Lodge Histories.

LODGE HISTORIES .

—; u;—ANCHOE AND HOPE LODGE , No . 37 , BOLTON .

( Continued from page 211 ) . FOIIOWING np the interesting account of this old Lancashire branch of the Fraternity , of which two notices have already appeared in these columns , and which , coming from the combined efforts of Bros . George Parker Broekbank and James Newton , are entitled to the respectful consideration of Masons everywhere , we note the curious

difference shown between the old bye-laws of the Anchor and Hope Lodge of 1790 to those at present in use . There are some eighteen or twenty in all , and being too voluminous for extract , we will content ourselves with a sufficient outline of them . In the first place , after fixing the dates of meeting , " where the Master and the majority of the members shall think proper , " the rules go on to stipulate that

the election of Master , Wardens , Deacons , Treasurer , and Secretary of the Lodge shall be by a majority of its members on a ballot , to be taken on a reprular Lodge night , held next before the Festivals of St . John the Evangelist and St . John the Baptist , and that " each new-elected Master shall be install'd and take the chair on the aforesaid Festival days . " Then comes " a singular bye-law , reminding us

now-a-days of our Lodges of Instrnction , viz ., that" every Lodge night every member shall pay 6 pence , out of which ( when paid ) 3 pence shall be spent . " It does not say in what manner , bnt presumably it would be on the creature comforts of the members , who , as we have before pointed out , were judiciously frugal in their habits . But it appears that then , as now , members were not always instant in the

fulfilment of their responsibilities ; if so , why the proviso contained in the parenthesis quoted P Then , members were fined twopence for half an hour's absence after the specified time for assembling ; and threepence if absent a whole night , " except in case of emergency . " For speaking , after the Master had commanded silence , or sitting in the Lodge " uncloathed , " or with his hat on , or interrupting

the Master , or leaving the room without the consent of the Master , for each of these offences a penalty of twopence was imposed . It looks like an imputation upon the character of the members admitted to have been under the necessity of providing that any one " coming io the Lodge drunk , swearing , or using other profane and obscene language , or giving a brother the ' lye' in the Lodge shall forfeit one

shilling for each offence ; " whilst any member striking a brother in the Lodge shall forfeit five shillings , and be excluded three months . We trust these safeguards against the destruction of brotherly love were not often put to the test ; indeed , we find no record in the history of such an untoward event . Members being four months in arrears , on any account , after they

had been demanded of him , promoting the breaking up of the Lodge , or cheating or defrauding the same , were amenable to exclusion ; whilst any one disturbing the proceedings of the Lodge was suspended for three months for the first offence , and " for the second offence , for ever . " A Master refnsing to serve after election was fined 2 s 6 d ; the Wardens , Treasurer and Secretary Is ; and the

Deacons 6 d eaeh . This is obviously a provision rarely needed in the present constitution of the Order , all onr Officers " being only too happy to receive the distinction conferred npon them by the brethren . Any Officer leaving his place without the consent of the Master , or who Bhould be absent with his key half an-hour after the time specified , was expected to forfeit sixpence , the natural inference being

thafceach of those Officers possessed a box or drawer in which he kept his insignia . The Master was under the penalty of half-a-crown nnless he gave a lecture , or caused it to be done , on every Lodge night ; and , as with the instances already named , these fines were all to be " spent . " On a proposal for initiation the nominator was called upon to vouch for the good behaviour and charaoter of the

candidate , and deposit 5 s "as his approbation money , " which , however , was returned if the candidate was disproved of . The applicant was initiated if there was " no black ball against him , " instead of three as at the present time ; but if he failed to attend for that purpose within three nights after the acceptance , his approbation money was forfeited to tbe fund . On his initiation , he was called npon to

pay £ l 17 s for the first step ( and 2 s 6 d for each of the next two , also Is when installed ) , out of which 7 s 6 d was to be spent ; while the Secretary and Tyler were paid Is each and the registering fees . A remarkable featuro of the fourth degree in those days was that the members were asked to dine or sup together on the Festivals of St . John the Evangelist and St . John the Baptist , "agreeable to

ancient custom , " towards the expenses of which every member paid 3 s 6 d . This is also in strange and interesting contrast with the banquets of the present age , when the hotel bills are usually paid out of the Lodge funds , and Visitors are regarded as gnests in the strictest application of the term . Half-a-crown was the fee of a joining member , and the Master of tho house where the Lodge

• was , or might be , held was bound to subscribe his name to an inventory of the furniture , & c . belonging to the Lodge which was " vested in and to be the property of the brethren for the time being , " acknowledging the same to bo in his possession , and to sign a bond to deliver them np when demanded by the Master and Wardens for the time being . The T yler was paid Is a month over

and above his fee at initiations—an arrangement which would hardly 3 uit some of our useful aides in the present day ! No liquor was admitted during Lodge ; noE . A . was passed before he was perfect in his O . B ., nor raised till he was perfect in the lecture on the first step . Amongst tho offences was that of attending " in any handkerchief

except a white one , " for which a forfeit of threepence was exacted . There are 91 signatures appended to the bye-laws , the last being that of a brother initiated in 1815 . The Lodges of Instrnction were held at the IIOUKO of Bro . Henry Horrooks , of the Masons Arms , in Windy Hank ( now known iis Bunk-street ) on the Sciudav following the

Lodge Histories.

