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Article BOARD OF BENEVOLENCE. ← Page 2 of 2 Article THE ROYAL MASONIC BENEVOLENT INSTITUTION. Page 1 of 1 Article THE ROYAL MASONIC BENEVOLENT INSTITUTION. Page 1 of 1
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Board Of Benevolence.
GRAND S ECRETARY in answer to a question said that the nesv Constitutions svould be ready in about three or four sveeks . The PRESIDENT said letters had been received from several of the persons relieved at the December meeting , thanking the Board for the assistance rendered .
The brethren next proceeded svith the nesv list , out of svhich tsvo cases svere deferred and one case svas dismissed . The remaining sixteen petitioners svere relies'ed svith a total of £ 535 , svhich svas made up as follosvs : —One £ 150 ( £ i 5 ° ) " one £ 75 ( £ 75 ) i one £ 50 ( £ 50 ); tsvo £ 25 each ( £ 5 " ) i eight £ 20 each ( £ t 0 o ); tsvo £ 15 each ( £ 30 ) ; and tsvo £ 10 each ( 20 ) .
The Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution.
THE ROYAL MASONIC BENEVOLENT INSTITUTION .
( Continued from page 26 . ) As to the Widows' Fund , the annual report of the Committee for 1 S 50 contains all essential particulars . It has already been stated that Grand Lodge and Grand Chapter had arranged lo grant £ 100 and £ 35 per annum respectively , and , in consideration of these payments , it was settled
that the W . Master of es-ery lodge , and the First Principal of every chapter , should be entitled to one vote each at every election of Female Annuitants . The recommendation of Grand Lodge that , for the sake of economy , thc Committee of the Annuity Fund , as hitherto constituted , should take under their care the management of the nesv Fund svas agreed to at a
meeting specially held on the 26 th April . It was further settled that a brother qualifying as Vice-President of the Female Fund should "ipso facto" become a member of the Committee of Management of the Royal Masonic Benevolent Annuity Fund , and also that the Governors and Subscribers of both of its branches should assemble together at the Annual General Meeting , and
act in common in all matters , except the election of Annuitants . Tsvo Trustees had also to be elected in respect of the Widows' Fund , and other details in connection svith the rules and regulations svere of necessity carried out , the Charity , as extended and svith thc Asylum conjoined , bearing in full the name of " The Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution for Aged Freemasons
and their Widows . As to thc Officers , Bro . I'arnfield became the Secretary svith a salary of £ 120 , of svhich £ 20 was paid in respect of the Widows ' Fund , and Bro . John Nicholls , Collector of thc old Annuity Fund , occupied thc same position under thc nesv arrangements , svhile Bros . John Barnes and R . Gardiner Alston were elected Trustees for the Widows' Fund , the Trustees
of the Asylum or Building Fund remaining as heretofore in accordance svith the scheme proposed at the time of its union with thc Annuity Fund . AU these matters werc arranged at thc Annual Meeting in May , 1850 , from thc report of which it further appears that the funded property of the Institution amounted to £ 6000 and the numberof Male Annuitants to 50 ,
of whom 42 remained from the previous year , and eight were then elected , namely , seven to fillvacancicsandoneadditional . The annuities apportioned among these 50 brethren represented a total of £ 973 , of svhich £ 828 was distributed among the 42 old and £ 145 among the eight nesv Annuitants . At the meeting at which the latter amount svas assigned , a Sub-Committee was
appointed , consisting of Bros . R . G . Alston , II . Faudel , W . H . White , E . H . Patten , and S . B . Wilson , for the purpose of considering the alterations that it might be necessary to make in the rules and regulations of the Society consequent upon the extension of the Fund and thc amalgamation of the Asylum . In July this Committee handed in their report , a part of
svhich , so far as thc Secretary and Collector are concerned , has already been noted , the only other feature requiring to be referred to being a resolution lo thc effect that the Annuitants in thc order of their election should be communicated svith , offering them in turn , and until the suites of apartments as yet available—18 in number- —were presided wilh occupants , thc option of
