St. John’s Lodge Account, 24 June 1731
St. John’s Lodge, Account3
MS Ledger (“Liber B”): Historical Society of Pennsylvania
| Benja. Frankline to Stok Dr: | Per Contra Cr: | ||||||||
| Ao.Dom. 1731 | Ao.Dom. 1731 | ||||||||
| June 24th | To: 5 Lodge days omition at 6d. per diem | £ | 2 | 6 | June 24th | To moneys recd. over Pluss of your Expences Entring | £2 | 2 | 7 |
| To: remainder of your £3 Entrance is £2 0 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | ||||||
| July 5 | To Stock for this Lodge day | 6 | July 5 | By moneys to Stock for this Lodge day | 6 | ||||
| August 2 | to Stock for this day | 6 | Augst. 2 | By moneys to Stock | 6 | ||||
| Septembr. 6th | to your monthly Quota 6d. | 6 | Septembr. 6th | By moneys you Pd. for monthly Quota | 6 | ||||
| octobr. 4 | to Quota | 6 | octobr. 4 | By moneys for Quota | 6 | ||||
| novembr. 5th | for absence 1s. and monthly Quota 6d. | 1 | 6 | ||||||
| Decembr. 6th | for Quota | 6 | decembr. 6th | By moneys Pd. | 1 | 6 | |||
| 2 | 6 | 7 | 2 | 6 | 1 | ||||
| 1731/2 | 1731/2 | ||||||||
| Jany. 3 | for Do. | 6 | Jany. 3d | By Do. | 6 | ||||
| febraery 7th | to Do. | 6 | febraery 7th | By Do. | 6 | ||||
| march 6 | for absence 1s. and Quota 6d. | 1 | 6 | ||||||
| 1732 | 1732 | ||||||||
| april the 3d | to Quota 6d. | 6 | April 3d | By Do. Quota and for Last time absence 2s. | 2 | 0 | |||
| may the 1 | for absence 1s. and Quota 6d. | 1 | 6 | ||||||
| June the 5 | for Quota 6d. | 6 | June 5 | By Quota 6d. | 6 | ||||
| £2 | 11 | 7 | £2 | 9 | 7 | ||||
| 19 | By moneys for absence and Quota | 1 | 6 | ||||||
| 2 | 11 | 1 | |||||||
| July 3 | for Quota | 6 | July 3d | By moneys for Quota 6d. | |||||
| augst. 7 | for Do. | 6 | augt 7 | By Do.6 | |||||
| Septembr. 4 | for Do. | 6 | Septembr. 4 | By Do.6 | |||||
| 1 6 | |||||||||
| 1 | 6 | ||||||||
| £2 | 12 | 7 | |||||||
| octobr. 19 | for do | 6 | |||||||
| novembr. 6 | for absence 1s. and Quota 6d. | 1 | 6 | ||||||
| decembr. 4 | for Ditto | 1 | 6 | ||||||
| 1732/3 | 1732/3 | ||||||||
| January 1st | for Quota | 6 | |||||||
| £2 | 16 | 7 | |||||||
| february 5 | for Do. | 6 | |||||||
| march 5 | for Do. | 6 | march 5 | By moneys paid | 4 | 6 | |||
| By moneys Lent the Lodge for Wm. Pringle 5s. | 5 | 0 | |||||||
| 3 | 2 | 1 | |||||||
| 1733 | |||||||||
| april 2d | for absence 1s. and Quota 6d. | 1 | 6 | ||||||
| may 7 | for Quota | 6 | |||||||
| June 4 | for Do. | 6 | |||||||
| £3 | 10 | 1 | |||||||
| July 2 | for Do. | 6 | July 2d | By moneys for Quota | 6 | ||||
| augst. 6 | for Do. | 6 | Augst. 6th | By Do. | 6 | ||||
| this day moneys Pd. you for daybook &c. | 15 | 0 | |||||||
| Septr. 3 | for Quota | 6 | |||||||
| 29 | for Quota | 6 | |||||||
| novembr. 5 | for Do. | 6 | novembr. 5th | By Do. | 6 | ||||
| 3 | 17 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 7 | ||||
| Cr. by Day booke 13s. | 13 | 0 | |||||||
| £3 | 16 | 7 | |||||||
| Xbr. [December]3 for do. | 6 | Dec. 3 | By Do. | 6 | |||||
| [1733/4] | [1733/4] | ||||||||
| Janry. 7 | for do. | 6 | Jan 7 | By Do. | 6 | ||||
| feb. 4 | for do. | 6 | |||||||
| March 4 | for do. | 6 | Mar 4 | By Do. | 6 | ||||
| £3 | 18 | 1 | |||||||
| June 3 | for do. | 1 | 6 | 1734 | By Cash recd. | 3 | |||
| 4 | 1 | 1 | See new Accot in Folio.4 | £4 | 1 | 1 | |||
| 1734/5 | |||||||||
| March 5 | By Cash recd. for 3 Qrly. Paymts. | £ | 4 | 6 | |||||
| 1735 | 1735 | ||||||||
| June 2 | To One Year’s Stock | £ | 6 | ||||||
| Dec. 1 | By Ditto for 2 Ditto | 3 | |||||||
| 1736 | 1736 | ||||||||
| Apl. 6 | By Ditto for 1 Ditto | 1 | 6 | ||||||
| June 7 | To Ditto | 6 | |||||||
| £ | 12 | ||||||||
| June 24 | By Ditto for a payment due the last Year | 1 | 6 | ||||||
| Do. | By Ditto in full to this Day | 1 | 6 | ||||||
| £ | 12 | ||||||||
| 1737 | 1737 | ||||||||
| June 7 | To Ditto | 0 | 6 | 0 | June 7 | By Cash in full | £1 | 7 | |
| Ditto | To the Lodge’s gen’rall Accot of Expence | 14 | 7 | ||||||
| £1 | 7 | ||||||||
| 1738 | |||||||||
| June 24 | To One Year’s Stock | £ | 6 | ||||||
3. BF was initiated into St. John’s Lodge of Masons in Philadelphia in February 1731. This account book shows that his attendance thereafter was regular: between July 5, 1731 and June 3, 1735, for example, he was present at 28 regular meetings and absent from only six. For each meeting he was charged sixpence as a contribution to the lodge’s “stock” or treasury, and for his absences he was fined a shilling in addition. The accounts were kept by at least three different treasurers. They were balanced June 19, 1732, June 1734, and June 7, 1737. For a page in facsimile see Julius F. Sachse, Benjamin Franklin as a Free Mason (Phila., 1906), facing p. 34.
4. The accounts are continued on later pages of the volume.