Traveling Men

Traveling Men

Aug 29, 2021 | Uncategorized

BROTHERHOOD

Traveling Men

the world’s oldest fraternity

Hello, again my Brothers and friends! As most Masons know we love to refer to ourselves as Traveling Men. But do you travel? Have you really taken advantage of how and what traveling means in our prestigious fraternity?
I for one have on many occasions have been extremely lucky to travel far and wide. I have met brothers from many states and countries all over the world. I would like to tell you about one of those adventures that my father and I stumbled upon. It all starts in the unforgettable city of Taormina Sicily. First, let me state that whenever I travel I open up the list of lodges that are recognized by the Grand Lodge of New York and start my planning process.
Once I find a few lodges or if I am lucky a Grand Lodge I start to set up when I can stop by and meet new brothers. On my first visit to Italy, I started in northern Italy in the city of Milan and worked my way down to Sicily where my dad was already checked in to a hotel built on the side of a mountain in Taormina. In every town from the top of Italy to the bottom I struck out and only got to take a picture of myself in front of a locked door at every lodge I tried to visit. To my surprise when I was checking in to the hotel my dad comes running out to me and starts to tell me about his check-in experience. Now keep in mind that my father had already been to this hotel about 10 times. However, this check-in was much different from those other visits.
On the cliffs of Taormina, there is not a lot of parking and most hotels have only a few parking spots for drop off and pick up. This particular hotel was no different, it only had 5 spaces for the entire 40 or so rooms. As my father was parking, the doorman told him he could drop off his luggage, but he had to then drop the car in the municipal parking lot about ¼ mile from the hotel. As he was checking in the manager saw his Masonic ring that I bought him as a gift when I had the honor of raising him to the Sublime Degree of Master Mason. He then showed my father his ring and told him that the owner of the hotel was the secretary of their Lodge and they needed to be formally introduced. But before he got to that introduction, he went outside moved a chain, and told my father that this was his parking space for the 10 days that we would be there. The courtesy did not stop there.
Once I met the owner and introduced myself to him we were treated like long-lost family members. I started to ask Nello (the owner of this amazing boutique hotel), where and how far away was his lodge. I then told him how I was disappointed in not being able to visit any of the Lodges on the mainland of Italy. He laughed and told me he would be calling a special meeting so we could meet all the brothers of his Lodge and it would not be a long drive. This was because the Lodge was in the basement of the hotel. We have been back there three more times and this would never have happened if my father did not wear his Masonic light on his hand. Now due to Facebook and email, I have been able to keep in touch with many friends and brothers in Sicily. My father and I have had the pleasure of seeing the ritual in Italian, and on our last meeting, we were presented with a medallion from their lodge which we both proudly display in our homes.
The point here my brothers is without being a member of the oldest, largest, and most exclusive fraternity the world has ever known, we would never have been treated to such hospitality. Now just to be clear I did not join this fraternity to receive gifts or special treatment around the world, but it was a very impressive side effect of becoming a member. I look forward to sharing more stories of my traveling with you soon and if any brother would like more info or tips on how to travel North, South, West, and East, I would be glad to help.

The only thing I ask is that you wear your Masonic light as much as possible in the world outside of Lodge and if you have a great story please share your story with me when you can.

Connect with RW Prizzia via email

RW Anthony Prizzia
Past Master of Adonai Lodge #718, Highland, New York
Bro. Prizzia is also a proud member of:
Cyprus Shrine, Oriental Shrine, and Ulster County Shrine Club
Valley of Albany A.A.S.R
Poughkeepsie Chapter 172
Poughkeepsie Commandery 43
Royal Order of Scotland

Brother Thomas W. Bradley

Brother Thomas W. Bradley

Aug 8, 2021 | Masonic History

MASONIC HISTORY

Brother Thomas W. Bradley

AN UPRIGHT MAN AND MASON

“If, as we pass through this life, we leave a mark, the chances are we will have left a lasting impression on the lives of those who follow.” Those are the words of Brother Thomas W. Bradley — a man who was a staple of the community in Walden, New York. Through a moral and ethical approach to life, showing thoughtfulness to others, kindness in the community, honesty in business, and courtesy in society — Bradley embodied Freemasonry at its core.
New York Knife Company
Born on April 6, 1844, in Yorkshire, England, Bradley immigrated to Walden, NY where he began working for his family business, the New York Knife Company, as a “shop boy.” Bradley learned the cutlery trade from the ground up, which proved dividends later in life as he eventually became President and Treasurer of the company. Bradley worked for the New York Knife Company until the brink of the American Civil War.

