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In Memoriam.
of the Grand Lodge of England " for 1 st June 1864 , from which the following is an extract : — " Bro . Mclntyre said he had a Third Resolution to propose , and hardly knew how to find words adequate to
express the gratitude which he personally felt towards the excellent Brother Woodford , who he might designate as tbe Vates Sacer , and who delivered the Oration on that
occasion [ 27 th April ] . All were delighted with tbe excellence of that Oration , and its applicability to the circumstances under which they were assembled . It was with great pleasure he
moved"' That this Grand Lodge desires to record its hearty and grateful thanks to the V . W . Brother the Rev . Adolphus F . A . Woodford , Grand Chaplain , for the eloquent and
instructive Oration delivered by him on the occasion of laying the Foundation Stone of the New Buildiogs . ' "The motion was seconded , and carried unanimously . "
In the preparation as well as in fche delivery of Masonic Orations , Bro . Woodford , if he did not outshine , at least was not excelled by any Grand Officers of his
own class . On this point , indeed , I express myself with diffidence , nor do I presume to pass judgment on Orations I have not listened to . Still with a vivid recollection of
the style and manner of two Grand Chaplains , Bros , the Rev . W . A . Hill and C . W . Arnold , in this section of Masonic labours—and if they have confreres of greater power as Masonic Orators , I hope it may some day be my
lot to hear them—I trust that in placing the subject of this memoir on the same level with these eloquent speakers and most worthy brethren , a fitting compliment is paid to the dead , without detracting in the slightest degree from the respect which is due to the living .
Bro . Woodford served repeatedly as Steward to the Masonic Institutions , and was an invariable attendant at fche Half-yearly Elections to the Boys' and Girls' Schools . In the Province of West Yorkshire he was the first Chairman of the Charity Committee there , and held the office from 1859 until 1870 .
But it is as a distinguished man of letters , and the dozen of the ( British ) Guild of Masonic writers , that our brother will be chiefly remembered . For many years he edited the Freemason , and also the Masonic Magazine , and
while from the ephemeral character of these publications •—a quality common , it may be observed , to all periodical literature—much that was of great interest when originally printed in them has been long since forgotten ,
nevertheless , all readers of old standing of either of the journals named will I am sure bear me out in saying that no number appeared without its containing at least some little gem of
literary workmanship , or an article which rivetted the attention of , and as it were went home to the reader , from the pen of the gifted editor .
In the comparatively few instances where he gave his abilities really fair play , and refrained from dissipating them in a variety of subjects , at one and the same time , the result was in each case a masterpiece , of which , as examples ,
I mig ht quote several of his Orations , and shall also briefly refer to the Introduction to Hughan ' s " Old Charges of British Freemasons ; " and to a very learned and exquisitely
written opusculum , in " The Connection of York with the History of Freemasonry in England , " which will be found in Appendix A of Hughan ' s " Unpublished Records of the Craft . "
Many other specimens of what our brother could actually accomplish when he limited himself to the study of one subject , and the execution of a single design , lie scattered in the columns of the Masonic journals .
One of his most remarkable characteristics was the tenacity of his memory . Nothing he ever read seems to have been forgotten by him . In ' ordinary conversation or Masonic debate , this faculty was not only of great service
to its possessor , but it had often the result of singularly discomfiting those brethren with whom ho engaged it : fraternal controversy , and I apprehend that the remark of one of the American Ministers accredited to this country ,
" that his best speeches were made going home in the cab , " would be equally applicable if put into the mouths of those of us in the Quatuor Coronati Lodge , who from time to time ventured to encounter Bro . Woodford in debate .
Our brother ' s chief Masonic work was "the Cyclopceclia of Freemasonry , " of which , regarded as a concise handbook of Masonic Archteology , History , and Biography , it is difficult to speak too highly . On ceasing to be the editor of the Freemason , in 1885 , Brother Woodford refrained from literary work of any kind until
In Memoriam.
in order to review the sixth and final voUirae of my History of Freemasonry , in the FREEMASON ' CHKONICCE of 25 th June , and a more graceful , or more highly fiuished performance of the kind , I never read , nor has any other
review of my work afforded me a like gratification . That my dear old friend praised me unduly I well knew . Nevertheless , I was much affected by the kindliness of
heart that breathed in every line of the article , and I told him at the time , that tho object with which he must have taken pen in hand , viz . to convey pleasuro to a brother writer , had been crowned with perfect success .
