Eleanor Cross Lodge, No. 1764

ELEANOR CROSS LODGE , No . 1764

THE anniversary was celebrated on Monday , the 29 th nit . In the interval that has elapsed since the consecration of this Lodge fonrteen brethren have been initiated therein into the rites ancl mysteries of the Order , and five members have joined , making with the founders of the Lodge ( fonrteen ) , a total of thirty-three , so that the progress made since tho opening of the new Lodgo has been as

satisfactory as the most sanguine conld havo desired . Tho installation cere , mony took place at tho Masonio Eooms , Abington-streefc , Northampton , and thero was a good sprinkling of visiting brethren from tho senior Lodge and from Lodges in distant parts of tbo country , tho attendance including Bros . Butler Wilkins Deputy Provincial Grand Mas - ter , M . A . Boerao W . M . 1761 P . P . G . D . C . P . M . 360 , J . T . Green

P . P . J . G . W . P . M . 360 , E . Howes P . G . T . P . M . 445 , F . Grant P . M . 1330

P . P . G . D . Leicester and Eutland , C . A . Philips P . M . 1333 , Hamilton W . Parker P . G . D . W . M . 360 and Treasurer 176-4 , J . S . Cumberland W . M . Eboracum 1611 , J . H . Hale P . S . G . W . W . M . 737—and 455 , C . F . Cox 10 , W . Boxall 570 , A . H . Cole-Hamilton 944 ( Gorfcin ) , W . W . Warfcnaby J . D . 1330 , and J . J . Hart 360 P . G . S . ; of 1764—Eev . S . J . W . Sanders P . G . C . S . W ., Henry J . Atkins J . W ., Eev . S . Wathen Wigg

Chaplain , Henry W . Brown Sec . P . G . S ., Henry Hill S . D ., Henry Spoor J . D ., George Ellard P . A . G . D . C . B . C ., EH Morris I . G ., C . H . Frank Assistant Secretary , H . Hill Organist , J . W . Linnetfc Steward , W . Kirby and C . Dean O . G . ' s , J . Manning , F . L . Cogan , George Butcher , T . V . De Denne , Brook , Sampson , T . E . Barnes , Eev . T . C . Beasley , E . Taylor , Stephen Dimbleby , Eev . M . Barton , S . S . Campion , T . Emery ,

Alfred Jones and 11 . Crofts . Tho Lodge was opened by the Worshipfnl Master , Bro . Boeme , in due form and with solemn prayer , and afterwards tho Installing Officer , Bro . Butler Wilkins Deputy Prov . G . M . of Northamptonshire and Huntingdonshire , attended by several Provincial Grand Officers , Avas conducted to the dais by the D . C , he Avas greeted with tho usnal hononrs , and after the minntes of last

meeting had been read and confirmed , Bro . Wilkins proceeded to instal , according to ancient custom , Bro . the Eev . S . J . W . Sanders Prov . G . C . as Worshipfnl Master . The ceremony was performed in a most able and impressive manner , and the Worshipfnl Master elect then appointed and invested his Officers , Bros . M . A . Boeme P . M . 360 P . P . G . D . C . I . P . M ., H . J . Atkins S . W ., Henry Brown P . G . S . J . W .,

Eev . S . W . Wigg A . P . G . C . Chaplain , Eev . T . C . Beasley Assistant Chaplain , H . Parker W . M . 360 P . G . J . D . Treas ., B . C . Frank Secretary , G . H . Percival Assistant Secretary , Henry Hill P . G . O . S . D ., Henry Spoor J . D ., G . Ellard P . G . A . D . C . Dir . Cer ., T . V . Do Denne Assistant Dir . Cer ., E . Morris I . G ., Manning and T . E . Barnes Stewards , Brook Samson Mns . Bac . Organist , E . Croft Assistant

