/■'■/ (•> to» A' CORNELL UNIVERSITY LIBRARY The Early History (1803 — 1859.) OF THE "Knights of Malta" Lodge, 1803. 1814. 1832. 1863. No. 47. No. 66. No. 58. No. 50. HINCKLEY, (LEICESTERSHIRE). COMPILED FROM THE LODGE RECORDS AND OTHER AUTHENTIC SOURCES, JOHN T. THORP, P.M. 523 & 2429; P.P.S.G.W. Hon. Mem. 1391 & 2433; &o., &c. Leicester : printed by bro. george gibbons, king street. 1899. Cornell University Library The original of this book is in the Cornell University Library. There are no known copyright restrictions in the United States on the use of the text. http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924030291896 PLATE I. V ' ■ ^ ^'^^ GRAND -MASTJB- -V, ALL WHO M MAY V^ « W -"■'/■"^ '''■»■'"". (nfroc»\-.ff ta th- cia .-;. .unions groiiico i;- I'C r.ovra tiiBliiii « gciii"0f 0afi>ur?, font liioiians /^int iiiuiDno tiKntv hnj fiv ' ^ fu. Tilc R.g!>t WorllJplQl 3,-,d k.,;!.! 1!. norablc . vjC. ,^ / ,/ .„ ,-»,i.. A„ , ;!» 'l& Ajiprt*iatiou . MASThP. OF .M\'OVS'' ' ■ r, Till- ■/ ..rrli,,'-;,) , X/'"'/?:^, m JicmbJed, /. :«x-- J./ J.,.-, ./■ Cm'c! aiiii 9 fiii^u-by-.' London (ljk' '.\ cftmisa^rj r... ;..t '.y .,whcn.ti.3d uii^nr t,.- •] - ;'. 'n" 1 w^ll-bc^c.^l ErethrsV S ;'^„^4""r" • ■'.•'■':f -V" ."■"^'- -"•- M*'''rsR masons; .,/!?^',#,.!?:„» _^,^i^-.:,.-:v yy-,.:- rifj.l .jutiunt and- llonon»6!c Ojftoni oft'te ROYAL G-RAF^ '_n World. .-. ,\i,itfi^x do l.tn:bv lonher authorifc end rnv i -illfeafi>nableTunci 3ndJa^vfLl f a1ld i^mc //-ft- Ma;^i, accarrfitvg i s, i'n ^.11 Ages and !QMqps throirglK. ■[ _ (■Jiilid T^ft; a„d WMI-klolxd Lr»l;,^83dlr"<. ,^.-, ^^■„. >>>.-..7/^.^J -.J /Z;^">i2i.__^_ C»-i:h tfic Comvnt of tt^acl::! '#i(,iir t4dptVtow>omi.-.».'cli.ifc, and .i.nall it.ciV SuccoVutj, ro w!»ti>l. ihi, (haU ik-;;stt t!.;, .|f?"rR, \ NT, and imift ;!icd; »;ifc their Pmi^r, jnd Digriric, as f^.-. %;„,,--ea:"; Ar;d l«..di Stc<:cnf.r> li.-ill m like H'ennrr .mjllluijle, ili.l, and irjltall their Sijcmror:., cit. ivc. j^c. Sucl!? Ir.ftallitiva. to Ix upoj.' ;or near; every St. JOiiM'. Da>' dunngtkcContiniunte ' " - . ■- ;of rhij LODGE f<3fi!S»-' - '-J E.'cllicn and all ihclr Siiccdlb', alu-ay! paj due Rcf>tA to this Right VS'crOiipfuT. SR^>SU LODGE, .-■'ir..iStl,;i.WA!lRA.N-J to .'^c of. w. K^cr. nor \-.rt_.,. .._ :,\; -Sj-!ii Lur.jou, tin, /Z-^p^- I>»^ ■ I '. - I.OKP One llio-jfeij Sci4)T..i-.vd.;i.\ty and';^«-.J«'ite,d 111'-*? :-Td ._... :.„„rf-.d Jl.^..a^|^2f?/ -- . .' ■■■ ^^ '"■' ' ' ■■'X'yy<2^ '::id Tt.f.laT-.-r t Trot iuih^ the :ilx''. Ytar of , Mason R\ ^--■ ^■-'-■'^■■^v )r::f5i:- -. ... ?*il WARRANT OF THE "KNIGHTS OF MALTA" LODGE. ( Vtde page 14.) The Early History (1803 — 1859.) OF THE "Knights of Malta" Lodge, 1803. 1814. 1832. 1863. No. 47. No. 66. No. 58. No. 50. HINCKLEY, (LEICESTERSHIRE). COMPILED FROM THE LODGE RECORDS AND OTHER AUTHENTIC SOURCES, BY JOHN T. THORP, P.M. 523 & 2429; P.P.S.G.W. Hon. Mem. 1391 & 2433; &c., &c. Leicester r PRINTED BY BRO. GEORGE GIBBON.S, KING STREET. I 899. l¥^^ H^ B iontents. §rCusf rations. P- 5 Dedication, Preface, ... ... ... ... p. 7 Part I. — Introductory, ... ... ... P- 9 Part II.— "No. 47" Warrant at Macclesfield; 1764-1800, ... ... ... ... p. 14 Seals of the Hinckley Lodge, ... ... p. 22 Part III.—" No. 47 " Warrant at Hinckley, under the " Antients " Grand Lodge ; 1803-1813, ... ... ... ... p. 24 Part IV. — The Hinckley Lodge, as No. 66 and No. 58, under the United Grand Lodge of England; 1814-1859, ... ... p. 51 Places of Meeting; 1803-1859, ... ... p. 80 List of Members; 1803-1859, ... ... p. 81 List of Officers; 1803-1859, .. ... p. 88 Plate I. Lodge Warrant, ... ... Frontispiece. Plate II. Lodge Seals, ... ... ... p. 22 Plate III. Morley's Certificate, ... ... P- 42 Plate IV. Nathan's Certificate, ... P- 54 Plate V. Crawford's Certificate, ... P- 58 Plate VI. Lodge Summons, ... ... p. 66 TAe three Certificates and the six Seals ilhcstrated on the above Plates, are quite unknown to the present members of the Lodge. tEo tbc Morsbipful faster anb Bretbren of "XTbe %obQC of IResearcb/' mo. 2429, Xeicester, TLbis Contrtbuttoii towarbs tbe Iblstorg of IFreemasonrg in Xeicestersbire ie respectfuUg anb fraternally bebfcateb bs tTbe (tomptler. ILetccster, /IRarcb, \899. reface. In the year 1870 the Records of the "Knights of Malta" Lodge, Hinckley, were examined by R.W. Bro. W. Kelly, P.P.G.M., when writing his "History of Freemasonry in Leicestershire," and many extracts from the Lodge books will be found in that very interesting work. The following pages are the result of a much more lengthy and systematic search among the records still preserved in Hinckley, London and elsewhere, a search commenced some years ago at the sugges- tion of the Brother referred to above, and continued down to the present time. Some of the details here given, were originally derived from conversations with the late Bro. Kelly, who obtained them from old members of the Hinckley Lodge, and much of the information is now published for the first time. The extracts from books and documents are in all cases "verbatim et literativi," and the lists of members and officers are as complete as the fragmentary con- dition of some of the records will allow. Assistance from Bro. Hy. Sadler, Grand Tyler and Sub-Librarian of the Grand Lodge of England, and from Bro. R. Bradshaw Smith, P.M., P.P.S.G.W., the courteous Secretary of the Hinckley Lodge, is grate- fully acknowledged. Much useful information respecting old Lodges has been obtained from Bro. John Lane's invaluable " Masonic Records," and from Chapter XXX. of Bro. R. F. Gould's " History of Freemasonry." While every possible precaution has been taken to ensure accuracy, the kind indulgence of the Brethren is solicited for all errors and shortcomings. art X §%\ixobucioxTQ. During the last twenty-five years, the Records of many of the old Lodges in Great Britain have been collected and published, and the details of these Records have proved to be full of interest to all Masonic students. Many of these Lodges have been distinguished by a long career of excellent Masonic work, by the position or rank of those who belonged to them, or by the admirable manner in which their members consistently carried out the tenets and principles of the Craft ; in most cases, therefore, the past history of these Lodges must naturally be a source of legiti- mate pride and satisfaction to those, whose names now stand on their rolls of membership. An admirable history of the Mother-Lodge of the Province of Leicestershire and Rutland, was prepared for the Centenary celebration of the Lodge in 1890,* and it is now the turn of the second oldest Lodge in the Province, the " Knights of Malta," No. 50, Hinckley, to have its early records examined and pubhshed. * " Historical Account of St. John's Lodge, No. 279, Leicester," by Bro. W. Maurice Williams, P.M., P.P.S.G.W.— 1892. 10 This old "Atholl" Lodge at Hinckley, now nearly one hundred years old, cannot claim to have had a distinguished, although it has had a somewhat lengthy career. Established by a handful of artisans in a small market-town of a few thousand inhabitants,* its membership for the first half-century of its exist- ence was almost entirely restricted to artisans ; and it is a matter for surprise and satisfaction, that in spite of repeated threats of erasure, and of the numerous trials and vicissitudes through which it had to pass, the Lodge still works under its old original "Atholl" Warrant, with every prospect of a continued vigorous existence. Many of the early Records of the Lodge are con- tained in the following books, viz. : — (a.) Minute-book, February I2th, 1803, to August 30th, 181 5 ; containing also Monthly A/cs. from February 12th, 1803, to October 31st, 1821. (d.) Minute-book, September 27th, 181 5, to January 30th, 1826. (c.) Minute-book, June 24th, 1833, to February 26th, 185 1. (d.) Minute-book, January 29th, 1851, to January 2Sth, 1854. (e.) Book of Printed Rules and Orders, dated "London, February nth, 1803," and signed " Edw. Harper, D. G. Sec," containing also Lists of Members returned to Grand Lodge from June, 1803, to December, 1858 ; Articles of Union, Laws and Regulations for R.A. * 6,491 in 1831 ; 9,638 in 1891. II Chapters and some Proceedings of Grand Lodge, London, inserted. (/) Treasurer's-book, from December 25th, 1825, to December, 1830, and containing also Regis- ter of Dues from 1827 to 1838. Cf.) Book of Dues from January 29th, 1840, to June 24tli, 1859. {h.) MS. copy of By-laws, dated 1853. {i.) Attendance-register from January 29th, 1840, to December 30th, 1863. Altiiough there is no trace of a Freemasons' Lodge having been held in the little town of Hinckley prior to the nineteenth century, a local tradition exists, that many years ago, Freemasons used to meet in the open air, in the immediate neighbourhood of the town, and a depression or hollow in the ground on Burbage Common is pointed out as the particular spot. There is nothing at all impossible in this, although no proof is forthcoming, for the tradition is widely spread that the Old Masons held their meetings, for security, on the highest hills, in the lowest valleys, in caverns and lonely places. A reference to this old custom may be found in the Regulations contained in the second Book of English Constitutions, issued in 1738, where it is stated: — "In antient Times the Master, Wardens and ''Fellows on St. JOHN'S Day met either in a " Monastery, or on the Top of the highest Hill near "them, by Peep of Day."* * Vide "Book of Constitutions," 1738, p. [70. 12 The following particulars of similar meeting-places are also well authenticated : — " The regulations of the Lodge of Aberdeen of "1670, provided that apprentices should be 'entered,' " i.e., initiated, — in their ' out-field lodge,' with the blue " vault of Heaven for a covering." * " In 1730 the Dukes of Richmond and Montagu, " accompanied by several gentlemen, who were all Free •■ and Accepted Masons, according to ancient custom, "form'd a lodge upon the top of a hill near the Duke " of Richmond's seat, at Goodwood in Sussex, and " made the Right Hon. the Lord Baltimore a Free " and Accepted Mason." f " The Masons of Arbroath walked in procession on " St. John's day, annually, to a cave, and held a " Meeting for the purpose of admitting members, and "the performance of the mysteries of the Craft." | A diligent search would no doubt be rewarded by the discovery of other similar instances, so that there is nothing at all improbable in the Hinckley tradition. Whether the Masons referred to were operative or speculative, there are now no means of ascertaining, but if the former, they were probably employed upon the Church, Castle or Priory at Hinckley, or upon the Church at Burbage. Indeed the tradition may refer * From an Oration by Bro. W. J. Hughan. Vide "Freemason," 1898, p. 598. t From the Weekly Journal, or British Gazetteer (No. 264, April II, 1730), quoted by Bro. R. F. Gould in his "History of Free- masonry," Vol. II., p. 10, note. X Vide "Notes on Sussex Masonry," by Bro. W. H. Rylands, in "Ars Quaiuor Coronaiorum," Vol. XI.. p. 174. 13 to events of far earlier times, for Hinckley lies in close proximity to two of the old Roman roads, being only five miles from Venonae (High Cross) which stood at the intersection of the Foss-Way and Watling Street ; it is also within eight miles of Manduessedum (Manceter) and within fifteen miles of Tripontium (Catthorpe) on the Avon. In connection with these old Roman stations there would always be work for operative Masons, and it may be that the tradition had its origin in meetings, held as far back as the Roman occupation of the district, — A.D. 50 to 450 circa. The first and only Lodge to meet in Hinckley of which any record remains, is the " Knights of Malta " Lodge, No. 50, which was constituted early in the year 1803. The Warrant under which it has con- tinuously worked, was originally issued, as No. 47,* dated January 30th, 1764, to certain Brethren to meet " at the Sign of the Red Lyonf (or elswhere) in the " Town of Macclesfield and in the County of Chester." As usual with most old Lodges, it had originally no distinctive name, but was known by the number of the Warrant, or by the name of the Inn where the meetings were held ; it was not until about the year 1828, that the Lodge adopted the name by which it is now known, although it did not come into regular use until many years later. * This was the second Lodge of the "Antients" which bore the No. "47," the first having been warranted on February 24th, 1756, to meet at the "Crown," Crown Court, Fleet Street, London, and was declared vacant on June 7th, 1758. {Vide Lane's "Masonic Records," p. 70.) This fact explains the note at the bottom dexter corner of the Warrant. t The "Red Lion' — now called the "Old Red Lion," is a small public-house in Sunderland Street. This street was formerly called "Hayes" or "Heyes," 14 art XX. "^o. 47" "g^arranf at "g^laccCesficCa. 