and again in 1758. He was very active in raids against Mi’kmaq and at the time of the Expulsion of the Acadians. He was invited by General Amherst to participate in the successful British attack on Havana, but contracted yellow jack and died there in 1762. He is the most colourful of Liverpool’s founding fathers.
3 Thomas Gordon was one of the early settlers of Liverpool. He was a land speculator, and merchant having a store at Shipyard Point as well as having involvement in the fledgling timber trade. He was a man of strong conscience and sided with the government at the time of the Stamp Tax crisis. In 1768 three men were tried in Liverpool for Gordon’s murder. Two, Laughlin Gallagher and John Woodrow, were convicted of murder, and third, James Woodrow, was convicted of manslaughter. On September 4th the murderers were hanged on the town gallows and the manslaughterer was branded in the thumb with the letter “M”. Gordon’s body was never found!
4 See footnotes 5 and 6.
5 John Doggett was from Plymouth, MA and was one of the leading lights of the early Liverpool community. He was a JP 1760, collector of import and excise 1761, major of the militia 1762 and MLA for Liverpool Township 1770-1772.
6 Samuel Doggett was a Liverpool pioneer, the son of Ebenezer and Elizabeth Doggett and was born at Plymouth, MA in 1729. In 1759 he was one of the committee of four men who applied for and obtained the grant of the township of Liverpool. By 1760 he and two brothers – John and Ebenezer – had removed to Nova Scotia and settled at Liverpool. In 1761 he was on a committee appointed to divide the forfeited lands in the township of Liverpool. He transported many of the new settlers to Liverpool in 1760-61. He was later engaged in trade with Portugal and the West Indies. In 1772, he was elected MLA for Liverpool Township. In 1756 he married Deborah Foster at Plymouth. He died in Liverpool in 1773.
7 Robert Slocum was one of Liverpool’s early settlers. He married Ruth Shurtleff of Plymouth, MA probably in Liverpool in 1761. In 1761 he was chosen proprietor’s clerk. In 1769, he lived in Moose Harbour. He was engaged in sailing and had a share in a sawmill. He was gunner in the Lucy and died at sea on May 3, 1781 in the West Indies.
8 Richard Bulkeley was born in Dublin in 1717 and accompanied Cornwallis to Halifax in 1749. He was provincial secretary from 1757- 1792, editor of the Royal Gazette, clerk of the council and a judge of the vice-admiralty court and for part of 1791-92 assumed the administration of the government. he died in Halifax in 1800
9 See footnote 1.
10 Elisha Calkin was born at Horton, Nova Scotia in 1768, the son of Jeremiah and Mary Calkin. He married Desire Parker, daughter of Benjamin and Mary Parker in 1793 in Liverpool. After her death in March 1799, he married Martha Parker, his sister-in-law, in November 1799. He was a school teacher and JP. He died at Liverpool March 13, 1818.
11 Bartlett Bradford was born at Kingston, MA in 1751, son of Peleg and Lydia Bradford. He was a descendant of Governor William Bradford of Pilgrim fame. He owned or had shares in several vessels, took a large interest in the fisheries, had a share in a sawmill, was commander of Liverpool’s first privateer, Lucy, made fishing voyages along the coast as far north as Labrador and engaged in costal trading as far south as the West Indies. In December 1781, he was licensed to keep a tavern, in 1792 he was appointed collector of taxes, in 1795 made a JP. He owned a house, store and wharf in Liverpool as well as a house at the fishing point below Ballast Cove and a house at the Fort, now occupied by Mrs. Norma Lenco. He was married to the widow Hannah Dean. He died at sea in the Mellona in 1801.
12 Dr. Daniel Kendrick according to Lorenzo Sabine, was a physician who went from New York to Shelburne in 1783. He was 49999 and a bachelor. His losses as a consequence of his loyalty were deemed to be 300 pounds. He received a grant of 50 acres at Shelburne in 1784. He and his wife moved from Shelburne in 1790. In 1793 they removed to Cornwallis. In 1800 he was surgeon to the Royal Newfoundland Regiment.
13 Robert Calaghan was a fisherman of Halifax, Liverpool and Guysborough. In November 1782 he married Jane Gordon, daughter of the murdered Thomas Gordon in Liverpool. She had been married first to William Headley and then Robert Stevenson who died in January 1782. Callaghan also had a previous marriage. In 1785 he was head of a family of eight in Liverpool. He moved to Guysborough County.
14 Enos Collins was born in 1774 to Hallet and Rhoda Collins at Liverpool. He became a merchant adventurer and member of the Legislative Council of Nova Scotia, amassed a fortune and died at the age of 97. he followed the sea in his youth and was a fisherman, mariner, trader and privateersman. He was one of the owners of the famous privateer of 1812-15, Liverpool Packet. He also had interests in whaling and timber. In 1825 he was the dominating figure in establishing the Halifax Banking Company. Nova Scotia’s first bank and a fore-runner of the CIBC. In the same year he married Margaret Haliburton, sister of Judge Brenton Haliburton.
15 Thomas Burnaby was born at Liverpool in 1771, son of Joseph and Mercy. He married Bethyah Harrington in 1792. He was involved with fishing as far as Labrador and in coastal trade as far south as the West Indies. He commanded the privateer General Boyer in 1801 which was owned in part by Enos Collins. He sailed as prize master aboard the privateer Duke of Kent in 1804-05. He and Benjamin Collins and 10 hands were put in charge of a fast sailing schooner which was captured by a Spanish gun boat. They were carried into Cummano, Venezuela and incarcerated. On September 28th 1805 Perkins entered in his diary: “[Benjamin Collins] brings Melancholla News of the Death of Mr. Thomas Burnaby” who died in prison on the Spanish Main.
16 Zebulon Perkins was Simeon Perkins’ nephew. He was a sea captain and very involved in business. He frequently entered into commercial arrangements with his uncle Zebulon, unlike his uncle, was a mason.
17 Alexander Godfrey was born in Chatham, MA. In 1791 he married Phoebe West. He was commander of the privateer brig Rover which defeated a Spanish squadron off the Spanish Main in 1800. He died of yellow fever in Jamaica in 1803. His only child Ruth, who died of burns, is buried in Liverpool’s historic cemetary.
18 Freeman Gardner was son of Simeon and Sarah Gardner of Nantucket, MA and Cape Island, Nova Scotia. He married Mary Gardner and is buried in Liverpool’s historic cemetary.
19 Benjamin Knaut was born in 1768, a son of John Philip and Ann Knaut of Lunenburg. He married Miss White of Beverly, MA in 1796 and Lucy Collins in 1801 and so was a brother-in-law of Enos Collins. He was sheriff of Queens County in 1810. He was at various times a privateer. He was a founding member of Trinity Anglican Church in Liverpool. He died in 1835.
20 Lodowick Harrington was a son of Benjamin and Bethiah Harrington. He married Besey West in Liverpool 1796. He was a fisherman, mariner and privateersman. While serving as a prize captain with Alex Godfrey’s Rover, he became separated and with a crew of only a few, he sailed the prize Nuestra Semora del Carmen from the Spanish Main to Liverpool, some 2000 miles, making only one stop on the way, in nearby Cape Cod. The reason: the letter of marque was on the Rover and if caught, Harrington and his crew might well have been condemned and hanged as pirates. Cape Cod furnished them with food and water, probably from relatives.
21 Robert Huston was a Loyalist settler at Shelburne and moved to Liverpool in 1796. He was a member of the Grand Jury and an Overseer of the Poor.
22 It is clear that many, indeed perhaps a majority of the masons of this time often spent long periods of time as sea and so their business prevented them from attending regularly.