Birkhead, Matthew

Matthew Birkhead was an actor and singer at Drury Lane Theatre, London, who signed the Constitutions of 1723 (p. 74 thereof) as Master of the Lodge numbered V. He was author of the Enter'd 'Prentices Song, which was published in the same book (p. 84). He died December 30, 1722, shortly before the Constitutions were actually published. (See SONG, ENTER'D 'PRENTICES.) He was undoubtedly very popular within the Fraternity, for the account of his funeral in Read's Weekly Journal for January 12, 1723 states that his pall was borne by six Freemasons of the Drury Lane Playhouse, with a vast number of other Accepted Masons, all in white aprons. The notice describes him as Warden of his lodge.