becoming inmates of the Asylum . Thc result of these communications was made knosvn in August , svhen it appeared that 31 had declined the accommodation offered them , while only seven had accepted , and one other , before delivering his answer , svas anxious to knosv if his daughter might accompany him . Time had not allosved of replies being received
from the others . In thc case of those who had accepted , each was allosved to retain his annuity in full , and the Secretary svas directed to svrite advising them to hold themselves in readiness to be admitted . In these circumstances it became necessary to frame rules for the conduct of the Asylum , and this task svas entrusted to a Sub-Committee , svhich in due course recommi-nded
among other things , that a House Committee should be appointed consisting of nine members of the Committee of Management , with posver to meet cither at the Asylum or in London , on whom would devolve the general superintendence of the inmates and all matters connected svith their comfort and conduct and the decent maintenance of the Asylum . There were also
to be a Warden and Gatekeeper appointed from among the inmates , thc former to receive £ 1 5 s . per quarter in recognition of his services , and the latter ios . As to the rules for thc conduct of thc Asylum , it is unnecessary to say more than that , svhile allowing all reasonable latitude to the residents and ministering considerably to their comfort , they svere at the same time well
calculated to maintain among them due order and decorum . In September , Bros . John Barnes , H . Faudel , J . Hodgkinson , E . H . Patten , John Savage , Thomas Tomblcson , John Whitmore , S . B . Wilson , and W . L . Wright svere elected a House Committee , to continue in office till June , 1851 . It was also arranged that the accepted inmates , eight in number , should enter on
residence on the 28 th of the month , after which Bro . J . Whitmore , on behalf of the Building Committee , presented a complete financial statement of the affairs of that branch of the Institution . From this it appears that thc payments to date for purchase of ground from Mr . Morland and conveyance of
the same , on account of building contract , architect ' s commission , expenses of survey , laying out grounds , and expenses of consecration ceremony , amounted m round figures to £ 339 ° . while there was a further sum of £ 1993 due in respect of work done . The additional liabilities to complete the Asylum svere
The Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution.
set dosvn at £ 2308 , raising the total cost to over £ 6992 , of ss'hich , as has been stated , £ 3390 odd had already been paid , svhile the cash in hand amounted to £ 2037 , leaving thc balance required to be raised at a fraction over £ 1550 .
ROYAL MASONIC BENEVOLENT INSTITUTION FOR AGED FREEMASONS AND THEIR WIDOWS .
WE have nosv completed the history of the Asylum for Worthy Aged and Decayed Masons as a separate Institution , and have brought dosvn that of the Royal Masonic Benevolent Annuity Fund to the date svhen the Widosvs ' Fund ss * as established and the Asylum and Annuity Funds svere amalgamated . Henceforth our path svill be smooth enough , and the history of thc Benevolent
Institution , as it is nosv constituted , svill be found to present but comparatively fesv features of exceptional interest such as need call for more than a passing comment or tsvo . Its existence has been , like that of the nition which has no history , a happy one , and for precisely the same reason . Its progress has been satisfactory , and the sphere of its usefulness has been
steadily and of recent years vcry largely extended . Its income , svhich at the outset mustered a fesv hundreds only , may nosv be counted by thousands . There are nosv considerably over 300 annuitants on its books , its funded property consists of upsvards of £ 62 , 000 Stock in thc Government Funds , and the grants it receives from Grand Lodge and Grand Chapter
respectively amount together to £ 1 , 750 . This is , indeed , a glorious result for thc Craft to have achieved in less than fifty ycars from thc time svhen Bro . Crucefix announced that a list of subscriptions would be opened in the Freemasons' Quarterly Review tosvards the establishment of an Asylum for thc aged and distressed brother .