1764=1800. The Warrant under which the Lodge at Hinckley works, and which, as already stated, was originally issued in 1764 for a Lodge at Macclesfield, is a small parchment document, about eleven inches square ; it is in a good state of preservation, although unfortunately the Seal, and the Ribbon by which it was suspended, are missing, having probably been detached in London, before the re-issue of the Warrant in 1803. It bears the signatures of the Earl of Kelly, Grand Master (1760- 1 766), William Osborn, Deputy Grand Master, William Dickey, Senior Grand Warden, and the redoubtable Laurence Dermott, Grand Secretary. As below, is a copy of this very interesting docu- ment, a photograph of which appears as Frontispiece : — No. No. 47. Kelly. GRAND MASTER. iii»} Dickey. S.G.W. Wm: Osborn. D.G.M. Laurence Dermott jo. James Gibson. j.^. «.. TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN, ^X/-E the GRAND LODGE of the most Ancient and Honor- able FRATERNITY of Free and Accepted Masons, (accorfting to tbe 0I& Constitutions granteJ) bB bis TRogal Iblgbness prince EDWIN, at l^orft, TAnno Domini IRinc IS bun&re& twciitg anO sfj, anO in tbe jgear of /BSasonrg, JFour tbousanO IRlne bunOreO twentg anO glj) in ample Form assembled, viz. The Right Worshipful and Right Honor- able Thomas Erskine, Earl of Kelly, Viscount Fenton, Lord Baron of Pitten Weem in Great Britain, GRAND MASTER OF MASONS ! The Worshipful M\ William Osborn, Deputy Grand Master, The Worshipful M\ William Dickey, Senior Grand ^\'^arden, and the Worshipful James Gibson Esq\ Junior Grand Warden, (with the Approbation and Consent of the WARRANTED Lodges held within the Cities and Suburbs of London and Westminster) Do hereby authorise and impower our Trusty and Well-beloved Brethren, viz. M'', James Rawson one of our MASTER MASONS, M\ William Millet his Senior Warden, and M", George Braddock his Junior Warden, to form and hold a LODGE of Free and Accepted Masons aforesaid, at the Sign of the Red Lyon (or elswhere) in the Town of Macclesfield and in the County of Chester on all seasonable Times and lawful Occasions : And in the said LODGE (when duely congregated) to admit and make Free- Masons, according to the most ancient and honorable Custom of the ROYAL CRAFT in all Ages and Nations throughout the known World. And we do hereby farther authorise and impower our said Trusty and Well-beloved Brethren, Messrs. fames Rawson, Williain Millet, and George Braddock (with the Consent of the Members of their Lodge) to nominate, chuse, and install their Successors, to whom they shall deliver this WARRANT, and invest them with their Powers and Dignities as Free Masons, &c. And such Successors shall in like Manner nominate, chuse, and install their Successors, &c. &c. &c. Such Installations to be upon (or near) every St. JOHN'S Day dur- ing the Continuance of this LODGE for ever. Providing the above named Brethren and all their Successors always pay due Respect to this Right Worshipful GRAND LODGE, otherwise this WARRANT to be of no Force, nor Virtue. Given under our Hands and the SEAL of our GRAND LODGE in London, this thirtieth Day oi January in the Year of our LORD One thousand Seven hundred Sixty and Four and in the Year of MASONRY Five thousand Seven hundred Sixty and Four. Lau. Dermott. Grand Secretary. Note, this Warrant is registered^ Nov. 23^. \ in the Grand Lodge Vol. ^"'^ \ i75(>. \ Letter B and bears date ) S75^- ' i6 The foregoing Warrant, as already stated, was issued by the "Antient"' or "Atholl" Grand Lodge, names which had their origin in the following circumstances: — Towards the latter part of the eighteenth century, no less than four Grand Lodges held simultaneous rule in England. The two principal of these were — (i.) The Grand Lodge of England, constituted in 1717, the members of which were afterwards known as " Moderns " or " Prince of Wales " Masons ; (2.) The Grand Lodge of England according to the Old Insti- tutions, constituted in 175 1, and known as "Antients" or "Atholl" Masons. The latter body professed to adhere more strictly to the ancient land-marks of the Order, which they declared the older Grand Lodge had neglected ; they therefore assumed the name of " Antients," calling their rivals of the earlier body " Moderns," and the adherents of the two Grand Lodges were known for many years by these names. The designations "Prince of Wales" and "Atholl" Masons, had reference to the Grand Masters, — the Prince of Wales and the Uuke of Atholl — who for many years presided over the two organisations. These two Grand Lodges amalgamated in the year 181 3, and formed "The United Grand Lodge of Ancient Free and Accepted Masons of England," to which all the Craft Lodges at present working in England and Wales owe allegiance. After working for more than twenty years under their " Antients " Warrant, the Macclesfield Masons, in the year 1789, applied for and obtained a Warrant under the " Modern" Constitution, a proceeding similar to that which took place the following year in Lodge 91 (Antients) Leicester, and which resulted in the latter case in the establishment of St. John's 17 Lodge (now No. 279). It would be interesting to know what induced the Brethren to take this step ; whether it was the superior social position occupied by the " Moderns " that attracted them, or some advantages — pecuniary or otherwise — which the older organisation offered, it is now quite impossible to determine, although the Brethren, no doubt, at the time fully justified the action to themselves. From the year 1789 or 1790 the Macclesfield Breth- ren thus possessed two Warrants, No. 47 "Antients" their original one of 1764, and a "Moderns" Warrant No. 545 dated June 19th, 1789, and there is no doubt they worked under them both, meeting sometimes as "Antients" and sometimes as "Moderns," a custom which, however unsatisfactory it might be to the two Grand Lodges, was by no means uncommon at that time.* The fact that the Brethren of Lodge 47 had ob- tained a " Moderns " Warrant, was soon known to the '"Antients" Grand Lodge in London, for the following note appears in their Minute-book : — " February 1791, received information from Mac- "clesfield that in 1790, No. 47 took a 'Modern' " Constitution — " f and there is little doubt that the action would meet with the serious, possibly expressed, disapproval of their Grand Lodge. On August 26th, 1793, probably in consequence of a demand from headquarters, Bro. J. Birtles, the Mac- * The "Royal Gloucester" Lodge, now No. 130, Southampton, worked under both constitutions from 1792 to 1813. (Vide Howell's "History of the 'Phcenix' Lodge," p. 42). + Vide Lane's " Masonic Records," p. 70. i8 clesfield Secretary, wrote as follows to Robt. Leslie, the Grand Secretary in London : — "... Notwithstanding we have not of late paid " due attention to the Grand Lodge, yet we do not by " any means intend to relinquish our War* No. 47, ". . . Our good BroF Mr. Joseph Boden is now in " London . . . who will pay you a Guinea . . . " and you may depend upon a more regular remittance "and due attention for the time to come." A year later, on November 3rd, 1794, Bro. Birtles wrote again to the Grand Secretary, advising a further remittance of a guinea per Mr. Joseph Boden, and adding : — "... I have the satisfaction to say that Masonry " seems to revive in our Lodge particularly the Holy " R.A., and that in future we mean to be very regular " in our communications with you, and intend soon " after Christmas to give you a list of all our regular " members, distinguishing the R.A. Shall esteem it a " particular favor if you will be pleased to inform us " what members of ours are registered in your Books " and please to say if there are any (and where) printed " R.A. Certificates to be had and at what price." On November 7th, the Grand Secretary supplied a copy of the Register as requested, and referred the Lodge to Bro. Harper for R.A. Certificates. The Macclesfield Brethren seem to have had the greatest difficulty in keeping up their payments to the Grand Lodge, for a further letter is still preserved, headed "New Angel Lodge, No. 47, Macclesfield "Sept. 1796." 19 and signed " T. Burgess, Master. "David Frost, S.W. " Josliua Janney, J.W. " J. Faulkner, Sec." promising an early remittance, but which appears never to have been sent, as no payment was subse- quently credited to the Lodge. A few more years, however, seem to have elapsed, before the fact was forced upon them, that it was quite impossible to keep up their payments to two Grand Lodges, and that they must face the matter and decide which of the two Warrants — "Antients" or " Moderns " — they would retain. Much anxious deliberation no doubt followed, and at length, on May 4th, 1800, the following letter was addressed by Daniel Hollinshead, the Secretary of Lodge 47, Mac- clesfield, to Robert Leslie, the " Antients " Grand Secretary in London : — "Dy Sir & Brother " By the request of the Brethren of this " Lodge held at the New Angel in Macclesfield, I am "to inform you that at a Lodge held April loth, 1800 " it was unanimously agreed that we should give in " the warrant No. 47 we hold under the Ancient In- " stitution & that we should for the future be under " the Modern Constitution only No. 454. " I am Sir with fraternal "Regard Yr Mo? Ob* Hb^ S? "Danf Hollinshead, " Macclesf'i "May 4* " 1800." 20 To this letter the Grand Secretary reph'ed as follows : — "London May 26, 1800. " I am duly favoured with yours of the 4th May "and I agree with you that your Lodge should be " wholly held under the one Constitution or the other. "Your having chosen to be under the Modern Grand " Lodge, I have to regret the loss of your Corres- " pondence, and to request you will transmit the "Warrant No. 47 in a parcel by the Mail Coach or "otherwise to oblige "Your Most Ob? Serv? R. L. "W.M. and Wardens of " Lodge late 47 Macclesfield." Accordingly in the month of August following, the Warrant No. 47 was duly forwarded to London, with the following letter addressed to the Grand Secretary: — "Macclesfield, Aug. 12, 1800. " Herewith you'll Receive the Warrant, No. 47, " which we give up, as By Vote and Majority carried "in favour of the Modern Constitution No. 454. * " Wishing you Success and prosperity, I am for the "Brethren and Self " with Fraternal Regards " Yrs. "Dan? Hollinshead. Sec." * As below, is the Record of this Lodge : — "Beneficent" Lodge, No. 545, Warrant dated June 19th, 17S9; met at "New Angel" Inn, Market Place, Macclesfield. No. changed to 454 '" ^792. Removed to "Unicorn" Inn, Unicorn Gateway, Market Place, Macclesfield, in 1804. No. changed to 513 after the Union, in 1814. Erased from the Roll in 1827, (^Vide Lane's "Masonic Records," p. 220,) 21 Thus ended the connection of No. 47 Warrant with the town of Macclesfield, which although it lasted for a period of about thirty-six years, does not seem to have been of an altogether satisfactory nature. '^wm^ 22 at c^inc^fcp. 1803 = 1823. (Vide Plate II.) Impressions of six old Seals used in the early years of the Lodge at Hinckley, have been discovered during the search among the Lodge Records. 1. Craft. — Impression in red wax, from a letter dated 1805. 2. Craft. — Impression in red wax, from Morley's Certificate of 1 806 ; this is from a " cameo " seal. The Seals of which Nos. i and 2 are impressions were probably set in finger rings ; they were very beautifully engraved. 3. Craft. — Impression in red wax, from a letter dated 1807; also in red wax and "smoke,"' from Nathan's Certificate of 18 14. 4. Craft. — Impression in red wax and " smoke," from Crawford's Certificate of 1818. 5. Craft. — Impression in red wax, from a letter dated 1823. 6. Knight Templar. — A "smoke" impression of a Seal in use between 1803 and 1822, of which two copies were found on a scrap of paper. PLATE li. No. 1,— Craft. 1805. No. 3.— Craft. 1807-1814. No. 2.— Craft. 1806. Jeneeri^. voc • .JLeaue. " <§/u.. ^^aY^ei. W. ^. ^ec. " * The Clearance Certificate of this Brother is preserved in the Leicester Freemasons' Hall Museum. 