Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The Eaton Lodge, No. 533, Congleton, Cheshire.
THE EATON LODGE , No . 533 , CONGLETON , CHESHIRE .
THIS county , as wo have remarked more than once before , must always take a foremost place among the Provinces subordinate to our Grand Lodge . We say this , not merely because it has a considerable number of Lodges on its roll , or because its local organisation for charitable
purposes is as admirable as the amount of good done is considerable . We say it is entitled to the respect of all brethren not for these reasons only—though it must be admitted they would be alone sufficient—but likewise because it is one of the districts in England in which Freeinasonrv
established itself when the system devised by Anderson and Desaguliers and their compeers , began to extend their influence beyoud tho metropolis . Moreover , it is as well to bear in mind—and this may have had something to do with the Royal Art so soon obtaining a foothold in Cheshire
—that of the earliest non-operative Masons of whom any record exists , namely , Elias Ashmole and Colonel Mainwaring , the latter hailed from Kerthingham , in the county of Cheshire . The ceremony of initiation was not performed within the limits of the county , but at Warrington , on the
borders of contiguous Lancashire . This is something to boast of , namely , that out of our two earliest gentlemen Masons , one was a Cheshire man . Then , when in 1724 the Speculative system became to spread into tho Provinces , no less than three of the nine Lodges founded in
different parts of England , namely , two at Chester , and one of Congleton were established in the county , the other six being at Bath , Bristol , Norwich , Chichester , Portsmouth , and Carmarthen respectively . Other Lodges were constituted some years later , namely , one at
Macclesfield in 1731 , and another at Chester in 1738 , one of the two 1724 Chester Lodges having died meanwhile . Thus , though none of them are in existence at the present day , the oldest living Lodge in the county being the Unanimity , No . 89 of Dukinfield , whioh was consecrated
in 1754 , it is evident that Cheshire was at a very early date a favoured district of the Fraternity . Moreover , Brother Captain Astley Terry , who has compiled the history to which we are indebted for most of these particulars , includes Cheshire with North
Wales , in the Province over which Hugh Warburton was appointed Grand Master in 1727 by the Earl of Inchiquin . But though established thus early , the Lodges do not seem to have had a long career , that held at Congleton being one of twenty-one Lodges struck off the roll of Grand Lodge
in 1759 on the grounds that they had neither contributed to the General Fund of Charity , nor had any communication with Grand Lodge , or even , as far as could be ascertained , held any meeting for several years . For a long period
Congleton appears to have been without a Lodge , and at last , in 1789 , one was constituted under tho style and title of Independent , No . 550 . The brethren of this Lodge , with those of the Macclesfield , went , on 24 th June of the same
year , in procession with a band of music to be present at Divine service in tho church at Congleton . In 1793 it became No . 459 , and was one of twelve Lodges to the members of which Bro . Godfrey , the then Provincial Grand Orator , preached a sermon at the church of
St . John , Chester , on 23 rd June . In 1805 this Lodge migrated to Lane End , Staffordshire , became No . 516 after the Union , and was erased from the roll of Grand Lodge in March 1828 . Then there waa a second lengthened period during which Congleton
The Eaton Lodge, No. 533, Congleton, Cheshire.
was without a Lodge , nor was it till the year 1846 that owing , it seems , chiefly to the energy of the late Bro . Gibbs Crawford Antrobus , of Eaton Hall , steps were taken to establish a new Lodge . On tho 27 th August of that year a Warrant , bearing the signatures of the late Earl of
Zetland , Lord Worsley , and W . H . White , Grand Master , Deputy Grand Master , and Grand Secretary respectively , was issued by Grand Lodge , constituting tho following brethren into a Freemasons' Lodge , to be known as the Eaton Lodge , No . 777 , now No . 539 , to be held at the Tied
Lion , Congleton , namely , Bros . John Smith as W . M ., John Dyer as S . W ., Thomas Wallworth as J . W ., Patrick Halpin , Robert Oliver , Charles Wilson , and Thomas Hope . A preliminary meeting having been held on the 2 nd September following , Brothers E . Stocker
Peter Ullivero , John McCracken and John Johnson became members in addition to those named in the Warrant , and in due course the Lodge was constituted with the following Officers over and above those designated in the Warrant , namely — Bros . G . Stocker Treasurer , Patrick Halpiu
Secretary , R . Oliver S . D ., Chas . Wilson J . D ., Thos . Hope I . G ., and J . McCracken Tyler . During the remainder of the year eleven w ere added to the roll of members , among them being Bro . G . Crawford Antrobus , who in April 1847 was appointed S . W ., and on 15 th September of that
year became W . M . Nine were added to tho strength of the Lodge in 1847 , and in 1848 eight more , while Bro . McCracken Tyler died , and was succeeded by Thos . Chaddock , who was initiated by dispensation from the Provincial Grand Master . Bro . W . Starkey succeedcl
Bro . Antrobus as Master for the year 1848-9 . On 5 th September 1849 it was agreed that the Secretary , in consideration of the duties of his office , should bs a nonsubscribing member . In November , a pair of globes was purchased for the use of the Lodge . Bro . John Wilson became Master in 1849-50 . aud Rev . Bro . J . W . N . Tanner
