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  • Nov. 27, 1897
  • Page 3
  • NEW HALL AT BRAINTREE.
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The Freemason's Chronicle, Nov. 27, 1897: Page 3

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Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.

New Hall At Braintree.

NEW HALL AT BRAINTREE .

npHEEE was a large gathering of Brethren of the " Mystic I Tie" at Brainfcree , Essex , on Monday , 15 ch inst ., on the occasion of the opening of a suite of rooms which , from plans of Bro . P . Whitmore , architect , Chelmsford , have been adapted for Masonic purposes , and will ia future be known as the Masonic

Hall . By invitation of the W . M . and members of the Lodge of St . Mary , No . 1312 , the Prov . G . Master Lord Warwick had kindly undertaken to perform the opening ceremony , and , as far as accommodation would allow , the leading Brethren of the Province

were invited to meet him , but a telegram was received from Lady Warwick to the effect that the Earl was suffering from ulcerated throat ,, accompanied by feverish symptoms , and that his doctor had ordered him to bed and positively refused to permit his travelling .

This was a great disappointment to all concerned , as special preparations had been made to give the Earl a very hearty reception . In the absence of Lord Warwick the ceremony was undertaken by the Provincial Grand Secretary Bro . Bailing , who was supported by manv leading Brethren of the district .

The Lodge having been duly opened , the Masonic hymn " Hail , Eternal ! " was sung , and prayer offered by Bro . the Bev . C . C . Naters Prov . G . Chap . The Worshipful Master Bro . P . H . Crittall Prov . G . D . then addressed the Brethren . Having first expressed his great regret ,

and the regret of all of them at the absence of their much-loved Provincial Grand Master , and wishing his Lordship a speedy recovery , he proceeded to give a brief history of Freemasonry in Braintree and Bocking . The first record they could trace of a Freemason ' s Lodge at Braintree was in 1737 , when a Lodge ,

numbered 156 , was formed at the Horn Inn . It , however , " only lived for seventeen years , and was erased in 1754 . Masonry appears to have been dormant for twenty-three years , when , in 1777 , the Social Lodge , No . 505 , was founded at the Horn . At this time it was noticeable 'how frequently the numbers of Lodges

were changed , the Social Lodge being altered in 1780 to 410 , in 1781 to 411 , and in 1797 to 332 . Meanwhile ( in 1784 ) the Lodge had removed its place of meeting to the White Hart , Booking ; it ceased to make returns in 1791 , and finally lapsed about 1798 . Before this time , however , it would appear that a

second Lodge had arisen ,, for they found that on 3 rd Nov . 1786 the Lolge of Good Will , No . 491 , was warranted to meet in private rooms in Braintree . Eesidents in Braintree would know that on the premises of Bro . Bartram was a room which had been known always as a Masonic Hall , and they had been not a

little puzzled to know how this designation had arisen . It appeared to him now clear that it was there that this Lodge of Good Will held its meetings . The number of this Lodge was altered twice , viz . 401 and 485 . In 1785 the Lodge removed to the Bull , but , as most of them could well understand , its stay

there was a brief one , and after four years it again returned to the private rooms . The Warrant of this Lodge was returned in 1823 , and nothing more was done till 1848 , when the North Essex Lodge , No . 817 , was warranted , and was consecrated early in the following year . This Lodge also had but a brief tenure ,

and was erased in 1861 . The present Lodge , St . Mary , No . 1312 , was consecrated at the White Hart , Bocking , 13 th October 1870 . He knew that Bro . Bailing was one of those present on the occasion . The Lodge had been carried on with varying fortunes , and . was now as prosperous as at any time since it started . For

some time a desire had been felt that provision should be made for their meeting in private rooms , and when the property in which they were now assembled came into the market a private company was formed and the freehold purchased . Under the competent advice of Bro . Whitmore the best had been made of

everything , and they felt that they had got a very useful building . In addition to the Lodge Eoom in which they were now assembled and adjoining dining-room , they bad ample kitchen accommodation and a caretaker ' s house , whilst there was a nice Committee room ,

ante-rboms , and the necessary offices . One feature he considered to be a satisfactory one , viz ., that the shares in the new Hall were all held by Freemasons , all of whom , with the exception of one , -were members of the Lodge . The W . M . then called on Brother Balling to open the Hall , in the name of the Earl of Warwick .

