Celebration Of The 50th Anniversary Of The Hertford Lodge.

CELEBRATION OF THE 50 TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE HERTFORD LODGE .

THE brethren of the Hertford Lodge , No . 403 , held a Lodge of Emergency on Tuesday the 21 st ult ., at the Shire Hall , Hertford , for the purpose of celebrating the Fiftieth Anniversary of the establishment of this Lodge . The present W . M ., Bro . Stephen Austin , was one of the first who were initiated in the Lodge after its inauguration so that the celebration was rendered the more

interesting as marking the fiftieth year of that brother's membership of the Lodge . There was a large attendance of members , together with several visitors from neighbouring Lodges . After the transaction of the routine business of the Lodge , Bro . T . S . Carter P . M . P . P . J . G . W ., in the name of the members of the Lodge , presented Bro . Austin with a handsome dining-room clock , a pair of antique bronze ewers , and an address illuminated and framed , of which the following is a copy : —

To the Worshipful Bro . Stephen Austin P . P . G . Sup . Wks . Herts , W . M . and P . M . of the Hertford Lodge , No . 403 . We , the members of the Hertford Lodge , No . 403 , npon the occasion of celebrating its jubilee , most fraternally request your acceptance of the accompanying timepiece as a slight token of our esteem and regard , and as a memento of your having been one of our firstinitiated members . Wo congratulate you upon the completion of

your 50 th year in Freemasonry , knowing that you havo been during those years a continuous subscribing member of one and tho same Lodge—a fact unprecedented in the annals of the Craft . We earnestly trust that the Great Architect of the Universe will in his infinite wisdom grant you health and strength for many years , that you may bo enabled to witness the growth and continued prosperity of the Order , and afford this Lodgo the advantage of yonr matured experience .

The W . M . feelingly acknowledged the presentation , alluding to the jubilee character of the proceedings . The valuable articles presented to him would , he said , be placed in his house in such a position that his children and those who came after him might at all times look upon them and see a memento of the appreciation in which he was held by the members of his Lodge as a true , tried , and valued friend .

In the course of his remarks he said that a brother had recently waited upon him with a manuscript containing a history of tho Lodge , compiled from its minutes . He had added to this an article from Tumor ' s History of Hertford , giving a brief history of the Craft , a list of the members of tho Lodge from its foundation to the present time , lists of joining members and honorary members , and a Ksfc of

Worshipful Masters , from the first Master of tho Lodge downwards , and thinking that a copy of these documents wonld be interesting to the members , he had had copies printed in the form of a book , one of which he asked each member of the Lodge and each visitor to accept . Tho Lodgo having been closed , tho members and visitors adjourned to tbe Assembly Room , where the banquet was served .

The W . M . presided at the festive board , having among his guests the R . W . Bro . T . F . Halsey , M . P ., Prov . G . M ., Bros . F . H . Wilson lies , M . D ., D . P . G . M ., A . W . Nash W . M . 409 P . A . G . D . C , T . Evskine Anstin P . M . 475 , R . J . Abbott P . M . 1473 , R . Freer Anstin 1591 , Stephen Anstin jun . 403 , W . M . Armstrong P . M . 403 , J . E . Da <» g 449 , David Roberts P . M . 754 , H . C . Finch P . P . G . Regr . P . M . 404 ,

Goo . Turner 70 , Fredk . Vonables W . M . 1385 P . P . G . P ., Havward Edwards P . M . 1385 , John Lowthin P . M . 1385 P . P . G . S . W ., J . Childs 453 , George Corbie 453 P . P . G . J . W . Essex , John Purrott W . M . 1479 P . G . S . B ., and Malcolm Heywood P . P . G . Orgt . 403 . In due course the usual toasts wero introduced , the Chairman , in proposing the first stated it was one ho was sure would be received with all the

