Schism : The Battle That Forged Freemasonry (9781782840060) by Berman Ric

Author:Berman, Ric
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Independent Pub Group
Published: 2014-09-25T16:00:00+00:00

JOHN REVIS

In 1723, John Revis (—?–1765) was Junior Warden of the Crown & Anchor lodge close to St Clements Church, a few steps away from Jesse’s house in Clement’s Lane.112 Two years later, the lodge had moved to the Star and Garter in Covent Garden and Revis had become Senior Warden.113 In 1728, the lodge relocated to the Globe in the Strand and Revis had become its Master and a Grand Steward.114 Revis also featured in the minutes of Grand Lodge three years later on 24 June 1731, described as the Master of the Queen’s Head, Great Queen Street, in connection with a petition seeking relief for a fellow mason – North Stainer – who had been imprisoned for debt. Revis supported the petition and had ‘taken the trouble of going to [Stainer’s] creditors’; he reported that they would accept 2s 6d in the pound in full discharge of their debts.115 An enthusiastic freemason, Revis was appointed Grand Secretary on 30 March 1734. He held the position for twenty-three years until 1757, when he was appointed DGM, serving until 1763. He held active office eighteen years longer than any of his peers.

Revis was born in Newport Pagnell, Buckinghamshire, the son of an apothecary.116 He moved to London and worked, apparently successfully, as a lace and linen draper. However, he was not a member of the Drapers’ Company. The electoral roll confirms his address near Charing Cross and that he voted for Sir George Vandeput, a candidate for the Independent Electors of Westminster in the 1749 elections.117 Revis was also one of several signatories who testified to the effectiveness of ‘Mr Godfrey’s Fire Machines’ in extinguishing a fire in Charing Cross on 2 August 1724; a certificate to the effect was published in the London Gazette on 8 and 11 August 1724. There is no record of a marriage. Obituary notices following his death on 3 September 1765 confirm his occupation, residence and charitable activities:118

Tuesday night last died, at Rochester, [on] his way to London, John Revis, Esq.; formerly a linen draper at Charing Cross; much esteemed for his honesty and integrity while in business, and whose death will be severely felt by many people, as he always took delight in relieving the distressed, and has left the most convincing proof of his humane and charitable disposition towards the poor, having for many years since built alms houses at Newport Pagnell, Bucks., the place of his nativity, with a generous endowment: but too sensible will the poor in general be of the loss of so good a friend to enumerate his many other amiable qualities would exceed the bound of this paper.119

The seven almshouses in Newport Pagnell financed by Revis in the mid-1750s still stand and the charity he founded and endowed continues.120 His bequest and the death of his mother and sisters are commemorated in the parish church of St Peter and St Paul and the underlying conveyances, trustees and value of the endowment, then some £3,700, are described in A History of Newport Pagnell.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.