Richard [Nicholls] Harison / Harrison - Onondaga and Oswego ...

with 12 guns, which his brother, Capt. Morely Harison, commanded. In 1765 he went into the brewing business with his father-in-law
and James Leedbeater, a professional brewer. d. April 18, 1773.
Appointed by Sir John Proby (25 Nov 1725-18 Oct 1772), 1st Baron (Lord) Carysfort, Grand Master of the Premier Grand Lodge of
England, 1752-53.
http://books.google.com/books?id=pmAEAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA277&lpg=PA277&dq=%22george+harrison%22+%22grand+master%2
2&source=web&ots=eRNAGL3jJj&sig=7fKp4XpF9pOL18Va3zodUU-YKgw#PPA277,M1
A public service in Trinity Church on the festival of St. John the Evangelist is noticed in the Mercury of December 31, in the following
manner:
"On Thursday last, at a Grand Lodge of the Antient and Worshipful Fraternity of FREE AND ACCEPTED MASONS, a Commission
from the Honourable JOHN PROBY, Baron of Carysfort, in the Kingdom of Ireland, GRAND MASTER of England, appointing
GEORGE HARRISON, Esq., to be Provincial Grand Master, was solemnly published, we hear, to the universal Satisfaction of all the
Brethren present. After which, it being the Festival of St. John the Evangelist, the Brethren went in Procession, to attend Divine
Service at Trinity Church. The Order in which they proceeded, was as follows. First walked the SWORD BEARER, carrying a drawn
Sword; then four STEWARDS, with white Maces ; followed by the TREASURER and SECRETARY, who bore each a crimson
Damask Cushion, on which lay a gilt Bible, and the Book of Constitutions ; after these the GRAND WARDEN, and WARDENS: Then
came the GRAND MASTER himself, bearing a Trunchion and other Badges of his Office, followed by the Rest of the Brotherhood,
according to their respective Ranks, MASTERS, FELLOW-CRAFTS, and 'PRENTICES, to about the Number of Fifty; all cloathed
with their Jewels, Aprons, white Gloves, and Stockings. The whole ceremony was concluded with the utmost Decorum, under a
Discharge of Guns from some Vessels in the Harbour; and made a genteel Appearance. We hear, they afterwards confer'd a
generous Donation of Fifteen Pounds from the publick Stock of the Society, to be expended in Cloathing the poor Children,
belonging to our Charity-School; and made a handsome private Contribution for the Relief of indigent Prisoners.
"In the Evening, by the particular Request of the Brethren, a Comedy called The Conscious Lovers, was presented at the Theatre in
Nassau Street, to a very crouded Audience. Several Pieces of vocal Mustek, in Praise of the Fraternity, were performed between
the Acts. An Epilogue, suitable to the Occasion, was pronounced by Mrs. Hallam, with all the Graces of Gesture, and Propriety of
Elocution; and met with a universal and loud Applause."
http://www.phoenixmasonry.org/10,000_famous_freemasons/Volume_2_E_to_J.htm page 183.
George Harison (1719-1773) Fourth Provincial Grand Master of New York (English constitution). b. in England. He changed the
spelling of his family name which had contained two "r's." His father, the Hon. Francis Harrison, Esq. of Berkshire, England, came to
NY, with Governor Lovelace in 1708, where he served as a member of the provincial council, recorder of the City of New York, and
judge of the admiralty court. He later fell into political disfavor and returned to England, leaving his family in America. Son George
visited him in England in 1738, and returned home with an appointment to the office of surveyor of customs in NY. He married Jane,
daughter of Richard Nicholls, a prominent NY citizen, on 3 Sep 1740. On June 8, 1753 he was made Provincial Grand Master of
New York by Baron Carysfoot. He was in charge of the celebration of St. John the Baptist on 25 Jun 1753, at the King's Arms
Tavern, and again that fall, at the celebration of the Feast of St. John the Evangelist. A full account of these ceremonies was
published in the New York Mercury on 31 Dec 1753.
The paper was owned by Hugh Gaine, Secretary of the Grand Lodge, and he took the opportunity to refute the charges against
Freemasonry by drawing attention to their acts of public and private charity. Freemasonry grew under Harison's leadership, and by
1771 there were seven lodges in New York City, two at Albany, one at Johnstown, one at Fairfield, Norfolk, Stratford, and Stamford,
CT, and even one at Detroit, Michigan — all deriving their authority from New York. He was one of the original vestrymen of Old
Trinity Church and was also the owner of the brigantine, Charming Sally, with 12 guns, which his brother, Capt. Morely Harison,
commanded. In 1765 he went into the brewing business with his father-in-law and James Leedbeater, a professional brewer. d. April
18, 1773.
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“Freemasonry in the Thirteen Colonies,” by J. Hugo Tatsch, pages 64 and 180.
http://books.google.com/books?id=MT8TG7sHDoAC&pg=PA64&lpg=PA64&dq=%22george+harison%22+%22connecticut%22&sou
rce=bl&ots=lpP_OQi9Sj&sig=09fLchix2d1kTrjp3SPqya5PPy4&hl=en&ei=ArXcTL_ePMaAlAesrNzcBQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=re
sult&resnum=10&ved=0CDEQ6AEwCQ#v=onepage&q=%22george%20harison%22%20%22connecticut%22&f=false
The fourth Provincial Grand Master of New York, George Harison, was installed 27 Dec 1756 at Trinity Church. With his coming the
Craft in New York entered upon a new epoch. He warranted the following Lodges:
St. John’s No. 2 [now No. 1], New York
Independent Royal Arch No. 8 [now No. 2], New York
St. Patrick’s No. 8 [now No. 4], Johnstown, NY
King Solomon’s No. 7 [extinct]
Masters’ No. 2 [now No. 5], Albany, NY
King David’s Lodge [moved to Newport, RI; now extinct]
Solomon’s No. 1, Poughkeepsie, NY
Temple, Trinity, Union and Hiram Lodge, not as yet
satisfactorily accounted for.
He also confirmed the warrant of Union Lodge No. 1, Albany, NY on 12 Feb 1765.
* ST. JOHN'S LODGE, FAIRFIELD, CT
http://www.ctfreemasons.net/index2.php?option=com_content&do_pdf=1&id=345
St. John’s No. 1 [later No. 3, Fairfield *, [later Bridgeport as No.
2], CT – 12 Feb 1762; Eleazer Hubbell, Master
St. John’s No. 1, Norwalk, CT – 23 May 1765.
St. John’s No. 1 [Union Lodge], Stamford, Horseneck and ‘parts
adjacent,’ CT – 18 Nov 1764; In later years it met as
Greenwich, but it is now Union Lodge No. 5 of Stamford.
St. John’s No. 8, Stratford, CT – 27 Apr 1766.
Zion No. 1, Detroit, Michigan
St. John’s No. 1, Newark, NJ
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