The Relief Lodge Sesquicentenial, Bury.

almost the earliest years of the lodge we find some of the brethren negligent in attending to their duty and five of them were " mulcted " in fines of is . each for their neglect or refusal "to appear and perform their duty as usual . " The bye-laws of 1734 were revised in June , 1751 , one of the chief alterations being an addition , alter providing that 20 s . shall be allowed out of the fund for a coffin of any deceased member to be made by any of his brothers , but if his share of the fund amounts to more than 20 s ., he ( the deceased member ) shall dispose of it to whom he thinks

proper . There was a library belonging to the lodge established prior to the year 1756 , for in December of that year there was a catalogue of the books which contained the names of five works only , one being a work on architecture in two volumes , evidently much valued and used by the brethren . From the 29 th of September , 17 G 0 , to June , 1797 , there are numerous entries of expenses paid to members who

attended " Provincial , " thus showing that the Provincial Grand Lodge was in working order , though Bro . James Newton , P . P . G . S . D . of E . L . believes the records of Prov . Grand Lodgedo not go further bark than the beginning of this century . This shows how valuable may be even such a simple entry as the first on this subject in our lodge books—29 th September , 1760 , "At a meeting of the Provincial Grand , £ 0 17 s . ird . An inventory of the lodge property was taken on the 24 th

of June , 1771 , and this discloses the fact that the library then comprised only the two " Books on Architecture . " On the 27 th of December , 1773 , it is recorded in the minutes that "The lodge was opened in due form and a motion being made by Bro . Kay that all forfeitures was to be erased and every member who had not been expelled admitted gratis . Thesame was carried ' nem con . '" Why this should have been passed in 1773 is not stated . Had

the motion been passed in 17 S 3 , we might have concluded it was in honour of the jubilee year of the lodge , which seems to have passed without any special commemoration . Early in the year 17 S 4 the bye-laws were again revised , and the nth runs thus : " It any member of our lodge doth bring any person into our room on our lodge night , who is not a member of our lodge or any other lodge , without the consent of the members present , to pay tor

each offence the sum of Mxpence . Does the word " person mean a brother not paying to any lodge , or does it show that persons who had not been initiated into Masonry were occasionly allowed to enter the lodge when the consent of thc members present had been obtained ? I his and similar entries are well worthy of close inquiry by Masonic students . On the 23 rd October , 1770 , a new lodge was opened at

the Red Lion in Bury , by the R . W . Bro . John Allen , Prov . Grand Master for Lancashire . It was called thc Lodge of 'Temperance , and was No . 403 , and afterwards No . 312 , and the last minute recorded in the minute book is as follows : " At an emergency held on Sunday , the 22 nd of January , 17 S 6 , it was unanimousl y agreed by the Master and brethren present to unite with the members of the Lodge No . 40 , on the conditions which were promised by the

R . W . Master of No . 40 ( Relief ) on St . John ' s Day last . " The resolution further provides for the expense of registering the members who had already been registered under Warrant No . 312 out ot the funds and arrears , previously mentioned , and if insufficient then the sum to be made up in equal shares by the members already registered . The hrst meeting of the amalgamated lodge was on the 16 th February , 17 S 6 . This lodge Bros . Brockbank and

Newton , in their history of " Anchor and Hope Lodge , No . 37 , " quote as being erased . There is a question here of some interest , for in an old newspaper published in the year 178 S , which gives an account of a provincial meeting , the Lodge of Temperance , Bury , is given as taking part in the procession . How could that be ? With the exception of the names of the W . Ms , for the years from 1771 to 177 S inclusive the records of this Lodge of Temperance are complete . A

Bro . George Lomax , who was W . M . of the Lodge of Temperance at the time of its amalgamation with the Lodge of Relief , took a very active part and prominent position in the lodge . He was initiated in Lodge of Relief on the 3 rd February , 1783 , and was installed VV . M . of Lodge ot Temperance in June , 17 S 5 , only 16 months after his initiation , and was afterwards twice W . M . of Lodge of Relief and was appointed " Lecture Master" in 1 797 . He

joined the Grand Lodge above on the 17 th January , 1 S 07 . Pissing over the next decade we come to a notable event duty chronicled . On the iSth August , 1796 , by the unanimous consent of this lodge , the lodge of Amity , No . 4 SS , Rochdale ( now 2 S 3 , Haslingden ) , and the Lolge of Harmony , 511 , Newchurch ( now 2 SS , Todmorden ) , a grand festival was held in honour of Masonry and for the propagation of brotherly love amongst us , which was conducted

with the greatest harmony and order—seven members from Rochdale and eleven from Newchurch . Shortly after , and indeed at the time the festival was held , troublous times prevailed in England , and the patriotism of all was put to the test , and it is most satisfactory to ind that the members of our lodge at that time stood the test and answered the call made upon them . The French were expected and the State wanted money , and so on the 1 st

