▁known ▁when ▁the ▁first ▁Fre em ason ▁set ▁foot ▁in ▁the ▁American ▁col ony ▁of ▁New ▁York , ▁but ▁the ▁first ▁documented ▁presence ▁dates ▁from ▁the ▁mid - 1 7 3 0 s , ▁when ▁Daniel ▁C ox e , ▁Jr . ▁( 1 6 7 3 – 1 7 3 9 ), ▁was ▁appointed ▁by ▁the ▁Duke ▁of ▁Nor folk , ▁the ▁Grand ▁Master ▁of ▁the ▁Premier ▁Grand ▁L odge ▁of ▁England ▁( known ▁to ▁histor ians ▁as ▁the ▁" Mod ern s "), ▁to ▁act ▁as ▁a ▁Provin cial ▁Grand ▁Master ▁for ▁the ▁provinces ▁of ▁New ▁York , ▁New ▁Jersey , ▁and ▁Pennsylvania . ▁As ▁no ▁authentic ated ▁records ▁exist ▁of ▁his ▁ten ure ▁as ▁Provin cial ▁Grand ▁Master , ▁it ▁seems ▁doubt ful ▁that ▁he ▁exerc ised ▁any ▁authority ▁in ▁ ▁Mason ic ▁endeav ors ▁as ▁he ▁died ▁a ▁few ▁years ▁after ▁his ▁appointment . ▁ ▁From ▁ 1 7 3 8 ▁to ▁the ▁ 1 7 8 0 s , ▁additional ▁W arr ants ▁were ▁issued ▁by ▁G LE ▁( Mod ern s ) ▁to ▁Francis ▁Go e let ▁( 1 7 3 8 – 1 7 5 3 ), ▁to ▁George ▁Harrison ▁( 1 7 5 3 – 1 7 7 1 ) ▁and ▁to ▁Sir ▁John ▁Johnson ▁( 1 7 7 1 – ? ). ▁As ▁Johnson ▁was ▁a ▁supp orter ▁of ▁the ▁British ▁during ▁the ▁American ▁Revolution , ▁he ▁is ▁believed ▁to ▁have ▁taken ▁his ▁war rant ▁with ▁him ▁when ▁he ▁fled ▁to ▁Canada , ▁thus