33 and duly despatched to Hinckley, the first entry in the first Minute-book of the Lodge, being the follow- ing memorandum of its arrival : — "Hinckley, 12 Feby. 1803. " Received a Transfer Warrant No. 47 — being In- " formed from the Deputy G. S. that any past Master " well skilled in the Craft might Install the Officers." It was the usual custom at this period, for the Grand Lodge to issue an Authority to some prominent Mason, to perform the ceremony of constituting and consecrating any new Lodge. The proceedings were often very formal, the Brother performing the cere- mony holding temporarily the rank of Grand Master ; but in this instance no particular Brother was deputed by the Grand Lodge for the purpose, it being left to the Hinckley Brethren to secure the services of " any Past Master well skilled in the Craft." A few days were occupied by the Brethren in making the necessary arrangements for opening the new Lodge, which took place on March ist, 1803. There does not appear to have been any formal con- secration, the ceremony consisting solely of the choice and installation of the Worshipful Master, and the distribution of the offices among the Founders. No visitors attended from neighbouring Lodges, and the whole proceedings present a sharp contrast to the grand ceremonial, which is considered so essential at the present time. The full Minutes of the first Meeting are as follow : — "March the isL, the Members of 47 met at the " Prince of Wales Inn in Hinckley, Leicestershire 34 " When Brother Henry Granger was Unanimously " chose our first Master and was Installed by Brothers " Henry Wright, Jno. Reason and Samuel Marston, "all past Masters, the Master taking the Chair then " proceeded for Choice of Officers — Brother H. Wright " was chosen our first Sen^ Warden, Brother W™ Clark " was chose our first Jun^ Warden, Brother Jno. Reason "our first Sen^ Deacon, Brother Saml. Marston our "first Jun^ Deacon, Brother R. Birchall our first Sec- " retary, and Brother Wm. Clark our first Treasurer, " Brother Jon° Atkins our first Tyler — the Officers all " of them Receiving their proper Charges from the " Master and a Prayer being read the Lodge was " opened in due form — a Lecture went Round. The "humble petition of John Ison & Wm. Wilcok Was " Received. The Buisness of the Night being over " the Lodge was Closed with Harmony." The foregoing Minutes are not signed, but future entries are generally signed by both the Worshipful Master and the Secretary. The original printed copy of the Rules and Orders issued by the Grand Lodge, which came from London with the Warrant, is still preserved ; it is signed by Edw. Harper, D.G. Sec, and dated Feby. nth, 1803. These rules are twenty-six in number, and formed the By-laws of the Lodge until the year 1828, when a fresh code was drawn up and printed. Some of these original rules are given below, to show the Masonic customs of the time, and in order that they may be compared with those now generally in use. " I. That a Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons, aforesaid, shall be held at the Prince of Wales Inn, Litchfield Sir. 35 Hinckley, on the last Tuesday of each Kalendar Month . . . and that every Brother shall appear in decent Apparel, with proper Clothing . . . " II. . . . If any Member be absent, one Hour after the appointed Time of Meeting he shall be fined One Penny and if absent the whole Night, or Time of Business, he shall be fined Twopence, except such Absentee be Sick, Lame, in Con- finement, or upwards of Three Miles from the Place of Meeting; and that all such Fines shall be deposited in the Fund for the Relief of indigent Brethren. "III. That the Master shall be chose by Ballot; viz. the Wardens shall stand Candidates for the Chair on the stated Lodge Night next before each St. John's Day ; and the Candi- dates shall withdraw, while every free* Member gives his Vote in favour of him which he deems most worthy ; each free Member having one Vote, and the Master two Votes (that is, when the Number of Votes happen to be equal). When done, the Master shall order the Candidates before him ; and having carefully examined the Poll, shall then audibly declare him (that hath the Majority) duly elected. Then the Master Elect shall nominate one for the senior Warden's Chair ; at which Time the present Master and Brethren shall nominate one in Opposition, to be balloted for in like manner ; and so on in the Choice of all the inferior Officers : and that no Person shall be put in such Election, but such as are deemed to be able and worthy of Performance.t " V. That if any Member (past Officers excepted) refuse to serve any of the aforesaid Offices, he shall be fined as follows; viz. — for the Master, Five Shillings, each Warden and Secretary Two Shillings and Sixpence, each Deacon One Shilling, (the Treasurer at the Discretion of the Majority) and to be fined the like Sum if they don't serve their full Time, except for the Reasons mentioned in the second Rule. " VI. That all the Members of this Lodge shall dine together upon (or near) every St. John's Day . . . That the new Master and other Officers shall be immediately installed after Dinner. . . . " VII. That on every stated Lodge Night each Member shall pay One Shilling iSr» ^^ , of which Sixpence shall be * Vide Rule XIII. t It is scarcely necessary to point out hnw widely this method of appointing Officers differs from that now in vogue. 36 spent, and the Remainder put into the Fund, for the Relief of indigent Brethren. That the junior Warden shall keep an exact Accompt of the Reckoning, and acquaint the Lodge when the stated Complement is in. And upon his Negligence or Omis- sion, he shall be accountable for the Deficiency. And whereas the junior Warden is accountable for such Deficiency, it is hereby Ordered and Declared, That if any Member shall order any Liquor, &c. on the Lodge Accompt, without the Consent of the said Warden, the Transgressor shall pay for the Quantity so ordered out of his private Pocket, exclusive of the stated Expence of the Night. " VIII. That no Visitor shall be admitted after Lodge Hours . . . and if admitted into the Lodge Room, he shall perform a certain Ceremony in the Master's Presence before he sits down.* " IX. Any Person desirous of being made a Free Mason in this Lodge, shall be proposed by a Member hereof; that is to say, his Name, Age, Description of his Person,t Title or Trade, and Place of Residence. . . . And if the Lodge approve his Person, Age, Character and Circumstances, and therefore initiate him into the Mystery, &c. he shall pay whatsoever Sum the Brethren shall think proper (not less than Two Guineas) and cloath the Lodge,J if required. . . . And it is hereby Ordered and Declared, That no Person is capable of becoming a Member of this Lodge, but such as are of mature Age, up- right in Body and Limbs, free from Bondage, has the Senses of a Man, and is endowed with an Estate, Office, Trade, Occupation, or some visible Way of acquiring an honest and reputable Livelihood. . . . " X. Any old Mason, desirous of becoming a Member of this Lodge, shall produce a Certificate of his good Behaviour in his former Lodge. . . . What this refers to is now only a matter of surmise. The personal description was a common requirement with the " Antients " ;— a form of Certificate was printed by Thos. Harper, D.G.M., for use in private Lodges, in which spaces were left for the following particulars, viz.: • Feet high Hair Eyes Nose Complexion. One of these "Harper" Certificates is in the possession of the writer. "Cloathing the Lodge" was an old custom, which required the Candidate to pay for new Aprons and Gloves, not only for all those present at the Meeting, "but also for all their wives and sweethearts, if they require them." {Vide "Ahiman Rezon," 1787, p. xxiii.) This was not always insisted upon. 37 " XI. If any Brother in this Lodge curse, swear, lay, or offer to lay Wagers, or use any reproachful Language in Derogation of GOD'S Name, or Corruption of good Manners, or interrupt any Officer while speaking, he shall be fined at the Discretion of the Master and Majority. " XII. If any Member of this Lodge come disguised in Liquor, he shall be admonished (by the presiding Officer) for the first Offence ; for the second of the same Nature, he shall be fined One Shilling ; and for the third he shall be excluded, and reported to the Grand Lodge. " XIII. All Fines, Dues, &c. shall be paid on the third (stated) Lodge Night next after they become due ; otherwise the Person so indebted shall not have a Vote in the Lodge. . . . " XIV. That on a Lodge Night, in the Master's Absence, the past Master may take his Place. (Note : It is the undoubted Right of the Wardens to fill the Chair, even though a former Master be present ; but the Wardens generally wave this Privi- lege upon a Supposition that the past Masters are best acquainted with the Business of the Lodge.) . . . " XXIV. That in order to preserve good Harmony, and encourage (working) Master Masons, it is hereby Ordered and Declared, That no Brother under the Degree of a Master Mason, shall be admitted to visit this Lodge, upon any Pretence whatsoever.'' The Rules and Regulations from which the forego- ing extracts are taken, were drawn up by the "Antients" Grand Lodge of England, and were generally recom- mended to the Lodges under their control, and there is little doubt that they formed the basis of the By-laws, by which many of the " Antients '' Lodges of that period were governed. They are full of interest to the Masons of to-day, because of the references in them to old customs long discontinued, for the attempts made in them to deal with the prevailing vices of the time, and for the opportunity they afford, of compar- ing the Masonry of a century ago, with the vastly improved position of the Craft and its methods of working, at the present time. 38 The first recruits to the young Lodge were admitted at the second meeting held on March 29th, 1803, their admission being thus recorded in the Minutes : — " The proposed Candidates Jno. Ison and Wm. "Willcock being unanimously accepted were Entered "and Crafted." The expression " Entered and Crafted " is equivalent to saying, that the two candidates received the degrees of Entered Apprentice and Fellow-craft ; it was at one time quite usual to confer these two degrees on the same evening, and although the custom had been discontinued in many Lodges by the time of the Union in 181 3, it still lingered in the Hinckley Lodge up to the year 1825, in spite of the Grand Lodge Regulation to the contrary.* The foregoing Minutes are signed by Henry Granger, Mast^ and W. Willcock, Sec? — ; Bro. R. Birchall, who was elected Secretary at the first Meeting, appears never to have attended the Lodge. For a number of years the Minutes of the Lodge proceedings are of the briefest possible description, and very rarely occupy more than one page of the small quarto book ; they almost invariably commence in the following manner : — " The members of Lodge 47 met in the Lodge " Room at the Prince of Wales Inn Hinckley, the " W. Master in the Chair, a prayer being read the " Lodge was opened in due form." — and end generally as follows : — * Vide Book of Constitutions, 1815-19, p. 61. 39 " A Lecture went round and the Business of the " Night being over the Lodge was closed with har- " mony." Up to the year 1815 the Worshipful Master and Officers were elected half-yearly, and were installed upon the two St. John's days, June 24th and Decem- ber 27th, according to the general practice in the "Antients" Lodges. The Initiation Fee was fixed in 1803 at Two Guineas, this being the lowest sum allowed by the "Antients" Grand Lodge. In 1809 it was raised to Two and a half Guineas, and in 1812 to Three Guineas, the latter advance being due to the action of the Grand Lodge, which in the early part of that year passed a resolu- tion, that Half a crown should be paid on Initiation by every member, to the funds of the Institution for clothing and educating the sons of deceased and indi- gent Freemasons. The fee remained at Three Guineas for five years, when it was further increased to Three and a half Guineas, the lowest allowed by the United Grand Lodge, and at which it remained until after 1859. The Joining Fee was originally Five shillings, but was raised in 181 5 to Seven shillings and sixpence, and in 1859 to One Guinea. Of the above fees the Grand Lodge claimed Six shillings for Initiates, increased in 1812 to Eight shil- lings and sixpence, and after the Union in 18 13 to Half a Guinea ; and for Joining Members the sum of Half a crown. The " Antients " charged Three shillings for a " Master's " Certificate, increased by the United Grand Lodge to Six shillings and sixpence. 40 The Members paid monthly dues varying from One shiUing to One shilling and sixpence, changed in 1828 to an annual subscription of Twelve shillings, subse- quently increased to Sixteen shillings in 1853. Judging from the books, the dues appear to have been paid most irregularly, and the Lodge funds were very frequently at a very low ebb, many of the mem- bers being excluded from time to time for non-payment of dues. During the first three years of the Lodge's exist- ence, the Meetings were held very regularly, the additions during that time being thirteen by Initiation and four by Joining, although at the end of the year 1805 the Lodge only numbered twenty members. This was partly due to some unfortunate losses, Bro. Henry Wright, the first Senior Warden, and Bro. Wm. Willcock, one of the first initiates, having died, the former on June 24th, 1804, and the latter after a long illness in October of the same year, while Bro. Wm. Clark, the first Junior Warden, re- tired from the Lodge on account of his removal to Atherstone. Among the initiates, however, were some very enthusiastic Masons, who entered with great zeal into the work of the Lodge; these were: (i.) William Jennings, who was initiated in 1804, and with one interval (1826/7) remained a member until his death in 1841, holding the office of Master upon four occa- sions ; (2.) John Sketchley, initiated in 1804, who remained a member with two intervals (1823/5 ^^'^ 1829/37) until his death in 1845 at the age of seventy- two, holding the position of Master upon no less than eleven different occasions ; and (3.) James Harrold, initiated in 1805, who with one interval (1814/25) 41 subscribed till his death in 1846 at the age of seventy- three, and who filled the office of Secretary from 1825 to 1845. Having held their Meetings for two years at the " Prince of Wales " Inn, the Brethren were compelled, in consequence of a dispute with the landlord, to remove to the " George " Inn, Market Place ; the following curious letter announcing the removal is still preserved : — "Hinckley. 