Mariners
On August 15th, 1825 the first Master of Mariners, George Arnold called a meeting at Union Hall, for the purpose of petitioning a Grand Lodge of New York for a charter. This was a bit more complicated than you might imagine. In 1822, the Lodges in the city and surrounding districts, unhappy with the way dues were being handled by the Grand Lodge, broke away and formed a separate City Grand Lodge. So it was that M. W. Martin Hoffman issued our charter on the basis of 23 Brothers signing the request and installed W. George Arnold as Master.
Within the four remaining months of 1825, the Lodge met 21 times, arranging for notices to be printed by a Brother of St. Johns 9, (500 with Hope and Anchor, 500 with Ship and pilot boat) aprons with a ship in full sail on the flap, officers jewels, books and stationery, and other equipment. The main business of the Lodge was making new Brothers. A total of 16 were raised. In general, two degrees were conferred an evening; when it was all three, a dispensation from the Grand Master was required. Travel documents were frequently bestowed after the degrees, presumably because the Brothers were about to ship off, though the minutes do not contain glad tidings or apologies for absence at that time, and we cannot be sure of their particular comings and goings. You might wonder whether the Brothers of Mariners Lodge were indeed Mariners. The easy answer is yes, as shown by the information from the minutes noted below.
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1825: Brothers nominated and raised
Oliver Barrow shipmaster
Dudley Gillet shipmaster
Jacob Mull Sailmaker
Joseph Hickman Mariner
Sacket Leveredge Grocer
John Mc Intosh Jeweler
Thomas Darnton Rigger 305 Front St.
Elizer Foster Rigger Lombardy St.
Captain Mathew Reeves, ship Louisa
Captain Adolphus La Corte Shipmaster
Ariel Gerard Shipmaster
Benjamin Tunis Shipmaster 319 Pearl St.
Samuel D. Jones Mariner, Brig Day Elephant’s Wharf
John Waydell Cooper 31 Pell St. (Master 1841)
Matthew Thompson Mariner
Henry Benney Mariner
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1826: Brothers nominated and raised
Captain Elizah Townsend New Jersey
Ian Gainer Pilot
Harvey Blimm Shipmaster
Gardner Briggs Mariner Lombardy St.
Issac Rikeman Shipwright
William Cascaden Shoemaker 18 Mulberry St.
Alexander Denny Shipmaster (2nd & 3rd)
George Heald Mariner 280 front St.
Henry Persale Mariner 195 Broome St.