From that date , until interrupted by bis last illness , he was ' a regular contributor to the CHRONICLE . But our brother was not only a profoundly learned Mason , but also a very distinguished exponent of the Ritual
of Freemasonry . At the establishment of the Quatuor Coronati Lodge , he was appointed I . P . M ., and in the absence of Sir Charles Warren presided over us with equal dignity and ability , both in Lodge and at the supper table .
The first installation was conducted by the Grand Secretary , but on the re-election of Sir Charles Warren , as well as on the recent occasion of my becoming his suqeessor , Bro . Woodford acted as Installing Master .
In the success of the Quatuor Coronati Lodge , he took the greatest possible interest , and it is a little singular , fchat Part 11 . of the first Volume of the Transactions of this
body—which has onl y just appeared—was the last reading of a secular character in which he ever indulged . These " Transactions " were partly perused by him on the night preceding his decease , and I am informed b y those who
were in attendance upon him , that he talked a very great deal about the admirable purposes for which the Lodge of the Quatuor Coronati was instituted , and expressed the srreatest affection for its members .
Of the regard in which our deceased brother was held by the Lodgo of Masonic Students to which reference has just been made , I cannot now write , because it will devolve upon me in a few days to allude to this more particularly from its chair—a circumstance to which I invite the
attention of those readers , who may say with truth that 1 have not gone so fully into the details of our late brother ' s Masonic career as his eminent services appear to demaud , and to which I shall thus reply , That with the time at my
disposal before these remarks go to pres-s , the memorial here presented is " nnn quidem ut volni sed ut polid" and that so far as lies in my power , the numerous deficiencies ,
of which I am myself only too conscious , shall be supplied iu the record of our departed brother that it will become my duty to prepare for the ensuing number of tho Transactions of the Quatuor Coronati Lodge . R . F . GOULD
The Silver Wedding.
THE SILVER WEDDING .
To the Editor of the FREEMASONS' CHRONICLF . DKAR SIR AND BUOTHER , —I most confess that I an somevhab taken aback by the appearance in the last number of the FREEMASON ' CHRONICLE of a commuuhaion em-mating from a P . M , of The G < -a" . City Lodge , No . 142 f > , in reference to what I on . ^ ider a most
magnificent and munificent gift of £ 500 from the Grand Lodge to the Princess of Wales on the occasion of hfr Silver Wedding , and I was nnderthe impression that on no previous occasion had the Grand Lodge given its sanction to a greater act of generosity than in the present made to the Princess of Wales . We all kuow the interest
the Prince of Wales , our beloved Grand Master , feels in promoting the interests of the Craft , and his readiness at all times to render assistance , but I have yefc to learn how that interest can bain any way promoted by handing over to him a much larger sntn than that alrealy voted to tho Princess of Wale * , who in common with the wives
of our brethren in general is not permitted to participate or take any part in our proceedings , and I believe that the Prince of Wale 3 requires no stimulus like that proposed to encourage him to do his duty , 'faking matters , however , on another gronnd , we find at the present dine the yreatest distress prevails throughout the Kingdom generally ,
and if an extra subscription v * tobj raised by tho sixpences proposed Irom each m-jaiber , lb"liuve that many will agree with me , when I A-, \ y , that such sums tu they produce might , be mote usefully applied n relieving the distresses of members of ihe Craft who are outside the Board of Benevolence . The Festival of the II > val Maswio
Benevolent Institution will take place iu February next , and if there ¦ ire any " sixpences" to spare Bro . James Terry will gladly receive them , as he states iu his public appeal that funds were never more needed , that there are a large number of applicants for admission
tnd few vacancies , together with the fact that the expenditure for annuitants alone approaches £ 15 , 000 , and the permanent income ia mly £ 3 , 000 . Therefore , the brethren will judge for themselves vhether your correspondent has established the slig htest claim to their consideration .
I am , Dear Sir and Brother , Youra truly and fraternally , 27 fch December 1887 . P-M . P . Z .