It has been stated that thc Asylum at Croydon was solemnly consecrated by Bro . Dobie on the ist August , 1850 , that subsequently the Annuitants in the order of their seniority on the list svere invited to become inmates , and that some eight of them accepted the offer . These brethren svere received into residence tosvards the end of September , and it is not a little singular
that in almost the earliest minutes recorded after their reception sve should have mention of a death occurring—that of the wife of a brother , who , in consequence of his loss , obtained leave to quit the Asylum and take shelter with his friends in thc country . This happened in October , 1850 , and in May of the follosving year is a similar record , only il is lhat of thc brother
himself—Bro . William Povey , one of the fesv annuitants borne on thc old Asylum fund—svho entered the Asylum on thc 21 st April and died on 9 th May following . Such painful circumstances are expected to be met svith in ihe records of such an Institution as this , svhose inmates are of necessity well advanced in years when they are elected on the fund , svhile equally
painful aro the details to be found in thc petitions of applicants , and in circumstances arising out of inquiries made in consequence of such petitions or for some other reason . Thus among thc first body of Annuitants svho elected to become inmates of thc Asylum svas a brother svhose subsequent conduct raised doubts in the minds of thc Commiltcc as to whether it was
desirable hc should be received into the house . His sanity svas questioned , and at length it was resolved to institute inquiries , Bros . Dr . Bainbridge and John Whitmore vcry kindly undertaking to ssail on the brother and judge for themselves . These gentlemen , in due course , reported that as to his mental capacity it svas sound enough , but hc svas a man of violent
temper and easily excited . I lis bodily health was deplorable , and no doubt the change of scene and air svould benefit him ; but if hc svere removed thither , his niece , svhose attendance upon him was indispensable , would be compelled to give up the wretched pittance she was earning tosvards their joint support , and , therefore , as svell as having regard to his irascible
temperament , they considered his rcmos-al to thc Asylum svould not be desirable , svhile they deeply regretted the regulations of thc Institution did not allosv of his annuity ( £ to ) being increased . The picture is sad enough , yet thc following additional particulars obtained from the mistress of the house where the brother and his devoted niece resided make it still more
harrosving . Thc latter is described as " a very svorthy and exemplary young woman , who attended to her uncle ' s wants and contributed to his comforts out of her own miserable hard earnings of 5 s . per sveek as a cap maker , " and the landlady said thai he ( the annuitant ) " paid a rent of 3 s . per sveek for the room in svhich he and his niece lived , and that he svas
eight sveeks in arrear ; that so long os his niece continued in constant employment they managed to have a daily , although scanty , supply of food ; that they never had any meat , and but rarely a bit of fish ; but that when she svas out of work , as ss-as sometimes the case , then they endured great privations . " And the people of svhom this is recorded svhere once upon a time in comfortable and perhaps even in affluent circumstances I
But to resume the thread of our story . In February , 1851 , ss-as held the first festival in aid of the funds of the " Institution . " M . W . thc Earl of Zetland , Grand Master , svas to have presided , but his place svas taken ( at the last moment ) by Bro . B . B . Cabbell , M . P ., P . G . J . W ., among the Stesvards—svho , all told , mustered only 25—being Bros . R . J . Spiers ,
W . H . White , Grand Sec . ; John Hervey , and S . B . Wilson , together with the follosving , svho happily still survive , namely , Bros . H . W . Eaton , M . P ,, P . G . J . W . ; T . R . White , P . G . S . D . ; and J . Symonds , P . G . A . D . C . The sum announced svas £ 894 17 s . In May the annual meeting svas held , when the number of male annuitants , was increased by
one to 51 , and five svidosvs , being thc only appros'ed applicants , werc elected on the Female Fund svithout ballol . It svas announced , that on thc recommendation of the Earl of Zetland , Grand Lodge had voted £ 500 Losvards the repairs and sustentation of the Building at Croydon . Bro . Thomas
L . Henley's offer to attend the inmates gratuitously was accepted and he was appointed Honorary Surgeon to the Institution , and the ladies who had presented purses of five guineas at thc consecration were admitted to the same voting privileges as subscribers of £ 10 . { To be continued ) .