Thomas W. Bradley, Private in the 124th Regiment NY Volunteer Infantry. Photo taken circa 1863.

On August 14, 1862, at 18 years old, Thomas Bradley enlisted in the 124th New York State Volunteers, nicknamed “Orange Blossoms.” Bradley joined Company H., which was comprised of men from Walden, Montgomery, and Goshen, NY. In Bradley’s own words, “Our Village [Walden] of less than six hundred and fifty turned out a company of 82 upon President Lincoln’s call for ‘three hundred thousand more.’ Is it any wonder that there were many a vacant chair in our homes that never would be filled again?”

Bradley and the 124th New York would engage in some of the largest battles of the Civil War. On May 3, 1863, Bradley and the 124th New York would see their first test of combat at the Battle of Chancellorsville in Virginia. After a three-hour duel with Confederate forces, ammunition began to run extremely low. The Colonel of the 124th New York asked for a volunteer to procure ammo in an open field, which laid between them and the enemy. Thomas Bradley sprung forward at only 19 years of age to undertake the daunting task. He handed his rifle to a file mate, dropped his cartridge box, belt, canteen, and haversack, and ran out between the lines “amid a heavy fire of shell, canister, and scattering rifle shots, across the plain, to where the ammunition boxes lay.” This heroic act would be recognized thirty years later in 1893 when he was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor.

The 124th Regiment NY Volunteer Infantry, “Orange Blossoms.”
After the war until 1870, Bradley continued working for the New York Knife Company in Walden, NY. However, in December of that year, Bradley embarked on a new journey — he decided to become a Freemason. Bradley joined Wallkill Lodge No. 627, which in 1870 was at its old location in Montgomery, NY. Wallkill Lodge was still relatively new in 1870, having had their first regular communication only four years earlier on December 7, 1866.
Thomas Bradley was initiated Entered Apprentice on December 6, 1870. The Worshipful Master at the time was H.H. Hallett. Brother Bradley was passed to the degree of Fellowcraft on March 7, 1871, and was raised to the sublime degree of Master Mason on July 28, 1871. The dues at Wallkill Lodge were $3.00 per year. The tiler was paid $1.00 after each meeting and the brethren met every Friday — the Lodge did not go dark.
Brother Bradley’s life would forever change after becoming a Freemason. His life focus would shift. I believe he embodied the meaning of Freemasonry: goodwill, charity, and brotherhood. As the cutlery industry in Walden, NY fell on hard times in the late 1800s, Bradley took the lead to save his community. In 1876, he was elected to the New York State Assembly and between 1903 and 1913, Bradley served with the U.S. House of Representatives.

On May 30, 1920, Brother Thomas W. Bradley laid down his working tools and passed away. His loss shocked the community. In his will, Bradley bequeathed over 40 acres of parkland to the Village of Walden and the monument of President William McKinley, which is situated in a prominent location on Main Street. After Bradley’s passing, local Reverend of Walden and Gardiner, Theodore F. Bayles exclaimed, “…the efficiency and thoroughness in every activity, the reverence for religion together made up a character that for love of liberty, unbounded generosity and unwavering devotion could not be excelled. Let us find fresh bonds of brotherhood, friendship and service in his cherished memory.”

Brother Bradley is buried in the Wallkill Valley Cemetery in Walden, NY.