enthusiasm it so richly deserved . To do justice to it required more eloquence than ho could command , but he considered himself ( whatever he may havo been in the past ) to be one of the most loyal men in tho kingdom . The time was when people wero not so loyal as they were now , but the effect of the excellent example set by Her Majesty ns a rnler , as a wife , as a mother , and in all her other relations to tho

community , had been most marvellous , and such as to develop the loyal feelings of all her subjects to their fullest extent . The toast was drunk with great applause , the company singing " God save the Queen . " The W . M . next proposed the health of "Tho M . W . the Grand Master ( H . E . H . the Princo of Wales ) , " in doing so he said it was needless for him to enlogise His Eoyal Highness , or to describe

his merits to the present company . He was constantly before the public , and all that he did was open to their gaze . There was a time iu the history of the country when a Princo of Wales acted in a contrary spirit , and when , instead of coming among his peopleina way that wonld make him respected , admired , and loved by them , as his Royal Highness now cMd , he kept himself aloof , and madohimself obnoxious .

Such a . time was even within his own recollection . He was that day thinking over what he shonld say on this point , when he came upon an Aylesbury newspaper which published weekly some interesting notes from an old diary , and among other items he saw this notice : — " 1795 , " —very nearly a hundred years ago— " June 24 . The Prince of Wales ' s debts paid by Parliament , " and what did they think tho

amount was ? £ 639 , 829 . Now , just let them fancy that sort of thing , and then let them look at the immense contrast afforded by the present Prince of Wales . Thoy never heard of such a state of things now-a-days , and he did not believe they ever would hear of it . Some people might think it did not show good taste in him to refer to things of the past in this way , but the contrast was so pleasing that he thought he was justified in doing so , and in congratulating them it

npon . They were indebted to the Prince of Wales for tho great interest he took in every thing affecting their domestic l fe , and " also for the example he set them in respect to his conduct as a husband , and as a father towards his own children . From time to time they saw in papers of a certain class innendoes affecting tho character of His Eoyal Highness , but he would ask them whenever they saw anything of the kind , or whenever they heard a whisper affecting his good name , to say at once , " It ' s a lie ! its impossible that a man can

Celebration Of The 50th Anniversary Of The Hertford Lodge.

fill all his relations in life with such tenderness and exactitude , and be the objectionable person that now and again ho is represented by these people to be . " The toast was heartily received , and followed by " God Bless the Prince of Wales . " Bro . Boatwright ( I . P . M . ) proposed tho health of " The Pro G . M ., the D . G . M ., and the rest of tho Grand Officers present and past . " Those present who were privileged to

attend the meetings of Grand Lodge must agree with him when he said that the Craft was under great obligations to the Earl of Carnarvon for the careful and conscientious manner in which ho discharged the duties of his office . It was unnecessary for him to say any thing respecting Lord Skelmersdale , for every one who knew anything of bis lordship was acquainted with tho deep interest ho

took in Freemasonry . After a song by Bro . Winn , " Come fill up your tankard , " the W . M . proposed the health of the Provincial Grand Master ; it was unnecessary for him to say anything in the way of eulogy of the brother who filled this distinguished office , inasmuch as he was so well known and appreciated by all present . Bro . Halsey possessed that most admirable quality of doing whatever he had to do

in tne best possible way it could be done , and he had therefore no hesitation in recommending him as an example for them to imitate . Glee by Bros . Winn , Baxter , and Beckett , " Mynheer Von Dunck . " Bro . Halsey tendered his most sincere thanks for the very kind manner in which the brethren had received the toast of his health , and for their flattering expressions of feelingin regard to himself . He

esteemed them very highly , because , from their originating with one who filled tho position the Chairman did in his Lodge—reckoning a membership of fifty years , and filling the highest office in it—he could not regard them but as of a very high character , and as showing that his labours were appreciated . He could only say that it had given him very great pleasure to be with them on that occasion .