The Provincial Grand Secretary said he deeply regretted the chain of adverse circumstances which had placed him in his present position . The telegram he had received from Lady-Warwick was to the effect that the Provincial Grand Master was suffering from ulcerated throat , with fever , that bis doctor bad ordered'his lordship to bed , and positively refused to allow him to

travel . The Deputy Provincial Grand Master , had he been present , would have ably filled the gap , but his Honour had written regretting much that his official duties prevented his being present . The next Officer in rank was the Senior Provincial Grand Warden , but he had been called away by domestic affairs , and the Provincial Junior Grand Warden—saddest of all—was

New Hall At Braintree.

dead . All he could say was that whilst he could not possibly make up to them for the exalted Brethren he had named , he would do his best under the circumstances . And first he should like to congratulate the Brethren of the Lodge of St . Mary upon the possession of a home of their own . He had not a word to

say against the hotels which had for many years afforded accommodation to Masonic Lodges , but the advantages of a Hall like this were obvious . The old Lodges scattered throughout the country possessed many valuable and interesting documents , & c , which could not be allowed to lie about in a public building ,

whereas in a Masonic Hall provision could be made so that the Brethren might have access to these documents , & c . ' Another advantage which he thought would follow the step they had taken was that they would gain the support of many good men who held aloof because of their objection to attending meetings ab hotels . They could also meet more frequently together for

instruction and for other matters connected with Freemasonry . The Provincial Grand Secretary then read one or two extracts from the life of Thomas Dunckerley , at one time Prov . Grand Master of Essex , in reference to Masonic meetings at Braintree in the year 1787 , and concluded by declaring the Hall open for Masonic purposes .

The anthem " Behold , how good and joyful was then sung , and prayer being offered by the Eev . H . L . Norden Prov . G . Chap ., the Masonic hymn " Glory to God on high" concluded the opening ceremony .

The Provincial Grand Secretary then announced that the Prov . Grand Master had made the following appointments : Bro . C . J . Dale W . M . Brooke Lodge , No . 2005 , to be Junior Grand Warden in the place of Bro . Alfred Wallis , deceased . Past rank in commemoration of the 60 th anniversary of the

accession of Her Majesty : —Bro . B . W . Dnng P . M . 2318 P . P . S . G . W . ; Bros . G . W . Pascall P . M . 276 , A . J . Marden I . P . M . 1817 , and C . Jolly P . M . 2184 P . P . A . G . Ds . C . ; Bro . E . J .

Drake I . P . M . 433 P P . G . Sword Bearer . The W . M . of the Lodge of St . Mary having been re-elected to fill the chair for another year , there was no installation ceremony , but the Officers were appointed and invested .

The W . M . was elected to represent the Lodge on the Essex Provincial Charity Committee , and other business having been transacted the visitors present greeted the W . M ., and the Lodge was closed .

About fifty Brethren afterwards dined togetner under the presidency of the W . M ., the capacity of the culinary arrangements of the new Hall being fully vindicated . After dinner the usual Masonic toasts were honoured , and a

charming selection of vocal music was rendered by Miss Minnie Chamberlain , Miss Edythe F . Brown , and Bros . Howlett and E , J . Johnson , Bro . Newman Organist of the Lodge accompanying on the pianoforte .

In the course of the afternoon the following telegram was received from Lord Warwick : —" Much the same—still in bed with bad throat . Please express great regret at absence , and hope Brethren will have pleasant meeting . "

"A Sprig Of Acacia."