21I' June 1805. " R. Leslie Esq. " London "Worshipful Sir & Brother " Having through many disagreeable " Circumstances been obliged to remove our Warrant " Constitution & Regulations, from the Prince of Wales " to the George Inn, — upon our going for the Chair & " the Arke, they where stoped, we have procured the " Warrant, Constitution & Regulations, which he (the " Landlord) thinks we have not, therefore he makes "game saying he will Institue a Lodge of his own, " although not a Brother, but Wishes to make us the "Bulk of Redecule — he furthermore Charges Five " Guineas a Year for the Room, which no agreement " ever was made for any thing — we should be very " much obliged to you for your advice as quick as " possible — " We reamain your "Faithful Brothers "Lodge 47 "Tho? Onion "John Ison Master. " Sect? '' P.S. Pleas to Direct to the George Inn, Hinckley " Leicestershire." 42 Bro. Leslie's advice to the Hinckley Brethren was duly received, as follows : — " I have entered the removal of your Lodge to the " George in the Books of the Grand Lodge, and you "ought in justice to your old Landlord of the Inn "you have removed from, to pay him everything you " engaged to pay him and no more." Up to the year 1815 most private Lodges were accustomed to issue Certificates of Membership to their initiates, and in many cases these documents were the only vouchers received by the Brethren of their ad- mission to the Craft. This custom was prohibited in 1815,* the Grand Lodge alone supplying these docu- ments, on the application of the Master of the Lodge in which the Brother was initiated. Three Certificates issued by the Hinckley Lodge are still in existence, one granted in 1806 to Richard Morley, another in 1 8 14 to John Nathan, and a third in 1818 to Henry Crawford. As below, is a copy of the first one, of which a fac-simile is given on Plate HL '' In the East a place of Light, where reigns " Harmony, Silence, and peace, and Darkness "comprehend it not. " We the master and Wardens of "Lodge 47 held at Hinckley Leicester- " -shire, do hereby certify that Brother Morley "Rich'* Mawley was by us, enter'd, pass'd, " and rais'd, to that sublime degree of a * Vide Book of Constitutions, 1815, p. 97. PLATE III. 4^ T€^Q7V)^ MORLEY'S CERTIFICATE. (Vide page 42.) 43 "Master Mason, he having strenuous- " -\y supported to the utmost of his Power the " good and well being of the craft, and has paid " off all dues to the Lodge, from the Day of his " entering to the Date hereof " As witness our Hand & Seal here unto affixed "this S?' Day of May A.D. 1806 " and of Masonry 5806 ©" End Api 1805 "Rich'i Malin Master " Certd 12 Api 1806 " Tho« Onion S W "RL .■■y^m Jennings J W "James Harrold SecY ." Troubles of all kinds seem to have beset the Breth- ren of the Hinckley Lodge during the early years of its existence, for in addition to the losses by death and removal previously referred to, the Brethren appear to have been quite unable to keep up their payments to the Lodge, so that in 1806 the Secretary was obliged to account for the non-payment of the annual dues to the Grand Lodge, by giving as a reason, that the Brethren "had to borrow money to furnish the Lodge and it is called in." The country generally was suffering from the consequences of the war with France, taxes were increased, business declined, and many small towns, Hinckley among the number, suffered very severely for many years. In September, 1806, the first of quite a long series of Petitions for relief to the Board of Benevolence in London, was prepared and signed in open Lodge by the Worshipful Master, Wardens and six Brethren ; the petitioner was one of the earliest initiates of the Lodge, and he prayed for relief " on account of family 44 troubles.'' One peculiarity of the Petition is, that the case was also supported by the members of Lodge No. 91 "Antients" Leicester, being signed by the Worshipful Master, Wardens and Secretary of that Lodge. The petitioner received a grant of Five Guineas. Lodge 91 "Antients" Leicester kept up very friendly relations with the Hinckley Lodge, until it ceased to meet soon after the Union in 181 3. There are numer- ous entries in the Hinckley minutes of fraternal visits paid by members of "Old 91," and there is little doubt, if the minute books of the latter Lodge could be recovered, it would be found that the members of No. 47 reciprocated the friendly feeling, and visited the Leicester Lodge from time to time as opportunity offered. Early in the year 1807 the Lodge removed to the "Barley Sheaf" Inn, Bond Street, the landlord of the "George" making some alterations, "and setting the room to more advantage," and shortly afterwards the day of meeting was changed from the last Tuesday to the last Wednesday in each month. Among the initiates of this year was Thomas Needham, a hosier of Hinckley, age twenty-three, who was Master of the Lodge upon twelve occasions, and with one interval (1818 to 1829) subscribed until the year 1854, a period of thirty-six years. The years 1808 and 1809 were prosperous ones for the Lodge, twenty-eight meetings having been held, resulting in an addition of ten members to the roll, although resignations, &c., left a list of twenty-five 45 only, to return to the Grand Lodge at the end of the latter year. At this time it was the custom for the members to obtain their aprons from the Lodge, for in the earliest Minute-book, there is an account of eleven being sup- plied to various Brethren, during the months of October and November, 1808, at a cost of three shillings each. These new aprons were probably purchased to be worn at the ensuing Festival of St. John the Evangelist, which, for the first time in the history of the Lodge, was celebrated by the Brethren dining together ; twelve Brethren were present, the expense to each being two shillings and sixpence. At a Lodge of Emergency held on February 27th, 1809, " Thos. Munro was enter? past and rais? ." This Brother is described in the books as a Doctor, but there is nothing to show the cause of the emergency, or why the three degrees were conferred upon him at the same meeting. This objectionable practice was of very frequent occurrence in the Hinckley Lodge, as the following extracts from the Minute-books testify: — May 31st, 1809. "Bro. Shenston also was Enter? " pass? and rais? being a Stranger." December 12th, 1809. "Bro. John Hornsby was " entred in the first degree Pass to the second and "rais? a Master mason with £2. 12. 6 he being a " soilder in the 103 Ridgment." August 28th, 181 1. "Thomas Despond was entered " in the first Degree and Pass second and rais? to " that sublime degree of Master mason." * * Thomas Despond was a soldier in the 17th (Leicestershire) Regiment of Foot. 46 October 25th, 1812. "A Lodge of Immergency "when Geo. Kelly of the ist. Devon Militia was " Entred Pass? , and raised to that sublime Degree of "Master Mason." July 28th, 1 81 3. "John Nathan was Entred Pass " and Raised in the Mistrey of Masonry." The only excuse for this wholesale conferring of degrees, seems to have been that the Brethren were non-residents, being either soldiers, travellers, or tem- porary sojourners from other towns, and there is no doubt that this acceptance of any body and every body who cared to present himself, without any enquiry into his character and antecedents, would in time have in- flicted very serious, possibly irreparable, injury upon the Society. Regulations, however, were framed at the Union a few years later, to put a stop to this and other objectionable practices. The prosperity of the Lodge continued through the years 1 810 and 181 1, the members were called together upon twenty-three occasions, the result of the two years' work being eight Initiations and three Joinings, a list of twenty-seven names being returned to Grand Lodge. At the end of the year 181 1 the Worshipful Master was re-elected, giving great umbrage to Bro. Richard Morley, the Senior Warden ; he never attended the Lodge again, and shortly afterwards resigned his membership, the words " Wethercock, withdrawn " be- ing written against his name in the Lodge books. The unfortunate result of the indiscriminate admis- sion of all applicants for membership, is shewn by the 47 following letter, sent to the Grand Lodge on January 1st, 1811, together with the Annual Returns: — "Aron Isriel (? Aaron Israel) a Jew, has left Hinckley " and acted in a very unbecoming manner to several " Brothers as well as other Inhabitants in Hinckley " by not paying his lawfull Debts which he has con- "tracted by which several Brothers are much Injured. "We have excluded him and wish for the Good of "the Fraternity to have his name published so that " Masonery may not be Injured by such a vile Char- " acter as he is." Whether any action was taken by the Grand Lodge cannot be ascertained, but it is very doubtful. In addition to the three degrees of Craft Masonry, those of Mark, Ark Mariner, Royal Arch and Knight Templar were also conferred in No. 47 under the Lodge Warrant ; this was quite usual in Lodges be- longing to the "Antients" organisation, but the custom was generally discontinued at the Union in 181 3, although it lingered in the Hinckley Lodge, at any rate as far as the Mark and Knight Templar were concerned, until 1828 and 1822 respectively. In Book E is the beginning of a " List of all the Members of Lodge 47, from the commencement, with the Dates of their Different Degrees." Columns are provided for the following particulars : Name Profession Residence Made Past Marked Raised -Past Chair Arched (Ould) Arched (New) Templed ■ Joined & from where Remarks. This list contains the names of thirty-four members, most of whom con- tented themselves with the Craft Degrees, but some 48 were not satisfied till they had taken everything. Thus James Goode and George Remington were Arched (Ould and New) on July Sth, 1812, and Templed and Mark? fourteen days later, while Benjamin Payn was Arched (Ould and New), Templed and Mark'^ all on the same day, September 6th, 1812. There appear to have been two separate ceremonies in the Royal Arch — Ould and New — but the difference between them cannot now be ascertained. The following extracts will show the cost of taking the Royal Arch and Knight Templar Degrees in Lodge 47 :— " That a Chapter of Imergency met at the Barley "Sheaf, 26 July 18 12, when the Following Regulations " was unamiously agreed to, that after the 5 th. of " September next that if any Brother wishes to be " Exalted to that Sublime Degree of the Holy Royal "Arch shall Pay the sum of £1. 11. 6 to be paid " Before the Exaltation out of which sum 1 5 Shillings "shall go into the Fund. " Z. — John Sketchley. " H. — William Jennings. " Henry Granger. " J. — Chas. Muston. " James Harrold. " Scribes." " At a General Incampment met at the Barley Sheaf "in Hinckley the 26 July 1812 When the following " Resolutions was unimaously agreed to that if any " Brother wishes to become a Night Templer after the " 5 September Next shall pay the Sum of £1. i. o " to be paid Before he can enter the said Order, — "that Ten Shillings shall go into the Fund. "C.G. — J. Sketchley. "F.C. — James Harrold. " S.C. — Chas. Muston." 49 Certificates were also issued by the Lodge to the Brethren, as vouchers of 'their having taken these " extra " Degrees ; the following is a copy of a curious Royal Arch Certificate granted to Bro. Charles Muston in the year i8ll : — "And GOD said let there be light, and "there was light, and the light shineth in " Darkness but the Darkness Comprehend- "eth it not. " Charles " Muston " Lodge "No. 47 " on the " Registry "of "England. " To all our most Excellent Brethren Royal "Arch Super Excellent Masons round the " Globe, health. — we greet you in peace " three heartily well Brethren, these presents " will Certify unto you. Your Testimony is "borne for we Bear testimony unto the "truth, and it is the truth, that our trusty " Excellent and well beloved Brother, the "Worshipfull Charles Muston, whose Name " in his own hand writing, is subscribed in " the Margin hereof, has been duly Recom- " mended to us, and we find that he is "endowed with prudence, Justice, fortitude, " and Temperance. — Whereupon, we have " further initiated him into the Holy Mys- "teries of Royal Arch, and Royal Arch " Super Excellent Masonry, under the Sanc- "tion of Lodge No. 47 on the Regestry of " England, Held at Hinckley Leicestershire, " we therefore Recommend him to the Jus- " tice and regard of Royal Arch Super " Excellent Brethren. This done in our " Lodge beneath the Surface, and sealed so " with our Seals this 27 Day of February, " in the year of our Lord, 1 8 1 1 and of "Masonry 5811. "John Sketchley. "James Harrold. " Henry Granger. "Wm. Rogers. SecT." During the year 1812 the Lodge was frequently visited by members of Lodge 216, held in the 1st Regt. of East Devon Militia, then quartered at Lichfield, and one soldier — George Kelly — belonging to that Regiment, received his three Degrees at an Emergency Meeting of Lodge 47 on October 2Sth of the same year. The Minutes of 181 3 also record that on August i6th " It was Unanmusly agree to have our Lodge on " monday for the future in Lue of Wensday night." The Lodge still continued to prosper, the meetings were held regularly, admissions both by initiation and joining were frequent, although very few remained subscribing members for any length of time, the majority of those who were admitted soon drifting away to other towns, probably in search of work, and being "excluded for non-payment of dues." Thirty meetings were held during the years 1812 and 1B13, and at the close of the latter year the Lodge roll contained the names of twenty-three members. SI ^e <^incRfe^ (^o6ge as ^o. 66 citib Wo. 58, Mtt6er f^e '^niteb ^vanb cSo6ge of gfttgCanb, 1814 = 1859. On December 27th, 181 3, the long-hoped-for Union of the two rival Grand Lodges — " Antients " and " Moderns," — was at length happily accomplished. The two bodies had worked side by side, with more or less friction, from the year 175 1, a period of sixty-two years, and when the jealousy, ill-will and bitterness which for some time existed between them, had given way to a more brotherly spirit, it is very possible that the Craft at large benefitted, rather than suffered, from the emulation and competition of the two rival organisations. As early as December, 1797, a resolution for a union with the " Moderns " Grand Lodge of England, was proposed but negatived by the "Antients" Grand Lodge, and in 1809 a similar resolution was again proposed, but the presiding officer refused to put it to the assembly.