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St. John's
Lodge No. 1 Free and Accepted Masons Portsmouth, New Hampshire, U.S.A. Constituted June 24, 1736
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St. John's
Lodge No. 1 Free and Accepted Masons Portsmouth, New Hampshire, U.S.A. Constituted June 24, 1736
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About St. John's and Its History
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Historian's Article for July 2006
St. John’s Sunday, Thomas L. Elwyn and On the Street Where You Live
by Alan M. Robinson, P.M., Historian
Elwyn Avenue in late June 2006
On June 24, I was honored to be with our Master and a contingent of seacoast Masons as we celebrated the Feast of St. John the Baptist at St. John’s Church in Portsmouth.
With swords at the carry, a contingent of Knights Templar hoisted the Stars and Stripes and led us from the William Pitt Tavern up to the historic Church on the hill. The members of our Lodge entered the Sanctuary as they have for more than two and half centuries and I took my seat near the front as I have for more than 30 of those years.
The organist played familiar hymns and we sang with an enthusiasm fitting of the day. Our Master read a lesson from the Book of Job, the Rector lead us through an encouraging sermon, and we prayed – not only for ourselves, but for each other and for our world. We recessed to the hymn, “O for a thousand tongues to sing” as we returned to line of march and the Tavern, our old meeting place, at the base of the hill.
This year more than ever before, I felt the presence of the great men and Masons of history who year after year honored our Lodge and our Fraternity with their presence on this most important Masonic Day. Those who attended this year continued a time honored tradition that is both worthy and noble. For those who couldn’t attend for one reason or another, please mark your calendar now because we’ll be doing it again on the same Sunday next year!
St. John’s Sunday is more than a celebration to honor the birth of John, the Patron Saint of Masonry and our Lodge’s namesake. It’s more than an opportunity for friends and brothers to gather in “brotherly love and mirth,” on the birthday of our Lodge. It’s more than an opportunity to parade the Lodge through our town and showcase the Fraternity in front of the uninformed who may, just perhaps, see a little of the light that illuminates our way. Oh yes, it’s much more than all of that. This grand old tradition begun on June 24, 1755 is above all an opportunity for us as Masons to gather as one and to offer up our adoration to the Grand Architect of the Universe.
As I sat there in the 4th pew on Sunday, I read the inscription on a magnificent marble memorial dedicated to Thomas Langdon Elwyn directly in front of me. No, Thomas Elwyn wasn’t a Mason although he would have made a good one. He lived in Portsmouth and died here in 1816. The inscription reads that he was “distinguished for his acuteness, eloquence and classical accomplishments, but his more important commendations were strict integrity and generous friendships, all the virtues of an anxious father and a faithful husband, yet more than these, an humble trust in a Divine Savior. A good man indeed!
The Elwyn name is well known in Portsmouth. Among other honors that carry his name is an Avenue that begins at South Street and ends at the South Playground. If you should travel on it today, your shoes or tires will get all dirty for the old way is being renovated. Water lines and sewer piping are being upgraded and new sidewalks and pavement are being installed. While Thomas Elwyn wasn’t a Mason, several Masons from our Lodge live or have lived on his Avenue. To name but a few that you may know – Wor. Scott Somerville, Wor. Leon Robinson, Wor. Rodney Robinson, Wor. Stanley Roberts, Bro, Reginald Jones, Bro. Andrew Stancisco, Sr., Bro. Andrew Stancisco, Jr., Wor. Mark Furber, Bro. David Robinson and yours truly.
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