Lodge Histories.

LODGE HISTORIES .

ANCHOR AND HOPE LODGE , No . 37 , BOLTON .

( Continued from page 196 ) . IN our last issue , we gave an outline account of the history of this old Lodge , from information which has been compiled by Bros . George Parker Brockbank and James Newton , and which will have been perused with deep interest by all under whose notice the little volume has fallen . Prior to 1765 there is little doubt that the Anchor

and Hope assembled in the private room in Churohgate , before it assumed the wider dimensions in whioh it now appears . There are some carious items in this old history which will strike Masons of the present day with more than ordinary interest . It is pretty evident , moreover , that our brethren of a oentury and a-half ago were equally particular with ourselves in observing the amenities of society , for

in the oldest volume of the existing records , whioh seems to have answered the double purpose of minuto book and cash account , there is a singular entry of 6 s 6 d paid for "liquor" on 20 th April 1765 . Four items of a similar character occur between that date and 4 th May , when it appears that the brethren found themselves in somewhat of a quandary , inasmnoh as they had to pay Mr . Brown the

enormous sum of half a sovereign before they could take away their " old box" whioh contained their utensils , " such as candlesticks , & o . ! " The account runs as follows : — " Paid for oandlesticks , cleaning , & c , 2 s ; a Mallett and Square , 6 d ; Copying the Bye-laws , Is 6 d ; ten yards of Ferritting , at 2 d per yard , Is 8 d ; a Level , Square , and Plumb Rule , 2 s ; ' Two Brothers in distress , 2 s ; " also payments for

•* liquor " at T . Rothwell ' s and J . Lomax'a ! It is an inference drawn by the authors of this unique history that previous to the year from which their records date , Lodges used no distinctive names , hut were known only by their members and the " signs" of the houses in which they assembled . Thus it transpires that the Anohor and Hope varied in different years as to its cognomen . The first

mention to be traced of the name of the place of meeting is in the minute book of the Royal Arch Chapter of Concord attached to the Lodge . On 5 th December 1787 , in the Chapter bye . laws it is stated as the Hope . In subsequent entries , in the same minute book , it is variously stated as the " Hope , " " Hope and Anohor , " and " Anohor and Hope . " This leads up to a reference in a looal gazetter of an inn

called the " Hope , " and another called the " Anohor ; " but it would seem that no record is extant as to a meeting place bearing any of these titles now existing in Bolton , though there is some historical conneotion between those names and the " Rope and Anohor , " in Deansgate , which appears almost a paradoxical sign to give to a hostelry in an inland centre . Regular Lodges appear to have been held monthly , during

the period mentioned in the " oldest volume , " as well as occasional meetings of emergenoy , the Master and Prinoipal Officers being elected half-yearly , and installed on the Festivals of St . Johns' the Baptist and Evangelist . A curious custom was the payment to the Seoretary of a fee of one shilling for each initiation , while the enormous sum of 6 d was paid for a twenty-four inch gauge , and a

similarly extravagant amount of Is 2 d for a Junior Deacon ' s jewel We quite concur with the writer ' s comment , that " the prioes paid for these and other implements , previously noted , prove that the members were content with ordinary operative tools . " On the contrary , and supposing the number of members to have been not very extensive , it is atrocious that 14 s was paid on 23 rd Ootober 1766 for

3 J gross of pipes . Similar entries abound in the history , as the auctioneers say , " too numerous to mention . " Another feature of the compendium is the conference of two degrees on a brother at the same meeting , though the qualification is appended that " we presume the term ' Enter'd' as applied to these brethren means that they were admitted as joining members . " As an instance of the

frugality of the members , it is noted that on the Festival on St . John's Day , 24 th June 1769 -. —Paid for Liquor £ 1 Is 9 d ; 18 dinners 18 s Od ; tobacco 6 Jd ; maid 5 s 3 d ; total £ 2 5 s 6 Jd , or only about 2 s 6 Jd each , towards which , on each occasion , the members present contributed half a crown each . The compilers point out , with some degree of force , that " this is in striking contrast to the costly

banquets of the present day , although in one respect they are somewhat similar , the payments for fluids being in excess of those for solids then as now on many occasions . " The charitable actions of the brethren of this old Lodge were significant in comparison with the expenses inonrred personally , aud it is most interesting to read of blind and distressed brother" being relieved from the funds of

the Lodge , which in those days can scarcely compare with modern affluence , whilst foreign brethren seem to have been treated with even more liberality than those at home . One little extract as to Masonic customs of over a century ago may be quoted : — . ' A curious custom which prevailed in the Lodge at this period > s marked by an entry of 2 / 6 paid 21 May 1772 by Bro .

, , Nathl . Howarth as ' Beverage for a good wife . ' The explanation of this entry must be taken to be that the worthy Brother had taken to himself a wife , and paid the sum named in order that his Brethren wight toast the healths of the newly married couple at the expense of the bridegroom . Three similar entries subsequently occur in the

? ook , the ' Beverage Money " being the same 2 / 6 in each case ; and > n another case 1 / - is paid on the birth of a son . This custom continued to be practised in Lodges at the earlier portion of Bro . Brockanck ' s Masonio career , now some 36 years ago . " And another , amongst the notes of the brethren of " ye olden time , " states : — .