* A step towards reconciliation was also made by the "Moderns" body, which on April 12th, 1809, * J^ide Hughan's "Memorials of ihe Masonic Union," p. 14. 52 passed the following resolution : — " That this Grand " Lodge do agree in opinion with the committee of " Charity, that it is not necessary any longer to con- "tinue in force those measures which were resorted "to in or about the year 1739, respecting irregular " Masons ; and do therefore enjoin the several Lodges "to revert to the ancient land-marks of the Society."* A committee of " Modern " Masons, consisting of the Earl of Moira, Acting Grand Master, and several other eminent Brethren, had been appointed as far back as 1801 to pave the way for the intended Union.-f In 18 10 a similar Committee was appointed by the "Antients," the first meeting of which was held on January 24th of that year. The United Committee met for the first time on July 2ist, 1810, when the Earl of Moira invited the "AthoU" Brethren to dine with him at Freemasons' Tavern, which offer was accepted, and on Decem- ber 4th of the following year, the "Antients" altered their Regulations with regard to Wardens and Past Masters, so as to conform as much as possible to those of the regular Grand Lodge. J Negociations were continued in a most fraternal spirit through the years 181 2 and 1813, until eventually all the differences between the two Societies were amicably arranged, by the specially established Lodge of Reconciliation, and all obstacles being thus finally overcome, the re-union of Ancient Freemasons of England, after a long separation, took place, with great solemnity, as before stated, on St. John's Day, December 27th, 1813. * Vide Preston's " Illustrations of Masonry," 17th Edition, p. 296, t Ibid., p. 283. % Viae Hughan's "Memorials of the Masonic Union," p. 15. S3 In consequence of the Union, and the arrangement of both sets of Lodges in one list, the number of the Hinckley Lodge was changed from No. 47 to No. 66, the Circular notifying the alteration, dated January loth, 1 8 14, and signed by William H. White and Edw. Harper, Grand Secretaries, being still preserved in Book E. In spite of the changed condition of things at the head-quarters of Freemasonry in London, and the more strict rule of the United Grand Lodge, matters went on in Hinckley very much as before. During the year 18 14 three Brethren, — Wm. Sketchley, Thos. Orton and Dan.' O'Connor — each received the three degrees on one evening, and in 181 5 and 18 16, special Grand Lodge Regulations to the contrary notwithstanding,* three Brethren each received two degrees at one meeting, while one candidate received his three de- grees on two consecutive days, no reason whatever being assigned in any of the cases, for this infringe- ment of the Regulations. Particulars have already been given of a Craft Certificate issued by the Lodge in i8o6,f below is a copy of another of these interesting documents, granted in the year 18 14 to Bro. John Nathan. It is a parchment manuscript, 13 inches x 8^ inches, and is in good preservation ; the red wax seal on blue ribbon is somewhat damaged, but the " smoke '' impression is quite perfect. :f * " No candidate shall be permitted to receive more than one degree on the same day, nor at a less interval than one month from his receiving a former degree." — Book of Constitutions, 1815. t Vide page 42. X Vide Plate IV. This Certificate is in the Collection of Bro. F. C. Crossle of Newry, who kindly lent the original for reproduction. 54 " And Darkness Comprehended it not. " In the East a place full of Light where Reigns " Silence and Peace. 'John Nathan ' Lodge 66 on the 'Registry of 'England " We the Master Wardens and Secretary of " Lodge N£ 47 but on the Union Registry of " England 66 adorn'd with their Honors and " assembled in due form do hereby declare " certify and attest that the bearer hereof our " worthy Brother John Nathan been justly " and lawfully received an enter'd " Apprentice in the above Lodge and " also passed a fellow craft and after " sufficient tryals of his integrity and " attachments thereto was rais'd to " the sublime degree of a Master " Mason whose Zeal for the Royal " Craft induces us to Recomend him " to the true and faithfull wherever •' dispersed through the Globe. " Given under our hands and " Seal of our Lodge 66 at " Hinckley in Leicestershire "the29'> Aug* 1814 and in "the year of Masonry 5814. "John Sketchley. Master. "W" Bonner. S.W. " George Remington. J.W. "WP- Lee. Sect?." PLATE IV. o' y^e-'C^^t.tx ^•e- NATHAN'S CERTIFICATE, (r/rfe page 54) ss The prosperity which had attended the Hinckley Lodge during the years just prior to the Union, con- tinued through 1 8 14 and 1815 ; in the former year fifteen meetings were held, seven names being added to the Lodge roll, and a list of twenty-nine members was returned to Grand Lodge at the close of the year. On July 2Sth, 18 14, Bro. William Hands, framework- knitter, of Burbage, joined the Lodge. The following account of the interesting Masonic career of this Brother, is compiled from details supplied some years ago by the late R.W. Bro. Wm. Kelly, P.P.G.M. Bro. William Hands was born in the year 1777 at Burbage, a village about a mile and a half from Hinckley ; he enlisted when quite young, and was initiated in Ireland in the year 1799 in a Lodge attached to the 90th Foot, in which Regiment he served for some years as a private. The Regiment was soon afterwards ordered to Gibraltar, where an- other Lodge, No. 8 on the roll of the Provincial Grand Lodge of Gibraltar,* was warranted in its ranks, and of which Bro. Hands became a member. In the year 1805 he was stationed with his Regiment in the West Indies, being at the time the General's orderly ; on June 4th of that year, he was drafted as a bombardier in the artillery on board the Victory, the flag-ship of Admiral Lord Nelson, and returned on board that ship to Europe, subsequently taking part in the decisive and glorious battle of Trafalgar on board the same vessel. At the close of the war * The Provincial Grand Lodge of Gibraltar was warranted as No. 220, "Antients," in 1786, and lapsed about 1815. — Vide Lane's "Masonic Records," p. 156. 56 in 1 8 14, he retired on a pension, returning to his native village, and resuming his old occupation of framework-knitter. Having been so long associated with Masonry during his military career, on arriving in the neighbourhood, he naturally at once affiliated with the Hinckley Lodge, and remained a member until his removal to Leicester four years later. On May 30th, 1825, he re-joined the Lodge, and with one interval (1831-1833) continued a subscribing member until 1854, although permanently residing in Leicester and rarely attending the meetings. He was also a Mark Master (advanced at Gibraltar in 1807), Ark Mariner, Royal Arch and Knight Templar, and was a frequent visitor at the meetings of the various Masonic bodies in Leicester for many years. In 1859 he met with an accident which incapacitated him from further work, the Leicester Masons therefore took the case in hand, and from them he received every atten- tion in the way of wine and pecuniary assistance which he required, until his death on April i6th, i860, in the eighty-third year of his age. Up to the last few years of his life, he retained a distinct recollection of his early experiences, and delighted to recount how, on his going on board the Victory, Nelson singled him out from his companions, all of whom were Masons, and addressed a few questions to him as to his military knowledge and experience. He died greatly respected by all who knew him, and highly esteemed by the Masons of Leicester as an honest, upright, zealous, though humble Brother. On October 2Sth, 1815, "Mical Maccannay (Michael McKenney) was Pass in the first and Second Degree of Masonry." This Brother was initiated in the 57 "Thistle" Lodge, No. 74 Dumfries, in 1807, his demit from that Lodge, dated December 28th, 18 14, being still preserved. There is no reason recorded why he was required to pass through the ceremonies a second time, and the books shew that he only paid the usual Joining fee of seven shillings and sixpence. What makes the matter seem the more strange is the fact, that at the same meeting a Brother of Lodge 781 on the Register of the Grand Lodge of Ireland, was accepted as a Joining mem- ber without any re-initiation. There is no record of McKenney being " raised " a second time, but on July 14th, 1816, he went through the ceremony of "passing the chair." This was to qualify him for the " Royal Arch," those Masons only who had filled the Chair of a Lodge, being at one time eligible for that degree. The ceremony was prohibited by the Grand Lodge of England about the year 1842, but it was nevertheless continued in the Hinckley Lodge until 1853- The next few years were not so prosperous for the Lodge as those which immediately preceded them, and there was a considerable falling off in the number and attendance of the members. During the years 1 8 17 and 181 8 four Brethren joined the Lodge, all of them by initiation, but in spite of this addition, the list returned to the Grand Lodge at the end of 181 8 contained the names of sixteen members only. In the two years, four Brethren each received two degrees — first and second or second and third — on one evening, and on one occasion the candidate, William Baker, was charged the usual fees, ^3 13s. 6d. and the ex- penses of the night (i8s. id.) in addition. 58 Copies of two Clearance Certificates, issued by the Hinckley Lodge in the years 1806 and 18 14, have already been given,* but one more of these interesting and curious documents is still in existence, and as it differs from the two already transcribed, no apology will be necessary for giving a verbal and also a fac simile copy of the same. It was issued in 181 8 to Bro. Henry Crawford, who was initiated in the Lodge on September 30th of that year.f T3 u u 1) a: " To All whom it may Concern. "We the Master and Wardens of " Lodge 47 but on the Union Regestry " of England 66 do hereby declare " Certify and Attest that the Bearer " hereof our worthy Brother Henry " Crawford lawfully entred Apprentice " in Lodge 66 in Hinckley Pass as a " fellow Craft and Rais'd to the Sub- " lime Degree of Master Mason and " such we do Recommend " To all the true and "Given under our « faithful} wherever dis- " hands and seal the "28';i>day of October " persed thro the Globe. "1818 and of Ma- "sonry 5818. y^ ~\ / \ ■>w°> Lee. Master. SEAL. I j "Jessey King. S.W. \__^ "Micol Macennay. " W" Lee. Sect? ." * Vide pp. 42 and 54. t Vide Plate V. This Certificate is in the CoUeclion of Bro. F. C. Crossle of Newry, who kindly sent a tracing, from which the Plaie is reproduced. PLATE V. f^CcBTC^ 4i^^t^^ <^'i^ (o^>r^Jw ^r^o^meh ^^^^/,^ 7^«p^^*^ P^ i-% ..^^W^F" •.^^ ^y'^'Vco^ CRAWFORD'S CERTIFICATE. i^Vide page 58.) 