March , 1 79 S , the following entry was made in the minutes : " It was unanimously agreed to contribute to Government towards the exigencies of the State the sum of five guineas . " Eleven days after , i . e ., on the 12 th March , an emergency meeting was held " for the purpose of taking into consideration what every individual member wished to contribute towards the exigencies of the State in order that the whole might be done in the name of the lodge . £ 12 is .

was subscribed by thc members present , exclusive of the five guineas afore mentioned . " The contributions to the exigencies of the State were not very large , but no doubt they were cheerfully given and we trust they were thankfully received and faithfully applied . _ The bye-laws of the lodge have had the constant attention of the brethren , as the repeated revisions clearly show , for they were revised again in March , 1803 , being the fourth time since they were first enacted , and the following

preamble was introduced , and which , with the exception of a little reservation as to "oral tradition , " may be accepted and even highly approved to-day : " Whereas it has been customary from the remotest period of antiquity to the present time for Free and Accepted Masons to form lodges , and associate together in order to improve themselves in the arts and sciences , and for other wise and salutory purposes for their mutual advantage , which purposes have been carefully , secretly , and inviolably handed down by oral tradition

The Relief Lodge Sesquicentenial, Bury.

from the creation to the present time ; and whereas , also , it has been customary at all times to adopt rules and regulations suited to the exigencies and convenience of the different lodges , the due observance of which has continued to promote friendship and brotherly love amongst the respective members of such societies ; we therefore , that are

members of the Lodge of Relief , No . 37 , Bury , Lancashire , have thought proper to revise , correct , and adjpt such rules and orders as appear to us to be calculated to cement the union , promote the harmony , and encourage the welfare of Masonry in general , as well as of the individual members nf this societv . " The articles then follow .

On the 25 th June , 17 S 1 , Mr . Robert Haworth , of Bury , bookseller , was initiated an Entered Apprentice , and on the 28 th June , 17 S 4 , he was installed W . M . of the lodge . Though rather more than twice the length of time that Bro . Lomax was in attaining the Mastership of a lodge , Bro . Haworth must be considered as having made a rapid advancement in the Craft . He was VV . M . of the lodge four times , and within one month of his first election as Master

he laid the first stone of Union-square , in Bury , on the 5 th July , 1784 , but whether at the north-east corner or one of the other corners is not stated . Bro . Haworth died on the 9 th November , 1 S 09 , having been a member of the lodge 2 S years . As a mark of respect the brethren , with visitors from Prince Edwin Lodge and Middleton , attended his funeral . From the earliest records of the lodge down to 1815 the

VV . M . is always addressed as the Right VV . M ., though the bye-laws of ' 1 S 03 had been corrected in this matter , and also as to the election of the VV . M . half-yearly , this being altered to an annual election by ballot . Nevertheless , for 17 years the lodge disobeyed the bye-laws which had been corrected by the Prov . Grand Secretary , and approved by the Prov . Grand Lodge . Let us rather believe that the Prov . Grand Lodge was indulgent and that our brethren

were careless , than that the neglect arose from wilful disobedience or ill-feeling to Prov . Grand Lodge . Un the 9 th J uly , 1 S 30 , the lodge appointed two of their members to manage a procession to proclaim his Majesty King William the Fourth , and on the 15 th of the same month the lodge was opened in commemoration of the funeral of King George the Fourth , and the lodge went into mourning . On the Sth of September , 1 S 31 , the lodge

celebrated the coronation of King William the Fourth , and on the 28 th June , 1837 , the lodge joined a public procession in the town and proclaimed Queen Victoria the First , Queen of England . The uye-laws of 1 S 03 were revised in March , 1 S 32 , and sent to Prov . Grand Lodge on the 12 th July for approval . In May , 1833 , a committee was appointed to make preparations for celebrating the centenary of the lodge . The

appioaching day was looked forward to with joy , and was duly honoured . There is in Bro . Evans ' s excellent history ot our lodge a particularly full account of this celebration , so that I shall not say more about it , but recommend the brethren to procure the history which will more than repay them by a perusal of its contents . Bro . John Brierley , grandfather of our VV . M ., was one of the Directors of Ceremonies at the centenary .

