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Article THE ROYAL MASONIC BENEVOLENT INSTITUTION. Page 1 of 1 Article THE ROYAL MASONIC BENEVOLENT INSTITUTION. Page 1 of 1
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The Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution.
THE ROYAL MASONIC BENEVOLENT INSTITUTION .
WE call tlio attention of our readers to the election , on Monday next , of a certain number of annuitants , male and female , on the funds of the above Institution . It will be in their recollection that , owing to the unexampled success of the Festival held in February last , it was unanimously resolved to place an additional fifteen male and fifteen
female candidates on the Fund . Thus tho number of vacancies to be filled on Friday next will , in the case of the men , be twenty-four , and in the case of the women , eighteen . For the former there are thirty-four candidates , and for the latter thirty-six . In glancing an eye down the
two lists , we note , as regards the men , that all of them are candidates for the first time . This is owing to the fact that last year there was no ballot , and all the candidates were placed on the Fund . Among the women there is one candidate in the 73 rd of her age , with 24 votes to her credit ,
who has applied at three previous elections . There is a second , who will complete her 77 th year in July , and has 86 votes to her credit , who has made two previous attempts . Then follow four other candidates who stood last year . The first in order of sequence has no votes to bring forward ,
but the next three have respectively 177 , 273 , and 351 to the good . The other thirty on the list are now candidates for the first time . Among these last we find one who was bom as far back as September 1793 , and is , therefore , within a few months of completing her 84 th year , while
another has written against her name " By Proof 80 years of age . " The oldest male candidate was born in May 1795 , and will have just completed , a day or two before the election , his 82 nd year . A second was born in June 1798 , and is , therefore , within a few weeks of completing 70 years . Two
others were born in the year 1799 , one in the month of July , and the other in October . These , of course , have very nearly attained the ripe age of 78 . But there is
something still more noteworthy in studying these lists . The reader cannot help remarking on the terrible vicissitudes of fortune to which all of us are liable . Thus , in the case of one male candidate we are told that his present reduced
circumstances are attributable to the failure of a bank , and to his being stricken with paralysis . Another has been unsuccessful in business , and is in receipt of three shillings per week from a friendly society . No . 6 has been reduced hy losses in business to great poverty , his only income
being £ 7 per annum as secretary to a local friendly society . No . 10 , a P . G-. Steward , who , in the days of his prosperity , served the office of Steward to all three of our Institutions , and further made himself a Life Governor of each , is suffering from heart disease and is unable to support himself
on account of his advanced age—he is in his 75 th year . No . 12 has lost his property through unforeseen circumstances , and is suffering from paralysis and softening of the brain , so that he is unable to follow his own profession or earn a living otherwise . No . 13 has three children
dependent on him , yet is unable to do anything except Tyling , which does not yield him much . No . 15 , from failure of sight and advanced age , cannot follow his former occupation as Clerk of Works . His income consists of £ 16 from the Humber Lodge Annuity Fund . No . 32
for some timo past has been dependent on a dau ghter , who was herself left a widow with six children , but as her means are now exhausted , she can no longer hel p her father . No . 33 was formerly in a good business , but has lost all through adverse circumstances ,
The Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution.
and would now be penniless but for a grant from the Lodge of Benevolence ; he has one child , a cripple , dependent on him . No . 34 can no longer work , through , age and infirmities . His only support is an allowance by his Lodge of seven shillings per week . Among
the female candidates we find No . 6 , with two children dependent on her , endeavouring to gain a livelihood by charing . No . 8 , since her husband ' s death , has been dependent on a daughter who , herself , is the mother of seven children . Another lost all her property by a
Chancery suit , her only means now being an annuity of £ 20 from the Merchant Taylors' Company . No . 14 , the widow of a cloth manufacturer , has no means of support . Her husband died in December 1875 , in great poverty . No . 21 is prevented from earning anything by old age , and is
suffering from rupture . No . 25 , the widow of a barrister , who in his latter days lost £ 70 , 000 by the failure of a banking company , was left without any means , has dependent on her an invalid daughter and a son affected with epilepsy . Her income is £ 25 per annum . No . 28 , the
widow of an engraver , is in receipt of parish pay , and suffering from paralysis . The only means of support which No . 33 has , is by letting apartments , and she has three children dependent on her . No . 34 , the widow of a clergyman , has no means of support ,
and since her husband ' s death has been entirely dependent on friends . No . 35 is without means of support , and unable to do anything . While No . 36 had been obtaining a livelihood by letting lodgings , till paralysis attacked her and rendered her incapable of maintaing herself .
