about the Goose and Gridiron

The Goose and Gridiron was the name of an Ale-house in the City of London, located in the north of St. Paul's Churchyard, adjacent to the Cathedral.

The Ale-House used a sign derived from the coat of arms of a London guild or livery company, the Worshipful Company of Musicians - namely, a swan with expanded wings, argent, within a double tressure (the gridiron) counter flory. This was converted into a goose striking the bars of a gridiron with its foot, subsequently called "The Swan and Harp" or "Goose and Gridiron".

The building had five floors, including a basement, with the largest dining room, on the second floor, measuring about 14 x 21 feet. When the building was demolished about 1894, the sign was saved (see top right side of this blog).

On 24 June 1717 a combined meeting of four local Lodges of Freemasons was held at the Goose and Gridiron. One of the Lodges met there, having assumed the name of the ale-house.

According to Anderson's Constitutions, a Grand Lodge 'pro tempore' was formed at the Apple Tree Tavern in 1716, with no Grand Master elected and with no regulations or laws formulated. This meeting agreed to meet the following 24th June to form a Grand Lodge, at the Goose and Gridiron.

The meeting of 24 June 1717 (feast day of St. John the Baptist) was designated the Annual Assembly and Feast. Three additional annual meetings were subsequently specified by the original General Regulations; one on Michaelmas (in September), one just after Christmas (December 27 - birthday of St. John the Evangelist), and another on Lady Day (Annunciation Day, March 25).

The four Lodges elected Anthony Sayer, as the 'oldest Master Mason and then Master of a Lodge', as its Grand Master, agreeing to hold a 'Grand Feast' once a year. Sayer appointed his Grand Wardens and 'commanded the Master and Wardens of Lodges to meet the Grand Officers every Quarter in Communication.'

The 'Four Old Lodges' which formed the Grand Lodge are recorded as meeting as follows:

1. at the Goose and Gridiron Ale-house in St. Paul's Churchyard

2. at the Crown Ale-house in Parker's Lane near Drury Lane

3. at the Apple-Tree Tavern in Charles Street, Covent Garden

4. at the Rummer and Grapes Tavern in Channel Row, Westminster.

Each of the above lodges had a membership of 15 Freemasons each except for "Rummer & Grapes" which had 70 members.

From the meeting at the Goose and Gridiron grew the present day organisation of Freemasonry which now spans the world.