Brother Thomas W. Bradley
Wallkill Lodge No. 627
Submitted by Bro. Kyle A. Williams
Wallkill Lodge No. 627
Bro. Kyle A. Williams

The Working Tools of Entered Apprentice

The Working Tools of Entered Apprentice

Jul 25, 2021 | Uncategorized

EDITORIAL

The Working Tools of Entered Apprentice

How Can I Divide My Time To Meet My Obligation?

During a recent episode (“Building Better Builders – The Working Tools of Entered Apprentice“) on the Craftsmen Online Podcast, my guest Bro. John Nagy and I discussed the Working Tools of Entered Apprentice. One of Bro. Nagy’s comments that stayed with me after our program was that Entered Apprentices are TOLD the meaning of the Working Tools; they don’t ask. His point instantly reminded me of how it wasn’t until after I was raised to the Sublime Degree of Master Mason did I look back on the lessons of the First Degree and start contemplating their deeper meanings.

How can I divide my time to meet my obligation?

Within each degree, the instruction on the Working Tools is one of the most beautifully written parts of Masonic ritual. In the first degree, the use of the 24-inch gauge continues to fascinate me. Every time I hear the breakdown of the twenty-four inches into 24 hours, further divided into three equal parts of eight hours, which are to be allocated for serving God and our Brothers, our work, and refreshment and sleep — I always think, “How is that literally possible?”

At some point in the history of our Craft there must have been a time when men had time in their day to live like this, right?

Those words were created back when we didn’t sleep in one eight-hour chunk but in two shorter periods, overnight. Dating back to medieval times two-piece sleeping as it was called, was standard practice. Chaucer tells of a character in the Canterbury Tales that goes to bed following her “firste sleep.” And what did people do between their first and second sleep? Everything from reading a book (most likely their Bible), talk, or go for a walk in the countryside to visit with their neighbors.

Keep in mind this is back when time was still kept by burning a candle. Your day began, literally, at daybreak and you were in bed by sundown. Dividing your time into three equal parts wasn’t hard when your day was made up of eat, sleep, work, and repeat. Church wasn’t just something you did on Sunday morning: it was your Sunday. Take away weekend Netflix binging when I finally get to watch TV for a few uninterrupted hours, and instead, give me a few hours every night between Midnight at 2 am for reading and I would have that service to God box checked!

Fast forward to 2018

As a Modern Freemason, if I was to compare dividing my time to the Activity Rings on my Apple Watch. The large ring would definitely be my work hours, the medium ring my sleep, and the smaller ring the time invested in the service to God or my Brothers. I’m being very generous here with my math. I pulled up a random day on my calendar this month… Thursday, February 18th. Workday for job #1 started at 8 am (up for work by 6:45 am). Work schedule has a couple of conference calls, a meeting, lunch, and time at my desk to work on my daily task list. The end of the workday for job #1 is at 4:30 pm. My part-time job starts at 6 pm and goes until 8 pm. Add some study time for Graduate School from 9 to 10 pm and in bed (hopefully) before 11 pm.

My “Work” ring is dominating my life

And this isn’t just happening because I am working from home, I am constantly searching for time management methods that create a work/life balance. This is easier said than done when my phone dings with an email at 10:30 pm. The more I investigate the breakdown of my time, the only time I really dedicate my attention to “Masonic” service are my nights at Lodge. Hmm and that has been a stretch in a year dominated by a pandemic. I would generously estimate my Lodge time to two hours a month.

I’m being literal on purpose because it’s impossible to divide your time into 8-hour parts every day. It is also important to remember that the working tools of an EA are the 24-inch gauge AND the Common Gavel. As Bro. Nagy and I discussed one tool is used to divide your time, the other to clear your life of distractions. That’s the important part of the Working Tools lesson: do you examine how you spend your time? If your time is not prioritized, how can you fix the areas that are lacking?

