Consecration Of The Cripplegate Lodge (No. 1613).

lodge was the earnest desire of him ( Bro . Terry ) and the other brethren who had assisted , and they hoped they might have the pleasure of frequently coming to the lodge and witnessing its prosperity . The S . W . and Bro . Coste moved and seconded

honorary membership to the consecrating brethren , which was unanimously adopted ; and Bros . Buss , Hodges , Constable , and Crutch replied , after which the lodge was closed , aud the brethren adjourned to a choice banquet provided in the large hall by Bro . Jennings .

Ihis having been partaken of , grace was sung by the professional brethren , and the usual toasts were proposed . The W . M . in giving the toast of " The Queen and the Craft , " said it was a pleasure to all Masons to drink the health of our

Sovereign Lady the Queen , not only from their feelings of loyalty and because she was patroness of the Order , but because members of her family did '' aprons put on , to make themselves one , with a Free and Accepted Mason . " In

giving "The M . W . G . M , " the W . M . said that all Masons were delighted at the Prince of Wales ' s return from his long and tedious journey ; but they were also greatly pleased to find that he had been so well received , and that wherever a body of Freemasons was to be found in the course of

his travels they gave him a hearty welcome . To those who were Masons on distant shores the Freemasons of England returned their most sincere thanks for the reception they accorded the M . W . G . M . The Prince of Wales was always ready , willing , and anxious to support

Freemasons in everything they brought forward in a just and righteous cause . He was also looked upon as the right hand of Freemasons and as a G . M . who did credit to the order . No matter whether in India or in England we found he was well and heartily received , and Masons

considered that such a reception he heartily deserved . The tcast of " the Pro Grand Master , the Earl of Carnarvon , " the W . M . said , was one equally interesting to Freemasons . He was a brother who they found working hard in the Imperial Parliament for the welfare of his

fellowmen in distant climes , and also among our legislators for the welfare of England in defending and directing our laws . He was always to be found at hand in giving a hel ping hand to Freemasonry whenever required ; in fact he W 2 S a most industrious worker in the Craft , whose

welfare he had at heart . " The Deputy Grand Master , Lord Skelmersdale , and the rest of the Grand Officers , " which was the next toast , all of whom were most anxious and willing to do all they could for the brethren , introduced the subject of Grand Secretary ' s absence from this

consecration , and the W . M . said that Bro . Hervey had sent him a letter to say it was with extreme regret he was compelled to be elsewhere . The President of the Board of General Purposes , Bro . Monckton , had also expressed his regret that he was not able to be with the brethren that evening , but he wished every

success to the Cripplegate Lodge . Bro . E . Coste , I . P . M ., proposed " Ihe Health of the W . M . " The W . M . had placed him that evening in the position of the P . M . for the ensuing year , and he had to thank the brethren for recognising him in that position . It was with great pleasure he proposed " The Health

of the W . M . , " and it was with all sincerity he proposed it , for he had known Bro . Foulger for many years , and he was quite sure there was not a brother who did not hold him in the

highest esteem . Every brother in the lodge was proud to think that he had been designated as the W . M . of the Cripplegate Lodge . They could not find a better brother to preside over them , and they all hoped he would have a most successful year . He trusted that all the other

officers of the lodge would do their utmost to make it so . The W . M . said in reply : I rise on this occasion with the greatest diffidence . I know scarcely what to say . I have to thank you for

ihe very kind manner in which you have received the toast and drunk my health . I think you have received it and drunk it heartily , cordially , and with all that brotherly feeling which should always exist among Freemasons . It is true that I have been in Cri pplegate Ward for

Consecration Of The Cripplegate Lodge (No. 1613).

many years , and I feel proud of being selected as the first W . M . of this lodge . I feel proud that the brethren have had sufficient confidence in me to place me in the superior position to preside over them for the forthcoming year . I

certainly was alarmed at the first onset when the movement was started in the ward , and the brethren of the ward rallied round each other and decided that application should be made for a warrant to be granted for this lodge , and that I should be their Master . I feel that the

distinguished honour conferred on me is really an honrur that I did not deserve , because I think there mig ht have been found a more distinguished brother . Be that as it may , it was decided that I should be the man , and I will endeavour to do all in my power to prevent you regretting your

choice . I hope the Cripplegate Louge will be what we intend it to be , a lodge of true and faithful brethren , true to each other and faithful to the Craft ; to do all that is honourable in Masonry—that Masonry shall be proud of having such men in the field ; that we shall do what is

necessary , and all we can , in our charities , which really are the groundwork of Masonry . Although charity may begin at home , I hope wo will begin in such a manner that U will be felt at Grand Lodge that Cripplegate was the proper locality to start a meeting place for Freemasons ,

where honour should be done to the Craft . I hope it will be ; I feel it will be . Of course vve are a young lodge at present . We cannot talk of the services of this lodge , but I feel that charity is the first step that we can take to make Masonry truthfully known to the outer

world ; at any rate , although the outer world are not acquainted with our mysteries and our secrets , they are acquainted with this fact , that we have most noble institutions , schools for the education of our brethren ' s children , and an asylum for the old men and old women . This

the outer world does know , and I often hear them say they think there is something in Freemasonry more than they really know of it , or such large sums would not appear in the newspapers as they see subscribed to the Benevolent Institution and the Schools . This is the

something the outside world are really inquisitive 3 bout . They must come among us to learn it , and I hope they will find that there is really something in the Cripplegate Lodge . We do not mean in the common acceptation of the term that we are all cripples in this ward ,

although I believe in ioio Edmund the Martyr , the first King of the East Angles , as he was called , who died in the country , was borne through this parish , and , as was the custom then , the cripples assembled at Cripplegate , believing that there was some peculiar

charm in it to heal their infirmities , and it is said that as the body passed the cripples all danced and sang . I do net know if that is true or not , as I was not there to see ; it may be only a matter of history ; but from history I have other information with regard to Cripplegate . In