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Board Of Benevolence.
GRAND S ECRETARY in answer to a question said that the nesv Constitutions svould be ready in about three or four sveeks . The PRESIDENT said letters had been received from several of the persons relieved at the December meeting , thanking the Board for the assistance rendered .
The brethren next proceeded svith the nesv list , out of svhich tsvo cases svere deferred and one case svas dismissed . The remaining sixteen petitioners svere relies'ed svith a total of £ 535 , svhich svas made up as follosvs : —One £ 150 ( £ i 5 ° ) " one £ 75 ( £ 75 ) i one £ 50 ( £ 50 ); tsvo £ 25 each ( £ 5 " ) i eight £ 20 each ( £ t 0 o ); tsvo £ 15 each ( £ 30 ) ; and tsvo £ 10 each ( 20 ) .
The Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution.
THE ROYAL MASONIC BENEVOLENT INSTITUTION .
( Continued from page 26 . ) As to the Widows' Fund , the annual report of the Committee for 1 S 50 contains all essential particulars . It has already been stated that Grand Lodge and Grand Chapter had arranged lo grant £ 100 and £ 35 per annum respectively , and , in consideration of these payments , it was settled
that the W . Master of es-ery lodge , and the First Principal of every chapter , should be entitled to one vote each at every election of Female Annuitants . The recommendation of Grand Lodge that , for the sake of economy , thc Committee of the Annuity Fund , as hitherto constituted , should take under their care the management of the nesv Fund svas agreed to at a
meeting specially held on the 26 th April . It was further settled that a brother qualifying as Vice-President of the Female Fund should "ipso facto" become a member of the Committee of Management of the Royal Masonic Benevolent Annuity Fund , and also that the Governors and Subscribers of both of its branches should assemble together at the Annual General Meeting , and
act in common in all matters , except the election of Annuitants . Tsvo Trustees had also to be elected in respect of the Widows' Fund , and other details in connection svith the rules and regulations svere of necessity carried out , the Charity , as extended and svith thc Asylum conjoined , bearing in full the name of " The Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution for Aged Freemasons
and their Widows . As to thc Officers , Bro . I'arnfield became the Secretary svith a salary of £ 120 , of svhich £ 20 was paid in respect of the Widows ' Fund , and Bro . John Nicholls , Collector of thc old Annuity Fund , occupied thc same position under thc nesv arrangements , svhile Bros . John Barnes and R . Gardiner Alston were elected Trustees for the Widows' Fund , the Trustees
of the Asylum or Building Fund remaining as heretofore in accordance svith the scheme proposed at the time of its union with thc Annuity Fund . AU these matters werc arranged at thc Annual Meeting in May , 1850 , from thc report of which it further appears that the funded property of the Institution amounted to £ 6000 and the numberof Male Annuitants to 50 ,
of whom 42 remained from the previous year , and eight were then elected , namely , seven to fillvacancicsandoneadditional . The annuities apportioned among these 50 brethren represented a total of £ 973 , of svhich £ 828 was distributed among the 42 old and £ 145 among the eight nesv Annuitants . At the meeting at which the latter amount svas assigned , a Sub-Committee was
appointed , consisting of Bros . R . G . Alston , II . Faudel , W . H . White , E . H . Patten , and S . B . Wilson , for the purpose of considering the alterations that it might be necessary to make in the rules and regulations of the Society consequent upon the extension of the Fund and thc amalgamation of the Asylum . In July this Committee handed in their report , a part of
svhich , so far as thc Secretary and Collector are concerned , has already been noted , the only other feature requiring to be referred to being a resolution lo thc effect that the Annuitants in thc order of their election should be communicated svith , offering them in turn , and until the suites of apartments as yet available—18 in number- —were presided wilh occupants , thc option of
