Jubilee Of Lodge St. Martin, No. 510, At Liskeard.

JUBILEE OF LODGE ST . MARTIN , No . 510 , AT LISKEARD .

ADDRESS BY BRO . W . J . HUGHAN . The jubilee of the above lodge was celebrated on Monday evening , the 19 th instant , the lodge having been consecrated on August 19 th , 1845 . An emergency meeting was held at the Masonic Hall early in the evening , and advantage was also taken of the gathering to make a presentation to Bro . R . A . Courtney , P . M ., P . P . J . G . W ., in recognition of his unwearied labours as Secretary during the past 23 years .

Among the large number of members present were—Bros . W . Hammond , W . M . ; Richard Faull , S . W . ; A . E . Morcom , J . W . ; T . "White , P . M ., Treas . ; R . A . Courtney , P . M ., Sec ; C . Mitchell , S . D . ; E . Venning , P . M ., Org . ; j . Harris , P . M ., D . C . ; A . H . Wenmoth and C . Drummond Smilli , Stwds . ; J . Cleave , I . G . ; R . Penwarden , Tyler ; R . H . Williams , P . M . ; W . Ridgman , P . M . ; G . P . N . Glencross , P . M . ; W . H . Stantan , P . M . ( Mayor ); W . H . Huddy , P . M . ; John Lobb , P . M . ; J . H . Philp , P . M . 557 ; the

Rev . J . Norris , T . H . Andrew , J . H . Peters , W . H . Blackall , S . Gourd , W . H Stone , J . Davis , H . Hancock , E . C . Chudleigh , J . S . Dingle , A . Hancock , J Gilbert , T . J . Gill , G . Beswarrick , J . George , T . E . Moon , G . G . Morcom , W Henwood , and J . Congdon . Visitors : Bros . Major Shanks , 330 , P . P . G . W Devon ; B . F . Edyvean , 330 , P . P . S . G . W . ; C . Truscott , 49 6 , P . P . J . G . W . ; J G . Henwood , P . M . 970 , P . P . G . D . C . ; F . Thomas , P . M . 1 S 9 ; F . E . Sach , P . M 18 9 ; F . Mabin , 105 ; and J . Grossman , 970 , P . P . A . G . D . C .

Letters regretting inability to attend were read from the Provincial Grand Master , Bro . the Earl of Mount Edgcumbe ( who has gone to Denmark as a member of the Royal Commission on Coast Communication ) , from Bro . Sir Henry Waring , of Plymouth , who said he was one of the brethren who was driven by Charles Knapman ( now at Webb ' s Hotel ) in a four-in-hand coach to attend the consecration of the lodge with other members of Lodge Brunswick ; from Bro . Anderton , the P . G . Sec . ; and others . Bro . Hughan sent an address to be read .

Before proceeding with the business , the WORSHIPFUL MASTER said he thought they ought to acknowledge the presence that evening of the sole surviving founder of the lodge , Bro . William Henwood , who was initiated in the Bodmin Lodge in 1 S 39 , and was one of those v / ho signed the petition for the warrant of St . Martin's . He had not been able to attend lodge for many years , but was persuaded to be present on that the jubilee of his

signature to the petition . 1 he brethren had unanimously requested him to allow his photograph to bs taken on behalf of the lodge , to add to those hanging in the lodge-room . The W . M . added that they were all very pleased to see him present , and he moved that the fact be recorded in the minutes of the meeting . Bro . | . HARRIS seconded the motion , which was adopted .

Bro . HENWOOD acknowledged the compliment . He was delighted , he said , to be able to attend the jubilee meeting , and he hoped the next 50 years of the lodge would be as successful as the last . Bro . COURTNEY , the Secretary , then reported , on behalf of the Trustees , that all payments had been made on account of the Building Fund , and that a deed of re-conveyance had been executed , so that the Masonic Hall

was now , under the care of the Trustees , the property of the lodge free of debt . Bro . Courtney proceeded to read a long and interesting account of the history of the lodge . St . Martin's Lodge , so named after the patron saint of the Parish Church , was , he said , at the date of the granting of the warrant , numbered 750 , and bears date the 5 th March , 1 S 45 ; but in 1863 , when the lodges were re-numbered by Grand Lodge , it took the number

510 . The warrant was granted on the petition of Edward Lyne , Simon Peter , Samuel Binney Serjeant , Wm . Henwood , Samuel Julyan , Samuel Lang , Philip Lean , and others . Bros . Lyne , Peter , and Henwood were members of One and All Lodge , Bodmin , No . 330 , whilst the other four belonged to Lodge Charily , No . 223 ( Plymouth ) . Those worthy brethren , save one , had long since departed this life , but Bro . Henwood they rejoiced

to see with them that evening . There is no record , nor could any brother say what led to the application for the warrant , but there was no doubt that several of the founders , especially Bros . Lyne and Peter , with Bro . Julyan , at whose house the lodge was to be held , desired to establish a lodge in the town , which had th- * -n entered upon a state of prosperity and had an increasing population . The first meeting was held on the 20 th May , 1845 , when