It was the third time , independently of the day of his installation as Provincial Grand Master , that ho had visited tho Hertford Lodge , and he was glad to seo that their work prospered as the years went on . He most sincerely hoped that this meeting , marking as it did the close of one half century of their Lodge's successful working , wonld be the commencement of another , and that during tho next

fifty years it would go on as prosperously as it had hitherto done , and show even an increased amount of work at its close . It gave him great pleasure to know—although the fact was not due to any merits of his own—that Masonry in the province was not only not deteriorating , but in spite of bad times and depression of trade waa increasing . He was glad of this continued prosperity of the Lodges ,

and it was satisfactory to him to know that ho had at least done nothing to counteract it . A song by Bro . Winn followed , and then Bro . Ciptain Dick P . M . rose ; he said they had just enthusiastically drank the health of thoir Provincial Grand Master , and he certainly well deserved tho toast to be so received , for surely no province ever had a better or more genial ruler . Ho had now to propose the health of

tho Depnty , Bro . lies , and tho rest of the Prov . Grand Officers present and past . In doing so he had to congratulate Bro . lies on the way he performed the duties if his office , and carried out tho wishes of the Prov . G . M . ; all know that tbo latter could not condnct the bnsiness of tho province but for the available assistance he received from those who shared with him the onerous duties which

fell upon his shoulders , and he regarded this as a fitting time to express the estimation of the services rendered by the Provincial Grand Officers past aud preseut . The toast was drunk with great applause , ancl after a song by Bro . Baxter , Bro . lies , on behalf of himself and other officers of tho Prov . G . L ., returned his sincere thanks for the very kind and cordial reception of the toast . That

his brother officers thoroughly understood their duties was proved by their being there in snob force to do honour to tbe Worshi pful Master of the Hertford Lodgo , and although some of their duties were rather onerous , others were very delightful , amongst these being to come on an occasion like the present to celebrate the united jubilee of a Lodge and a member of it—an event almost , if not altogether ,

unprecedented in the annals of Masonry . This event , however , conveyed a lesson which it wonld bo well for them not to forgot , namely , that when a person became a Mason , and performed his dnty according to tbe health and strength given to him , his reward was sure to follow . It did the Hertford Lodge credit to have snch a brother , and he was glad of the fact , for if there was not something

in Masonry , a man of intelligence and of considerable distinction in his native town , like tho W . M ., would not have stuck to it for fifty years , never once leaving it during all that long period . After a glee the Chairman proposed "The memory of the Founders , " and remarked that it was unnecessary for him to say much to commend this toast to the acceptance of those present . The Dnke of Sussex

was the Grand Master at the time of the foundation of the Hertford Lodge , and granted the warrant for it , npon the petition of Francis Crew , Alfred Septimus Dowling , Robert William James Rodgers , John Cass , Thomas Cobham , John Harwood , Joseph Francis Taylor , and others . He felt that he must say a word about Bro , Crew , who was the " head and front" of the whole matter . There wero people

alive now who could recollect his powers of vocalisation ; anything more exquisite than his singing he ( the Chairman ) never heard , and he pleased the members so greatly that it was felt they must have the ladies present to listen to him . Accordingly , when singing was going on , the doors of tho Lodge were opened , and the ladies , who wero in the adjoining room , were permitted to hear , and this was continued for some time . The toast was drank in solemn silence .

Bro . Halsey proposed tbe next toast , " The W . M ., " coupling with it Continued Prosperity to the Hertford Lodgo . When they remembered that the Lodge was founded so long ago as the 8 th of September 1829 ( as hesaw by the book the Chairman had kindlyplaced in their bands ) , and when he found on the IP-tli of October in that year in the

list of initiates ono of the name of Stephen Austin jun ., Printer , Hertford—whom he found fifty years and three days afterwards to be exact the same Stephen Anstin—but he must say senior now—in tho chair , although not for the first time , they would , he thought , agree with him iu saying that they had before them a career of which every Mason might be proud . It spoke well , also , for the Lodge , that it