Organist , C . Dean and W . Kirby Tylers . The investiture of tho Officers was marked by one pleasing inci - dent . When the Lodgo was founded , the Officers agreed to present their jewels of Office ( all of which are silver and inscribed with tho name of the donor ) , and as joint stewards have been appointed this year , the additional jeAvel was presented by Bro . Barnes , to

commemorate the installation of Bro . Sanders . Another presentation was made , to which moro importance necessarily attached , as it was that of a P . M . jewel to Bro . Boeme , to whom the thanks of the Lodge Avere accorded . Bro . Boeme acknowledged the presentation in suitable terms , and said it had given him the greatest pleasure from the commencement to do what he could for the Lodge . The proceedings

were closed in due form , and the brethren separated , to re-assemble afterwards afc the Midland Hotel , where tbebanqnet was held . Most of the brethren who had been engaged afc the Lodge assisted at the banquet , the cover for each brother being marked by a daintily designed little card , bearing the hieroglyphical adage , " Birds of a feather flock together , " the name being written on the feather . The

menu , like the list of toasts , presented a study . In proposing tho first toast tho Worshipfnl Master remarked thafc Masons had always been loyal , and had been potted rather than frowned npon by Eoyalty . For that , if for no other reason , the name of Her Majesty being coupled Avith that of the Craft , they ought to drink the toast heartily . Tho toast having been drnuk with due

Masonio hononrs , tho Worshipfnl Master next gave " The Princo of Wales M . W . Grand Master . " There was never a time in history , legendary or historical , when the Craft had nofc tho patronage of great men , and they ought to feel truly pleased to have at their head in England the heir to the throne . ( Hear , hear . ) He ( Bro . Sanders ) did not know that they had done anything to forfeit such patronage ,

although they had done nothing thafc Masons had nofc done in other countries , where they had not the same liberty and freedom of speech which there was hero . The Worshipful Master next gave " Tho Earl of Carnarvon , M . W . Pro Grand Master ; Lord Skelmersdale , E . W . Deputy Grand Master ; and the Grand Lodge Officers . " One of these , the Earl of Carnarvon , was a man of whom they ought to feel very

proud . Ho was no less distinguished as a literary man than as a politician , and whether they agreed with his political views or not , ifc was a pleasure to rank such a man amongst ; the governors of the Craft . The next toast proposed was " His Grace the Duke of Manchester , Prov . Grand Master ; Bro . Butler Wilkins , Dep . Prov . Grand Master ; and Prov . Grand Lodgo Officers , Past and Present . " The

W . M . remarked thafc these Avero their nearer authorities , and . for some of them they felt a little more than deference , a little more than the feeling natural to subjects , lie asked them to drink to the health of their Worshipful Brother Butler Wilkins , especially as tho Installing Master to-day . He ( the W . M . ) felt that a personal honour had been confirmed npon himself—although he did nofc mean it would not have been confirmed upon any one else—that Bro . Butler

Wilkins should have acted as the Installing Master ; but it Avas his ( Bro . Sanders ' s ) most ardent wish that the Deputy Grand Master should be present in that capacity , and he was very pleased when the request of the Lodge was acceded to . Those who had witnessed the manner in which the Deputy Provincial Grand Master had performed tho ceremony must have been impressed by his earnestness and evident purpose all through it . He was an old , and they could

Eleanor Cross Lodge, No. 1764

now say a tried , friend . It was something when ono of the " powers thafc be" condescended to como down from his lofty position to mix with them , and not only help them out of their difficulties , bnt enter into minnte particulars , and place them in tho right path . He was like ono of themselves , and so they had moro than esteem , even affection , for their Bro . Butler Wilkins , moro so than for tho Provincial

Grand Master , if it were not treason against him to say so , especially in tho presence of several of the Provincial Grand Officers , the health of all of whom he ( tho W . M . ) asked them to drink . The Deputy Provincial Grand Master , in reply , said as this was tho first anniversary of the Eleanor Cross Lodge , no one wonld havo been more pleased than he shonld himself to havo seen the Provincial Grand Master his

Grace the Duko of Manchester honouring the Lodgo Avith his presence . Afc the same time tho brethren know that the engagements of his Grace were so numerous thafc he rarely attended a private Lodge , though bo generally made it a point of attending tho Provincial Grand Lodge . But he ( the Deputy Provincial Grand Master ) hold in hia possession a patent from his Grace to act as his mouthpiece on

every Masonio occasion during his absence , and ho now begged to thank them , on behalf of his Grace , for the manner in which the toast had been received . As regarded the observations of the Worshipful Master in reference to himself , Bro . Bntler Wilkins said that if in the past year , or previously , he had been of any service in forming or in helping forward tho Eleanor Cross Lodge , ho could assure them that