in 1850-51 , the latter and the Treasurer being re-elected the next year , though it is evident the Lodge was not in a nourishing condition , as the minutes do not contain a record of the installation or appointment of Officers . In 1852-3 Bro . G . Barlow was Master , and Bro . John Dakin
in 1853-4 , and several members names not recorded in the minute book were excluded from payment of dues , while new life was imported into the Lodge by the admission of sundry members . Bro . John Chapman , though elected Master in succession to Bro . Dakin , having declined
to accept the honour conferred upon him , Bro . Antrobus occupied the chair for a second time ; he being at the time Senior Grand Warden of the Province . During this year it was resolved to move the Lodge from the Golden Lion to the Bull ' s Head , its present abiding place . The annual
subscription was slightly increased , and it was agreed that tho quarterly supper should be paid for out of the Lodge funds . It was during this mastership also , that the Prov . Grand Lodge held its meeting in Congleton . At the installation of Bro . John Myatt W . M . 1855-G Bro . John
Smith founder and first W . M . of tho Lodge , but who had resigned his membership in the meantime , was present as a visitor . A snm of £ 5 was voted to the Royal Free
Hospital , Grays Inn Road , London , in 1856 . Bro . Dr . Beales was W . M . in 1856-7 , and J . H . Shepherd in 1857-8 the chief events during the hitter ' s year of office being the presentation of an address to Bro . Antrobus Prov . G . Senior
Warden and Past Master , by tho Congleton brethren , on the occasion of their presenting the east window oE Eaton Church ; a further increase in the annual subscription ; and the appointment of Bro , Antrobus to be Dep . P . G . M .
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The Eaton Lodge, No. 533, Congleton, Cheshire.
THE EATON LODGE , No . 533 , CONGLETON , CHESHIRE .
THIS county , as wo have remarked more than once before , must always take a foremost place among the Provinces subordinate to our Grand Lodge . We say this , not merely because it has a considerable number of Lodges on its roll , or because its local organisation for charitable
purposes is as admirable as the amount of good done is considerable . We say it is entitled to the respect of all brethren not for these reasons only—though it must be admitted they would be alone sufficient—but likewise because it is one of the districts in England in which Freeinasonrv
established itself when the system devised by Anderson and Desaguliers and their compeers , began to extend their influence beyoud tho metropolis . Moreover , it is as well to bear in mind—and this may have had something to do with the Royal Art so soon obtaining a foothold in Cheshire
—that of the earliest non-operative Masons of whom any record exists , namely , Elias Ashmole and Colonel Mainwaring , the latter hailed from Kerthingham , in the county of Cheshire . The ceremony of initiation was not performed within the limits of the county , but at Warrington , on the
borders of contiguous Lancashire . This is something to boast of , namely , that out of our two earliest gentlemen Masons , one was a Cheshire man . Then , when in 1724 the Speculative system became to spread into tho Provinces , no less than three of the nine Lodges founded in
different parts of England , namely , two at Chester , and one of Congleton were established in the county , the other six being at Bath , Bristol , Norwich , Chichester , Portsmouth , and Carmarthen respectively . Other Lodges were constituted some years later , namely , one at
Macclesfield in 1731 , and another at Chester in 1738 , one of the two 1724 Chester Lodges having died meanwhile . Thus , though none of them are in existence at the present day , the oldest living Lodge in the county being the Unanimity , No . 89 of Dukinfield , whioh was consecrated
in 1754 , it is evident that Cheshire was at a very early date a favoured district of the Fraternity . Moreover , Brother Captain Astley Terry , who has compiled the history to which we are indebted for most of these particulars , includes Cheshire with North
Wales , in the Province over which Hugh Warburton was appointed Grand Master in 1727 by the Earl of Inchiquin . But though established thus early , the Lodges do not seem to have had a long career , that held at Congleton being one of twenty-one Lodges struck off the roll of Grand Lodge
in 1759 on the grounds that they had neither contributed to the General Fund of Charity , nor had any communication with Grand Lodge , or even , as far as could be ascertained , held any meeting for several years . For a long period
Congleton appears to have been without a Lodge , and at last , in 1789 , one was constituted under tho style and title of Independent , No . 550 . The brethren of this Lodge , with those of the Macclesfield , went , on 24 th June of the same
year , in procession with a band of music to be present at Divine service in tho church at Congleton . In 1793 it became No . 459 , and was one of twelve Lodges to the members of which Bro . Godfrey , the then Provincial Grand Orator , preached a sermon at the church of
St . John , Chester , on 23 rd June . In 1805 this Lodge migrated to Lane End , Staffordshire , became No . 516 after the Union , and was erased from the roll of Grand Lodge in March 1828 . Then there waa a second lengthened period during which Congleton
The Eaton Lodge, No. 533, Congleton, Cheshire.