Bro . John M . Luckraft , P . M ., No . 223 , Charity ( Plymouth ) , presided ; five brethren were initiated , and Charles Buller , who had represented the borough in Parliament from 1832 , was accepted as the first joining member . The first W . M . was Bro . Lyne , who was in practice at Liskeard as a solicitor , and was Master of One and All Lodge , Bodmin , in 1 S 42 , the S . W ., Bro . Simon Peter , being his successor . The consecration of the lodge took

place on luesday , August 19 th , 1845 , when the Provincial Grand Lodge met for the first time at Liskeard . The Royal Cornwall Gazette of August 22 nd contained an account of the gathering , which stated , among other things , lhat Bro . Ellis , of Falmouth , P . G . S . and Past D . P . G . M ., presided , in the absence of the P . G . M ., and the forms peculiar to the establishment of a new lodge attracted a large number of brethren , and a " vast

multilude " assembled in the streets to witness the procession to church . Previous to this , about nine o ' clock , a band paraded the streets , the church bells ringing merrily , and at 10 , " a splendid carriage from Devon , containing about 20 of 1 tie brethren of that province from Plymouth and Devonport , chiefly from Lodge Brunswick , entered the town , drawn by handsome greys , four in hand , with the coronet of the Grand Master of the province ( Earl

Fortescue ) , and the Masonic arms emblazoned on its panels and banners floating on th ; roof . The party alighted and partook of a champagne lunch at the residence of Edward Lyne , Esq ., who was to be installed Master . " The brethren afterwards walked in procession to church , where a learned and appropriate address was given by the P . G . Chaplain ( Rev . H . Grylls , of St . Neot ) . The lodge was then held in the lodge room at the Fountain Inn , and subsequently about 80 brethren dined together at

Webb's Hotel . On March ioth , 1846 , the first minutes are recorded of a meeting of St . Martin ' s Mark Master Masons' Lodge , No . 750 , but the present M . M . M . Lodge , No . 379 , was not formally warranted till 1887 . In 1847 a proposition was made in favour of forming a Royal Arch chapter , but the matter was allowed to lapse until December , iS 6 , 3 , and in the following year the present clnpler was constituted , and has now a large roll of companions . Up to 1850 the . lodge was held at the

Jubilee Of Lodge St. Martin, No. 510, At Liskeard.

Fountain Inn , when the brethren removed to a room in Bro . Lyne s office in Church-street , and subsequently to the London Inn ( Bro . Channon ' s ) , where regular meetings were held for 21 years ( 1851-72 ) . At the end of December , 1872 , the lodge took possession of the present Masonic Hall , the site being purchased from the Devon and Cornwall Banking Company for £ 1150 . An appeal for the necessary funds was readily responded 10 , plans

were prepared by Bro . John Paul , of Jordan Lodge , Torquay , and W . Bro , Lang erected the building , of which the foundation-stone was laid on August 27 th , 1872 , by W . Bro . Reginald Rogers , D . P . G . M . On December nth , Bros . Lang , Coward , Courtney , Gerry , Chegwidden , Thorne , Beaglehole , Clogg , J . F . Childs , and Harris were appointed trustees ; and on the 30 . h December ( the Festival of St . John ) the first meeting was held , at which

Bro . White was installed W . M . Finally , on August , 6 th , 1873 , immediatel y after his installation as Prov . Grand Master , the Earl of Mount Edgcumbe assembled the Prov . Grand Lodge at Liskeard , and , as his first official act , dedicated the hall to Masonry , The amount altogether spent on the Hall was £ 1171 , part of which was raised on mortgage . The last instalment of ^ 50 had that day been paid , and a re-conveyance of the premises made to

the trustees , and the brethren of the lodge had now the satisfaction , on their Jubilee day , of occupying their Hall free of all charges and encumbrances . Bro . Courtney proceeded to describe the very considerable support given to the Masonic Charities by the lodge , chiefly during the past 20 years . Since 1872 they had subscribed over ^ , 600 to the Institution for Men and Women and the Boys' and Girls' Schools , receiving corresponding benefits , while

the lodge had also attained the premier position in the Cornwall Masonic Charity Association , and had regularly subscribed to the C . M . A . and B . Fund since its foundation . On one occasion , in the earlier days , the lodge assisted a brother who had lost three bullocks by the rinderpest , and also gave subscriptions to Hospitals , Palestine Exploration Fund , the Royal Lifeboat Institution , & c . In February , 1886 , a Masonic library was formed , and

many gifts had at different times been made to the lodge . During the 50 years they had had Masters whose names are held in the highest esteem , and had maintained a good standard of membership ; 179 candidates had been initiated , and 44 members had "joined , " there being now 76 members on the roll , the highest on record . He thought they might congratulate St . Martin ' s Lodge on its past career and present position , and wish it every

success in the future ; and when , he said , members yet unborn should celebrate the centenary of the lodge , might they look back on the records of that day , and say that the present and past members had maintained the honour and dignity of the lodge during the first 50 years of its existence . Bro . Courtney concluded by presenting the title-deeds of the Masonic Hall to the Master of the lodge ( Bro . W . Hammond , P . M . ) .