There is an advantage to living in 2021 versus 1518

Besides a warm shower to start my day or the fresh, brewed cup of coffee that is set to go off at 7:15 am, I also have this little blue book that was given to me when I was raised as a Master Mason that contains ALL of the standard work and lectures from the degrees I took. I carry this little blue book to work to read during my lunch break or downtime. On my drive to and from work, I listen to my favorite Masonic podcasts to get my weekly dose of Masonic education and discussion. I also have a cell phone in my pocket that allows me to text or call my Brothers throughout the day. It might seem trivial but when I ask them how their day is going or converse with them about their daily dilemma, isn’t that service to a distressed worthy Brother?

Bros Ed Lass and Michael Arce

When I re-evaluate my day through the lens of present-day, yes, work still dominates my life (for now) but I can “steal” a few hours here and there to meet my Masonic obligations. Instead of literally dividing my time into three “start/stop” parts, I use a combined/running clock. What depresses me now is the fact that my sleep circle is pretty much non-existent. Until I start taking naps under my desk or retire, I don’t see how I’m going to catch up in that area.

Perhaps that’s why we call them the “Working Tools.”

Written by Bro. Michael Arce
Mt. Vernon Lodge #3, Albany, New York
Editor-in-chief of Craftsmen Online
Host of the Craftsmen Online Podcast

Early Establishments of Masonic Regulations

Early Establishments of Masonic Regulations

Jul 18, 2021 | Masonic History

MASONIC EDUCATION

Early Establishment of
Masonic Regulations

EXAMINING THE HISTORY
IN ANCIENT MASONIC TEXTS

On June 24, 1717, St. John the Baptist Day, four London Masonic Lodges for a unified organization under the name, Grand Lodge of England, This Grand Lodge proclaimed itself to be speculative, meaning deeply philosophical. In the early 1700s, most speculative masons were churchmen or members of the nobility. After Freemasonry emerged into public view after 1717, a treasure trove of ancient Masonic manuscripts was discovered and made public. These parchment manuscripts became known as the Old Charges, to distinguish them from newer documents. The ancient documents described how a Mason would be “charged,” or obligated to follow good rules to work and live by. Each rule was couched in the work of operative Masons but was considered good advice for anyone.

The Scottish Pastor, Reverend James Anderson, was one of the individuals involved with the establishment of Grand Lodge, and accordingly had access to all of the above Old Charges. From them, he drew much material used in his influential book, Constitutions of the Free-Masons, published 1723.

Returning to those ancient documents which are housed in the British Museum, we find that the two most significant ones are (1.) the Regius Poem or Royal Manuscript, also called the Halliwell Manuscript, and (2.) the Cooke Manuscript.

The Regius Poem

The Regius Poem was apparently written by an English Cleric about 1390. the first sentence was written in Latin, the rest in Old English. This indicates that the author was a highly educated person who also had a high degree of literacy. It is a complete poem of 794 verses and claims to be derived from much earlier texts, in more modern times, it was published by Jamies Halliwell in 1840.

Verses 143-46 seem to show that Freemasonry was open to accepting members who were not “artisans of that craft.”

By olde tyme wryten y fynde
That the prenes schudle be of gentyl kynde
And so symtyme grete lordys blod
Toke thys gemetry, that ys ful good.
(By old time written I find
That the ‘prentice should be of gentle kind;
And so sometime, great lords’ blood
Took this geometry that is full good.)

Regis was the only Old Charge written as a poem. Due to its age and unique content, Regius provides a remarkable window into the years following the disappearance of the Knights Templar.

The Cooke Manuscript

The Cooke Manuscript appears to have been written about 1410 and appears to also have been translated from a much earlier text, which was “translated” from Middle English into Modern English by Matthew Cooke. The first two articles illustrate how Freemasons were “charged” to lead a good life.

The first article is this. That every master of this art should be wise, and true to the lord who employs him, expending his goods carefully as he would his own were expended; and not give more pay to any mason than he knows him to have earned, according to the dearth [or scarcity and therefor price] of corn and victuals in the country and this without favoritism, for every man is to be rewarded according to his work.

The second article is this. That every mast of the art shall be warned beforehand to come to his congregation in order that he may duly come, unless he may [be] excused for some cause or other. But if he be found [i.e., accused of being] rebellious at such congregation, or at fault in any way to his employer’s harm of reproach of this art, he shall bot be excused unless he be in peril of death, And though he be in peril of death, yet must he give notice of his illness to the master who is the president of the gathering.