" A SPRIG OF ACACIA . "

A FATAL accident occurred between two and three o ' clock on Tuesday afternoon to the Countess of Lathom , wife of our revered Pro Grand Master , when driving , about twelve miles from Wigan . It being the first day of the shooting season on Lord Lathom ' s estate , a large party left Lathom House in the morning for the Dalton preserves , the party including Lord

Lathom and family . After luncheon , at Dalton , Lady Lathom , Lady Leitrim , and auother lady started to return to Lathom House in a phaeton , drawn by two ponies , which were driven by the Countess . The party were accompanied by the second coachman . When they reached a point between Ashurst Beacon

and Mossheys , leading towards Lathom Park , and a short distance from the house , one of the reins got underneath the tail of one of the ponies , causing the animal to make a sudden swerve . The carriage was dragged towards the side of the road along which runs a brook , and there being no protection , the wheels on

the off-side went over the bank and caused the carriage to completely turn over . The Countess was thrown out into the water , and tho carriage fell upon her . The other two ladies , who were also thrown out , had a miraculous escape , their only injuries being a shaking and some bruises . The coachman likewise

escaped with a slight injury , xlssistance was promptly obtained from the neighbourhood , and the carriage was raised from the body of the unfortunate Countess . She was lying at the bottom of the brook with the water running over her . There was

evidence on the body that one of the ponies had kicked her . A verdict of accidental death was returned at the inquest , and general sympathy expressed with the Earl of Lathom , in which we sincerely concur . Among the earliest expressions of regret received by the Pro G . M . was a telegram frcm the Queen .

“The Freemason's Chronicle: 1897-11-27, Page 3” Masonic Periodicals Online, Library and Museum of Freemasonry, 16 Aug. 2025, django:8000/periodicals/fcn/issues/fcn_27111897/page/3/.
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NEXT WEEK. Article 1
R. M. I. GIRLS. Article 1
DERBYSHIRE. Article 1
SUSSEX. Article 1
ROYAL ARCH. Article 2
MILTON CHAPTER. Article 2
NEW HALL AT BRAINTREE. Article 3
"A SPRIG OF ACACIA." Article 3
CALCARIA LODGE. Article 4
Untitled Ad 4
LODGE MEETINGS NEXT WEEK. Article 5
Untitled Ad 5
Untitled Ad 6
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Untitled Article 7
UNITED GRAND LODGE. Article 7
MARK MASONRY. Article 8
SNOWDONIA LODGE, No. 259. Article 8
CORRESPONDENCE. Article 8
ENTERTAINMENT NOTES. Article 8
MANCHESTER FREEMASONS CLUB. Article 8
REPORTS OF MEETINGS. Article 9
INSTRUCTION. Article 10
PROVINCIAL. Article 11
Untitled Ad 12
Untitled Ad 12
The Theatres, &c. Article 12
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Untitled Ad 12
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Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.

New Hall At Braintree.

NEW HALL AT BRAINTREE .

npHEEE was a large gathering of Brethren of the " Mystic I Tie" at Brainfcree , Essex , on Monday , 15 ch inst ., on the occasion of the opening of a suite of rooms which , from plans of Bro . P . Whitmore , architect , Chelmsford , have been adapted for Masonic purposes , and will ia future be known as the Masonic

Hall . By invitation of the W . M . and members of the Lodge of St . Mary , No . 1312 , the Prov . G . Master Lord Warwick had kindly undertaken to perform the opening ceremony , and , as far as accommodation would allow , the leading Brethren of the Province

were invited to meet him , but a telegram was received from Lady Warwick to the effect that the Earl was suffering from ulcerated throat ,, accompanied by feverish symptoms , and that his doctor had ordered him to bed and positively refused to permit his travelling .

This was a great disappointment to all concerned , as special preparations had been made to give the Earl a very hearty reception . In the absence of Lord Warwick the ceremony was undertaken by the Provincial Grand Secretary Bro . Bailing , who was supported by manv leading Brethren of the district .