that service had been freely given on his part , both from a sense of duty and from the love of Masony which he had afc heart , ancl which ho trusted he always should havo , because ho conceived , in his position in which tho Province had placed him , it was his duty to render all the assistance he could for the furtherance of Masonry throughout the Province , It was only a short timo ago , and could be calculated

by days , when at the last meeting of this Lodge he stood before them to respond to this toast , and he then congratulated the Lodge npon its working during the past year . Ho was not going to bandy compli . ments again , as ifc might bo thought fulsome , but this he wonld say , that he know of no Lodge in the Province which during the past year had been better conducted than the Eleanor Cross Lodge . Ho

would , however , offer one word of advice , one that ho had given to older Lodges in the Province , as Avell as to the Provincial Grand Lodge when all the Lodges were assembled , and it was this : Although you may have been very prosperous in the past year , and look for . ward to prosperity in the futnre , take as your motto , " Quality before quantity . " It was oue of those things -which , when Lodges were in

a thriving condition , Avas sometimes overlooked , and . sometimes tho day came when they had to regret that they had not considered that question of quality . Having returned thanks for himself and the other officers , he said that ifc was his duty to propose the health of tho Eetiring Master on the last Lodge night , and he was very pleased on this occasion to propose "The Health of the Worshipfnl Master , "

who had been installed to-day . He had already said thafc it was very gratifying to him that he ( the speaker ) shonld have performed the ceremony , and now he might say that it was equally gratifying to him that he had been able to do so . Ho was the more pleased because he knew that their W . M . was one in whom the Lodge could place implicit confidence , and feel that he would thoroughly fulfil the

unties be had undertaken to-day . Tlie short experience they bad had of him already , and the remarks ho had offered in tho Lodge since he had oecnpied the chair , should bo sufficient to convince them that he was quite equal to the duties ho had undertaken to perform , and that the Lodge would , be as well governed aa ifc bad been during tho past year .

Tho toasfc having received full Masonic honours , the Worshipful Master , in reply , said it was with considerable diffidence and hesitation that ho rose to return thanks for the cordial manner in which the toast hacl been received , as well as for the unrehearsed accompaniment thafc followed . He felfc , as he supposed all would feel who rose to the chair , that the honour that had been conferred upon him was a source

of laudable pride . Ifc was an honour in various ways . Ifc Avas an honour , first of all , in thafc ifc was called the chair of King Solomon , He was one of those who , having read as much as lie could lay hold of concerning Masonry , aud having sought from all sources to trace the antiquity of Masonry , had come to the conclusion that Masonry in its essentials , was older than King Solomon ; that , though Kino

Solomon might never havo occupied a chair of Masonry , yet he felt perfectly sure thafc there were guilds of Masonry in the time of that monarch , and that really tho secrets of Masonry had come down to them from a time anterior to his . Therefore , ifc Avas a source of pride to any man to fill the chair of a Lodge representing truths taught so many years ago . It was a source of pride to him to be put in tho

chair of the Eleanor Cross Lodge . True its number , 1761 , was some-Avhat low down on the list , but , Avhen he reflected that the brethren of the Eleanor Cross Lodge were determined thafc the lessons of Masonry should be really ancl thoroughly carried out , aud when ho felt sure that the brethren around him were men in Avhora the principles of Masonry had taken deep root , and were anxious to shoAv

forth its fruits , not only in the celebration of its rites with closelytyled doors , but also to men outside in the exercise of charity , he felt as proud of being the Master of No . 1764 as ho could if it were No . 1 , He remembered that he succeeded to the chair of the Lodge afc a timo Avhen all his best powers wonld be called forth to equal in any degree the tenure of that office which had been held by his

predecessor . The warrant had been handed into bis charge that clay , with strict injunctions to keep it pure and unsullied , and thus it was with some hesitation , and not a little nervousness , that he undertook a task Avhich he conld only expect to accomplish successfully with the kind help of all the members . He thanked especially Brother Butler Wilkins for the kind words he had uttered , and felt sure ho

should take them as most kind words . In all new Lodges there was the danger of making them a success , Avithoufc thinking of the kind of success that was to be attained . Thoy had during tlie next year a legacy of work , though they did last year a great amount of work in initiating fonrteen brethren , and holding twelve largo meetings , which surely represented , to any ono who knew anything at nil of