was without a Lodge , nor was it till the year 1846 that owing , it seems , chiefly to the energy of the late Bro . Gibbs Crawford Antrobus , of Eaton Hall , steps were taken to establish a new Lodge . On tho 27 th August of that year a Warrant , bearing the signatures of the late Earl of
Zetland , Lord Worsley , and W . H . White , Grand Master , Deputy Grand Master , and Grand Secretary respectively , was issued by Grand Lodge , constituting tho following brethren into a Freemasons' Lodge , to be known as the Eaton Lodge , No . 777 , now No . 539 , to be held at the Tied
Lion , Congleton , namely , Bros . John Smith as W . M ., John Dyer as S . W ., Thomas Wallworth as J . W ., Patrick Halpin , Robert Oliver , Charles Wilson , and Thomas Hope . A preliminary meeting having been held on the 2 nd September following , Brothers E . Stocker
Peter Ullivero , John McCracken and John Johnson became members in addition to those named in the Warrant , and in due course the Lodge was constituted with the following Officers over and above those designated in the Warrant , namely — Bros . G . Stocker Treasurer , Patrick Halpiu
Secretary , R . Oliver S . D ., Chas . Wilson J . D ., Thos . Hope I . G ., and J . McCracken Tyler . During the remainder of the year eleven w ere added to the roll of members , among them being Bro . G . Crawford Antrobus , who in April 1847 was appointed S . W ., and on 15 th September of that
year became W . M . Nine were added to tho strength of the Lodge in 1847 , and in 1848 eight more , while Bro . McCracken Tyler died , and was succeeded by Thos . Chaddock , who was initiated by dispensation from the Provincial Grand Master . Bro . W . Starkey succeedcl
Bro . Antrobus as Master for the year 1848-9 . On 5 th September 1849 it was agreed that the Secretary , in consideration of the duties of his office , should bs a nonsubscribing member . In November , a pair of globes was purchased for the use of the Lodge . Bro . John Wilson became Master in 1849-50 . aud Rev . Bro . J . W . N . Tanner
in 1850-51 , the latter and the Treasurer being re-elected the next year , though it is evident the Lodge was not in a nourishing condition , as the minutes do not contain a record of the installation or appointment of Officers . In 1852-3 Bro . G . Barlow was Master , and Bro . John Dakin
in 1853-4 , and several members names not recorded in the minute book were excluded from payment of dues , while new life was imported into the Lodge by the admission of sundry members . Bro . John Chapman , though elected Master in succession to Bro . Dakin , having declined
to accept the honour conferred upon him , Bro . Antrobus occupied the chair for a second time ; he being at the time Senior Grand Warden of the Province . During this year it was resolved to move the Lodge from the Golden Lion to the Bull ' s Head , its present abiding place . The annual
subscription was slightly increased , and it was agreed that tho quarterly supper should be paid for out of the Lodge funds . It was during this mastership also , that the Prov . Grand Lodge held its meeting in Congleton . At the installation of Bro . John Myatt W . M . 1855-G Bro . John
Smith founder and first W . M . of tho Lodge , but who had resigned his membership in the meantime , was present as a visitor . A snm of £ 5 was voted to the Royal Free
Hospital , Grays Inn Road , London , in 1856 . Bro . Dr . Beales was W . M . in 1856-7 , and J . H . Shepherd in 1857-8 the chief events during the hitter ' s year of office being the presentation of an address to Bro . Antrobus Prov . G . Senior
Warden and Past Master , by tho Congleton brethren , on the occasion of their presenting the east window oE Eaton Church ; a further increase in the annual subscription ; and the appointment of Bro , Antrobus to be Dep . P . G . M .