59 The four years 1819 to 1822 were very bad ones for the Lodge, four meetings only having been held in 1 82 1 and one in 1822, and there is little doubt, "but for the splendid services rendered to the Lodge by Brother Wm. Lee, that it would have been compelled to suspend its meetings altogether and surrender the Warrant. He seems to have occupied the Chair upon every occasion upon which the Lodge met, and all the Minutes are signed by him both as Master and Secretary. No meeting appears to have been held between April 24th, 1822, and April 28th, 1823, after which date matters began to improve, several initiations took place, and on December 29th following, thirteen mem- bers of the Lodge dined together and "celebrated the Festivity of Holy St. John with Harmony and peace," and no doubt congratulated one another on the re- turning prosperity. Although at the Union in 1813 the Degrees of Mark Master, Knight Templar and others were virtu- ally prohibited under the Craft Warrants, they were still continuously worked at Hinckley, where the Brethren apparently ignored the changed Masonic authority, and went on in their old independent style. The latest date recorded of the conferring of the Knight Templar Degree in the Lodge is May 8th, 1822, upon which date a Certificate was issued to Bro. Wm. Lee, of which the following is a copy : — " In the Name of the most Holy Glorious and " Undivided Trinity Father Son and Holy Ghost. "We the Capt. Generall &c. &c. &c. " of the Geneall Assembley of Knights [ SEAL. J 60 'Templers held under the Sanction of ' Lodge 66 of the English Regestry, ' Do Hereby Certify that the Bearer ' our faithfull True and well beloved ' Brother Sir William Lee, was by us ' Dub? a Knight of the most Holy and ' Magnanimous Order of Knight Tem- ' piers the true and faithfull Soildier ' in Jesus Christ, he having with Due ' honour and fortitude supported the ' Amaising Tryals attending his admis- ' sion and as such we Recomend him 'to all true Knight Templers on the ' face of the Globe. " Henry Granger. Capt. Gen} " Mical McKenney. Grand Warden. " James Goode. Depty Grand Warden. " Given under our hands "and Seal of our Generall "assembley at Hinckley "the 8 day of May 1822 and "of the Order of Malta." The Mark Master and Ark Mariner Degrees were also worked in the Lodge subsequent to the Union. On December 28th, 18 14, four Brethren — Bros. Onion, Edwards, Nathan and Robinson — were "advanced," while the latest entries referring to the Degrees are the following : — * In a letter written to the "Freemasons' Magazine" in July, i860, Bro. Kelly states that the Mark Degree was worked in Hinckley "from the Union to the present time." 6i "Joseph Dudley was ark? and Marked "on Saint John's Day, Eighteen Hundered " and Twenty Seven The Square. " Michael McKenney on the same Day. The Plumb rule. " Will'? Clark on the same Day. The Compass. " William May on the same Day. The Half Moon. " Jo! Hare (? Ayre) on the same Day. The Ladder. "Brother Joseph King Mark'd and Ark'd "March 2, 1828 The 7 Stars." The prosperity which marked the last few months of the year 1823 continued through the two follow- ing years, but towards the close of 1825, there are frequent signs of friction between the members of Lodge 66, and the officials of the Grand Lodge in London. There seems little doubt that the constant violation of the Regulations, and the continued illegal conferring of degrees, to which reference has already been made, had at length brought down upon the members of the Hinckley Lodge, not only a severe rebuke from the Board of General Purposes, but also a threat of the suspension of the Lodge and the withdrawal of the Warrant. At a meeting of the Lodge held on December 12th, 1825, it is recorded, that " The business of the night was very important " in consequence of a Letter from the Grand, which " was all settled in an amicable manner with Brotherly " Love. We agree to have a select number of neces- " sary Books and the new Regulations from the " grand Lodge." From the foregoing resolution it would seem, that the Hinckley Brethren had at length determined to discontinue those practices, of the illegality of which they could scarcely plead ignorance, but unfortunately 62 the Book containing the Minutes of the Lodge Meet- ings held between January, 1826, and June, 1833, is missing, so that the information now obtainable which has reference to that period, is necessarily of a very ■meagre and imperfect nature. On March 27th, 1826, the accounts in the Treasurer's Book shew "Money in hand this day ... £j. 8. 8. " Do. in Sansome's Bank ... 7. 7. O." but alas ! within less than three months the following entry occurs : — "June 5. Received Dividend from Sansome's "Bank at 6/8 per Pound ... £2. 9. o." From the copy of a letter still preserved, it seems that the Bank had suspended payment, causing great loss to many in the district ; the Treasurer of the Lodge soon afterwards, being insolvent, left the town, taking with him the Lodge funds, with the result that the Brethren, in consequence of the double calamity, were unable to pay the whole of the Grand Lodge dues at the end of the year. However in spite of pecuniary difficulties, the Sec- retary wrote as follows to the Leicester Brethren on December 7th, 1826: — " The Worshipfull Master and the rest of the " Brothers wish to know if you wish to have a feast "on Wednesday the 27th. of Dec? and if it is your " wish to send us word for what number we must " provide ; we intend meeting at 10 o'clock in the " Morning to do what business is necessary." It was quite a general custom at this period to devote the whole of St. John's Day to the Masonic 63 Festival, and it is to be hoped in this instance, that in spite of empty coffers, the Brethren of No. 66 spent the day in a truly enjoyable manner, and that the convivialities of the evening were kept well within the bounds of Masonic prudence. The three years 1825 to 1827 were fairly prosperous ones for the Lodge, sixteen names being added to the roll, but with 1828 commenced a series of very bad years, when the Lodge declined to such an extent, that its continued existence was again very seriously jeopardised. Early in 1828 there was again some slight friction with the Grand Lodge, on account of irregular and incomplete returns ; the following letter contains the reasons assigned by the Secretary for his omission, and the steps he proposed to take to prevent a recurrence : — " We shall take it as a great favour of you to send " us one of the new Constitution Books with the price " and an immediate return will be sent with our " regular return. ■ — We have several times been in " error not having the New constitution Book to " refer to. We hope when we obtain it, it may be " the means of preventing errors in future." In consequence of the terrible depression in the hosiery trade, the staple trade of the district, at this particular period, there was an unusual amount of distress in Hinckley and neighbourhood ; one of the members of the Lodge was compelled in 1828 to petition the Board of Benevolence for relief, the sum of Five Pounds being subsequently received by the Lodge on his behalf Several similar petitions were 64 prepared and forwarded to London between the years 1828 and 1 85 1, praying for pecuniary assistance for various members of the Lodge, a list of which is given on a subsequent page. A further result of this stagnation of trade, was the lack of candidates for the privileges of Freemasonry ; the Hinckley Brethren therefore took advantage of this favorable opportunity, to occupy themselves with a revision of the By-laws. Since the establishment of the Lodge in 1803, the old Rules and Orders sent down from London with the Warrant had served as the By-laws of the Lodge, but in view of the altered condition of things and after a lapse of twenty-five years, it was quite necessary that a new set of Laws should be framed. Accordingly a code of twenty- three By-laws was prepared, passed, confirmed and printed early in the year 1828, of which a few copies still remain in the Lodge chest. The following is the Title-page : — " THE "BYE LAWS "OF " THE KNIGHTS OF MALTA LODGE "OF " FREE AND ACCEPTED MASONS, " No. 66. "IN HINCKLEY, LEICESTERSHIRE. CONFIRMED IN OPEN LODGE, ''March 31JA 1828. " atberstone. " PRINTED BY W. DAVIS. " 1828," 6s There is nothing specially deserving of record in these 1828 By-laws, but the Title-page is quoted above, as the earliest mention of the Lodge having assumed a distinctive name. Up to this time it had been known as " No. 47 Hinckley " or " No. 66 Hinckley," according to its No. before or after the Union, with the addition sometimes of the name of the Inn where the meetings were held, and there is no record of any discussion as to the adoption of a name, nor any reason why the name " Knights of Malta" was selected. This is very disappointing — the name chosen for a Lodge, when not strictly speaking a Masonic name, is frequently of consider- able local interest, and the adoption of the name "Knights of Malta" by the Hinckley Brethren, must surely have reference to something, which it would be interesting to be able to chronicle here. A possible origin of the name is perhaps worth recording. Among the earlier members of the Lodge were a great many who in their younger days had been soldiers, fighting the battles of their country in various parts of the world. Bro. Hands, whose mili- tary career has already been referred to, was serving in the Mediterranean early in the present century, and it is quite possible that he, as well as other military members of the Lodge, took part in the blockade and capture of the Island of Malta, or formed part of its garrison subsequently, their recol- lections, more or less distinct, of the wonderful fortress of the Knights of Malta in that island, even as late as 1828 suggesting a name for the Lodge. Of the thirteen members of the Lodge in that year, eight, including Bro. Hands, were upwards of fifty years of age, therefore quite old enough to have taken 66 part in the shattering of French hopes in the Mediterranean. The selection may also have been due to the desire of the Brethren to retain, in the name of their Lodge, the recollection of the degrees of Knight Templar and Knight of Malta, which had been conferred upon Brethren under their Lodge Warrant for a number of years, but which, since the year 1822, they had been compelled by the Grand Lodge to discontinue. The name " Knights of Malta, No. 66," also appears on a copper plate, still in existence, from which the Lodge Summonses* were printed, but as it seems to have been little used, it is probably of about the same date as the By-laws. No Lodge bearing a similar name is to be found at the present time in the Grand Lodge Calendar, but there was a " Knight of Malta " Lodge in the early part of the present century. This Lodge was No. 309 (Antients), and it is a very significant fact, that it was a Military Lodge, attached to the Second Regiment of Royal Lancashire Militia, and was war- ranted on October 20th, 1803, the very same year in which the Hinckley Lodge was established. This Lodge took No. 120 (Antients) Warrant in 1804, and was erased from the List of Lodges in i822.f Bro. John Strachan, Q.C., in his " Northumbrian Ma- sonry," p. 71, says this Lodge adopted the name " Knights of Malta " when the regiment was stationed at Tynemouth in the year 1807, but there is no * Copy Summons from this plate, which was engraved by J. Crump, is given as Plate VI. t Particulars of this Lodge are taken from Bro. John Lane's " Masonic Records," p. no. PLATE VI. <^ GflViAf} . JTe C-rt LODGE SUMMONS, Ciroa 1828, {Vide page 66.) 67 reason to show why or how it assumed this name. A seal bearing the name of the Lodge is now in the possession of the Newcastle-on-Tyne Lodge, No. 24. Although the Lodge had now assumed a distinctive name, no trace can be found for many years of its subsequent use, either in the Lodge books and records, or in the records of the Grand Lodge, a fact for which it is extremely difficult to account. Up to the year 1843, it was always referred to as "No. 66" or "No. 58," meeting at Hinckley, but in that year, and for some years subsequently, it seems to have been called the "Hinckley Lodge, No. 58." In 1851 an- other change took place, the Minutes and Attendance Register being invariably headed " Malta Lodge No. 58." This name was continued until the revival of the Lodge in 1858, when the old name "Knights of Malta" was again brought into regular use, and the Lodge has been known ever since, both locally and also in London, by that name. The following letter indicates an attempt having been made in July, 1828, to bring back to the Lodge many of those who, for non-payment of dues and other causes, had been struck off the roll : — " The Brothers of Lodge 66 having that natural " and universal respect to Masons as is incombent to " the Fraternity Wish to say that as several Brothers "thro the exegency of the times are behind in arrairs " — We have agreed that any Brother wishing to "join 66 again shall on paying the last Quarterage "payment and 2^ 6^ which will be sent to the G.L. "shall immediately be a regular Brother in every " respect as before," 68 Unfortunately for the Lodge, this letter did not have the desired effect, as the Secretary, in returning the names of nine members to Grand Lodge a year later, wrote as follows : — "We are sorry to X out our Brothers above but " thro the times are under the disagreeable necessity " but hope when trade revives they will again rejoin and " be members of that Lodge they always respected." In 1829 the Lodge met at the "Castle" Inn, but in 1 83 1 it was back again at the "Barley Sheaf," which seems to have been a favorite meeting-place with the Brethren. By the enumeration of Lodges in 1832, the No. of the Hinckley Lodge was changed from 66 to 58, and early in the following year the membership had fallen as low as four. However, in June, 1833, three Brethren re-joined the Lodge and one was initiated, enabling the Secretary to return eight names to Grand Lodge at the close of that year. Early in the following year, the night of meeting was altered from " the last Monday " to " the last Wednesday" — an old Past Master, Thomas Needham, was elected to rule the Lodge — and the Minutes record under date of December 27th, 1834, that " The day was spent with great delight in honor of "St. John." The five years 1835 to 1839 resulted in an addition of ten names to the Lodge-roll, but they only re- placed those, who from one cause or another, had retired during the same period, so that the member- ship was not increased. In spite of the Grand Lodge 69 Regulations to the contrary,* during the whole of this time the Brethren were presided over by Bro. Thos. Needham, to whom the Lodge seems to have been much indebted, and the minutes of November 27th, 1839, once more record, that " Brother Thomas Needham was chosen Master, " Brother Chamberlain Deputy Master, and Brother " John Sketchley, P.M., in case of Non-attendance of " the above officers amicably takes their places for the "good of the Lodge in General." In the proceedings from 1840 to 1845 there is very little deserving of record ; the Meetings seem to have been held with regularity, but the attendance was very small, initiations were few and far between, and at the end of the latter year the Lodge had dwindled to seven members. Hinckley was again at this time suffering from very great depression of trade, one result of which was the signing in open Lodge, during the five years, of no less than seven petitions to the Board of Benevolence, on behalf of distressed mem- bers of the Lodge or their widows, the cases being relieved by grants amounting in the aggregate to Thirty-six Pounds. In 1841 the Lodge was trans- ferred to the "Union" Inn, but the following year notice was received from the landlord to remove the Lodge, "the same not answering his purpose, he not being satisfied with the expenses of the meetings " ; the Brethren therefore conveyed their property to the "New" Inn, where the Lodge met continuously for seven years. About this time there are evidences of 'No brother shall continue in the office of masier for more than two years in succession." — Vide Book of Constitutions, 1827, p. 78. 