Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Ireland.
late them upon the great benefits they have been the humble means , in the hands of God , in providing for the bereaved daughters of their deceased brethren . " The "Orphan's Hymn" was then very sweetly sung by two of the girls , a third accompanying them on the pianoforte in excellent taste . Sir EDWAHD BOHOUG-H , JSarl ., Junior Grand AVarden , in moving the first resolution said—In rising to propose to this
meeting— " That while the thanks of the Masonic body in Ireland are clue to those brethren who have assisted in augmenting the revenue ancl extending the benefits of the Masonic Female Orphan School , we desire to impress upon all Masons throughout Ireland the paramount claims which this institution possesses upon them for an enlarged measure of support , more especially at tho present time , when , as appears from che report just readan effort is being made to extend still further the
, benefits of tbe institution , " it appears to me that I cannot do better than give you a short history of the institution whose annual public meeting meeting has brought together this large and brilliant assemblage , and to give those among you who are previously unacquainted with it some idea of its ori gin , as well as of its rise and progress to its present state of efficiency and prosperity . To many of those whom I am addressingthe
, facts I have to mention are , doubtless , familiar ; but there are , also , many among you , I am sure , who would gladly learn something of the system carried out in a school which , by their presence this evening , we venture to think , they desire to encourage , and in which , we hope , they will take a permanent interest . The intention to found a school for the orphan daughters of Freemasons in this city first originated in the year
1792 ; but it does not appear to have been carried into effect until the year 1795 ; and though , in its earliest years , the institution was an humble one , and much obscurity exists with regard to its history for a considerable time afterwards , as its records have been lost , still the foundation of our school was laid some sixty years ago , aud though not very flourishing , it was kept up , and was the basis on which the present solid , and I think I may say enduring , institution was framed , built , and established . ( Hear , hear . ) It was not , however , until about the year 1843 that any decided effort was made to place our school
on a better footing than that which it had previously hold , and among those whom I find most prominent in the endeavour to make it more worthy of our Order , I must mention the names of my venerated friend , George Hoy to —( applause)—our late lamented brother , William Thomas Lloyd , our justly esteemed Deputy Grand Master —( applause)—and last , though not least . Rev . II . Westby —( applause )—who threw all the zeal and energy of his nature into the good cause , and whose
unremitted and finally successful exertions in behalf of these children have been deservedly rewarded by his advancement to the highest rank which the heads of our Order have it in their power to confer . ( Hear , hear . ) By the zealous exertions of these and other worthy brethren , a sufficient fund was at length collected for the construction of the present school-house , which was completed in the year 1 S 52 , at which period there were only fifteen—recollect that—pupils in the institution
, all of whom , except one , have since left , and most of whom are comfortably provided for . In 1 S 53 the number of inmates was raised to 21 , which was not increased till 1859 , when the building was enlarged to its present dimensions , so as to accom-¦ modate 40 pupils instead of 23 , that being the largest number which the premises before this last addition were able to contain . The year 1856 was remarkable in the annals of our school , for
two reasons . In that year the improved system of education now in force was first introduced ; in that year , also , the public distribution of prizes to the pupils was for the first time inaugurated . AVitli regard to the latter , grave doubts were at first unquestionably entertained by some of the wisest amongst us as to the advisability of this proceeding ; but tho result has shown us not only that no harm lias arisen to the children , but that an
extraordinaiy impulse h .-is been given by these meetings to the prosperity of the school itself , to the general interest taken in its success , to the large increase of the funds at the disposal of the governors , and the consequent accession to the number of pupils . Without troubling you with statistics , what I have just stated will appear from the fact that whereas in the commencement of 1859 there onl 21 inmates in estab
were y our - lishment , there were 27 in 1861 , ' 34 in 1 SG 2 , and so on by additions in each of the ensuing years , until in the year 1 SG 5 , the oi- ; e in which wo now address you , there aro 40 girls in the school . The financial condition is equally satisfiitory . The total
