On Thursday, November 27, 1823, A.D., in the era of Knights Templar 705 A.O., an assembly of delegates from several Virginia Encampments of Knights Templar met in the Masons’ Hall in Winchester, Virginia. The following Sir Knights in were attendance:
Daniel W. Thomas, Warner Throckmorton, Conrad Kremer, and Samuel H. Davis from Winchester Encampment.
Jacob R. Thomas, John R. Hayden, Robert Blanchard, and Timothy Herrington from Warren Encampment.
Henry Seevers, William B. Whitney, Sutton I. Harris, and William Blanchard from Mt. Carmel Encampment.
At the meeting Sir Knight Daniel W. Thomas was elected chairman and Sir Knight Sutton I. Harris secretary of the assembly. The chairman briefed the object of the meeting, with a preamble, and a resolution to establish a Grand Encampment of Sir Knights and the Appendant Orders (Red Cross and Malta) in Winchester, Virginia, for the State of Virginia, and for the government, therefore. It was further resolved that the constitution of the Grand Encampment of the State of Virginia was to be framed by Winchester Encampment.
On Friday, November 28, 1823, the resolutions were ratified by the delegates and the Grand Encampment of the State of Virginia was organized with the following officers and to serve for the next twelve months:
- M.E. Sir Daniel Walker Thomas – Grand Master
- E. Sir Warner Throckmorton Deputy – Grand Master
- E. Sir Jacob R. Thomas – Grand Generalissimo
- E. Sir Henry Seevers – Grand Captain General
- E. Sir George Reed – Grand Prelate
- E. Sir Conrad Kremer – Grand Senior Warden
- E. Sir Samuel H. Davis – Grand Junior Warden
- E. Sir Sutton I. Harris – Grand Recorder
- E. Sir Peter Lauck – Grand Treasurer
- E. Sir Samuel H. Lauck – Grand Standard Bearer
- E. Sir Fountain Beckham – Grand Sword Bearer
- E. Sir Nahum W. Patch – Grand Warder
- E. Sir James Foster – Grand Sentinel
It was resolved that Winchester Encampment No. 1 would continue to work on the governance of the Grand Encampment of the State of Virginia. The resolution also granted the Subordinate Encampments and numbers until the next meeting of the Grand Encampment of the State of Virginia:
- Winchester Encampment No. 1
- Warren Encampment No. 2
- Mount Carmel Encampment No. 3
From the Mists of Time
From the Mists of Time is a deep dive into the historical beginnings of the Grand Commandery of Virginia. Below you will find the History of Templar Masonry in Virginia, a shorter version, and then the full version “From the Mists of Time”.