We have endeavoured to picture to ourselves the harrowing circumstances disclosed to us in these brief epitomes of the lives of men and women who were once in prosperous , or at all events in competent , circumstances . It is terrible to think of a man , once
well to do in life , dependent on his daughter , herself a penniless widow with six children ; of a pauper father endeavouring to maintain a crippled son , and of yet another eking out an existence on three shillings a week , or on £ 7 per annum . Let us try to realise the position
of a lady , once in wealthy circumstances , maintaining herself , an invalid daughter , and an epileptic son on £ 25 per annum , or tho widow of an engraver , in receipt of parish pay , and paralysed as well . How must it
fare with a poor old woman of 65 , with an income of £ 8 6 s per annum , and dependent for further help on a daughter with seven children of her own to maintain . It is , indeed , a painful duty to bring such cases as these under the notice of our readers . There is at least
one solitary ray of light to comfort us among all this fearful gloom . It is the sense of joy we experience when we know that Freemasonry it is which has established this noble Institution ; this Institution to which the poor distressed brethren and women are now looking for
some relief , not merely from the cares and troubles , but likewise from the absolute poverty they have been forced to endure . If brethren need any stimulus to induce them to support so magnificent a foundation , let them ponder well over the sad disclosures which are contained
m these lists . They will not need much pressing , we think , if they call to mind these cases of pauper men and women striving to maintain crippled and
invalid children , or penniless sons or daughters , with families of their own , assisting to maintain their povertystricken parents . Or if they do , they are no true men or Masons . l
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution.
THE ROYAL MASONIC BENEVOLENT INSTITUTION .
WE call tlio attention of our readers to the election , on Monday next , of a certain number of annuitants , male and female , on the funds of the above Institution . It will be in their recollection that , owing to the unexampled success of the Festival held in February last , it was unanimously resolved to place an additional fifteen male and fifteen
female candidates on the Fund . Thus tho number of vacancies to be filled on Friday next will , in the case of the men , be twenty-four , and in the case of the women , eighteen . For the former there are thirty-four candidates , and for the latter thirty-six . In glancing an eye down the
two lists , we note , as regards the men , that all of them are candidates for the first time . This is owing to the fact that last year there was no ballot , and all the candidates were placed on the Fund . Among the women there is one candidate in the 73 rd of her age , with 24 votes to her credit ,
who has applied at three previous elections . There is a second , who will complete her 77 th year in July , and has 86 votes to her credit , who has made two previous attempts . Then follow four other candidates who stood last year . The first in order of sequence has no votes to bring forward ,
but the next three have respectively 177 , 273 , and 351 to the good . The other thirty on the list are now candidates for the first time . Among these last we find one who was bom as far back as September 1793 , and is , therefore , within a few months of completing her 84 th year , while
another has written against her name " By Proof 80 years of age . " The oldest male candidate was born in May 1795 , and will have just completed , a day or two before the election , his 82 nd year . A second was born in June 1798 , and is , therefore , within a few weeks of completing 70 years . Two
others were born in the year 1799 , one in the month of July , and the other in October . These , of course , have very nearly attained the ripe age of 78 . But there is
something still more noteworthy in studying these lists . The reader cannot help remarking on the terrible vicissitudes of fortune to which all of us are liable . Thus , in the case of one male candidate we are told that his present reduced
circumstances are attributable to the failure of a bank , and to his being stricken with paralysis . Another has been unsuccessful in business , and is in receipt of three shillings per week from a friendly society . No . 6 has been reduced hy losses in business to great poverty , his only income
being £ 7 per annum as secretary to a local friendly society . No . 10 , a P . G-. Steward , who , in the days of his prosperity , served the office of Steward to all three of our Institutions , and further made himself a Life Governor of each , is suffering from heart disease and is unable to support himself
on account of his advanced age—he is in his 75 th year . No . 12 has lost his property through unforeseen circumstances , and is suffering from paralysis and softening of the brain , so that he is unable to follow his own profession or earn a living otherwise . No . 13 has three children
dependent on him , yet is unable to do anything except Tyling , which does not yield him much . No . 15 , from failure of sight and advanced age , cannot follow his former occupation as Clerk of Works . His income consists of £ 16 from the Humber Lodge Annuity Fund . No . 32
for some timo past has been dependent on a dau ghter , who was herself left a widow with six children , but as her means are now exhausted , she can no longer hel p her father . No . 33 was formerly in a good business , but has lost all through adverse circumstances ,
The Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution.