income availaole in 1852 was only £ 310 ; in 1864 it amounted to £ 1 , 400 , besides a funded property of £ 2 , 600 . It may here not be inappropriate to mention that as our income appears to be adequate to the support of 45 pupils , we are desirous to allocate the room now used as an infirmary for the reception of four additional pupils . A graceful occasion for carrying this project into effect has arisen out of an anxiety on the part of our brethren to pay a tribute of respect
to the memory of the late Dr . Robert Speedy , whose name has long been associated with our institution , ancl who , for fifteen years , gave gratuitously the aid of his valuable medical servicesto the care of the health of the children under our charge . My late lamented friend , for so I must be permitted to call him , was always anvious to have the infirmary in a building detached from the main structure , and we are endeavouring to collect sufficient funds to carry thisbis intentioninto effect . Subscriptions to
, , a certain amount have been got in , as you have just heard from my brother La Touche , and we hope that tho sale of tickets ou this occasion will add materially to the means at our disposal for this purpose . I venture lo recommend this subject for thefavourable consideration of those who may be benevolently disposed here or elsewhere . Little more remains for me to say than to give you some insight into the education the children
receive , which is of the most practical character . They are not only thoroughly instructed in all tbe branches of a sound English education , but are likewise made acquainted with all the detailsof household work ; and so well is this carried out , that the majority of them would be quite competent to superintend every description of household servant in the performance of their respective duties . Such as exhibit any talent for such accomplishments as French and music are taught them , so as to
qualify them for the position of preparatory governess . Some people imagined that the children were taught subjects which were beyond their condition in life ; but that was by no means the fact , as they found the better educated girls more willing to perform the duties devolving upon them than those less informed . ( Applause . ) He had great pleasure in moving the resolution . The Rev . H . H . J . WESTBY , Past Grand Chaplain , then rose and said—I rise to second the resolution which has been so ably proposed by our brother , Sir Edward Borough , and regret
exceedingly that it is not placed in more eloquent and able hands . I feel completely embarrassed by the mention of my name in the humble exertions I have made towards the establishment , or rather re-establishment , of our noble institution . I will not , therefore , trespass on your time in going over the grounds which our brother who has just sat down has so ably handled ; hut I shall merely state to you that in the year 1 S 43 , from the period when I first had the privilege of joining the OrderI
, took a lively interest in the Orphan School . I was strongly impressed with the idea that as long as we continued buried in the obscure locality we were then situated in—namely , Richmond-street—neither the interests of our institution could be benefited , nor would our funds increase . Accordingly , after advocating for some years our removal to some more favoured locality , I at last succeeded in interesting in the cause some of
the influential members of the Order—amongst then our Bros . Hoyte , Townsend , ancl Tracy , our devoted and lamented Bros . Cooper , Webber , and Bouake . Then , with the sanction of his Grace that a more suitable situation should be produced ,, accordingly I set to work , consulting with OUT lamented Bro . Fairfield , who was agent on the Herbert estate . He , with his usual benevolenceconsented to givo us at a nominal rent
, the site of our present building ; and , as every man has his own peceliar hobby , my brothers of the Order soon discovered mine to be that of brick and mortar , in which , indeed , I must acknowledge they were in some degree correct , having , by dearly-bought experience , learnt a little in that line . They did me the honour of appointing me Secretary of the Building Committee . Having set to work with heartfelt
satisfaction , I endeavoured to carry out to the best of my skill and abilities the views of the governors , in which , if I succeeded , I claim no merit , as I was ably and energetically supported and assisted hy the members of the Committee ancl the brethren ef the Order , who only made me the humble instrument of their confidence and trust . Accordingly in March , 1852 , we laid the first stone of our buildingand in the incredibly short
, space of six months brought our labours to a close ; and if , indeed , I take any merit to myself in the undertaking , it was , I believe , in assisting to achieve a novelty then unknown in the annals of Irish Masonry—namely , of expending the money appropriated to the object in view in an honest and legitimate
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Ireland.