Origins of Early Masonic Teachings

Masonic teachings, both architectural and philosophical, evolved from the teachings of the Roman College (Collegium) of Artificers (Builders), which was founded in 714 B.C. by King Numa Pompilius, and from the teachings of the Comacine Masons, an architectural school founded in northern Italy after the collapse of Rome as a power in the 400s A.D. And of course, pre-dating the Artificers and the Comacine Masons was the construction organization that built King Solomon’s Temple about 1,000 B.C. Let us examine each of these influences in turn.

The building of King Solomon’s Temple is the founding legend of Freemasonry. The Craftsmen directed by Master Mason Hiram Abiff labored to create the perfectly proportioned mystic edifice that would house and celebrate the presence of the Lord. Tradition tells us that there were employed in its construction three Grand Masters, 3,300 Masters or Overseers of the Work, 80,000 Fellowcrafts or Hewers in the mountains and quarries, and 70,000 Entered Apprentices or bearers of burdens. The Temple was completed in 960 B.C.

The Roman College of Artificers had certain operating features, such as being a mini-government operating under its own statutes, exercising the power of making contracts as a corporation would, with immunity from taxation. Its meetings were held in privacy, in similarity to the exoteric schools of the philosophers. It places its members into one of three classes, corresponding to the three levels of membership in modern Masonry. It also admitted into its ranks men who were not strictly speaking operative Masons by employment. This closely parallels the much later situation in late Medieval Masonry, when operative lodges gradually admitted gentlemen of learning, they being considered the first “speculative” Masons. Finally, they used a symbolic “language” allegorically drove from Masonic implements, and they conferred on their initiates secret modes of fraternal recognition.

As the Roman Empire declined, the Comacini Masons continued on a similar course, to them, we owe the development of the Romanesque style of architecture in about 600 A.D. This style has roots in Germany, France, and England. In similarity to our modern Masonic system, the Comacini had Masters, Wardens, signs, tokens, grips, passwords, and oaths of secrecy and fidelity.

Next we encounter the legendary establishment in England of rules for proper Masonic behavior. About 926 A.D., according to the Regius Poem from the late 1300s, Athelstan, an early Danish King of England, together with his brother Edwin, gathered Masons and their charters and rules of behavior from many European jurisdictions; these were unified into a code of conduct for the wide-area around Your, England Athelstan also granted the Masons a royal charger officially recognizing the Masonic Guild. This Guild carried out many functions of molder labor unions — it set uniformed waged, it trained apprentice stonemason, and it encouraged Masons to look out for each other. It also protected the trade secrets that made Masons the most highly-paid workers in Europe. Finally, Masonic guides developed and employed seated signs of fraternal recognition — signs that a Mason traveling to a distant building site might use to prove that he had been properly trained during an extensive apprenticeship.

My point here is that all of the behavioral influences occurred well before the middle Medieval Period when operative masons were employed by the Cistercian Monks to erect Europe’s magnificent cathedrals. Thus, it is not surprising that allegorical Masonic symbols do not include Medieval symbols, such as the Flying Buttresses of great cathedrals, but instead include simple tools (compasses, spare, plumb), and focus on ancient edifices, such as the Great Pyramid, with the All-Seeing Eye of God superimposed on it, and King Solomon’s Temple, with its ending staircase and Middle Chamber.

The Influence of the Knights Templar

Before we examine the entirely separate Templars, there was a spiritual outgrowth among Masons in France in the 1100s, encouraged by St. Bernard of Clairvaux. These Masons were building great European Cathedrals, such as the Chartres, in northern France. However, the design work of two particular Master Masons at Chartres especially reflects a metaphysical, spiritual, and (in the lingual of Freemasonry) “speculative” character. This is proof that even before the late 1300s ear of the Regius Poem, a philosophical side to Masonry was developing.

