FREEMASON. 
5 
wash or ink and wash, and he also worked in sepia and water 
colours, these being highly finished in the typical dark tones of 
the period. He made drawings of the Minster fires and the 
musical festivals, which were reproduced by lithography ; some of 
these were coloured by hand. The earlier festivals were shown 
without figures, but those for the 1828 festival have figures of the 
crowd and orchestra. 
John Brown was a Freemason, having been, in November, 1825, 
initiated as a member of the Union Lodge, No. 287, then held at 
the Falcon Inn, in Micklegate. Soon after he spelt his own name 
with an “e” at the end. His Royal Arch Certificate “ Unanimity 
Chapter” attached to the Union Lodge is dated 1827. Within 
four years of being admitted a Mason he was installed Worshipful 
Master, and again held that office in December 1836. In the 
following April he presided when the Records of the Grand Lodge 
of All England, formerly held at York, were presented to the 
“ Union,” now York Lodge, by Bro. Captain Blanchard. In 
December Browne was appointed Secretary to the Lodge, and in 
1841 he was Secretary for the Acting Committee to make arrange¬ 
ments for the Provincial Grand Lodge and Special Grand Lodge 
to be held at the Mansion House, on which occasion H.R.H. the 
Duke of Sussex was on the throne. This was held in the State 
Room, and was attended by the Lodge and the Province of the 
North and East Riding, as well as those in the West Riding. On 
November i8th, 1842, the WTrshipful Master read a communica¬ 
tion from Bro. Browne tendering his resignation as Secretary, 
and also communicating his intention of ceasing to continue as 
a subscribing member.'’' 
The History of the Minster was approaching completion when 
the Royal Archaeological Institute met at York in July, 1846. On 
July 22nd, Prof. Willis delivered a lecture on “ The Architectural 
^For Browne’s Masonic career I am indebted to Mr. Walter Makins. In 
1864 Browne presented to his old Lodge nine Masonic books, viz.; the extremely 
rare “Anderson’s Constitutions,” 1738 (Bridge Frodsham’s (Mpy) ; “Anderson’s 
Constitutions,” 1767 ; Dr. Oliver’s “ Twelve Lectures on Freemasonry,” 1826 ; 
Brown’s “ Master Key,” 1802 ; the “ Book M,” 1736, pub. Newcastle; Sermon 
by Rev. John Parker (Grand Chaplain) Vicar of St. Helen’s, York, preached at 
Rotherham Church, before the Grand Lodge of All England at the dedication of 
the Druidical Lodge, pub. York, 1779 ; ” Abstract of Laws for Royal Arch 
Masons,” London, 1786 (only one other copy known) ; Essay on “Freemasonry” 
by Bro. C. Wood, of the Theatre Royal, York ; and “ The Statutes of the Knights 
Templars,” 1791. 