The brother fulfilling the office of Secretary to the lodge at the time of the centenary was Bro . John Smith Redfern . He was initiated on the 16 th April , 1 S 29 ; Secretary in 1833 ; W . M . during the years 1 S 34 , 1 S 42 , 1 S 45 , 1 S 46 , and 1 S 4 S ; Prov . Grand Pursuivant in 1 S 47-S-9 and ISJO ; and he occupied the Prov . G . S . W . ' s chair , at Bolton when the Earl of Ellesmere was installed R . W . Prov . Gcand Master , and Bro . Stephen , Deputy Prov . Grand Master , of East

Lancashire . He was Director of Ceremonies for very many years , and installed most of the Masters of the lodge during his connection with it . Zealous in the cause of Masonry , he was rarely absent from the meetings of the lodge , and if absent it was through the pressing emergency of his public or private avocations . Ever ready to assist the officers of the lodge and to help his younger brethren who were looking towards the East , so was he ever

ready to correct with kindness any false step a brother might inadvertently make , and to rebuke with firmness any wilful breach of iVlasonic duty or law . Alter serving the lodge most faithfully for 4 6 years he died suddenly and unexpectedly at his post ot Masonic duty on the 26 th May , 1875 , and the lodge experienced its greatest loss and felt its deepest sorrow . He was well known in the Province of East Lancashire , and the high estimation in which he was held was shown by the large number of 211 brethren

attending his funeral . Let us cherish his memory and endeavour to follow his example , lhe lodge is fortunate in still having a Bro . John Smith Redfern , who is the only and worthy sun of our late brother , and he was initiated into Masonry on the 20 th May , 1875 , only six days before the death of his father . He is a P . M . ot the lodge and proficient in all the ceremonies , up to and including the installalion of W . M ., and we hope to see him attain a high

position amongst the rulers of the Craft in this province . An Act of Parliament was passed on the 12 th July , 179 S . " for the more effectual suppression of societies established for seditious and treasonable purposes and for preventing seditious and treasonable practices . " A clause in the Act exempts Freemasons from penalties upon the condition of making annually a return to the clerk ot the peace of the names of the members of the lodge . The hrst return of

our lodge of which we have any information was made on the 7 th March , 1 S 3 C . The lodge attended with regalia the laying of the foundation-stone of Haidy ' s Gate Bridge , June , 1836 ; the opening of the Bury New Alarket , December , 1839 , and the unveiling of the statue to Sir Robert Peel . The lodge room was first at the Red Lion for 37 years , then at the Hare and Hounds 14 years , Boar ' s Head

( Moorside ) six years , at the Swan with two necks 19 years , again at the Hare and Hounds G 5 years , at the Aloion seven years , and at the Grey Mare two years , where it still remains . The fees payable on admission have ranged from 1 os . Gd ., with a further fee of . 5 s . 3 d . upon being raised to the Third Degree , as fixed by the bye-laws of ¦ 734 t 0 £ 5 5 s ; on the 20 th November , 1873 , and it now stands at that sum . The fee to be paid by a joining

brother was fixed at 3 s . in the bye-laws of 1784 , at 10 s . 6 d . in 1775 , at 13 s . in 1832 , and at £ 2 2 s . on 27 th December , 1 S 77 , and continues at the last-named sum at present . The subscription have varied in amount from is . per quarter in 1734 to £ 2 2 s ., fixed on the 27 th December , i » 73 . of the articles of furniture purchased for the use of the lodge the following are worthy of notice , being still in use : —

The Relief Lodge Sesquicentenial, Bury.

Years £ s . cl . Ago . ™ f ¦ , 1 .-i C 25 th March , 1761 ... 1 1 o ~ > , The 3 Candlesticks , | ^ Sept ^ , , oi i 22 . „ W . M . ' s Chair , 27 th Dec , 17 G 9 ... 3 10 6 113 „ Pair Compasses , 27 th Dec , 17 S 3 ... o o 35 100 „ Wardens' Chairs , 3 rd May , 1792 ... 6 14 o gt

„ Lewis and Stones „ „ ... 2 14 0 gi „ Seal ( Bro . Agar ) , 24 th June , 1 S 12 .. o 12 o 71 „ Lamp ( transpaiency ) 2 gthjune , i 8 i 7 070 G 6 2 Tobacco Boxes , 20 th Feb ., 1 & 32 ... 05 o 51 Jewel Box , 24 th June , 1831 o G o 51 The following articles have been sold :

