Every once in a while, an item comes into the library and museum as a donation that is just a wonderful gift to our archives and to all of us who are Oregon Freemason’s. The added document to this post is such an item.
A few days ago, a box with a framed document was sitting in my small corner in the Grand Lodge of Oregon Administration building. This document was professionally framed and was created for John Burgess dated 1818. The document was a Masonic Document showing that Brother John Burgess was a Freemason in good standing as of the date of the signed and sealed document.
Prior to dues cards documents such as this were created for Brothers who traveled out of their home jurisdiction often for business or a onetime use such as this document.
On the surface this item looks like a normal document created for such a traveling Brother.
I have been researching this John Burgess for a few days now and I believe I have found the John Burgess in question.
There was a John Burgess with family who arrived in Philadelphia Pennsylvania on July 13, 1818, from Scotland. He had a son by the name of John J. Burgess who was born in 1819.
My current thoughts are that John Burgess had this membership document created for his trip to America with his family. He obviously was instructed as to the importance of Masonic Documentation when traveling. He ended up immigrating through Pennsylvania and finally settling in the state of New York in the 1830’s.
This document was more than just a document showing membership within our Ancient Craft. It was a document ensuring an upright Man and Mason a chance to succeed more than most men and their families when traveling to America.
How did this document get to Oregon and be donated to our archives one might ask?
It appears that John Burgess’s son John J. Burgess born 1819 traveled to Oregon 1900 and died in Clackamas Oregon. There is no evidence that the John Burgess born in 1819 was a Freemason. He isn’t mentioned in the database card archives of the Grand Lodge of Oregon. The connection appears to be with the donor’s grandfather who was an Oregon Freemason.
At some point during this donor’s grandfather’s life, he either met John Burgess born in 1819 or somehow came across this document within his lodge maybe when John J. Burgess born 1819 attempted to petition an Oregon lodge and he showed his father’s certificate, and it was left in the records of the lodge.
The full story is most likely lost to time like most situations like this.
The document is in perfect condition and was originally folded in a flat tin can which was customary during the 18th and early 19th centuries.
There is still Masonic research that needs to be done in Philadelphia and New York to see if a John Burgess in 1819 – 1830’s joined a Masonic Lodge. More to come on this if anything surfaces.
One interesting little tid-bit to this wonderful document. The date of this document is May 7, 1818. The year mentioned after the May 7, 1818 date appears to be A.M. 5822. This might be an attempt to add the Anno Mundi (A.M.) means “In the Year of the World” which would have been 1818+4000 which would have been 5818. If you subtract 1818 from 5822 you get 4004.
I would like anyone to help me understand this Masonic Year mystery. Mathematical error or is this a correct Masonic Year somehow?
This research was an enjoyable journey.
Johnny J. Edwards
Grand Historian
Grand Lodge of Oregon A.F. & A. M.
After two years of scanning the Oregon Freemason Magazines from 1943-1983 are now available to view in full with the exception of a few years that are missing.