The Lodge having been duly opened , the Masonic hymn " Hail , Eternal ! " was sung , and prayer offered by Bro . the Bev . C . C . Naters Prov . G . Chap . The Worshipful Master Bro . P . H . Crittall Prov . G . D . then addressed the Brethren . Having first expressed his great regret ,

and the regret of all of them at the absence of their much-loved Provincial Grand Master , and wishing his Lordship a speedy recovery , he proceeded to give a brief history of Freemasonry in Braintree and Bocking . The first record they could trace of a Freemason ' s Lodge at Braintree was in 1737 , when a Lodge ,

numbered 156 , was formed at the Horn Inn . It , however , " only lived for seventeen years , and was erased in 1754 . Masonry appears to have been dormant for twenty-three years , when , in 1777 , the Social Lodge , No . 505 , was founded at the Horn . At this time it was noticeable 'how frequently the numbers of Lodges

were changed , the Social Lodge being altered in 1780 to 410 , in 1781 to 411 , and in 1797 to 332 . Meanwhile ( in 1784 ) the Lodge had removed its place of meeting to the White Hart , Booking ; it ceased to make returns in 1791 , and finally lapsed about 1798 . Before this time , however , it would appear that a

second Lodge had arisen ,, for they found that on 3 rd Nov . 1786 the Lolge of Good Will , No . 491 , was warranted to meet in private rooms in Braintree . Eesidents in Braintree would know that on the premises of Bro . Bartram was a room which had been known always as a Masonic Hall , and they had been not a

little puzzled to know how this designation had arisen . It appeared to him now clear that it was there that this Lodge of Good Will held its meetings . The number of this Lodge was altered twice , viz . 401 and 485 . In 1785 the Lodge removed to the Bull , but , as most of them could well understand , its stay

there was a brief one , and after four years it again returned to the private rooms . The Warrant of this Lodge was returned in 1823 , and nothing more was done till 1848 , when the North Essex Lodge , No . 817 , was warranted , and was consecrated early in the following year . This Lodge also had but a brief tenure ,

and was erased in 1861 . The present Lodge , St . Mary , No . 1312 , was consecrated at the White Hart , Bocking , 13 th October 1870 . He knew that Bro . Bailing was one of those present on the occasion . The Lodge had been carried on with varying fortunes , and . was now as prosperous as at any time since it started . For

some time a desire had been felt that provision should be made for their meeting in private rooms , and when the property in which they were now assembled came into the market a private company was formed and the freehold purchased . Under the competent advice of Bro . Whitmore the best had been made of

everything , and they felt that they had got a very useful building . In addition to the Lodge Eoom in which they were now assembled and adjoining dining-room , they bad ample kitchen accommodation and a caretaker ' s house , whilst there was a nice Committee room ,

ante-rboms , and the necessary offices . One feature he considered to be a satisfactory one , viz ., that the shares in the new Hall were all held by Freemasons , all of whom , with the exception of one , -were members of the Lodge . The W . M . then called on Brother Balling to open the Hall , in the name of the Earl of Warwick .

The Provincial Grand Secretary said he deeply regretted the chain of adverse circumstances which had placed him in his present position . The telegram he had received from Lady-Warwick was to the effect that the Provincial Grand Master was suffering from ulcerated throat , with fever , that bis doctor bad ordered'his lordship to bed , and positively refused to allow him to

travel . The Deputy Provincial Grand Master , had he been present , would have ably filled the gap , but his Honour had written regretting much that his official duties prevented his being present . The next Officer in rank was the Senior Provincial Grand Warden , but he had been called away by domestic affairs , and the Provincial Junior Grand Warden—saddest of all—was

New Hall At Braintree.

dead . All he could say was that whilst he could not possibly make up to them for the exalted Brethren he had named , he would do his best under the circumstances . And first he should like to congratulate the Brethren of the Lodge of St . Mary upon the possession of a home of their own . He had not a word to

say against the hotels which had for many years afforded accommodation to Masonic Lodges , but the advantages of a Hall like this were obvious . The old Lodges scattered throughout the country possessed many valuable and interesting documents , & c , which could not be allowed to lie about in a public building ,

whereas in a Masonic Hall provision could be made so that the Brethren might have access to these documents , & c . ' Another advantage which he thought would follow the step they had taken was that they would gain the support of many good men who held aloof because of their objection to attending meetings ab hotels . They could also meet more frequently together for

instruction and for other matters connected with Freemasonry . The Provincial Grand Secretary then read one or two extracts from the life of Thomas Dunckerley , at one time Prov . Grand Master of Essex , in reference to Masonic meetings at Braintree in the year 1787 , and concluded by declaring the Hall open for Masonic purposes .