In 1118, an entirely separate group was created, called the Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and the Temple of Solomon; we call these groups the Knights-Templar, or Templars. They were established within a secret cabala, the Troyes Fraternity, headed by St. Bernard of Clairvaux, Pope Honorius II, the Count of Champagne, and influential others. Their original purpose was to venture to the Holy Land, secure material and informational treasure from King Solomon’s Temple, and return with it to Europe, especially France, They also built circular-shaped churches across Europe — particularly the British Isles. They come into this story because the Templars were declared heretical and were dissolved between 1307 and 1312 — not through their own fault — and remnants of Templar Commanders throughout Europe ran to Masonic Guilds for protection and survival. Although this speculation, I’m sure that the grateful Templars share their cast wealth with the Masons, in exchange. Of course, we now have the situation that fraternally recognized Templarism is entirely within Masonry.

These Templars were given the use of certain lands in eastern Scotland as a dowry in about 1140, when their first Grand Master, Hugh de Payens, married Katherine St. Clair, daughter of an influential Scottish family. It was on this land that Rosslyn Chapel was constructed between 1442 and 1484. The Chapel was likely constructed to secretly house Templar treasure, which had been stored in the Templar-associated Chartres Cathedral in northeastern France until it could be transported to Oak Island in Nova Scotia, site of the famous “Money Pit.” This area is still being actively and productively excavated. The Templars were not really construction experts, and nearby Rosslyn Castle was an instance of cooperation between Templars and operative Masons.

As I have outlined, the establishment of Masonic regulations, both in the architectural realm and especially in the area of the rectitude of conduct in dealing with each other, and with others, including their Cistercian “construction bosses,” was a long and gradual process, influenced as it was by the was of the Roman Artificers and Comacini Masons, likely by the legendary York Assembly in the 900s A.D. and the “Points and Parts” contained in the Regius Manuscript. These regulations, fostering gentlemanly behavior among operative “Brickies,” suggest to me that the move from Operative to Speculative Masonry was not the sudden shift often mentioned as occurring about 1600 — although this was when non-operative Masons were first admitted — but in terms of the behavior of Operative Masons, was a gradual process over the centuries.

Bro. Jim Simpson, Schenectady Lodge #1174, Schenectady, New York
Sigman Bodies Ancient Accept Scottish Rite, Scotia, New York
St. George’s Chapter #157, Schenectady, New York
St. George’s Council #74, Schenectady, New York
St. George’s Commandry #37, Schenectady, New York
Charles H. Copestake #69 AMD, Schenectady, New York

The Annual Daniel D. Tompkins Graveside Dedication

The Annual Daniel D. Tompkins Graveside Dedication

Jul 10, 2021 | Uncategorized

NEW YORK MASONIC HISTORY

The Annual Daniel D. Tompkins Graveside Dedication

Commemorating the Tragic Life of an Exceptional Brother

On Friday, June 18th, 2021, the Brothers of Tompkins Lodge No. 471 of the Richmond District in the NY Masonic Jurisdiction (or Staten Island, NY) visited St. Mark’s Church-in-the-Bowery—in the East Village of New York City—to pay homage to the namesake of their Lodge, Daniel D. Tompkins. The annual Tompkins’ Graveside Dedication has become a cherished tradition among the Masons of this Lodge, who take this opportunity to reflect upon the celebrated, yet tragic, life of a very special Most Worshipful Brother. So, who was Daniel D. Tompkins and why do these Masons commemorate his life each year?

Minthorne Vault
Minthorne Vault. Daniel D. Tompkins’ final resting place at
St. Mark’s Church in-the-Bowery, New York City.

Despite the accusations against him, he was elected Vice President to President James Monroe. In 1817, before he departed New York for the U.S. Capitol, he recommended a plan for the abolition of slavery in New York, which the state assembly adopted. Slavery was abolished in New York State within the next 10 years largely due to Tompkins’ plan. In 1820, while serving as Vice President, Tompkins simultaneously served two years as Grand Master of Masons of the State of New York.