becoming inmates of the Asylum . Thc result of these communications was made knosvn in August , svhen it appeared that 31 had declined the accommodation offered them , while only seven had accepted , and one other , before delivering his answer , svas anxious to knosv if his daughter might accompany him . Time had not allosved of replies being received
from the others . In thc case of those who had accepted , each was allosved to retain his annuity in full , and the Secretary svas directed to svrite advising them to hold themselves in readiness to be admitted . In these circumstances it became necessary to frame rules for the conduct of the Asylum , and this task svas entrusted to a Sub-Committee , svhich in due course recommi-nded
among other things , that a House Committee should be appointed consisting of nine members of the Committee of Management , with posver to meet cither at the Asylum or in London , on whom would devolve the general superintendence of the inmates and all matters connected svith their comfort and conduct and the decent maintenance of the Asylum . There were also
to be a Warden and Gatekeeper appointed from among the inmates , thc former to receive £ 1 5 s . per quarter in recognition of his services , and the latter ios . As to the rules for thc conduct of thc Asylum , it is unnecessary to say more than that , svhile allowing all reasonable latitude to the residents and ministering considerably to their comfort , they svere at the same time well
calculated to maintain among them due order and decorum . In September , Bros . John Barnes , H . Faudel , J . Hodgkinson , E . H . Patten , John Savage , Thomas Tomblcson , John Whitmore , S . B . Wilson , and W . L . Wright svere elected a House Committee , to continue in office till June , 1851 . It was also arranged that the accepted inmates , eight in number , should enter on
residence on the 28 th of the month , after which Bro . J . Whitmore , on behalf of the Building Committee , presented a complete financial statement of the affairs of that branch of the Institution . From this it appears that thc payments to date for purchase of ground from Mr . Morland and conveyance of
the same , on account of building contract , architect ' s commission , expenses of survey , laying out grounds , and expenses of consecration ceremony , amounted m round figures to £ 339 ° . while there was a further sum of £ 1993 due in respect of work done . The additional liabilities to complete the Asylum svere
The Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution.
set dosvn at £ 2308 , raising the total cost to over £ 6992 , of ss'hich , as has been stated , £ 3390 odd had already been paid , svhile the cash in hand amounted to £ 2037 , leaving thc balance required to be raised at a fraction over £ 1550 .
ROYAL MASONIC BENEVOLENT INSTITUTION FOR AGED FREEMASONS AND THEIR WIDOWS .
WE have nosv completed the history of the Asylum for Worthy Aged and Decayed Masons as a separate Institution , and have brought dosvn that of the Royal Masonic Benevolent Annuity Fund to the date svhen the Widosvs ' Fund ss * as established and the Asylum and Annuity Funds svere amalgamated . Henceforth our path svill be smooth enough , and the history of thc Benevolent
Institution , as it is nosv constituted , svill be found to present but comparatively fesv features of exceptional interest such as need call for more than a passing comment or tsvo . Its existence has been , like that of the nition which has no history , a happy one , and for precisely the same reason . Its progress has been satisfactory , and the sphere of its usefulness has been
steadily and of recent years vcry largely extended . Its income , svhich at the outset mustered a fesv hundreds only , may nosv be counted by thousands . There are nosv considerably over 300 annuitants on its books , its funded property consists of upsvards of £ 62 , 000 Stock in thc Government Funds , and the grants it receives from Grand Lodge and Grand Chapter
respectively amount together to £ 1 , 750 . This is , indeed , a glorious result for thc Craft to have achieved in less than fifty ycars from thc time svhen Bro . Crucefix announced that a list of subscriptions would be opened in the Freemasons' Quarterly Review tosvards the establishment of an Asylum for thc aged and distressed brother .