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
In Memoriam.
of the Grand Lodge of England " for 1 st June 1864 , from which the following is an extract : — " Bro . Mclntyre said he had a Third Resolution to propose , and hardly knew how to find words adequate to
express the gratitude which he personally felt towards the excellent Brother Woodford , who he might designate as tbe Vates Sacer , and who delivered the Oration on that
occasion [ 27 th April ] . All were delighted with tbe excellence of that Oration , and its applicability to the circumstances under which they were assembled . It was with great pleasure he
moved"' That this Grand Lodge desires to record its hearty and grateful thanks to the V . W . Brother the Rev . Adolphus F . A . Woodford , Grand Chaplain , for the eloquent and
instructive Oration delivered by him on the occasion of laying the Foundation Stone of the New Buildiogs . ' "The motion was seconded , and carried unanimously . "
In the preparation as well as in fche delivery of Masonic Orations , Bro . Woodford , if he did not outshine , at least was not excelled by any Grand Officers of his
own class . On this point , indeed , I express myself with diffidence , nor do I presume to pass judgment on Orations I have not listened to . Still with a vivid recollection of
the style and manner of two Grand Chaplains , Bros , the Rev . W . A . Hill and C . W . Arnold , in this section of Masonic labours—and if they have confreres of greater power as Masonic Orators , I hope it may some day be my
lot to hear them—I trust that in placing the subject of this memoir on the same level with these eloquent speakers and most worthy brethren , a fitting compliment is paid to the dead , without detracting in the slightest degree from the respect which is due to the living .
Bro . Woodford served repeatedly as Steward to the Masonic Institutions , and was an invariable attendant at fche Half-yearly Elections to the Boys' and Girls' Schools . In the Province of West Yorkshire he was the first Chairman of the Charity Committee there , and held the office from 1859 until 1870 .
But it is as a distinguished man of letters , and the dozen of the ( British ) Guild of Masonic writers , that our brother will be chiefly remembered . For many years he edited the Freemason , and also the Masonic Magazine , and
while from the ephemeral character of these publications •—a quality common , it may be observed , to all periodical literature—much that was of great interest when originally printed in them has been long since forgotten ,
nevertheless , all readers of old standing of either of the journals named will I am sure bear me out in saying that no number appeared without its containing at least some little gem of
literary workmanship , or an article which rivetted the attention of , and as it were went home to the reader , from the pen of the gifted editor .
In the comparatively few instances where he gave his abilities really fair play , and refrained from dissipating them in a variety of subjects , at one and the same time , the result was in each case a masterpiece , of which , as examples ,
I mig ht quote several of his Orations , and shall also briefly refer to the Introduction to Hughan ' s " Old Charges of British Freemasons ; " and to a very learned and exquisitely
written opusculum , in " The Connection of York with the History of Freemasonry in England , " which will be found in Appendix A of Hughan ' s " Unpublished Records of the Craft . "
Many other specimens of what our brother could actually accomplish when he limited himself to the study of one subject , and the execution of a single design , lie scattered in the columns of the Masonic journals .
One of his most remarkable characteristics was the tenacity of his memory . Nothing he ever read seems to have been forgotten by him . In ' ordinary conversation or Masonic debate , this faculty was not only of great service
to its possessor , but it had often the result of singularly discomfiting those brethren with whom ho engaged it : fraternal controversy , and I apprehend that the remark of one of the American Ministers accredited to this country ,
" that his best speeches were made going home in the cab , " would be equally applicable if put into the mouths of those of us in the Quatuor Coronati Lodge , who from time to time ventured to encounter Bro . Woodford in debate .
Our brother ' s chief Masonic work was "the Cyclopceclia of Freemasonry , " of which , regarded as a concise handbook of Masonic Archteology , History , and Biography , it is difficult to speak too highly . On ceasing to be the editor of the Freemason , in 1885 , Brother Woodford refrained from literary work of any kind until
In Memoriam.
in order to review the sixth and final voUirae of my History of Freemasonry , in the FREEMASON ' CHKONICCE of 25 th June , and a more graceful , or more highly fiuished performance of the kind , I never read , nor has any other
review of my work afforded me a like gratification . That my dear old friend praised me unduly I well knew . Nevertheless , I was much affected by the kindliness of
heart that breathed in every line of the article , and I told him at the time , that tho object with which he must have taken pen in hand , viz . to convey pleasuro to a brother writer , had been crowned with perfect success .