and would now be penniless but for a grant from the Lodge of Benevolence ; he has one child , a cripple , dependent on him . No . 34 can no longer work , through , age and infirmities . His only support is an allowance by his Lodge of seven shillings per week . Among
the female candidates we find No . 6 , with two children dependent on her , endeavouring to gain a livelihood by charing . No . 8 , since her husband ' s death , has been dependent on a daughter who , herself , is the mother of seven children . Another lost all her property by a
Chancery suit , her only means now being an annuity of £ 20 from the Merchant Taylors' Company . No . 14 , the widow of a cloth manufacturer , has no means of support . Her husband died in December 1875 , in great poverty . No . 21 is prevented from earning anything by old age , and is
suffering from rupture . No . 25 , the widow of a barrister , who in his latter days lost £ 70 , 000 by the failure of a banking company , was left without any means , has dependent on her an invalid daughter and a son affected with epilepsy . Her income is £ 25 per annum . No . 28 , the
widow of an engraver , is in receipt of parish pay , and suffering from paralysis . The only means of support which No . 33 has , is by letting apartments , and she has three children dependent on her . No . 34 , the widow of a clergyman , has no means of support ,
and since her husband ' s death has been entirely dependent on friends . No . 35 is without means of support , and unable to do anything . While No . 36 had been obtaining a livelihood by letting lodgings , till paralysis attacked her and rendered her incapable of maintaing herself .
We have endeavoured to picture to ourselves the harrowing circumstances disclosed to us in these brief epitomes of the lives of men and women who were once in prosperous , or at all events in competent , circumstances . It is terrible to think of a man , once
well to do in life , dependent on his daughter , herself a penniless widow with six children ; of a pauper father endeavouring to maintain a crippled son , and of yet another eking out an existence on three shillings a week , or on £ 7 per annum . Let us try to realise the position
of a lady , once in wealthy circumstances , maintaining herself , an invalid daughter , and an epileptic son on £ 25 per annum , or tho widow of an engraver , in receipt of parish pay , and paralysed as well . How must it
fare with a poor old woman of 65 , with an income of £ 8 6 s per annum , and dependent for further help on a daughter with seven children of her own to maintain . It is , indeed , a painful duty to bring such cases as these under the notice of our readers . There is at least
one solitary ray of light to comfort us among all this fearful gloom . It is the sense of joy we experience when we know that Freemasonry it is which has established this noble Institution ; this Institution to which the poor distressed brethren and women are now looking for
some relief , not merely from the cares and troubles , but likewise from the absolute poverty they have been forced to endure . If brethren need any stimulus to induce them to support so magnificent a foundation , let them ponder well over the sad disclosures which are contained
m these lists . They will not need much pressing , we think , if they call to mind these cases of pauper men and women striving to maintain crippled and
invalid children , or penniless sons or daughters , with families of their own , assisting to maintain their povertystricken parents . Or if they do , they are no true men or Masons . l