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| Grand Council of Royal and Select Masters of New Jersey Proceedings of 1860. |
Today is the anniversary of the death in 1867 of T.I. Moses Coddington, the first Master of my Cryptic Council, Scott No. 1, in New Jersey.
I know this because I received an email earlier this week from Comp. Nick, who is researching the early days of the Grand Council of Royal and Select Masters of New Jersey, founded in 1860. I gave him what little information I had and referred him to the Masonic Temple Library and Museum in Philadelphia to find hard copies of New Jersey Grand Council’s early books of proceedings which, I’m only assuming, it inventories. And I sent him the above snippet of the first book of proceedings, which I’ve published on this blog a couple of times in recent years. Reading it anew, I noted the names of the three Cryptic Masons representing Scott Council 12 at the convention in New Brunswick that established Jersey’s Grand Council.
Scott 12, as you can see, was chartered by Pennsylvania’s Cryptic Grand Council (it met in New Brunswick). Upon creation of the Grand Council of New Jersey, Scott 12 became Scott 1, and Companion Coddington became its inaugural T.I.M.
So I took a quick look online for any information on Coddington and, to my surprise, there is some biography. From Find a Grave:
Moses Coddington
BIRTH 8 Feb 1826
New Brunswick, Middlesex County, New Jersey
DEATH 7 Jun 1867 (aged 41)
New Brunswick, Middlesex County, New Jersey
BURIAL
Willow Grove Cemetery New Brunswick, Middlesex County, New Jersey
Moses Coddington was born 1826 in New Brunswick, Middlesex County, NJ, the eldest of 10 known surviving children (6 boys/4 girls) born to grocery clerk David Coddington and his wife, Deborah Van Derveer. He was the paternal grandson of Moses Coddington & Elizabeth Hutchins Bonney of Bound Brook, Somerset Co; and gr-grandson of David Coddington & Ann Stone of Woodbridge, Middlesex County, NJ.
He is a direct descendant of this family’s patriarch, Stockdale Coddington (ca. 1569-aft 1650) of Surry, England who traveled to the New World with his (1st) wife, Sarah Wood, eventually settling in Rockingham County, Vermont. This branch of the Coddingtons were later in Boston, MA until descendant John Coddington, II (1653-1715) removed to Woodbridge, NJ, where he was Constable in 1692. He was the maternal grandson Garret Van Derveer & Deborah Voorhees of Three Mile Run, Somerset County, NJ.
Moses attended public schools in New Brunswick and graduated Rutgers in 1845, after which he began his career as a bank cashier. On August 2, 1849 the 23-year old married 20-year old Caroline Amanda Runyon, daughter of Clarkson Runyon and Matilda Carman Mundy of Middlesex County. The couple would have one child: George Conover Coddington (1853-54), who died in infancy. The marriage was short-lived as Caroline died six years into the marriage. Caroline was buried in Willow Grove near her parents and infant son.
Three years later, Moses married (2nd) Emilie Mercien DuPuy, the 20-year old daughter of Episcopal Rev. Ephraim and Isabelle DuPuy. Moses and Emilie would become parents to one known child, Herbert DuPuy Coddington (1861-90). Moses and Emilie would be married just 9 years, as he passed in 1867 at age 41 succumbing to tuberculosis. He was buried in Willow Grove, but would later by joined by Emilie and his son.
Following her husband’s death, Emilie and their 6-year old son moved in with her parents, who were then in Warren County, NJ where her father was pastor of the Knowlton Church. Emilie died young as well, passing 4 years later in 1871 at age 33 in Madison, NJ, where her father had taken another post. The Rev. DuPuy and his wife then took over the care of their orphaned grandson, Herbert, who was last found at age 19 in lower Manhattan living with his grandparents, following in his father’s footsteps, working as a Bank Clerk. Herbert died in 1890 at age 28, and is buried near his parents in Willow Grove.
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| Grand Lodge of New Jersey 1868 proceedings, showing Union Lodge 19’s returns, notes Coddington’s death. |
Thus far, it looks to me like his cemetery plot might not be locatable. More than twenty years ago, researchers with New Brunswick Free Public Library spent two summers recording the data off readable headstones, but the Coddingtons’ do not seem to be among them.
Also, apparently Coddington did not graduate Rutgers in 1845, as stated above, but entered the college then at age nineteen. This book shows him graduating with an Artium Baccalaureatus with the Class of ’48 and earning an Artium Magister in ’51:
Being from and in New Brunswick, I figure Coddington was at labor in Union Lodge 19. (Union and Scott Chapter 4 RAM and Scott 1 RSM have been kin since the 1850s, and were under the same roof then as they are now.) Sure enough, Grand Lodge of New Jersey records show him as a Past Master in 1858 of Union 19 (not to be confused with Union 11 in Orange—today’s Livingston 11). Proceedings do not show which year he presided in the East, but he was Treasurer (remember, he worked in banking) in 1861.
Royal Arch Grand Chapter records of 1860 have him as the M.E.H.P. of Scott 4 from September 1, 1859 to September 1, 1860. In Grand Council, Coddington was its Deputy Grand Master during most of its first year until new elections were held. He did not become M.I. Grand Master.
I see Coddington appears to have been a significant name in the state’s history, based on my little reading. Not because of our late Brother, who simply died too young, but likely because of his forebears. A notable number of streets in the central area of Jersey carry that moniker.
Oddly enough, the Potentate of Crescent Shrine, not far away in Westhampton, is Vincent P. “Champ” Coddington, Jr. I’ll reach out to ask if there’s a possible relation.
It’s amazing what can be found online in only a few minutes. I’ll keep looking into him, but since today is the anniversary of Bro. Coddington’s death, I just wanted to remember him in this edition of The Magpie Mason.
