A Look Back At the History of the Most Royal Prince Hall Grand Court, Order of Cyrene in the State of New York By Sir Ludwick S. Hall Honorary Past Royal Grand Chief Engineer
The Order of Cyrene is composed of members of the Order of the Temple (Knights Templar), their wives, widows, mothers, sisters, and daughters. The Order of Cyrene was first established in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1884 by John Elzey, Sr., John Elezy Jr. and Isaac L.W. Holland, members of the United Grand Commandery, Knights Templar of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. They ado pted the name “The Order of Cyrene, the organization that is today the Auxiliary to the Knights Templar ,” after Simon, the Cyrenian, the good Samaritan who assisted our Savior Jesus Christ, bear His Cross from Jerusalem to Golgotha. The first Court of the Order of Cyrene, St. James Royal Court was established in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1884. 1 Between 1884 and 1888, with the assistance of the members of St. James Royal Court, four additional Cyrene Courts, St. Mary’s Royal C ourt in Chester, Pennsylvania, Mount Calvary Royal Court No. 3 in Cambridge, Massachusetts, St. Albion Royal Court No. 4 in Wilmington, Delaware and Magdalene Royal Court No. 5 in Baltimore, Maryland, were established. With the minimum number of Courts existing in the Jurisdiction, a governing body for the Order of Cyrene, known as the Supreme Grand Court Order of Cyrene of the United States was subsequently organized. Its first principal officers were: Royal Lady, Harriett A. Blake, the Supreme Grand Commandress, Sir Issac Holland, Supreme Grand Commander in Chief, Royal Lady, T. Cooper, Right Royal Deputy Grand Commandress and Royal Lady, Mary Grass, Right Royal Magdalene. 1 When the Order of Cyrene was first organized, the Royal Grand Commandress was known as; ‘The Supreme Grand Commandress and the Royal Grand Chief Engineer was known as: Supreme Grand Comma nder in Chief.” By the year 1896, there had been an accelerated expa nsion of the Grand Court, with additional Courts established in the following cities: Simon Royal Court No. 6 in Media, Pennsylvania, Ivanhoe Royal Court No. 7 in New York City, Lewis Hayden Royal Court No. 8 in Boston, Massachusetts, Cyrene Royal Court No. 9 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Jerusalem Royal Court No. 10 in Westchester, Pennsylvania, St. Johns Royal Court No. 11, in Providence, Rhode Island, Simon Royal Court No. 12, in Reading, Pennsylvania and St. Paul’s Royal Court No. 13, in Wheeling, West V irginia. 1 . In 1877, Ivanhoe Commandery No. 5 was warranted as a subordinate Commandery of the M.E. Grand Commandery, Knights Templar of the Jurisdiction of New York. 1 In 1881 at 114 West 54 th Street in New York City, the Wives Widows, Mothers, Sisters, and Daughters of the Knights of Ivanhoe Commandery organized themselves into a unit which they called the Helping Hand Society, to assist the members of the Commandery with its programs and social activities. Known as Helping Hand Auxiliary No. 1, Sister Nanny Jones was elected its Presiding Officer and Sir Knight James McCadden its Chief Advisor. Being aware of the existence of the Supreme Grand Court Order of Cyrene for the United States of America, in Philadelphia, the members of Helping Hand Auxiliary in New York petitioned and affiliated with the Supreme Grand Court, Order of Cyrene for the United States of America, and it was warranted as Ivanhoe Royal Court No. 7. Ivanhoe Royal Court was the first Cyrene Court established in the State of New York In 1885, the wives, widows, sisters mothers and daughters of the members of Gethsemane Commandery No. 3 in Brooklyn New York organized themselves into Helping Hand Auxiliary No. 2, 1 their first Chief Advisor was George William Augustus Murray. Sir Knight Murray, a member of Paul
Drayton Commandery No. 2, served as the Chief Advisor of Helping Hand Auxiliary No. 2 until his death on July 30, 1905. 1 In 1904 the United Grand Commandery of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania accepted the Order of Cyrenes as its Auxiliary. 1
In 1914 through the efforts of Sisters, Margaret Goosley, Sylvia Carter, S. Van Pelt and Mary E. Green, and Sir Knight, Thomas H. Wright, the members of Helping Hand Auxiliary No. 2 in Brooklyn were given the Cyrene Degrees by the Supreme Grand Court, Order of Cyrene of the United States of America, and was established as Nazarene Royal Court. Anna Rudolph was elected to serve as its Royal Commandress. Pursuant to the establishment of the new Court, Royal Lady Bettie E. DeToscano and Sir, Engineer, James McCadden were designated Deputies for the State of New York by the Supreme Grand Court, Order of Cyrene for the United States of America. 1 Also in 1914 Royal Lady, DeToscano, with the assistance of Royal Lady, Margaret Goosely of Brooklyn, and Royal Lady, Mary Nathan of Manhattan, all members of Ivanhoe Royal Court No. 7, obtained permission from M.E., Sir Henry Spencer, Grand Commander, of the M.E. Grand Commandery, Knights Templar of the State of New York, to form a Grand Court, Order of Cyrene for the State of New York. 1 Between 1914 and 1918, Royal Ladies Mary Nathan and Lena Lee formed a club of 100 Ladies in Manhattan for the purpose of forming a third Cyrene Court. The members of the club were given the Cyrene degrees in an Occasional Grand Court and designated as Bethany Royal Court No. 6 of the Supreme Grand Court, Order of Cyrene of the United States of America. In 1918 at the Annual Grand Session of the Supreme Grand Court of America,
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