' Tu . a ^ odge of Emergency held 10 March 1774 , it was agreed lhat We subscribe 21 / - towards building the Hall . " This would 8 the Freemasons' Hall , London . The subscription appears to have eet » dul y paid aion „ j tn tne ammai subscription to the ' General * ° nd of Charity . '" Following on from the early records up to 1836 , it appears the

Lodge Histories.

information gained is of but a fragmentary oharaoter , consisting mainly of a book of bye laws dated 1 st July 1790 , and a roll book , commencing December 1798 , containing lists of members , with their payments of subscriptions . This bears out what the compilers informed us in their introduction as to the negligent or accidental destruction of many of the records , whioh , had they been preserved ,

would have spared a vast amount of time and pains in research . Tho roll of members , however , gives evidence of the vitality of tho Lodge , inasmuch as in the 22 years between 1776 to December 1798 , there were no fewer than seventy-six initiations , the names and dates of the brethren being furnished by Bro . Buss , the Assistant Grand Secretary , from the Grand Lodge books . Passing over the

records of the Royal Arch Chapter attached to tho Lodge in 1785 , all of which are extant , we come upon an interesting entry , which informs us that in January 1786 : — " A Lodge was opened in Bolton , at the Crown Inn , Deansgate , under the ' Ancients' Grand Lodge , viz .: —The Lodge of Antiquity , No . 196 , its present number being 146 . This Lodge was originally

established at the Fox Inn , Leigh , by warrant of 24 Jane 1776 . Notwithstanding the prohibitory orders of their respective Grand Lodges , the members of the ' Anchor & Hope' and the ' Antiquity ' Lodges seem , for a time at least , to have been in the habit of frequently interchanging visits as testified by the reoords of the Antiquity Lodge , and other entries therein otherwise refer to the

Auohor and Hope Lodge . " Regular processions occurred at stated periods , snoh as sermons on St . John ' s Days , the funerals of deceased brethren , & c . and visits to sister Lodges were regulated by the fiat of the Worshipful Masters , under conditions which appear strangely interesting in the light of modern Masonry . A local newspaper recently published the first

mention that can be found of the Provincial Grand Lodge of Lancashire , from whioh , however , the particular day and month are absent . It seems there was a " General Provincial Convocation of the Masonio Societies at Manchester , at the particular request of the Grand Lodge in London , " under the patronage of John Allen , Esq ., the Provincial Grand Master for the county , who attended for the pur .

pose . " The brethren were all habited with the insignia of office , and the Colonel of the first Regiment of Dragoon Guards , having " politely" ordered a party of military to parade on the occasion , they proceeded to St . John ' s Chnrch , preceded by tbe officers of the town , " who kindly tendered their services . " Then follows in tabular form a description of the procession , which must have been a gorgeous

affair , and at the service , where a large congregation assembled , an anthem and some hymns were selected , and an eloquent sermon was preached by the Rev . Bro . Ratcliffe from the 13 th Chapter of St . Paul ' s Epistle to the Romans , " Let brotherly love continue . " The procession then returned in the order in which they came , and when the brethren came opposite to the Bull ' s Head they formed in a line

whilst the Grand Master passed , saluting them to the front . They then went in , where a very elegant dinner was awaiting them . Fourteen Lodges were represented , comprising the whole of the Lodges then existing in Lancashire under the " Moderns" Grand Lodge . To show the increase of the Craft in this stronghold of true Masonry , it may be mentioned that at the present time there are no fewer than

173 Lodges in the East and West Provinces of Lancashire . We ^ may conclude our notice this week by referring to a curious extract , showing that to be a Chaplain in these good old times did not necessarily imply that he should be duly initiated into the mysteries and privileges of the Order . ( To be continued . )

At the North London Chapter of Improvement on Thursday , Comp . Edmonds occupied the chair of Z ., and was supported by Comps . Hunter and Sparrow , who fulfilled the duties of Haggai and Joshua . An instructive

evening was spent . We recommend Companions to visit this Chapter of Improvement , which is held every Thursday evening , at the Canonbury Tavern , St . Mary ' s Road , Islington , N .

Next Tuesday evening the members of the Joppa Lodge of Instruction , No . 188 , will ballot , under their bye laws , for a third life subscribership to the Masonic Charities . A large attendance is expected .

THE RETAIL DRAPERY TRADE . —The Warehousemen and Drapers Trade Journal of Saturday last publishes reports of the retail drapery trade throughout the kingdom . From these it is concluded that the spring and autumn returns have been fairly good , although the sammer has not proved so favourable for business as had been anticipated . In agricultural districts trade is still suffering from depres .

sion caused by the bad harvests of recent years , and the prospects for the coming season depend greatly upon the results of the harvest now in progress , which it is too early yet to estimate accurately , Grouping the metropolitan reports according to postal districts , those from the western division are perhaps the best . The east-end returns are not quite so encouraging . In some cases an improved trade is reported , but in most the average appears scarcely to have

been sustained . In North London trade appears to have been slightly better , certainly up to an average , though complaints are made in this , as in other districts , of the severity of competition and the smallness of profits . In the south of London ( S . W . and S . E . ) an average trade has been done . In the central districts also business has been generally up to the average . The Irish reports as to trade are decidedly favourable , more so than had been anticipated , and taken in connection with indications of an improved state of feeling , are encouraging .