A vote of thanks to the surviving trustees of the hall , Bros . Lang , Courtney , Chegwidden , Childs , and Harris , was unanimously passed . The WORSHIPFUL MASTER next moved— "That it be entered on the minutes that this lodge recognises the untiring energy of , and the truly Masonic work accomplished by , W . Bro . R . A . Courtney , P . M ., and

unanimously accords to him its best thanks on the completion of his work in handing over to the lodge the Masonic Hall free of debt , and trusts that he may live long to continue his 23 years' work as Secretary of 510 . " Bro . Hammond said he proposed that resolution , in the name of the lodge , in order to record their sense of the unwearied and invaluable services of Bro .

Courtney , one of the best of Masons , mainly through whose efforts the lodge had attained its present high position . Bro . Courtney was initiated in 1868 , and became W . M . in 1872 , during which year nine brethren were initiated and four joined , being the largest increase in any year except that in which the lodge was founded . Since that date he had acted continuously as Secretary , and he ( the speaker ) trusted that for many years he would

continue to guide , advise , and , if necessary , admonish his junior brethren . In Prov . Grand Lodge his worth had been recognised by the following offices : In 1873 , Assistant Grand Director of Ceremonies ; 1874 , Grand Director of Ceremonies , in which year the united lodges of Devon and Cornwall assembled at Plymouth to meet the M . W . the Grand Master on the opening of Plymouth Guildhall ; in 1879 , Senior Grand Deacon ; and in 1890 , Junior Grand Warden ; while in 1875 he acted as Steward at the

installation of the M . W . G . M . at the Albert Hall . In the Royal Arch Degree Bro . Courtney had also shown his excellent working as P . Prov . G . D . C , and had been a keystone to St . Martin ' s Chapter . To him was greatly due their present prosperity , the fact that their position on the Charities was second to none in the Province , the good working of the lodge , and that

close fraternal feeling which should bind all the members together , making the motto of Cornwall the motto of the lodge— " One and All .- " Bro . T . WHITE , Treasurer , the senior Past Master present , seconded the motion , and expressed the great pleasure he had felt in sitting side by side with Bro . Courtney during the last 21 years . The vote was unanimously passed .

The WORSHIPFUL MASTER then presented Bro . Courtney with a gold watch , suitably inscribed . Addressing Bro . Courtney , the W . M . said : W . Bro . Courtney , I as Master of St . Martin ' s , your mother lodge , and in the name of numerous brethren , both past and present , of this lodge ( including the Prov . Grand Master ) , ask you to accept this gold watch , to be worn by you as a constant memento of their lasting regard and esteem . The W . M .

also read the inscription engraved inside the case : — " 1845 . August 19 th , 1895 . Jubilee of St . Martin ' s Lodge , No . 510 . Presented to W . Bro . R . A . Courtney , P . M ., Secretary for the past 23 years . " The W . M . further mentioned that an illuminated address was in process of signature for presentation to Bro . Courtney , couched in the following terms : " St . Martin ' s Lodge , No . 510 , Liskeard , Cornwall . August 19 th , 1845 , to August 19 th ,

18 95 . —We , the undersigned , W . M ., Past Masters , officers , and brethren of this lodge have , with the concurrence of our R . W . Prov . G . Master , the Right Hon . the Earl of Mount Edgcumbe , Dep . G . Master , presented a gold watch and this testimonial to W . Bro . R . A . Courtney , P . M ., P . J . G . W . Cornwall , on this the Jubilee day of the lodge , as a small token of our fraternal regard and of the care and ability which he has ever shown during his 23 years in office as Secretary of No . 510 . That he may live long to

wear our token of affection is the constant prayer of " and then followed the signatures . The watch is a large and handsome English lever of the first quality ) enclosed in a heavy 18-carat gold case , lt is jewelled in 10 holes , adjusted for position , and compensated for temperature . The inscription appears on the dome , and on the back is engraved the monogram , " R . A . C . " Ths engraving is very beautifully executed , and the watch altogether is a fine specimeny of the horologist ' s art . Bro . COURTNEY , in reply , said their kind expressions and flattering remarks , and the presentation of that watch in recognition of his humble