70 occasional differences, more or less serious, among the members, but it is satisfactory to know, that they were not so serious as to be incapable of adjustment, as the following extracts from the minutes will shew : — "January 2Sth. 1843. — The business of the Night "was conducted with Discretion. After the business "of the night was over, All ended with Love and " Harmony." — and again on St. John's Day, 1841 — " St. John the Evangelist was Celebrated on this " day with unusual Harmony." Early in the year 1846, when it had been decided to establish a second Lodge in Leicester, two of the petitioners, of whom Bro. Kelly was one, visited the Hinckley Lodge, having heard that it was almost defunct, to enquire if the members would be willing that the Warrant should be transferred to Leicester. The Lodge minutes of January 28th, 1846, contain the following account of the visit : — " It being in anticipation of Establishing another " Lodge in the Town of Leicester, Ours was visited " by two Brothers from St. John's for the purpose in " Soliciting the favour in having our Warrant transfer* "over to them and Lodge 58 in future remain only "as a Lodge of Instruction. The proposition being " put to the Vote was carried unanimously in the " Negative, not one Voice being in favour of the " Application.'' This refusal can scarcely cause surprise, when the following list of grants from the Grand Lodge Board 71 of Benevolence, to various members of the Lodge and their widows, is taken into account. The Warrant, as one of the members declared to Bro. Kelly, was too good a thing to give up. The list is copied from Book E, the initial letter of the names only being given here : — "A List of Members Releaved {sic) from the G.L. of " Benevolence by Petitioning. « 1806. Bro. L* 5 Guineas " April 30, 1828. )) M. £^. >J )) H. £s "Mch. 12, 1838. M C. ^10 "Apr. 2, 1839- j» J- £20 "May 29, 1 841. » H. £3 "May 28, 1842. „ C. £5 "Oct. 31, J, » S. £5 "Mch. 4, 1844. C. £3 " Feb. 1845. )> L. £10 " Nov. 4, 1845. 1) H. £s )> The Widow of Bro. S. £s ii 1847. Bro. L. £s u n The Widow of Bro. L. £s " May 22, 1851. Bro. C. £7 JJ Bro. M. £\o >> The Lodge was now entering on the most serious crisis in its history ; not only was it a serious crisis, but it was also a lengthy one, for it continued, with more or less gravity, until 1858, a period of twelve years. During the years 1846 and 1847 ^^^ meetings were held regularly, but there was very little " work " of a This does not appear in ihe List. 72 Masonic nature, and the attendance very rarely ex- ceeded seven. In 1848 upon six occasions the minutes record " No Lodge held," while in the three years 1849 to 185 1 there are brief notices of sixteen meet- ings instead of the full number of thirty-six. The additions to the Lodge-roll for some time did not amount to one member each year, and early in 185 1 the Secretary was only able to return a list of eight names to the Grand Lodge. The two Leicester Lodges were, at this time, enjoy- ing a considerable amount of prosperity, but the unsettled condition of things in the Hinckley Lodge, and its frequent removal from one Inn to another,* would naturally have a tendency to give the Lodge a bad reputation, and restrain eligible candidates, of which there must have been many in the district, from seeking therein the privileges of Freemasonry. During the whole of this period the ruling spirit of the Lodge was Bro. Thos. Needham, and there is no doubt, but for his determination to retain the Warrant in Hinckley, the Lodge would at this time have been reduced to such a condition, as to preclude any possibility of its revival. At a Meeting of the Provincial Grand Lodge held at Leicester on February 20th, 1852, " The attention of the P.G. Master was called to "the irregular proceedings said to have taken place " at the Hinckley Lodge, when he was pleased to " issue an authority to Bros. Wheeler and Kelly, " together with the Grand Secretary to proceed * Vide p. 80. 73 "to Hinckley for the purpose of investigating the "correctness thereof, and to report thereon to the "Prov. G. Master."* The Brethren forming the Commission accordingly visited the Hinckley Lodge on October 14th, 1852, the Minutes of the Meeting being recorded as follows:— "The Brothers of Malta Lodge No. 58, Met at the " Globe Inn, by notice of an Order from the Prov.' G. "Secty. The W. Master in the Chair. The Lodge "was Opened in due form. The Prov? G. S. pre- "sented a Summons from the W. P. G. Master, of "the P. G. Lodge of Leicestershire, Authorizing a "Deputation to visit and examine the Lodge, and to "Notice the proceedings, and also to investigate the "whole of the Books and Warrant therto beloneino- " and demanding a copy of the Bye Laws, and farther "to inform the Brothers of the Lodge, that all unpaid "Subscriptions, due to the provincial Lodge of Be- "nevolence, to be paid up as soon as conveiniant, "and in future the Benevolence Sub.scriptions to be "paid Annuly, and wishing all Books belonging to "the Lodge to be sent to the Prov! G. Secty. in "Order to be laid before the W. P. G. Master for his " inspection.'' As below, is a portion of the report of the Com- missioners taken from Bro. Kelly's " History of the Provincial Grand Lodge of Leicestershire," p. 65 : — " At a meeting of the Provincial Grand Lodge, held "September 27th, 1853, the report of the Commis- " sioners on the state of the Lodge at Hinckley (to Vide Bro. Kelly's " History of the Provincial Grand Lodge of Leicestershire," p. 65. 74 '' whom Brothers Crawford and Cooper had been added) " was presented. This was a lengthy document enter- " ing fully into the past and present condition of the " Lodge, with recommendations for the future man- " agement of it. Among other irregularities formerly " practised was, in many cases, receiving the initiation "fee of £^. 13. 6 (the lowest allowed) by instal- " ments, and also providing out of it the Candidate's " apron, &c., both contrary to law ; whilst the annual " subscription was at the rate of one shilling per " month, including ale, &c. At this time the Lodge " had twelve members, five of them being old ones, " most of whom were operatives, but the remainder, who "had not long been initiated, were highly respectable. " The report, which met with the high approval of " the F. G. M., concluded by bearing testimony to the " valuable and highly efficient services for very many " years of Bro. Needham, an old P. M., without " whose aid the Lodge must long before have ceased " to exist." The Lodge met irregularly through the years 1852 and 1853, being presided over in the latter year by Bro. J. D. Cottman, when a new code of By-laws was prepared, embodying no doubt the suggestions of the Commissioners who had visited the Lodge in the pre- vious year. Early in 1854 Bro. T. S. Cotterell, a local surgeon, was installed Worshipful Master of the Lodge, and for a time the meetings were held more regularly, but the attendance was small, and no can- didates came forward to take the places of those lost by death or resignation. Under these circumstances, the task of sustaining the interest of the members in 75 the work of the Lodge was almost a hopeless one, the meetings were therefore temporarily suspended at the end of the year. In November, 1854,* no fees having been paid to Provincial Grand Lodge, by the Hinckley Lodge, for a period of seven years, the Provincial Grand Secre- tary received directions to write to the Worshipful Master on the subject. There were, however, no funds in hand to meet this liability, and at the Meeting of Provincial Grand Lodge held in the following Sept- ember, after hearing Bro. Cotterell's explanation of the unfortunate position of the Lodge, another year's delay was granted for the payment of the arrears. During the years 1855 and 1856 the meetings of the Hinckley Lodge were entirely suspended, and in November of the latter year, Bro. Cotterell again reported at the Annual Meeting of the Provincial Grand Lodge — "that the number of members was so reduced, that " unless an improvement soon took place the Lodge " must cease, and in representing the lamentable state "of the Mother Lodge to his Lordship, he requested " him to be pleased to afford such assistance as might " seem meet." The year 1857 passed without a single meeting of the Hinckley Lodge being held, and in October of that year the following report was presented to the Provincial Grand Lodge by Bro. Cotterell : — " Masonry is a nonentity in Hinckley, and that in " consequence of the non-existence of a Lodge I must * The details given of the years 1854 '" 1858, are mainly taken from Bro. Kelly's " History of the Provincial Grand Lodge of Leicestershire," pp. 70-76. 76 "surrender the warrant to your Lordship, and it is "with the greatest regret I make this avowal, but " such is the fact." It was, however, decided by the Provincial Grand Master to- allow the Warrant to remain for another year, a hope having been expressed by Bro. May, an old P.M., that the Lodge might be revived. This hope was soon after realised, for on July 20th, 1858, after a break of over three years, a Meeting of the Lodge was held in the Corn Exchange, Hinckley. This Meeting was attended by Bro. W. Kelly, the D.P.G.M., and several other Leicester Brethren, who initiated two Hinckley gentlemen, several Candidates and two Joining Members being subsequently pro- posed, while the Provincial Grand Master, the Right Hon. Earl Howe, who had signified his willingness to accept the mastership of the Lodge, was unanim.ously elected to that office. This revival was in no small degree due to the exertions of Bros. James Walter Smith, LL.D. of the Middle Temple, and Leicester Grange, near Hinckley, and Harry James Davis, of Leicester, who afterwards became the two Wardens of the Lodge. The Installation of Lord Howe as Worshipful Master of the Lodge, took place on July 29th, 1858, at a special meeting of the Provincial Grand Lodge, the first held out of Leicester for fourteen years. The Lodge was opened in the Town Hall, Hinckley, to which it had been permanently removed, and was attended by a large number of Leicester Brethren. To commemorate this event, his Lordship subse- quently presented to the Lodge a large and handsome antique " Loving Cup " of silver, making it a con- 77 dition, however, that if hereafter the Lodge at Hinckley should unfortunately cease to exist, the Cup was to become the property of the Provincial Grand Lodge in perpetuity. During the first year of Lord Howe's mastership — for he occupied the Chair for two terms — thirteen initiations and three joinings took place in the Lodge, thus raising the number of members to twenty. For some years the Lodge continued to flourish, to a greater or less extent, until it unfortunately became necessary to remove it from the Town Hall to a public-house, when it again deteriorated, and once more, in 1869, became dormant for more than a year. Very few details of the early history of the Lodge remain to be chronicled. Bro. Wm. May, who was initiated in the Lodge in 1827, and who from 1850 had been Secretary of the Lodge, died in October, 1859. Shortly before his death, he requested that the members of the Lodge would follow his remains to the grave, and bury him as a Mason ; this was accordingly done, a dispensation for the purpose hav- ing been granted by the D.P.G.M., Bro. Kelly. Some relics of the early years of the Lodge, besides those already recorded, are still preserved ; these in- clude some very primitive metal Jewels for the Master and Wardens, old Working-tools, Certificates of various dates (18 14, 1833, 1837, &c.). Firing-glasses (purchased in 1826), a set of old R.A. Letters, old Collars and Aprons, &c., &c. The Lodge had at one time an old and curious Chair for the Worshipful Master, with emblematical columns, arched canopy and a platform of inlaid squares ; this chair was in use as late as 78 i860, but the columns and canopy have since been removed, the chair and platform alone remaining. The old "Arke" mentioned on page 41 is also still in use. This is the Chest in which the books, cash, warrant and other portable property of the Lodge was kept, and in Hinckley, as in many other old Lodges, it was known by the name of " the Ark," for what reason is now only a matter of conjecture. It is occasionally referred to under this name in the books of the Lodge ; e.g., " 1 81 7. Feb. 26. Expenses of the night "with candles and letter ... 