History Of The Airedale Lodge, No. 387,

XIII . That relief may be afforded to the widow or indigent children of a deceased brother , not exceeding the sum of five ponnds ; provided the application be made through the medium of some contributing lodge within twelve months after the brother ' s decease . XIV . If any case of extraordinary distress shall occur in which five ponnds does not appear sufficient to afford adequate relief , the Lodge shall refer the case to the Right Worshipful Provincial Grand Master , who may grant any sum which the Lodge shall recommendnot exceeding ten pounds .

, XV . That , in order to supply funds for this benevolence , the contributions now made by each lodge in the province shall be devoted to this purpose , subject , however , to be charged with the necessary expenses of the Provincial Graud Lodge . XVI . That at the annual meeting of the Provincial Grand lodge voluntary contributions shall bo received from the brethren present in aid of this Benevolent Fund . XVII . That a . full aud clear statement of the receipts and disbursements of this lodge shall bo laid before the Provincial Grand Lodge , at its annual meeting .

So late as 1830 it was customary for the Prov . G . Sec . of North aud East Yorkshire to send fraternal invitations' regularl y to Worshipful Masters of West Yorkshire lodges . On Sunday , February 13 th , 1831 , the day appointed for the funeral of Bro . Robert Smith , many brethren from Bradford , Kei ghley , etc ., attended . There is a quaintness and peculiarity about the proceedings which can be best described by an extract :

At half gone ten o'clock in the forenoon the body went to church , returned to' the lodge , and in a few minutes afterwards proceeded to the house of the deceased , two and two . The brethren were ( with the exception of about six ) clothed in black , white gloves , and the members of this lodge crape on the left arm , « la militaire . Bro . Gordon , of Keighley , repeated the burial service from Preston's . * Everything was conducted in the most respectful-manner . Fifty-three members dined after the funeral , and after the dinner the different brethren dispersed , and by 5 o ' clock the whole body had separated . The members met in this manner at the particular request of the decoased .

Most of the minutes up to and inclusive of 1831 are very creditabl y entered , but a few in 1830-31 are specimens of writing under difficulties , whether of the pen , the hand , or the head , it would be equall y difficult to determine . The Lodge Three Graces , Haworth , was reconstituted as No . 862 in this year . It had been erased as No . 541 . The old furniture appears to have been considered the propertofbut to

y , have remained as a debt upon the lodge until February 13 th , 1832 , when it was finall y liquidated by the following remarkable document , those brethren o £ the Duke of York ' s Lodge who previousl y had an interest in it having been paid off before . Baildon , Feb . 13 tb , 1832 . The Airedale Lodge ,

BOUGHT OF JOHATHAN WALKER , The undermentioned debts upon the furniture of the old Duke of York ' s Lodge of Freemasons , viz : — Jonathan Walker 5 0 0 William Fox 0 10 6 Josh . Wild 2 0 0 Charles Bland 0 4 0 W . Booth 0 4 0 W . Wilkinson 110

£ 8 10 6—at 7 s . 6 d . in the £ , £ 3 7 6 The debt being £ 32 2 s . 6 d ., and sold at £ 12 , being 7 s . 6 d . in the pound . 1832 , Feb . 13 . —Settled for the above-mentioned members of the Duke of York ' s Lodge , Bingley , £ 8 19 s . 6 d ., at 7 s . 6 d . in the pound . ( Signed ) JONATHAN WALKER . Witness the above agreement and settlement . ( Signed ) Wit . FOULDS .