History Of The Airedale Lodge, No. 387,

A brother , John Smith , " declared off" December 28 th , 1859 . He was not one of the petitioners for our warrant , and now joined the Scientific , Bingley . This Bro . Smith was initiated in the Airedale Lodge , Deo . 29 th , 1841 . At the Prov . G . Lodge meeting at Hnddersfield , March 28 th , 1860 , a Provincial Charity Committee was formed , to consist of one member from each lodge in the province . Bro . the Rev . A . F . A . WoodfordM . A ., P . Prov .

, G . S . W ., etc ., was elected Chairman , and Bro . R . R . Nelson ( Prov . G . Sec ) , Secretary . Bro . Henry Smith , P . M ., was nominated to represent Airedale Lodge on this Committee , the first meeting of which was fixed to be held at Heckmondwike . At the foot of the minutes on April 4 th , 1860 , is entered a minute of an interesting episode as follows : —

At the refreshment board , and after a few appropriate remarks made by our much respected visiting Brother , J . T . Bobinson , W . Master of the Lodge of Hope , he presented to the Treasurer of this lodge a purse , the contents of which were for Bro . P . M . Joseph Walker , from a few brethren of the Lodge of Hope , to be applied for a purpose afterwards explained . Bro . Bobinson also invited the members of the lodge to pay a visit to the Hope Lodge at their next meeting , on . Monday , 7 th May , 1860 .

On April 10 th , 1860 , the donations of sixteen members , amounting to ten guineas , was forwarded to the Institution for Aged Freemasons and Widows . On the 30 th April a further sum of £ 2 was sent , and on May 10 th , £ 1 5 s . more , altogether £ 13 15 s . This liberality was no doubt purely a Masonic thank-offering in consequence of the election of Bro . Joshua Bell as . an annuitant . Onr unfortunate brother was not destined , however , to reap much benefit

from his successful first application , as he died July 29 th , I 860 , aged 71 years . A visit was paid to the Harbour of Refuge Lodge , No . 1066 , West Hartlepool , on the occasion of the installation of Bro . John Sutcliffe as W . M ., on Wednesday , 25 th July , 1860 , and this visit , is referred to in Bro . Wainman Holmes' " Reminiscences , " given in the Appendix I . The names of our brethren who journeyed to West Hartlepool on this occasion were Bro . Jesse

Denby , W . M . ; Bro . C . F . Taylor , S . W . ; Bro . Wainman Holmes , Secretary and P . M . ; Bro . W . W . Holmes , P . M . ; Bro . John Walker , jun ., P . M . ; Bro . Joseph Walker , P . M . ; Bro . John Mann , Bro . Jesse Cockshott , Bro . Samuel Atkinson ; and an interesting letter , dated 6 th August , 1860 , thanking the W . M . and brethren of 1066 for their hospitality , is copied in the minute book .

In this year Craven Lodge , 1112 , Skipton ; St . John ' s , 1129 , Dewsbury ; and De Grey andRipon Lodge , 1139 , Ripon , were constituted . At the regular meeting , January 23 rd , 1861 , £ 10 was voted to the Annuity Fund for the purpose of making the W . M . a Life-Governor . On September 18 th , 1861 , ei ght visitors were present from Hope Lodge , 379 , and the minutes , which are very interesting , contain the following : —

It was mentioned by the W . M . that several of the brethren were unavoidably absent , owing to domestic bereavement , which was deeply deplored by all present . The lodge was opened to the 2 nd and 3 rd Degrees , when some excellent working was gone through by Bro . John Walker , P . M . ; Joseph Walker , P . M . ; and Thomas Brown , P . M ., who really astonished every one present with the very excellent exfiatiatiou of the seven sections of the long lecture , and gave food for every fellow-craffc ' s mind to think over . It was proposed hy Bro . Geo . Motley Waud , and seconded by Bro . N " . Walker , and carried by acclamation , that the best thanks of the lodge be returned to om- venerable Bro . P . M . Thomas Brown for his kindness in giving so interesting and philosophical a lecture , and that the Grand Geometrician may long preserve so eminent a F . C . amongst us .

On November 20 th , 1861 , the Treasurer was authorised to pay the sum of £ 1 to a distressed P . M . At the meeting on January , loth , 1862 , " the W . Master called the attention of the brethren to the necessity of punctual attendance , thereby leaving more of the evening for Masonic duties , and enabling the brethren to return home in good time . " Bro . Joseph Denby proposed that £ 1 be given out of the lodge funds for the relief of Bro . P . M . , " who is very poorly , and whose circum-