Centenary: Lodge Of Hope, No. 302.

CENTENARY : LODGE OF HOPE , NO . 302 .

IN connection with the centenary celebration of the Lodge of Hope , No . 302 , a special service was held on Sunday morning , 6 th inst ., at the Bradford Parish Church . The first meeting of the Lodge of Hope was held on the 7 th of April 1794 , at the Talbot Hotel ,

Bradford . It is the oldest known Lodge in the Borough , but is apparently not the first . There is evidence that a Lodge was held in Bradford in the year 1713 . A document dated York , 29 th August 1778 , is in existence , which states : — " It is observable that during the period

1705 to 1734 the Grand Lodge was not holden twice together at the same house , and there is an instance of its being holden once , in 1713 , out of York , viz ., at Bradford , in Yorkshire , when eighteen gentlemen

of the first families in that neighbourhood were made Masons . " There is little doubt that these eighteen gentlemen would form a Bradford Lodge , and would continue to meet for some years , but no records of their proceedings have been found .

The Lodge of Hope was started , as has been stated , in 1794 . The area of Bradford was then that of the present township proper , and the population in 1801 was only 6393 . The Lodge was constituted under a

Warrant issued by the " Grand Lodge of all England , " at that time established at York , and exercising certain of the powers of Grand Lodge . The following is a copy of the Warrant , the text of which is not without interest : —

To the Worshipful Jeremiah Ambler , John Sherwiu Watson , and Fox Taylor , Members of tho most Ancient and Honourable Society of Free and Accepted Masons , and respectively Master Masons . Brethren , —In consequence of an application from you and

several other respectable brethren residing in or near the town of Bradford , Yorkshire , I , Richard Slater Milncs , Esq ., M ., Provincial Grand Master for the said county , under tho authority of tho Grand Master of England , requesting a constitution for the holding a regular Lodge of the Order under his authority at the Talbot Inn ,

Bradford , by tho stile or title of the Lodge of Hope . I do by virtue of the power and authority committed to me by His Royal Highness George Augustus Frederick , Prince of Wales , & c , & c , & c , Supreme Grand Master of the Order , and of the request of Richard Slater Milncs , Esq ., Provincial Grand Master for tho county as aforesaid ,

hereby authorise and empower you tho said Jeremiah Ambler as Master , and you the said John Sherwin Watson and Fox Taylor as Wardens , with the assistance of a proper number of other brethren , to open a Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons , under the title

of the Lodge of Hope , at the Talbot Inn , Bradford , aforesaid , as soon as conveniently may bo , and therein to make , pass , and raise Masons , and do and transact all other Masonic business , and this authority shall continue in full force until you shall have received tho patent of the constitution by you applied for as aforesaid .

Given at York under our hand and seal of Masonry this 23 rd day of March , A . D . 1794 , A . L . 5794 , by tho P . G . Master's command . WM . SPENCER , A . D . P . G . M . Witness—Jno . Watson , P . G . S ., P . G . T . At the first meeting of the Lodge of Hope , held on 7 th April 1794 , the brethren present were Jeremiah Ambler Master , T . S . Watson S . W ., Fox Taylor J . W ., John

Smith S . D ., William Hargreaves J . D ., Christ . Ward Secretary , and Eobert Anderson Tyler . ' Several visitors were present from Halifax , and half a dozen candidates for Masonry were proposed , and their names carried

tietn . con . The minutes and records of this Lodge have been carefully preserved , and are practically complete from its commencement down to the present time . Prom them and from other materials a short history of the Lodge

has been written for the present centenary proceedings by Bro . Charles Gott P . M ., who has been assisted in the work of compilation by Bro . T . C . Hope P . M ., and Bro . Charles J . Schott . The Secretaries of the Lodge-from time to time indulged in a little pleasantry , and not the

least readable portions of this history consist of extracts from the minutes of the Lodge . The minutes for 15 th February 1796 , end—" All ' s well , William Shakespear was a visitor . " Those for 11 th May 1796 run" Brothers present , none ; we was exceedingly still and

quiet at half-past nine o clock ; while the record for 7 th December 1799 , includes— " Sixteen members present . Bro . Daniel Furniss thought proper to exclude himself from the society on a frivolous occasion . After

the Lodge was closed the body was honoured with the presence of Sisters Hargreaves , Laucklaud , Ambler , Leah , and Thoriums , and Mrs . Fryer . " Other incidents are noted as follow : —

Centenary: Lodge Of Hope, No. 302.