Cripplegate lie the ashes of some of the celebrated dead of this country . Milton , our great poet , Foxe , the great writer of the " Book of Martyrs , " are both buried in Cripplegate Church . We have records to shew that Whittington resided in Cripplegate , and that in 1244 Cripple

Gate was rebuilt by the brewers of London , and in those days the cripples used to assemble round that gate to gather the alms . But we find that masonry is not altogether unknown in Cripplegate ; for we hear of a lodge called the Bedford Lodge in 1739 being held at the Mitre in

Unionstreet , Cripplegate . We have still a Union-street , Cripplegate , but not a " Mitre " there . We have the Five Bells , and that is probably the same house , I merely mention that by the way ; but it is a fact that we have Masonry in Cripplegate from 1739 . In 1776 it conformed to the rules

of Grand Lodge of England under Lord Blaney , Grand Master , and the number of the lodge was No . 364 . The initiation fee was then a guinea ; the visitor ' s fee is . 6 d . ( Laughter . ) The quarterly subscription 2 s . 6 d . ; and the

supper charge was 6 d . ( great laughter ) , not the same price as the Albion certainly . ( Laughter . ) In 179 1 , according to Masonic history , which I have been reading carefully , I find that this particular lodge was honoured by the preference given to it by His Royal Highness the Prince

Consecration Of The Cripplegate Lodge (No. 1613).

of Wales , then the Grand Master of England , who commanded that the gentlemen of his household should be initiated ui that lodge , and they were so ' initiated . So that I wish it to be understood that Masonry is not altogether new in the ward of Cripplegate . We are very

pleased to find that Masonry was sustained here many years before we ever thought of Masonry , or before we were born , and when Masonry belonged to very few . I feel proud of the ward of Cripplegate , which has something to do with my history . The very first ground I planted my

boot on in London—for I was country-bornwas in the ward of Cri pplegate . The first residence that I bad in London was in the ward of Cripplegate ; all my success in life has been in the ward of Cripplegate ; I married in the ward of Cripplegate ; my children were born in

the ward of Cripplegate , they were baptised at Cripplegate Church , everything connected with me has been in the ward of Cripplegate ; I am a freeman of the ward of Cripplegate ; I took up my livery in the ward of Cripplegate , and as we say in all r . ur ward dinners . " May the ward flourish root and branch ! " It is not for the

root to grow and the branches to wither , but for both to flourish , and I believe we shall flourish and that the good ship will , with good pilots on board aud careful steersmeu , sail with safety through ail the dangers that may beset us . So much for Cripplegate . But having said so much

for the ward let me speak of the Cripplegate Lodge . Let it be known to the world and known to ourselves that we have started in earnest to do what is right in the history of Freemasonry . Let us all believe in brotherl y love , relief , and truth . Let us do as much as within

us lies ; let us do all that is not detrimental to ourselves and connections to promote the interests of Freemasonry at large . That is what we really intend to do , what is right , what may be considered necessary for the interest of the Craft and the welfare of Freemasonry . Of course

we are yet but young Freemasons ; we cannot talk about our traditions ; we can only hope we shall be able to put ourselves in a position second to none in the Craft so far as the Cri pplegate Lodge is concerned . With that , I beg to thank you for the kind manner in which you have

placed me at the top of the tree in this lodge , and I hope we shall go on through the ensuing year most prosperously , and that future years may be as successful as we will endeavour to m ; ike the present . ( Cheers . ) The W . M . afterwards proposed the toast of

"The Consecrating Officers , " which he said , fro . n the known ability of these brethren , relieved him of the necessity of making many remarks . The lodge owed a deep debt of gratitude to the consecrating officers for their services in launching the lodge into working ] order . Bro . Terry , in

thanking the brethren for the toast on the part of himself and his brothei officers , said they all highly appreciated the compliment which had been paid them . Referring to some of the historical circumstances mentioned by the W . M . he said it was a fortunate thing that the W . M .

was not present at Cripplegate in 1010 when the ashes of Edmund , King and Martyr , went through the gate , as he might have put rather a rough hand upon some of the cri pples and taken them before the Lord Mayor . Men must be made for the time ; and it was also a

circumstance for congratulation that the poor cripples did not live in 1876 , although he had , as far as he could , provided against casualties , and , to give a tone to the Cripplegate Lodge , had come prepared , thinking that the cri pples could not have a better support than a crutch , he had brought his

friend Bro . Crutch that evening to help them . ( Laughter . ) He had also brought with him a Constable , who , he thought , would be a fit assistant for the W . M . ( Renewed laughter . ) And they must also remember that these indefatigable brethren had yet a further officer to assist them in keeping ore ' er , for the prison

"Buss" was by his side . ( Renewed laug hter . ) They were all so interlocked one way and the other that they could not move without being of mutual assistance ; and he was pleased to think that he had been able to bring such able help that evening . For himself he hoped he was not too " Terry "—ble to be looked at . ( Laug hter . ) e and the other consecrating officers were very IT