8. 5)^ "Ark — Cash ... ... 8>^ and a further entry, undated, "In the arke — 12/6." Since the resuscitation of the Hinckley Lodge under Earl Howe's Mastership in 1858, its character has completely changed, the artisan element having disappeared entirely, while the manufacturing and professional element has largely predominated. With the single exception of the year 1869, the prosperity of the Lodge has been continuous down to the present time, the membership in 1898 being thirty- one, of whom fifteen had passed the Chair of the Lodge. To deal with its more recent history, the period from 1859 onward, is beyond the scope of the present sketch, although in the forty years — 1859 to 1899 — there must be ample material for the preparation of a very interesting narrative. It is very much to be hoped, that the year 1903, which is so near at hand, 79 when the Lodge will be in a position to celebrate the centenary of its establishment in Hinckley, will also bring to the members the privilege of a Centenary Warrant, and permission to wear a Centenary Jewel. Be this as it may, the Lodge seems happily to have passed through all its vicissitudes, to the enjoyment of a well-deserved but long-delayed prosperity, and the expression of a fervent hope that this prosperity may long continue, will surely find an echo in the heart of every member of the Craft. ^ 8o a ^nig^fs of 1«Carfa" Sobqe, ■^Caces of "giTeefing, 1803 = 1858. 1803. "Prince of Wales'" Inn, Lichfield Street. 1805. "George" Inn, Market Place. 1807. "Barley Sheaf" Inn, Bond Street. 1826. "Half Moon" Inn, Stockwell Head. 1827. "Barley Sheaf" Inn, Bond Street. 1829. "Castle" Inn, Regent Street. 1831. "Barley Sheaf" Inn, Bond Street. 1841. "Union" Inn, The Borough. 1842. "New" Inn, Castle Street. 1849. "George" Hotel, Market Place. 1850. "Globe" Inn, Station Road. 1852. "Bull's Head" Inn, Market Place. 1854. "Crown" Inn, Castle Street. 1858. Town Hall. 8i Jiist of Wen\£>exe, 1803 = 1859. (Arranged according to Seniority.) Date ainiitted. Members Names. Occii|iation. Residence. F.1803. Henry Granger ... Fwk.* Hinckle) . Joined from No. 91 (Antients) Leicester; erased in 1821. F. „ Henry Wright Watchmaker... Hinckley. Joined from No. 91 (Antients) Leicester ; erased in 1821. F. „ WilHam Clark Wool-sorter ... Hinckley. Joined from No. 91 (Antients) Leicester; erased in 1821. F. „ John Raison Fwk Hinckley. Joined from No. gi (Antients) Leicester; erased in 1821. F. „ Samuel Marston ... Fwk Hinckley. Previous Lodge not known. F. „ Robert Birchall ... Wheelwright... Hinckley. Joined from No. 91 (Antients) Leicester; erased in 1821. F. „ Jonathan Atkins ... Fwk Hinckley. Previous Lodge not known. „ John Ison ... ... Cordwainer ... Hinckley. „ William Willcock ... Book-keeper ... Hinckley. „ John Green ... ... Hosier... ... Hinckley. Joined from No. 195 (Moderns).t „ Richard Malin... ... Tailor ... ... Hinckley. „ Thomas Felton ... Clock-maker ... Hinckley. Joined from " Union" Lodge 514 Birmingham ; erased in 1832. „ Thomas Onion ... Fwk. ... ... Hinckley. * Frame-work-knitter, or worker of n hosiery frame, f This Lodge cannot be traced. 82 Date admitted. 1804. 1805. 1806. 1807. 1809. Members' Names. William Hawley Andrew Merriman William Jennings John Sketchley James Harrold Edward Harrold Richard Morley Thomas Cooke Thomas Colver Occupation. Fwk. Hawker Fwk. Fwk. Needle-maker Fwk. Baker Fwk. Cordwainer . . . Joined from No. 164 Hamilton, Scotland ; Thomas Almey ... Fwk. Joined from No. 164 Hamilton, Scotland ; 1 8 10. Thomas Stafford Samuel Marston, Junr. John Dawson... | Thomas Needham Samuel Dawson Jesse King John Marston William Lee ... Thomas Munro Richard Clayton Aaron Israel ... William Bonner Thomas Shenston William Clark George Remington William Godfrey John Hornsby David Bond ... Fwk. Fwk. Hosier and Innkeeper Hosier Hosier Innkeeper .. Fwk. Fwk. Doctor Woolcomber. Hawker Fwk. Grocer Fwk. Fwk. Fwk. Fwk. Baker Joined from No. 298 (Antients), held in the erased in 1846. Residence. Hinckley. Hinckley. Hinckley. Hinckley. Hinckley. Hinckley. Hinckley. Sapcote. Earl Shilton. erased in 1809. Earl Shilton. erased in 1809. Hinckley. Hinckley. Hinckley. Hinckley. Hinckley. Hinckley. Hinckley. Hinckley. Hinckley. Hinckley. Hinckley. Hinckley. Mkt. Bos worth. Hinckley. Hinckley. Mkt. Bosworth. Mkt. Bosworth. Coton. 85th Regt. of Foot ; 83 Date admitted. 1810. I8II. I812. 1813. 1814. 1815. Members' Names. Occupation. Residence. William Hastelovv. Labourer Coton. Joined from No. ; erased in 1828. 148 (Antients), held in the 76th Regt. of Foot ; William Rogers . .. Excise-officer ... Hinckley. Charles Muston . . Woolstapler Hinckley. Henry Harris .. Fwk Hinckley. James Richford .. Stationer Coventry. Thomas Despond .. 17th Rgt. of Foot Benjamin Payn .. Hatter Atherstone. William Rowley . .. Hatter Atherstone. John Nugent Hairdresser Atherstone. Joined from No. 4.02, Grand Lodge of Ireland. Joseph Beach .. Druggist Atherstone. James Goode Innkeeper Hinckley. William Payn .. Butcher Atherstone. George Kelly 1st Devon Militia James Reed Ribbon-weaver . . Coventry. Joined from No. 91 (Antients) Leicester; srased in 1821. William Edwards . . School-master . . . Mkt.^Bosworth. John Nathan . . Jeweller Hinckley. William Sketchle> '. . Fwk. 19th Rgt. of Foot. Thomas Orton Daniel O'Connor . . Brazier ... Traveller. William Hands .. Fwk Burbage. Joined from No. 90th Regt. Joseph Moxon 8 (Prov. Gd. Lo. of Gibraltar), held in the . . Mercer ... ... Mkt. Bosworth. John Burton . . Attorney Nuneaton. David Briggs Innkeeper Hinckley. John Clark... Iimkeeper Hinckley. John Hall ... .. Tailor ... Hinckley. Joined from No. No. 295. John Agnew 555 "Lodge of Union," .. Favior ... Macclesfield ; now Hinckley. Joined from No. 781, Grand Lodge of Ireland. 84 Date admitted, 1815. Members' Names. Michael McKenney*. 1816. 1817. 1818. 1819. 1823 1824. 1825. 1826. 1827. Occupation. Residence. Pavior ... ... Hinckley. Joined from "Thistle" Lodge No. 74 Dumfries ; now No. 62. William Holdstock ... Plasterer ... Hinckley. George De Grille William Baker Joseph Bird ... Richard Horton Henry Crawford Thomas Baddeley William Henton Adam Woollands William Davies Thomas Jones Joined from No, Boatman Carpenter Hatter ... Hairdresser Hosier ... Bookseller Trimmer Oakthorpe. Oakthorpe. Atherstone. Leicester. Leicester. Atherstone. Leicester. 921, Grand Lodge of Ireland, held in the 17th (Leicestershire) Regiment of Foot, 1802-1824. George Brown John Fray Benjamin Kirk Thomas Browne Robert Thompson John Chamberlin Thomas Dennin Samuel Sumner John Bradshaw Robert Plenderteath John Ayre William Smith Joseph King ... Joseph Horn ... William May Painter ... Gunsmith Stonemason Gentleman Worsted Spinner Fwk Pavior ... Baker ... Wheelwright . Bricklayer Innkeeper and Clothier Nottingham. Leicester. Hinckley. Hinckley. Leicester. Hinckley. Leicester. Leicester. Hinckley. Leicester. Leicester. Hinckley. * The demit of this Brother from the "Thistle" Lodge, dated December 28th, 1814, is still preserved ; he was initiated in 1807. 8s admitted. Members' Names. Occupation. Residence. 1827. Joseph Dudley ... James McCormick Thomas Bates ... Victualler . . . Hinckley. 1833- George Clarke ... Clock-maker . . Hinckley. J) John Senior "{ Publican and"! Stonemason J Hinckley. 1834- Thomas Dixon ... { Maltster and\ Brewer j Hinckley. 1835- George Remington, Junr. Fwk Hinckley. 1) James Chamberlin Coachman . . . Hinckley. 1836. William Senior ... Farmer Hinckley. J, William Jennings, Junr. jy John Matthews . . . Currier Hinckley. )> George Payne . . . Carpenter Hinckley. n Thomas Reddalls Joined from No. 225 ' 'An Lwerp" Lodge, London.* 1837- Thomas Fielding Baker Hinckley. )» Richard George Ball Framesmith... Hinckley. 1838. William Horatio Harrc Id Fwk Hinckley. Joined from " Union now 407. of Malta" Lodge, ^ fo. 588, Malta 1840. George Forster . . . Excise-officer . Hinckley. it Thomas Wilkinson Excise-officer . Earl Shilton 1841. Thomas McKenney(Lewi.'= )Pavior Hinckley. » George Baker ... Boatman Oakthorpe. 1843- Andrew Murcott Hosier Hinckley. Joined from No. 631 erased in 185 1. 'Iv. inhoe" Lodge, Ashby-de-la-Zouch 1845- John Jones Cabinet Maker Hinckley. J) George Josias Harrold Joiner Hinckley. j» John Botham ... Cabinet Maker Hinckley. 1846. John Carter Davison Dove Cotman } Wine Merchant Sharnford. ' No such Lodge can be traced. 86 Date admitted. 1848. 1851. 1852. 1853- 1854- 1858. i8S9- Members' Names. Occupation. Residence. Thomas Samuel Cotterell Surgeon ... Hinckley. William Tomlinsonjunr.* Draper ... Manchester. Joseph Sharp Spencer ... Grocer ... Hinckley. John Goodall Police-officer Hinckley. James Power Wine Merchant Nuneaton. James Walter Smith ... Barrister... Hinckley. Joined from "Apollo University" Lodge, No. 460 Oxford ; now 357. Harry James Davis ... Attorney... Leicester. Joined from "John of Gaunt" Lodge, No. 766 Leicester ; now 523. Rt. Hon. the Earl Howe, Pr9v. G.M. ... Gopsall. Joined from "St. John's" Lodge, No. 348 Leicester ; now 279. Thomas Harrold... ... Builder John Atkins Hosier Charles Watson ... ... Farmer William James Worthington Architect Farmer Dissenting Minister { Frederick Ferriman William Newton ... < Thomas Sansome Preston Solicitor John Marshall Goude Langford Wilson Thomas Francis Morley John Homer Thomas Goadby... George Moore Thomas Worthington Clarke Thomas Law Holdich ... Samuel Davis Samuel Preston ... Edward Houlston Hinckley. Hinckley. Wyken. London. Caldicote. Hinckley. Hinckley. Veterinary | Hinckley. Surgeon J ■' Farmer Painter Hosier Hosier Farmer Sapcote. Hinckley. Earl Shilton. Hinckley. Stoke Golding. Hinckley. Hinckley. Hinckley. Hinckley. * This Brother subsequently settled in Loughborough, and in 1864 was a Founder and first Junior Warden of the " Howe and Charnwood " Lodge, No. 1007. 87 g>umtnavt^ of ^TewtBers. 1803 Founders 7 1803 — 9 Initiated or Joined ■ •• 33 1810 — 19 „ ,j ... ... 35 1820—29 )) V • ■ ■ 22 1830—39 )) » ... 13 1840 — 49 jj JJ ... 10 1850-59 )j » ■ * ' ... 25 14s j Thos. Onion J) Hy. Granger Richd. Malin Jno. Raison » 1806 Richd. Malin Thos. Onion Wm. Jennings Jas. Harrold )> Thos. Onion Wm. Jennings Jno. Sketchley J) 1807 Wm. Jennings Jno. Sketchley Jas. Harrold ,, » Jno. Sketchley Jas. Harrold Edwd. Harrold J) 1808 )) Jno. Ison Thos. Onion Thos. Needham » Thos. Onion Hy. Granger Thos. Needham Jas. Harrold 1809 Hy. Granger Jno. Ison ji )j » Jno. Ison Thos. Needham Richd. Morley Wm. Lee 1810 Jno. Sketchley Richd. Morley Wm. Jennings )) )) )) J) Wm. Lee )) 1811 )) Wm. Lee Jas. Harrold Chas. iMuston » Wm. Lee Chas. Muston Hy. Granger J) 1812 Chas. Muston Jno. Sketchley Thos. Needham Wm. Lee }) Thos. Needham Jas. Harrold Jesse King )) 1813 )) )) )) )) }} Jno. Sketchley » Wm. Bonner )> I8I4 » j» )) )> I8I5 Hy. Granger Wm. Bonner Geo. Remington Wm. Lee Jesse King Wm. Lee 1816 Jno. Sketchley Jesse King Jno. Hall Jno. Clarke 1817 Wm. Lee )) Michl. McKenney Wm. Lee 1818 ) Michl. McKenney Wm. Clark » 1819 )) Wm. Clark Geo. Remington » 1820 » Geo. Remington Michl. McKenney )1 1821 » » 89 Master. Wm. Lee )> Wm. Clark Jno. Sketchley ij Wm. Jennings Wm. Jennings )) Thos. Needham Jas. Chamberlin Jno. Sketchley Thos. Needham Michl. McKenney Geo. Payne Geo. Clarke Thos. Needham Geo. Payne Thos. Needham J. D. Cotman T. S. Cotterell Rt. Hon. Earl Howe Senior Warden. Hy. Granger Geo. Remington »? Michl. McKenney Wm. Clark Wm. Jennings Junior Warden. Geo. Remington Geo. Clarke )) Wm. May Jas. Chamberlin jj Michl. McKenney Geo. Payne Jas. Chamberlin Wm. Lee Thos. Needham Jno. Jones T. S. Cotterell Thos. Needham Jas. W. Smith Geo. Remington Michl. McKenney Jesse King Wm. Bonner Geo. Remington Jno. Ayre Thos. Needham Geo. Remington Jas. Chamberlin » Thos. Dixon Wm. H. Harrold Geo. Clarke Wm. Clarke Geo. Forster Thos. Fielding Thos. Needham Michl. McKenney Geo. J. Harrold J. D. Cotman Andrew Murcott Jos.SharpSpencer Harry J. Davis Secretary. Wm. Lee Wm. Edwards Jas. Harrold Jas. Harrold Jno. Botham J. C.D.D. Cotman Wm. May Wm. May HA ( ij^wew^ I rAMPHLET BINDER Monufoctured by GAYUORD BROS. Inc. Syracuse, N.Y. Stockton, Ca!if. Cornell University Library HS598.H66 K71 The early history (1803-18591 of the Kn 3 1924 030 291 896 olin,anx