Past Minutes of the Stanhope Lodge
The stanhope lodge 1869 to 1889
Compiled and abbreviated by W Bro Tudor Morgan SLGR PPGReg (Surrey and West Kent)
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Past Minutes of the Stanhope Lodge |
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The stanhope lodge 1869 to 1889 Compiled and abbreviated by W Bro Tudor Morgan SLGR PPGReg (Surrey and West Kent) |
Summary of the Minutes for a History of the Lodge between 1869 and 1889
1869 and 1889
July
17th, 1869 saw the consecration and first business meeting for the Stanhope
Lodge 1269 at the Thicket Hotel Anerley. After
the consecration ceremony conducted by W.Bro. William Watson, Past Master of the
Globe Lodge No.23. who had been nominated to perform the ceremony by the M.W.
the Grand Master the Earl of Zetland, W.Bro. Henry William Lindus was installed
as the first Worshipful Master and the business of the Lodge began. There were 7
candidates for initiation read out consisting of 4 Gentlemen, a Draper, 2
wine merchants and a confectioner. There were also 6 joining members proposed as
well. I have attached the Mins to the end of this History.
The next meeting of the Lodge was an emergency meeting held just 10 days after
the consecration on the 27th July where the joining member and the initiates
read out at the first meeting were balloted for and from what I can gather
from the minutes 2 were initiated at the meeting. In the first year of the
Lodge, 9 meetings were held of which 3 were emergency meetings. No wonder, as
during that first year they initiated some 13 candidates and one must remember
that in those days candidates were initiated, passed and raised at 3 consecutive
meetings. During the first year, the fees for initiation also went up from
£3.3s.0d to £5.5s.0d a massive rise in those days yet this seems not to have
reduced the flow of candidates. The next year 1870 shows 4 new initiates while
this shot up in 1871 to 11 again. Membership then settles down so that for the
years between 1969 and 1889 109 new initiates came into the Stanhope Lodge an
average of 5.5 per year. This slowdown in the influx of new members removed the
first two years need for emergency meetings one of which was held in the Month
of August.
In 1872 came the next big event for the Lodge. At the meeting held on the 14th
May 1872, the WM rose and said that Pursuant to a motion given at the previous
meeting that ' A Chapter be formed in connection with this Lodge to be
also called the Stanhope Chapter' This motion was dully passed and carried
by the Brethren. The Stanhope Chapter is still in existence and its connection
with the Lodge remains and there is a page which will be dedicated to its work
on this web site. After a few years the need for emergency meetings died down
and the business of the Lodge became much as it is now with initiations,
passing's, raisings, Installation meetings, resignations. Not much different to
what we se now. There is however still this one difference in that it was the
norm for a candidate to be initiated, passed and raised at consecutive meetings.
This led to one of the first initiates proposed at the consecration meeting
becoming Worshipful master in 1874 just 5 years after he joined the lodge. His
installation in the October of 1874 was as it is for all Lodges a milestone and
while it was a quick passage for him, it seems many of his fellow initiates in
the first year, did go on to the chair. The next initiate to become Master,
number 16, was Henry Wood who was installed in 1875. 1877 saw a motion put to
the Lodge that 'The Lodge request that the MWGM sanction the move of the
Lodge to London to meet at the Curzon Hotel London'. This motion was passed
by all members. This move however did not take place for what reason I cannot
ascertain but the Lodge did move from Anerley to the Surrey Masonic Hall in
Camberwell the motion being moved and passed after agreement had been given by
the MWGM on may 16 1881 with the first meeting being held there on the 13th
September 1881.
1879 saw the election and installation of W Bro J Chas Ring a founder
member as Master for the second time. This was due to the resignation of Bro
Chesterton the SW. 1880 saw the passing to the Grand lodge above of our first
Master W Bro Lindus who was at the time the Secretary of the Lodge He Passed to
the Grand Lodge Above on the 31st January 1880 after what seems to have been a
sudden illness. W Bro Lindus apart from being the first Master, had also served
the Lodge as Treasurer as well as Secretary and as was noted in the minutes he
would be very much missed by all. Letters of condolence had been received from
other Lodges which were read out. 1880 saw the proposal for a Summer Banquet. As
taken from the minutes - 'The WM J C Ring announced that he would be very
pleased to make arrangements for a Summer Banquet and Ladies Festival to be held
in July. He stated he would contribute 5 guineas towards general expenses
if the Lodge would grant a sum of 15 guineas for the same purpose' Two
Brethren then proposed that ' conditionally upon the summer banquet taking
place, the sum of 15 guineas be granted from Lodge funds and that the banquet in
September be dispensed with in favor of the Summer Banquet'. This motion
was passed. 1880 seems to have been a busy year for new ideas as at the
September meeting there was a proposition that the byelaws be amended so that 'any
member permanently residing 15 miles from the place of the meeting, may be
elected a country member, upon a proposition being made on his behalf, duly
seconded and carried, and shall pay an annual fee of One Guinea only, in
advance, at the March Meeting in every year after such election.; a Country
Member attending any of the Banquets shall pay his proportion of the
costs of the same'. This was carried unanimously. At
the election meeting that year there were it seems 3 candidates for WM. Bro
Woodhams the SW, Bro Kingston JW and Bro Wood the Treasurer. Bro Woodham and Bro
Kingston each received 4 votes and Bro Wood 3 votes. However as Bro Woodhams the
SW was not present and it seems not yet given his consent re being elected, the
WM decided to delay the actual result until later in the meeting to give the SW
time to arrive. The Lodge was called Off and efforts made to contact Bro
Woodhams which it seems failed. The Lodge was called back on and the WM then
gave his casting vote for the J W Bro Kingston who was installed as Master on
the 12th October 1880. Bro Woodhams resigned on the 12th April 1881.
The September meeting of 1881 mentions that as the lodge was moving to the
Surrey Masonic Centre in Camberwell, much of the furniture of the Lodge was now
not needed. The Secretary informed members that he had been in communication
with the Penge Lodge 1815 with a view to dispensing towards them some of this
unwanted furniture for a modest fee. This was approved by the members. While
uncertain of what actually was sold. it seems that we were at that time in
possession of, 3 Pedestals and Dias and sounding blocks and 3 Chairs, a 3rd
degree sheet with Lantern?, 2 Deacons Wands with Silver emblems, 3 Mahogany
candlesticks, 2 Wardens columns with globes, and many other items. During the
next few years the Lodge settled down at Camberwell and continued to grow
although still with a few resignations and unfortunate exclusions. 1882 sees the
first time a book of constitutions and copy of the By-Laws being given to
candidates on their initiation and that the WM should also receive the same on
his installation to the Chair. Mention of the given out in Lodge of the
Certificate appear and as the 1880's come to its close mention of the SW being
endowed with a grant of 10 guineas for his being a Steward for the RMBI appear
for the first time. The next 2 years sees each new SW of the Lodge take on the
role of Steward for one of the Masonic Charities and that the Lodge vote a sum
towards his List for the next year 1883 the Masonic Institution for Girls
and later the Royal Masonic Institute for Aged Freemasons. 1885 saw a motion to
form a Benevolent Fund defeated by2 votes to 6. 1887 A proposition from the W M
GM regarding a Masonic celebration for the Queens Jubilee was discussed and at
the election meeting. Bro Wicks the JW received 13 votes while the SW Bro de
Fruis received 4 Votes. Bro Wicks was installed as Master at the next meeting .
One very important proposition was made during the 80s and that was for the
formation of a Stanhope Lodge of Instruction which was passed by all the members
on the 12th November 1889