1841 , 30 th August : " Mr . George Mawson , who had been some time proposed as a candidate for Masonry , came forward and reluctantly signed the candidates' declaration-book ; he refused to conform to the usual ceremonies of initiation , and was of course then and there dismissed without further ceremony . "

1843 , 13 th January : "In response to a letter from Bro . W . H . White G . S ., it was agreed that members of the Society of Friends could be admitted Freemasons on their solemn affirmation . "

1843 , 1 st July : " Mr . Julius Bardsdorff was initiated . Ho was tho first German admitted to this Lodge . " During the next few years a considerable number of German gentlemen were initiated , and others were admitted as joining members from foreign Lodges , and

on the 25 th October 1847 , Bro . Hertz was appointed the first Organist of the Lodge . On 28 th January 1850 , the brethren resolved that a Masonic ball should be held in Bradford , and a committee was appointed to carry out the project . The ball took place , and resulted in there

being a surplus of £ 50 lis 6 d , which was divided between the Bradford Infirmary and the Masonic charities . On the 17 th January 1851 , a committee was formed for the purpose of collecting a sum of money from the brethren of the Lodge of Hope to furnish a ward in the Bradford

Infirmary , which was afterwards done . On the 12 th April 1851 , Bro . Jeremiah Ambler P . M ., the first W . M of the Lodge , died , aged eighty , and it was resolved that the brethren should wear mourning for three months as a mark of their respect . Amongst a number of other

items recorded by the history referred to is that on 17 th September 1874 , the Marquis of Eipon resigned his membership of the Lodge of Hope , in consequence of his having adopted the Roman Catholic faith . Large sums of money have been contributed by the Lodge and by

individual brethren of the Lodge to the Masonic charities , a considerable number of children of brethren reduced by misfortune to poverty and distress have been taken care of , clothed , educated , and started in life , and a number of brethren and widows of brethren have been provided

for in their old age . During the last forty-two years the Lodge of Hope and its members have subscribed £ 5 , 086 to the Masonic charities . At present the Lodge has sixty members . At one time the membership was larger , but the formation of new Lodges has reduced it .

There was a numerous attendance of Masonic brethren at the Parish Church . Members of Lodges in Bradford and the district met at the Masonic Hall , Eawson Square , about ten o ' clock , to the number of 270 , and after assuming their habilaments walked in procession to the

church . All the Lodges in Bradford were represented , and members of Lodges in the following places also joined in the procession : —Leeds , Dewsbury , Bingley , Batley , Baildon , Halifax , Shipley , Haworth , Wakefield , St . Louis , U . S . A ., Cleckheaton , and Keighley . At the

service in the church , prior to which Mr . H . Coates , the organist , played as a voluntary an Andante by Sangster , the first hymn was " Now thank we all our God , " to the old German tune . The Yen . Archdeacon Bardsley , D . D ., read' the lessons , and the Eev . W . J . Newton

intoned the service , a portion of the prayers being said by Bro . the Eev . T . H . Flynn P . Prov . G . Chaplain . The pulpit was occupied by Bro . Eev . Canon Bullock P . G . C . P . P . G . C . of West Yorkshire , vicar of Holy Trinity , Leeds , who took for his text St . John xiv . 2 . At the conclusion

of the service Mr . Henry Coates played as a voluntary a Processional March by Gladstone . Afterwards the Masonic brethren again formed in procession , and walked to the Masonic Hall , whence they dispersed . [ We give the above as it appeared in the " Bradford

Observer , " but do not by any means endorse all it contains . We shall have something to say next week in regard to the statement made as to the Grand Lodge that issued the Warrant for the Lodge . We shall also give some details of the Lodge of Emergency held on the day following the meeting recorded above . —Ed . F . C . ]

In consequence of the frequent demand for a larger room than the Venetian Chamber , the Proprietors of the Holborn Eestaurant are constructing one which will accomodate about 500 guests , and will have convenient

reception rooms attached . This extension will be available from August next , and will have four entrances and exists in Newton Street , also covered way along the whole of its frontage for the comfort and convenience of guests arriving and departing in carriages .