The Eaton Lodge, No. 533, Congleton, Cheshire.

in the place of Bro . Maddock deceased , a letter of condolence being likewise addressed to the Prov . G . M . the late Lord Combermere on the lamented death of his Deputy . Bros . W . Burghopo ( 1858-9 ) , Sara . F . Gosling ( 1859-60 ) . and Bro . Joseph Whitehnrst ( I 860 ) were the next W .

Masters , and it was when the last-named presided over the destinies of the Lodge that the brethren , accompanied by Lord De Tabley and other Prov . G . Officers , as well as by brethren of other Lodges in Cheshire and Staffordshire , attended divine service at Astbury Church in memory of

Bro . Gibbs C . Antrobus . In 1861-2 Bro . G . W Hall was Master ; in 1862-3 Bro . W . Brndbnry . During Bro . Bradbury ' s Mastership it was ordered to pay £ 1 annually to the Cheshire Educational Masonic Institution , founded in 1863 . Thanks also were voted to the son of the late Bro

Antrobus for his kiudness in presenting the brethren of the Lodge with his father ' s Masonic library . In 1863 , by the closing up of Lodges , tho Eaton became , as it is now , No . 533 on the roll of Grand Lodge . In 1863-4 , Bro . Dr . Beales a second time filled the chair of his Lodge , and the

Lodge voted a sum of five guineas towards the fund for a testimonial to Lord Combermere P . G . M ., while the year following , during the Mastership of Bro . William Aston , it was ordered that a hatchment in memory of their late P . G . M . should be placed in front of the Bull ' s Head Hotel .

Three months later and the Lodge received an invitation to attend a Provincial Grand Lodge at Knutaford on the occasion of the installation by the Most Worshipful Earl de Grey and Ripon , Grand Master , of Lord de Tabley , who had been appointed to succeed Lord Combermere in

' the command of the Province . During the presidency of Bro . Henry Aston W . M . 1865-6 , and Bro . John Skerratfc W . M . 1866-67 , nothing noteworthy occurred , but in the Mastership of Bro . E . A . Cokayne 1867-8 Lord de Tabley , attended by his Officers , honoured the Lodge with a visit ,

and having observed the manner in which the three degrees were worked , " expressed his gratification with the very efficient manner " in which the ceremonies had been performed , and as a sum of five guineas had at this particular meeting been voted to the Institution for aged Freemasons

" to enable the Lodge to become Life-Governors , " his Lordship also expressed " his high appreciation of the vote in aid of Charity which had been unanimously passed . " In 1868-9 Bro . S . F . Gosling was chosen W . Master for the second time . The sum of £ 1 was voted to the Zetland

Commemoration Fund , and a new member , Bro . G . W . Eeade , presented the Lodge with a floorcloth to serve as a memento of his connection with tho Lodge . In 1869-70 , Bro . Dr . Beales was W . M . for the third time , and the Lodge , in recognition of the valuable services he had

rendered it during the many years of his membershi p presented him with a valuable P . M . ' s jewel—he had joined the Lodge in 1863 , and we rejoice to say that last year when Captain Terry ' s History of the Lodge was published , was still a member , and held the important office of Treasurer .

In October 1869 , the Lodge received a copy of an address presented to H . R . H . the Prince of Wales by the Masons of Cheshire , and of His Royal Highness ' s reply thereto , this being , it is stated , the first Masonic address to the Prince . In January 1870 a resolution expressing the regret felt by

the members at the death of Bro . John Smith , " the father of the Eaton Lodge " was unanimously passed and recorded on the minutes . In the Mastership of Bro . William Blackshaw , 1870-1 , the Provincial Grand Lodge was held in the

Town Hall , Congleton . Lord De Tabley P . G . M . presided , and there was also a large gathering of the brethren from the different Lodges in the Province . The members attended Divine service at St . Peter ' s Church , and the collection made at the close of the sermon was divided between

the local Cottage Hospital , and the Provincial Fund of Benevolence . Bros . J . Whitehurst and A . E . Cokayne , Past Masters , W . Blackshaw W . M ., and T . G . Sheldon , J . J . Horsfall , S . W ., and T . W . Yandrey , S . D ., were the Provincial Grand Stewards . At the next meeting a sum of

two guineas was voted to the fund for a memorial window in the church at Higher Sntton , in memory of the late Bro . John Smith . Bro . J . J . Horsfall was chosen W . M . for the year 1871-2 , and during his reign Bro . Beales presented the Lodge with a portrait of H . R . H . the Prince of Wales . A

harmonium was likewise purchased . Bro . S . F . Gosling succeeded Bro . Horsfall in the chair of the Lodge for 1872-3 , this being the third year daring which he had occupied that post . In May 1873 the Lodge went into mourning for the then recently deceased Earl of Zetland , Fast Grand Master . In September a subscription was made

The Eaton Lodge, No. 533, Congleton, Cheshire.

by the brethren to the fund for placing a memorial window to the late Bro . Bradbury , a Past Master of the Lodge , in Biddulph Church . In i 873-4 , and again for the second tf me in 1874-5 , Bro . Samuel Blackshaw occupied the chair . During the former year a subscription , amounting to £ 10 ,

was contributed by the brethren to the fund for placing a pulpit in Chester Cathedral by the Freemasons of Cheshire . In the latter year the amount of subscription was raised to its present sum , namely , Thirty Shillings , and the initiation fee was increased from Four to Five Guineas .