As Vice President, he was mostly absentee, as he regularly traveled back home to handle his debt issues. The stress from his financial troubles caused him to fall heavily into alcoholism, to the point that rumors were even circulating about him passing out drunk when presiding over the Senate. However, this did not stop him from chairing the New York State Constitutional Convention while Congress was in recess.

 

Stapleton Masonic Temple
Stapleton Masonic Temple on Staten Island, the meeting place of Tompkins Lodge No. 471.

Tompkins’ name lives on in a great many ways. Public School 69 in Staten Island — which I personally attended in my younger years — is named the Daniel D. Tompkins School. Additionally, the town of Tompkinsville, Tompkins Avenue, and Tompkinsville Park also immortalize his name in Staten Island, where he established himself in 1814. In 1911, the Grand Lodge of New York dedicated the Daniel D. Tompkins Memorial Chapel, located at the Masonic Home Campus in Utica, NY. The Scottish Rite awards the Daniel Tompkins medal to honor distinguished contributions to the Craft. Before all that, however, Tompkins Lodge No. 471 in the Richmond District of the New York Jurisdiction held their first fficial regular meeting on June 21st, 1859—Daniel D. Tompkins’ birthday. This brings us back to the graveside dedication at St. Mark’s Church, the history of which has only recently been uncovered.

After returning to D.C. for a month, he fell ill and left again for New York. His absence led the Senate to pass a law that singled him out specifically, by withholding salaries from officials who were absentee or had significant outstanding debts. When the federal district court brought suit against Tompkins, at his own request, the bankers who loaned him money to arm and pay the soldiers of the War of 1812 testified on his behalf. The jury exonerated him and, in a non-binding judgment, proclaimed that he was owed $136,799.97 by the federal government. His salary was restored, and he was eventually awarded $60,000 by Congress while his term as Vice President was ending.

On June 11, 1825, only three months after retiring as Vice President, he laid down the working tools of life and was interred at the Minthorne vault in the west yard of St. Marks Church-in-the-Bowery, New York City. Years later, his heirs were awarded an additional $40,000, but no amount of money could bring back a man who died broken by the very government he went into debt to support in time of war.

Tompkins became involved in Freemasonry around the same time he began his political career. He was initiated into Hiram Lodge No. 72 in Mt. Pleasant and served as Grand Secretary of the Grand Lodge of New York from 1801 to 1805. In 1809, at the age of thirty-five, he received his 32nd degree in Scottish Rite Masonry. On August 5, 1813, at the age of thirty-nine, he was awarded his 33rd degree.

In 1807, he was inaugurated governor of New York and served until 1817. While in office, he also became the first Sovereign Grand Commander of the Scottish Rite’s newly established Northern Masonic Jurisdiction, holding that position until the day he laid down his working tools. During the War of 1812, if the state legislature was not in session — or refused to approve the appropriate funding — he paid for military supplies from his own pocket and even used his own property as collateral to borrow money and assist in financing the war. Although a completely selfless act, this left him open to accusations of mishandling public money. As a wartime governor, he had a strong hand in reorganizing the state militia and strongly supported a standing state military. In 1814, his efforts earned him a nomination from President James Madison for United States Secretary of State, which he declined to instead become commander of a federal military district.