3 Copper Pitchers , 241 I 1 June , 1813 ... 2 12 6 70 In possession of Bro . R . Duckworth : 50 Glasses , 21 st Aug ,, 1 S 34 ... ... 2 10 0 49 2 Pitchers , about 1792 ... ... ... — 71 Of the many presents made to the lodge by its members and other brethren the first , and only one I shall mention , was the Holy Bible now in use , presented by Bro . Peter Baron on the 20 th June , 1807 , most likely on his being raised

to the degree of Master Mason , as he was initiated on the 26 th April , 1807 . There are many other matters in the history of the lodge deserving attention , but I must confine myself to one more , a most important one . It is the distributions in aid of the necessitous and the Masonic Charities . The first recorded item of cash given in charity was , , on the gth August , 1764 , and it was to widow Heys , whom Bro . Evans thinks

was the widow of Bro . John Heys , one of the founders of the lodge . Many other sums are entered into the lodge book , but they do not call for special remark . Though in following years contributions of respectable amounts were made to the several Masonic Charities , they were not , so far as I can find , of such amounts as to allow or warrant the brethren in taking any special credit for them . An effort was made in 1 S 73 , when the admission fee was

raised to £ 5 5 s ., to form a fund by resolving to place £ 2 2 s . from each initiation fee to a separate account for charitable purposes only . The account was kept in figures for some time , but was allowed to lapse and the amount set aside was merged into the lodge account and was used for lodge purposes other than charity . I am speaking of the past VV . M ., and take my full share of the blame which may attach in this matter .

'The Institutions for Boys , Girls , and Aged Freemasonsare doing great and good work , and ought to have our most liberal supbort . For some many years the lodge has been a regular subscriber to these Institutions . Still 1 think our subscriptions can and ought to be largely increased , even if expenditure in another direction is curtailed . We have resolved to forward £ 10 10 s . to the Boys' Preparatory School , this being as much as the lodge can afford under

the exceptionally large expenditure we shall have to meet this year . In these remarks I do not wish to hurt the feelings of any brother present or absent , remembering full well that since I joined the lodge , we have had no wealthy and very few if any rich brethren amongst us . For myself I hail with satisfaction the vote to the Boys' School , and trust it is the harbinger of many more in years to come , and I hope , making due allowance tor the status of its brethren , that very soon our lodge will stand as high on the list of

contributors to our charities as it does in point of time on the roll of Masonic lodges for the Province of East Lancashire . Then shall we be fulfilling our highest duty , and obeying the charge given to each on entrance to Masonry , " Be especially careful to maintain in their fullest splendour those truly Masonic ornaments , Benevolence and Charity ;" and shall be most fully entitled to use as the name of our lodge the name of the second grand principle on which our Order is founded , Relief .

Reports Of Masonic Meetings.

REPORTS OF MASONIC MEETINGS .

tfCraft imasonrp .

DUKE OF CORNWALL LODGE ( No . 1839 ) . —The installation meeting of this lodge was held at Freemasons' Hall on Saturday last , on which occasion there was a large attendance of brethren of the lodge , and a considerable number of guests desirous of doing honour to the inauguration of Bro . Stokes ' s year of otice . The lodge was opened punctually at 4 . 15 by Bro . G . F . Smith , jun ., the Worshipful Masterwhen the reading of the minutes

, of the previous meeting , the reception of the Auditors ' report for the past year , and other formal business was disposed of . Thereafter the VV . M . proceeded to put the finishing stroke to some of the work commenced during his year of office by raising Bro . A . J . Blake to the Sublime Degree of a Master Mason . Bro . Smith , jun ., has proved himself an accomplished workman , and the way in which he raised Bro . Blake on Saturday deserves

commendation . 'There was no hurry , but at the same time there was no hesitation , the whole ceremony being performed with great care and quiet impressiveness . Bro . Smith was ably seconded by both his principal and assistant officers , who performed their parts of the ceremony in an equally efficient manner . The whole proceedings showed that great attention is paid by the members of this lodge to the perfect working of the ceremonies . It is a good

sign when Masters are influenced in their selection of officers by the manner in which these can efficiently perform the various duties required of them , lhere is undoubtedly great improvement in this respect in the majority of lodges of late years . When once a man has joined Masonry he usually becomes ambitious to pass through the chair of his lodge ; and the impetus given to Masonry of late years has certainly had the beneficial

effect of encouraging those who have this ambition to make themselves perfect in working the ceremonies , because , on account of the large number who now enter the Craft every year , there would be a great difficulty for a man who is negligent in this particular to get appointed to office . There was a time , not so many years ago , when it

was a somewhat extraordinary circumstance to see one outgoing Master install his successor , unless he happened to be an old Past Master who had been through the chair several times . In those days it sometimes happened that no one could be found in the lodge who knew the installation ceremony , and a skilled Past Master had to be invited from another lodge to perform the ceremony on installation