Bro . A . E . Cokayne , W . M . for the second time in 1875-6 , presented to the Lodgo a banner , the design of which was drawn for him by Sir Albert Woods ( Garter ) Grand D of C , through G . E . Cokayne , M . A ., F . S . A , Lancaster Herald . Two sums of £ 5 and £ 10 respectively were

subscribed towards the fund being raised in Cheshire to secure to the Provincial Grand Lodge a perpetual presentation to the Royal Masonic Institution for Boys . The sum of ten srnineas was also subscribed to the Cheshire Educational Masonic Institution , making a total of twenty-one guineas

in three years , and securing for the Lodge twenty votes in perpetuity . In 1876-7 , when the record is concluded , Bro . Captain Astley Terry held the Mastership . He presented to the Lodge a Charity Box , while Bros . Cokayne and Sheldon gave , the former a silver jewel and the latter a

silk collar for the Director of Ceremonies . Here ends our story , which is derived from the materials so ably , and with such care compiled by Bro . Captain Terry from the Minute Books of the Lodge and other sources . Published with this sketch will be found lists of Patrons and Grand

Masters of Freemasons , of Prov . Grand Masters , of the members of the Eaton Lodge on whom Provincial honours have been conferred , and of all who have been members of the Lodge , together with a copy of the Lodge Bye-Laws , and what must prove a great convenience to members of tho

Lodge possessing the book , forms for filling m from year to year the names of the Officers , admissions and withdrawals , and any record of importance . The History is further embellished with Photographs of the lute Bro . G . Crawfuvd Antrobus , a Past Master of the Lodge and Dep . P . G .

Master of Cheshire , and Bro . John Smith founder and first Master . Copies , by photography , of the Lodge Warrant as well as of the Warrant of a Lodge at Macclesfield granted in 1756 by the Grand Lodge of the " Ancients , " bearing the signatures of the Earl of Kelly Grand Master ,

Bro . W . Osborn Dep . G . M ., W . Dickey S . G . W ., and Laurence Dermott for himself as Grand Secretary , and for James Gibson J . G . Warden . The frontispiece is a coloured illustration of the Lodge banner with its motto , " The Lord is all our Trust" inscribed thereon . We

congratulate Bro . Captain Terry on the completeness with which he has done his work , as well as the ability he has shown in the collation and arrangement of his materials , and we may add that if all other Masters were to follow his admirable example a history of the Craft in ^ England might soon be written .

Installation Meeting Of The Albert Edward Lodge. No. 1557.

INSTALLATION MEETING OF THE ALBERT EDWARD LODGE . No . 1557 .

THURSDAY , the 7 th of November , may well be termed a Red Lettor Day in the history of the Albert Edward Lndge . Non - Masons would ask each other , " Why thecommotion ? aud what brought so large an influx of strangers to the good old town of Hexham ? " Bat members of the Craft knew that these straDgers were brethren who had come some long distances—from Alnwick , Darlington ,

Newcastleon-Tyne , Sunderland , & c , to do honour to a brother who had won for himself by indomitable perseverance a reputation throughout the Province . It waa the Festival of the Lodge , aud the installation of Bro . William Mnrr Bell , the District Supt . of the North British Railway , who had very courteously attached saloons to tho 2 . 10 train leaving Newcastle , to convey the brethren , who had intimated their

intention to be present . Several who had come by an earlier train were entertained at lunch at Bro . Bell ' s private house , where Mrs . Bell most conrteouslv and amiab ' v presided . The Lodge was opened at three o'clock , by ' the W . M . Bro . W . Fishburn , T . Foster I . P . M ., W . M . Bell S . W . W . M . elect , J . Turner J . W ., Rev . G . Robinson Chaplain , J . Catherall Sec , J . Pervice as S . D ., M . Robsoa J . D ., J .

Nicholson Organist , R . Humphries P . M . a 3 I . G ., J . Johnson Steward . The Lodge was so full that it looked more like a meeting of the P . G . L . than that of a private one . The minutes being confirmed , the ballot was taken for Mr . G . Hunter , which proving" satisfactory that geDtlemaa was duly initiated into the mysteries of our Order by tl'O

W . M . Bro . E . D . Davis P . P . S . G . W . and P . G . D . C . then assumed the chair , and Bro . Fishburn introduced Bro . Bell , the W . M . elect , to him , to receive at his hands the benefit of installation . Bro . Bell having given assent to the ancient charges , all below the rank of P . M . left the Lodge j a Board of Past Musters was then formed , numbering nineteen , and the ceremony was proceeded with . Upon ,