Right: Portrait of Daniel D. Tompkins by John Wesley Jarvis in military gear, standing in front of Fort Tompkins, Staten Island.
Tompkins Military Uniform
Brothers paying tribute at memorial
Brothers of Tompkins Lodge No. 471 commemorating Daniel D. Tompkins at Minthorne Vault in 2013.
Tompkins Lodge No. 471 became involved in this annual commemorative ceremony in a most serendipitous manner. Bro. Isaac Moore of Mariners Lodge No. 67, in the 1st Manhattan District, stumbled upon the tomb. Noticing its neglected condition, he contacted Bro. Cliff Jacobs of St. John’s Lodge No. 1, also in the 1st Manhattan District. The two discovered that the Daughters of 1812 had already planned on a restoration of the tomb. With the Daughters willing to welcome the Masons into the endeavor, the first Tompkins graveside dedication commenced on November 9th, 2009. The Veteran Corps of Artillery, State of New York, served as the color guard for the event which was attended by R∴W∴ Vincent Libone, Deputy Grand Master of New York at the time, and W∴ Kenneth Lorentzen, Master of Tompkins Lodge No. 471 for that year. Also, in attendance was the Illustrious John William McNaughton, then Sovereign Grand Commander of the Ancient & Accepted Scottish Rite, Northern Masonic Jurisdiction. Presenting a proclamation from Mayor Michael Bloomberg was Brian G. Andersson, the Commissioner of the New York City Department of Records and Information Services.
Closely connected to Tompkins Lodge No. 471 is the Daniel D. Tompkins Historical Society, managed by Brothers of the same Lodge and chaired by R∴W∴ William H. Bowe. After attending the ceremony, the Brothers walked over to McSorley’s Old Ale House, not too far from St. Mark’s Church, to conduct their annual business. It was there that the Historical Society decided to make it an annual tradition to return to the graveside and dedicate it with prayer and remembrance. This graveside dedication has become a much-cherished tradition among the Brothers of Tompkins Lodge since that first ceremony in 2009. It is usually held as close to Daniel D. Tompkins’s birthday as possible, which also happens to be the Summer Solstice—or St. John’s Day to Masons.
Unfortunately, in 2020 the dedication did not happen due to COVID restrictions and Masonic safety protocols. In 2021, however, the dedication was back! The Brothers that make up the Tompkins Historical Society met once again at St. Mark’s Church to pay homage to their namesake, which was followed by the annual Tompkins Historical Society meeting at McSorley’s, as tradition dictates. The events were open to the public and attended by Brother Masons, friends, family members, and significant others alike.

To say that the Masonic commemoration of Daniel D. Tompkins started in 2009, however, would be doing a great disservice to the past Brothers of Tompkins Lodge. His birthday has always meant something to every member who passes through the inner door, a sentiment exemplified by R∴W∴George Cromwell. Cromwell was the 1st Borough President of Staten Island, a member of the New York State Senate, Past District Deputy Grand Master of the Richmond District, and Past Master of Tompkins Lodge. While he was Master, the Lodge was celebrating its 50-year anniversary, which fell on Tompkins’ birthday. On Tompkins, Cromwell said:

Now, on this anniversary of his birth, we, as Masons and as Brothers, should take to heart the lessons of his life. As a man, he was upright, brave, and sincere. As a citizen, he was a true American, public-spirited, and active. As a public official, he was clear-headed, firm in resolve even when his best efforts to serve the people were misconstrued and thwarted, and indomitable in his perseverance.

As a Mason, through all his strenuous and overtaxed life, he was indefatigable in advancing the interests of the Fraternity, and always found time to give his best thought and energies to his brethren of the Craft.

This is the man whose name we bear, and whose example as a Mason is a beacon light to Tompkins Lodge and to our noble brotherhood throughout the land.

The contemporary Brothers of Tompkins Lodge undoubtedly take great pride in this 13-year-old tradition, as we should. Yet, we should take greater pride in knowing that we are part of a tradition of honoring the Most Worshipful Brother Tompkins, that is far older than we may think. It goes back to, at the very least, Cromwell’s year as Master and quite possibly even longer in some manifestation. How far back does it really go? Unless further information is uncovered, there truly is no way to know the answer to that question.

Is this not the very same question, however, we ask about Freemasonry in general?

As Masons, we take great pride in learning about the history of our time-honored traditions, forms, and ceremonies regardless of how shrouded in mystery they may appear at first glance. To the Brothers of Tompkins Lodge, the history of the commemoration of Daniel D. Tompkins—a great man, a great Mason, a great patriot, our great namesake—is more than just another tradition that we are attempting to unravel the true origins of, it is a mystery just as important as any other that Masons attempt to unveil.
Alas, my Brother!

WB:. John P. Lentine
Secretary, Tompkins Lodge No. 471
Richmond District

John Lentine