late them upon the great benefits they have been the humble means , in the hands of God , in providing for the bereaved daughters of their deceased brethren . " The "Orphan's Hymn" was then very sweetly sung by two of the girls , a third accompanying them on the pianoforte in excellent taste . Sir EDWAHD BOHOUG-H , JSarl ., Junior Grand AVarden , in moving the first resolution said—In rising to propose to this
meeting— " That while the thanks of the Masonic body in Ireland are clue to those brethren who have assisted in augmenting the revenue ancl extending the benefits of the Masonic Female Orphan School , we desire to impress upon all Masons throughout Ireland the paramount claims which this institution possesses upon them for an enlarged measure of support , more especially at tho present time , when , as appears from che report just readan effort is being made to extend still further the
, benefits of tbe institution , " it appears to me that I cannot do better than give you a short history of the institution whose annual public meeting meeting has brought together this large and brilliant assemblage , and to give those among you who are previously unacquainted with it some idea of its ori gin , as well as of its rise and progress to its present state of efficiency and prosperity . To many of those whom I am addressingthe
, facts I have to mention are , doubtless , familiar ; but there are , also , many among you , I am sure , who would gladly learn something of the system carried out in a school which , by their presence this evening , we venture to think , they desire to encourage , and in which , we hope , they will take a permanent interest . The intention to found a school for the orphan daughters of Freemasons in this city first originated in the year
1792 ; but it does not appear to have been carried into effect until the year 1795 ; and though , in its earliest years , the institution was an humble one , and much obscurity exists with regard to its history for a considerable time afterwards , as its records have been lost , still the foundation of our school was laid some sixty years ago , aud though not very flourishing , it was kept up , and was the basis on which the present solid , and I think I may say enduring , institution was framed , built , and established . ( Hear , hear . ) It was not , however , until about the year 1843 that any decided effort was made to place our school
on a better footing than that which it had previously hold , and among those whom I find most prominent in the endeavour to make it more worthy of our Order , I must mention the names of my venerated friend , George Hoy to —( applause)—our late lamented brother , William Thomas Lloyd , our justly esteemed Deputy Grand Master —( applause)—and last , though not least . Rev . II . Westby —( applause )—who threw all the zeal and energy of his nature into the good cause , and whose
unremitted and finally successful exertions in behalf of these children have been deservedly rewarded by his advancement to the highest rank which the heads of our Order have it in their power to confer . ( Hear , hear . ) By the zealous exertions of these and other worthy brethren , a sufficient fund was at length collected for the construction of the present school-house , which was completed in the year 1 S 52 , at which period there were only fifteen—recollect that—pupils in the institution
, all of whom , except one , have since left , and most of whom are comfortably provided for . In 1 S 53 the number of inmates was raised to 21 , which was not increased till 1859 , when the building was enlarged to its present dimensions , so as to accom-¦ modate 40 pupils instead of 23 , that being the largest number which the premises before this last addition were able to contain . The year 1856 was remarkable in the annals of our school , for
two reasons . In that year the improved system of education now in force was first introduced ; in that year , also , the public distribution of prizes to the pupils was for the first time inaugurated . AVitli regard to the latter , grave doubts were at first unquestionably entertained by some of the wisest amongst us as to the advisability of this proceeding ; but tho result has shown us not only that no harm lias arisen to the children , but that an
extraordinaiy impulse h .-is been given by these meetings to the prosperity of the school itself , to the general interest taken in its success , to the large increase of the funds at the disposal of the governors , and the consequent accession to the number of pupils . Without troubling you with statistics , what I have just stated will appear from the fact that whereas in the commencement of 1859 there onl 21 inmates in estab
were y our - lishment , there were 27 in 1861 , ' 34 in 1 SG 2 , and so on by additions in each of the ensuing years , until in the year 1 SG 5 , the oi- ; e in which wo now address you , there aro 40 girls in the school . The financial condition is equally satisfiitory . The total