It has been stated that thc Asylum at Croydon was solemnly consecrated by Bro . Dobie on the ist August , 1850 , that subsequently the Annuitants in the order of their seniority on the list svere invited to become inmates , and that some eight of them accepted the offer . These brethren svere received into residence tosvards the end of September , and it is not a little singular
that in almost the earliest minutes recorded after their reception sve should have mention of a death occurring—that of the wife of a brother , who , in consequence of his loss , obtained leave to quit the Asylum and take shelter with his friends in thc country . This happened in October , 1850 , and in May of the follosving year is a similar record , only il is lhat of thc brother
himself—Bro . William Povey , one of the fesv annuitants borne on thc old Asylum fund—svho entered the Asylum on thc 21 st April and died on 9 th May following . Such painful circumstances are expected to be met svith in ihe records of such an Institution as this , svhose inmates are of necessity well advanced in years when they are elected on the fund , svhile equally
painful aro the details to be found in thc petitions of applicants , and in circumstances arising out of inquiries made in consequence of such petitions or for some other reason . Thus among thc first body of Annuitants svho elected to become inmates of thc Asylum svas a brother svhose subsequent conduct raised doubts in the minds of thc Commiltcc as to whether it was
desirable hc should be received into the house . His sanity svas questioned , and at length it was resolved to institute inquiries , Bros . Dr . Bainbridge and John Whitmore vcry kindly undertaking to ssail on the brother and judge for themselves . These gentlemen , in due course , reported that as to his mental capacity it svas sound enough , but hc svas a man of violent
temper and easily excited . I lis bodily health was deplorable , and no doubt the change of scene and air svould benefit him ; but if hc svere removed thither , his niece , svhose attendance upon him was indispensable , would be compelled to give up the wretched pittance she was earning tosvards their joint support , and , therefore , as svell as having regard to his irascible
temperament , they considered his rcmos-al to thc Asylum svould not be desirable , svhile they deeply regretted the regulations of thc Institution did not allosv of his annuity ( £ to ) being increased . The picture is sad enough , yet thc following additional particulars obtained from the mistress of the house where the brother and his devoted niece resided make it still more
harrosving . Thc latter is described as " a very svorthy and exemplary young woman , who attended to her uncle ' s wants and contributed to his comforts out of her own miserable hard earnings of 5 s . per sveek as a cap maker , " and the landlady said thai he ( the annuitant ) " paid a rent of 3 s . per sveek for the room in svhich he and his niece lived , and that he svas
eight sveeks in arrear ; that so long os his niece continued in constant employment they managed to have a daily , although scanty , supply of food ; that they never had any meat , and but rarely a bit of fish ; but that when she svas out of work , as ss-as sometimes the case , then they endured great privations . " And the people of svhom this is recorded svhere once upon a time in comfortable and perhaps even in affluent circumstances I
But to resume the thread of our story . In February , 1851 , ss-as held the first festival in aid of the funds of the " Institution . " M . W . thc Earl of Zetland , Grand Master , svas to have presided , but his place svas taken ( at the last moment ) by Bro . B . B . Cabbell , M . P ., P . G . J . W ., among the Stesvards—svho , all told , mustered only 25—being Bros . R . J . Spiers ,
W . H . White , Grand Sec . ; John Hervey , and S . B . Wilson , together with the follosving , svho happily still survive , namely , Bros . H . W . Eaton , M . P ,, P . G . J . W . ; T . R . White , P . G . S . D . ; and J . Symonds , P . G . A . D . C . The sum announced svas £ 894 17 s . In May the annual meeting svas held , when the number of male annuitants , was increased by
one to 51 , and five svidosvs , being thc only appros'ed applicants , werc elected on the Female Fund svithout ballol . It svas announced , that on thc recommendation of the Earl of Zetland , Grand Lodge had voted £ 500 Losvards the repairs and sustentation of the Building at Croydon . Bro . Thomas
L . Henley's offer to attend the inmates gratuitously was accepted and he was appointed Honorary Surgeon to the Institution , and the ladies who had presented purses of five guineas at thc consecration were admitted to the same voting privileges as subscribers of £ 10 . { To be continued ) .