The anthem " Behold , how good and joyful was then sung , and prayer being offered by the Eev . H . L . Norden Prov . G . Chap ., the Masonic hymn " Glory to God on high" concluded the opening ceremony .

The Provincial Grand Secretary then announced that the Prov . Grand Master had made the following appointments : Bro . C . J . Dale W . M . Brooke Lodge , No . 2005 , to be Junior Grand Warden in the place of Bro . Alfred Wallis , deceased . Past rank in commemoration of the 60 th anniversary of the

accession of Her Majesty : —Bro . B . W . Dnng P . M . 2318 P . P . S . G . W . ; Bros . G . W . Pascall P . M . 276 , A . J . Marden I . P . M . 1817 , and C . Jolly P . M . 2184 P . P . A . G . Ds . C . ; Bro . E . J .

Drake I . P . M . 433 P P . G . Sword Bearer . The W . M . of the Lodge of St . Mary having been re-elected to fill the chair for another year , there was no installation ceremony , but the Officers were appointed and invested .

The W . M . was elected to represent the Lodge on the Essex Provincial Charity Committee , and other business having been transacted the visitors present greeted the W . M ., and the Lodge was closed .

About fifty Brethren afterwards dined togetner under the presidency of the W . M ., the capacity of the culinary arrangements of the new Hall being fully vindicated . After dinner the usual Masonic toasts were honoured , and a

charming selection of vocal music was rendered by Miss Minnie Chamberlain , Miss Edythe F . Brown , and Bros . Howlett and E , J . Johnson , Bro . Newman Organist of the Lodge accompanying on the pianoforte .

In the course of the afternoon the following telegram was received from Lord Warwick : —" Much the same—still in bed with bad throat . Please express great regret at absence , and hope Brethren will have pleasant meeting . "

"A Sprig Of Acacia."

" A SPRIG OF ACACIA . "

A FATAL accident occurred between two and three o ' clock on Tuesday afternoon to the Countess of Lathom , wife of our revered Pro Grand Master , when driving , about twelve miles from Wigan . It being the first day of the shooting season on Lord Lathom ' s estate , a large party left Lathom House in the morning for the Dalton preserves , the party including Lord

Lathom and family . After luncheon , at Dalton , Lady Lathom , Lady Leitrim , and auother lady started to return to Lathom House in a phaeton , drawn by two ponies , which were driven by the Countess . The party were accompanied by the second coachman . When they reached a point between Ashurst Beacon

and Mossheys , leading towards Lathom Park , and a short distance from the house , one of the reins got underneath the tail of one of the ponies , causing the animal to make a sudden swerve . The carriage was dragged towards the side of the road along which runs a brook , and there being no protection , the wheels on

the off-side went over the bank and caused the carriage to completely turn over . The Countess was thrown out into the water , and tho carriage fell upon her . The other two ladies , who were also thrown out , had a miraculous escape , their only injuries being a shaking and some bruises . The coachman likewise

escaped with a slight injury , xlssistance was promptly obtained from the neighbourhood , and the carriage was raised from the body of the unfortunate Countess . She was lying at the bottom of the brook with the water running over her . There was

evidence on the body that one of the ponies had kicked her . A verdict of accidental death was returned at the inquest , and general sympathy expressed with the Earl of Lathom , in which we sincerely concur . Among the earliest expressions of regret received by the Pro G . M . was a telegram frcm the Queen .

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