income availaole in 1852 was only £ 310 ; in 1864 it amounted to £ 1 , 400 , besides a funded property of £ 2 , 600 . It may here not be inappropriate to mention that as our income appears to be adequate to the support of 45 pupils , we are desirous to allocate the room now used as an infirmary for the reception of four additional pupils . A graceful occasion for carrying this project into effect has arisen out of an anxiety on the part of our brethren to pay a tribute of respect
to the memory of the late Dr . Robert Speedy , whose name has long been associated with our institution , ancl who , for fifteen years , gave gratuitously the aid of his valuable medical servicesto the care of the health of the children under our charge . My late lamented friend , for so I must be permitted to call him , was always anvious to have the infirmary in a building detached from the main structure , and we are endeavouring to collect sufficient funds to carry thisbis intentioninto effect . Subscriptions to
, , a certain amount have been got in , as you have just heard from my brother La Touche , and we hope that tho sale of tickets ou this occasion will add materially to the means at our disposal for this purpose . I venture lo recommend this subject for thefavourable consideration of those who may be benevolently disposed here or elsewhere . Little more remains for me to say than to give you some insight into the education the children
receive , which is of the most practical character . They are not only thoroughly instructed in all tbe branches of a sound English education , but are likewise made acquainted with all the detailsof household work ; and so well is this carried out , that the majority of them would be quite competent to superintend every description of household servant in the performance of their respective duties . Such as exhibit any talent for such accomplishments as French and music are taught them , so as to
qualify them for the position of preparatory governess . Some people imagined that the children were taught subjects which were beyond their condition in life ; but that was by no means the fact , as they found the better educated girls more willing to perform the duties devolving upon them than those less informed . ( Applause . ) He had great pleasure in moving the resolution . The Rev . H . H . J . WESTBY , Past Grand Chaplain , then rose and said—I rise to second the resolution which has been so ably proposed by our brother , Sir Edward Borough , and regret
exceedingly that it is not placed in more eloquent and able hands . I feel completely embarrassed by the mention of my name in the humble exertions I have made towards the establishment , or rather re-establishment , of our noble institution . I will not , therefore , trespass on your time in going over the grounds which our brother who has just sat down has so ably handled ; hut I shall merely state to you that in the year 1 S 43 , from the period when I first had the privilege of joining the OrderI
, took a lively interest in the Orphan School . I was strongly impressed with the idea that as long as we continued buried in the obscure locality we were then situated in—namely , Richmond-street—neither the interests of our institution could be benefited , nor would our funds increase . Accordingly , after advocating for some years our removal to some more favoured locality , I at last succeeded in interesting in the cause some of
the influential members of the Order—amongst then our Bros . Hoyte , Townsend , ancl Tracy , our devoted and lamented Bros . Cooper , Webber , and Bouake . Then , with the sanction of his Grace that a more suitable situation should be produced ,, accordingly I set to work , consulting with OUT lamented Bro . Fairfield , who was agent on the Herbert estate . He , with his usual benevolenceconsented to givo us at a nominal rent
, the site of our present building ; and , as every man has his own peceliar hobby , my brothers of the Order soon discovered mine to be that of brick and mortar , in which , indeed , I must acknowledge they were in some degree correct , having , by dearly-bought experience , learnt a little in that line . They did me the honour of appointing me Secretary of the Building Committee . Having set to work with heartfelt
satisfaction , I endeavoured to carry out to the best of my skill and abilities the views of the governors , in which , if I succeeded , I claim no merit , as I was ably and energetically supported and assisted hy the members of the Committee ancl the brethren ef the Order , who only made me the humble instrument of their confidence and trust . Accordingly in March , 1852 , we laid the first stone of our buildingand in the incredibly short
, space of six months brought our labours to a close ; and if , indeed , I take any merit to myself in the undertaking , it was , I believe , in assisting to achieve a novelty then unknown in the annals of Irish Masonry—namely , of expending the money appropriated to the object in view in an honest and legitimate