From that date , until interrupted by bis last illness , he was ' a regular contributor to the CHRONICLE . But our brother was not only a profoundly learned Mason , but also a very distinguished exponent of the Ritual
of Freemasonry . At the establishment of the Quatuor Coronati Lodge , he was appointed I . P . M ., and in the absence of Sir Charles Warren presided over us with equal dignity and ability , both in Lodge and at the supper table .
The first installation was conducted by the Grand Secretary , but on the re-election of Sir Charles Warren , as well as on the recent occasion of my becoming his suqeessor , Bro . Woodford acted as Installing Master .
In the success of the Quatuor Coronati Lodge , he took the greatest possible interest , and it is a little singular , fchat Part 11 . of the first Volume of the Transactions of this
body—which has onl y just appeared—was the last reading of a secular character in which he ever indulged . These " Transactions " were partly perused by him on the night preceding his decease , and I am informed b y those who
were in attendance upon him , that he talked a very great deal about the admirable purposes for which the Lodge of the Quatuor Coronati was instituted , and expressed the srreatest affection for its members .
Of the regard in which our deceased brother was held by the Lodgo of Masonic Students to which reference has just been made , I cannot now write , because it will devolve upon me in a few days to allude to this more particularly from its chair—a circumstance to which I invite the
attention of those readers , who may say with truth that 1 have not gone so fully into the details of our late brother ' s Masonic career as his eminent services appear to demaud , and to which I shall thus reply , That with the time at my
disposal before these remarks go to pres-s , the memorial here presented is " nnn quidem ut volni sed ut polid" and that so far as lies in my power , the numerous deficiencies ,
of which I am myself only too conscious , shall be supplied iu the record of our departed brother that it will become my duty to prepare for the ensuing number of tho Transactions of the Quatuor Coronati Lodge . R . F . GOULD
The Silver Wedding.
THE SILVER WEDDING .
To the Editor of the FREEMASONS' CHRONICLF . DKAR SIR AND BUOTHER , —I most confess that I an somevhab taken aback by the appearance in the last number of the FREEMASON ' CHRONICLE of a commuuhaion em-mating from a P . M , of The G < -a" . City Lodge , No . 142 f > , in reference to what I on . ^ ider a most
magnificent and munificent gift of £ 500 from the Grand Lodge to the Princess of Wales on the occasion of hfr Silver Wedding , and I was nnderthe impression that on no previous occasion had the Grand Lodge given its sanction to a greater act of generosity than in the present made to the Princess of Wales . We all kuow the interest
the Prince of Wales , our beloved Grand Master , feels in promoting the interests of the Craft , and his readiness at all times to render assistance , but I have yefc to learn how that interest can bain any way promoted by handing over to him a much larger sntn than that alrealy voted to tho Princess of Wale * , who in common with the wives
of our brethren in general is not permitted to participate or take any part in our proceedings , and I believe that the Prince of Wale 3 requires no stimulus like that proposed to encourage him to do his duty , 'faking matters , however , on another gronnd , we find at the present dine the yreatest distress prevails throughout the Kingdom generally ,
and if an extra subscription v * tobj raised by tho sixpences proposed Irom each m-jaiber , lb"liuve that many will agree with me , when I A-, \ y , that such sums tu they produce might , be mote usefully applied n relieving the distresses of members of ihe Craft who are outside the Board of Benevolence . The Festival of the II > val Maswio
Benevolent Institution will take place iu February next , and if there ¦ ire any " sixpences" to spare Bro . James Terry will gladly receive them , as he states iu his public appeal that funds were never more needed , that there are a large number of applicants for admission
tnd few vacancies , together with the fact that the expenditure for annuitants alone approaches £ 15 , 000 , and the permanent income ia mly £ 3 , 000 . Therefore , the brethren will judge for themselves vhether your correspondent has established the slig htest claim to their consideration .
I am , Dear Sir and Brother , Youra truly and fraternally , 27 fch December 1887 . P-M . P . Z .