[From The Memoirs of William Hickey, Vols. I, III & IV.]

1787-1790

ON THE SOCIETY OF THE "BUCKS"

About this period (1768 ?) my brother Henry proposed introducing me to a society he said he was sure I should like, and in the evening took me to Globe tavern in Craven Street when I was directly initiated as a Buck, and as Henry had predicted, was much pleased, all being laugh and pleasantry. I found a set of young men accoutered in splendid ornaments, arranged in great form, one who presided being elevated about three feet above the rest. In about an hour after my admission all the business of the meeting being finished, the Lodge was closed, when every person did as he pleased. Some ordered supper in detached parties of from three to six, others only drank wine, or punch as fancy led. The eating being over, the best singing I ever heard commenced, There I had the pleasure to hear Dodd, the player, sing his famous song of "Cease rude Boreas," and a charming performance he made it. He was followed by Hook, Champnes, Banister, Dibdin, and many other celebrated voices, who were all members of the Lodge, which was distinguished by the name of "The Euphrates." There I spent a night of infinite gratification.

Shortly after my admission, John Wilkes, then a prisoner in the King's Bench, was proposed as an honorary Brother, which being unanimously agreed to, a deputation was nominated, of which they did me the honor to make me one, to communicate the same to him, to pass through the customary ceremonials and to invest him with the Insignia of the Order. Having given him due notice, we two days after waited upon him at his apartments in the King's Bench prison, where he received us most graciously; expressed himself highly honored and flattered by the attention of so ancient and respectable a society as the Bucks, upon which he bestowed an elegant encomium. Of his speech he, upon our special request, gave a copy in writing, which we begged his permission to have inserted in the registry of the Lodge, which was done accordingly. There were many other Lodges in London, all of which occasionally visited each other in all their state. In November the Lodge called "The Macedonian" gave a very splendid entertainment at the London tavern to upwards of six hundred ladies and gentlemen, at which I was present. (Vol. I, pp. 119-120)

I became a regular attendant at the Euphrates Lodge of Bucks. . . . (Vol. I, p. 261)

(1787)

Having several friends to dine with me, the conversation happened to turn upon the subject of the fraternity of Bucks, when some of the company expressed a wish that a Lodge might be established in Calcutta, and I was requested to ascertain whether there were a sufficient number of that Society to form a Lodge. (Vol. III, p. 321)

The result of my enquiries respecting the Bucks was that there were besides myself five other gentlemen residing in Calcutta who were members of that Society. There names were Francis Rundell, Phinehas Hall, Arthur Mair, Haldane, and William Golding, and as four were fully competent to form a Lodge it was immediately determined to set it on foot, and as a great number of gentlemen had entreated to be admitted a meeting was summoned at my house of the original members, for the purpose of framing rules and establishing all requisite preliminaries. (i.bid., p. 322)

The 10th of November being the day previously fixed upon the five original Bucks met at my house, when Mr. Mair and Lieutenant Golding, who had every particular as to the form to be observed in constituting a Lodge within their recollection, as also the ceremony of making or admitting a new member, committed in writing every circumstance, which. being read and approved were adopted Mr. Mair likewise undertook to bespeak and superintend the making of the different jewels and regalia worn by the Officers; at the express desire of the party present I consented to be at the head and was immediately nominated "Noble Grand," my supporter being Messrs. Rundell and Hall. Mair accepted the troublesome office of Secretary. Among our rules and regulations it was determined to limit the number of members to twenty-five, as being likely to render the Lodge select and respectable as well as to make it the object of pleasant men to become members. Upon comparing the list of friends each of us had who were desirous of belonging to the Society, we found considerably more candidates than were required to fill the Lodge; the gentlemen, I as Noble Grand proposed, were George Elliot, Michael George Prendergast, John Addison, Stephen Bayard, John Wilson and John Melville. (p. 325)

Our Bucks Society went on famously and was so popular that our Secretary's book was filled with the names of candidates for admission. We therefore, after some debate upon the point, extended the number of members to thirty-five; this increase, with the departure of several of the Brothers from the Presidency, made the number to be elected nineteen. Amongst the candidate was that troublesome fellow Davison......

Upon the establishment of the Bucks Society, Davison expressed an earnest wish to belong to it; for some time I parried his applications to me by telling him I had already the names of more friends to bring forward than could come in turn for a long time. Yet he persisted in saying he was sure I could secure his election if I chose it, that he knew he was unpopular, that unless he had my avowed support he should never succeed, and that if I proposed him the Lodge would, in compliment to me as their President, elect him; in short, he continued so importunate that I at last consented to propose him; . . . . Upon inspecting the box there were only two black balls, these, how ever, being sufficient to exclude him, . . . . the Secretary told me he had good reason to believe that the black balls were put in by mistake; the gentlemen, therefore, wished to ballot again. . . . A second ballot then took place, and the candidate was duly elected. . . .

The election for the Noble Grand being annual, and my year drawing towards the conclusion, I directed the Secretary to issue notice to every member to attend for the purpose of choosing a new Noble Grand. Upon the day appointed every member in Calcutta attended except Mr. Davison; the balloting-box being opened, it was found that every gentleman present had voted for me, there being no other name in it but that of Mr. Rundell, which was put in by me. The Secretary upon declaring upon whom the election had fallen, was pleased to pay me some high compliments: I became a second time the President.

Mr. Davison, although every person seemed disgusted at his doing it, continued to abuse and ridicule the Bucks. . . He ended his vulgar attacks by saying none but blackguards belonged to it. (pp. 334-8)

* * * *

(I790)

When my health declined so much as to induce me first; to leave off wine, and afterwards to try what a voyage would do, I thought it prudent to give up the office of Noble Grand of the Society of Bucks and accordingly deliver in my resignation, whereupon Mr. George Elliot was elected in my stead. On my return from Madras I received a summing to attend a Lodge, which I obeyed. Upon my entering the room the newly chosen Noble Grand addressed me in a very flattering and highly complimentary speech, which having finished, he, in his own name and names of the Lodge in general presented me with a very rich and handsome jewel, to be worn as the French order of the Croix ode St. Louis formerly used to be, that is, suspended to a ribbon tied to the third buttonhole of the coat. It was made in the form of a star, the diameter thereof being about three inches. In the center was a stag couchant, of gold, upon a blue and green ground of enamel, the words "Honor, the reward of merit" being engraved round the circle that enclosed the stag. The star itself was beautifully set with one hundred and forty small brilliants that sparkled prodigiously. On the reverse was very neatly engraved the following words: "Presented by the Asiatic Bucks Lodge to Noble Buck William Hickey, their first Noble Grand, as a mark of respect on his quitting the Chair in November 1790, after I holding the office three years." . . . (Vol. IV, pp. 22-23).

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