regular Lodge night , and every Sunday evening after , to compleat themselves in the sacred mysteries of Masonry , and to receive regnlar lectures thereon . " The fine for non-attendance at these Lodges of Instruction was 3 d ; no " liquor " was allowed during the working , bnt at the close of it every brother was expected to spend fourpenoe , at least . It is surmised that the Lodge continued to meet at the

" Hope " until the year 1800 , when , as the Assistant Grand Seoretary , Bro . Buss , supposes , it removed to the " Legs of Man , " emigrating for three years to the " Four Horse Shoes , " and back again in 1804 to the " Legs of Man . " There are various records of processions , in reference to which the occasion is often omitted , but one was on the fiftieth anniversary of the reign of King George TIL , on the 15 th

of July 1812 , the return of tho Bolton militia from garrison duty in 1814 , the laying of certain foundation stones , and the funerals of deceased brethren . A fund for the relief of sick members in connec . tion with the Lodge was established in 1831 , the rules of which remind us of the friendly benefit societies of more recent times ; and in the years between the date of the formation of the fund to 1844 , the sum

of £ 155 2 s lOd was disbursed in sick and funeral allowance ; but in the latter year the fund became extinct , and a distribution of the Lodge funds took place . This is very mnch on a par with many of the old village olubs , who used to divide their funds at regular periods , bnt whioh have been nearly all " improved away" b y the Oddfellows ' , Foresters ' , and other registered friendly societies ,

within the last few years . Some time afterwards an Almoner was appointed on behalf of the Bolton Lodges to relieve itinerant Masons , from whioh system much good appears to have been effected , inas . much as by means of an interchange of reports from various towns , a stop was put to indiscriminate relief being afforded in some cases to unworthy persons . This is the very question which has

been opened up and largely commented on in these columns only within the past few weeks ; and it only goes to show that even so far back as nearly half a century , the efforts of the brethren were seriously directed to the suppression of " Masonic mendicancy , " the evils attending which have just now been so warmly debated in the journals of to-day . Later on the brethren conceived the notion of

adding music to their ceremonials , and certain of them were accorded mnch credit for their indefatigable exertions in " composing and fnrnishing our vocal brethren with that which will not only elevate the Masonic feelings in their own breasts , but in all those who may have the pleasure of hearing them . " The establishment of a local charity for female children of deceased Freemasons is also noted ,

and it appears by a subsequent paragraph that a donation of five guineas and an annual subscription of two guineas were voted to tbe East Lancashire Masonio Sohool for Female Children , by this Lodge , showing its successful formation . On 18 th February 1844 , the Lodge was removed from the " Legs of Man " to the Swan Hotel , when the funds of the Lodge , even at so late a period , were equally divided

among the members . The total amount on Boxing Day in thafc year was £ 212 , of which the 53 members each received £ 4 . Tbis appears to have necessitated an increase of the monthly subscription to the Lodge from Is 6 d to 2 s 6 d ; and the initiation and joining fees were , three years later , raised from four gnineas and one guinea to five guineas and two gnineas respectively . There are various accounts of presentations to the Lodge , of testimonials to its Officers , and gifts

to needy members or widows ; leading up to the modern system of holdiug Masonic balls and other festivities , the surplus from eaoh was devoted to Masonio charitable institutions . The records up to 1872 contain little of special interest , except the ordinary minutes , such as we might find in any Lodge ; but on the 3 rd July in that year a new code of bye-laws was adopted , and the Secretary read the centenary Warrant granted to the Lodge by the then M . W . Grand Master , of which we may append the full text : —

DE GREY & RIPON G . M . To the Master , Wardens , and other Officers and Members of ihe Anchor & Hope Lodge , No . 37 , Bolton-le-Moors , Lancashire , and all others whom it may concern .

GREETING . WHEREAS , it appears by the Records of the Grand Lodge , that on the 9 th day of November 1732 , a Warrant of Constitution was granted to certain Brethren therein named , authorising them and their Successors to hold a Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons at Bolton-le-Moors , in the County of Lancaster , and which Lodge was

then registered in the books of the Grand Lodge as No . 105 , at the alteration in 1740 it became No . 93 , at the alteration in 1756 it became No . 55 , at the alteration in 1770 it became No . 46 , at the alteration in 1781 it became No . 36 , at the alteration in 1792 it became No . 33 , and which Lodge in consequence of the union of the two fraternities of Ancient , Free , and Accepted Masons , on the 27 th December 1813 became No . 51 , at the alteration in 1832 it became No . 44 ,

and by the general alteration of numbers in 1863 , it became , and is now registered in the booka of the United Grand Lodge , as No . 37 , meeting at Freemasons' Hall , Bolton , in the Connty of Lancaster , under the title or denomination of the "Anchor & Hope " Lodge , and , whereas , the brethren comprising the said Lodge are desirous , now that it has completed the Centenary of its existence , to be permitted to wear a Jewel Commemorative of such event , and have prayed our sanction for that purpose .

Now know ye , that we having taken the subject into our consideration , have acceded to their request , and in Virtue of our prerogative do hereby give and grant to all and each of the actual subscribing Members of the said Lodge , being Master Masons , permission to wear , in all Masonic Meetings , suspended to the left breast by a sky blue

ribbon not exceoding one and a half inches in breadth , a Jewel or Medal of the pattern or device that we have already approved of as a Centenary Jewel , but snch Jewel is to be worn only by those brethren who aro honO , fide Subscribing Members of the said Lodge , and for so long only as each shall pay his regular stipulated sub .