History Of The Airedale Lodge, No. 387,

HISTORY OF THE AIREDALE LODGE , No . 387 ,

Giving also , incidentally ( by notes of the Foundation of each Lodge in chronological order ) a Record of the Progress of Freemasonry in Yorkshire . BY BRO . . 1 . RAMSDEN RILEY , P . M . AIREDALE LODGE , NO . 387 ; _ . MORAVIAN CHAPTER , NO . 387 . SECTION I . —1788 to 1815 .

THE Airedale Lodge was established at Baildon , Yorkshire , ancl its first regular meeting held at the Malt Shovel Inn , at- that place , on llth April , 1827 , under warrant from the Grand Lodge of England , dated 12 th March , 1827 . It was indebted , indirectly , to an older Lodge for its origin , ancl although the first W . Master was a member of the Lodge of Hope at Bradford ( then No . 565 ) ancl our lodge is commonly said to be a branch of that lodge , there

is little doubt that the " Airedale " never would have sprung into existence but for the necessary elements , not only of furniture ancl other lodge paraphernalia , but actual working members of the Craft which a defunct lodge at Bingley and a then vigorous lodge at Keighley supplied , to carry out the project satisfactorily ancl with reasonable prospects of success . The former was the Duke of York ' s Lodge , No . 502 , originally constituted at Doncaster , as No . 438 , in 1788 , the dispensation for which reads as follows : —

KICHAUD SIATEK MILNES , Esq ., Provincial Grand Master for the County of York . To the Worshipful Charles Plummer , Richard Stavely , ancl Thomas Girdler , Members of the most Ancient ancl Honorable Society of Free aud Accepted Masons and respectively Master Masons . BRETHBEN , In consequence of an application from yon and several other respectable brethren , residing in or near the Town of Doncaster , in the County of York , to me as Provincial Grand Master for the said County ( under the authority of the Grand Master of England ) requesting

a Constitution for the holding of a regular Lodge of the Order under his authority at the Black Boy Inn , in Doncaster aforesaid , by the style or title of the DUKE OF Tome ' s LODGE , I do , by virtue of the power and authority committed to me by the most Noble aud Worshipful Prince Henry Frederick Duke of Cumberland , Supreme Grand Master of the Ordei ' , hereby authorize and empower you , the said Charles Plummer , as Master , and you the said Richard Stavely and Thomas Girdler , as Wardens , with the assistance of a proper number of other brethren , to open a Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons , under the title of the Duke of York's Lodge , at the Black Boy Inn , in Doncaster aforesaid , whenever yon may think proper , and therein to make , pass , and raise Masons , and do and transact all Masonic business Z