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Masonic Impostors.
MASONIC IMPOSTORS .
IN view of the great importance of the question we have pleasure' in reproducing the following report of a Conference of Almoners of the Province of West Yorkshire , held at Leeds , on the 20 th July last , as just issued by that Provincial Grand Lodge :
At the invitation of the Worshipful the Deputy Provincial Grand Master of West Yorkshire W . Bro . Rd . Wilson , a number of Brethren , many of whom hold the office of Almoner within the Province , took tea at the Hotel Metropole , Leeds , on Thursday evening , 20 th July 1899 . After tea an
adjournment took place to the Provincial Offices , 2 Park Place , where a Conference was held " to consider the best means of protecting the Craft in this Province from fruadulent Masons and others . " The Deputy Provincial Grand Master presided , and he was supported by the following Brethren : —
W . H . Smith ( Halifax ) , C . Stokes ( Sheffield ) , F . Stafford ( Wakefield ) , J . Morton ( Huddersfield ) , J . H . Ford ( Leeds ) , L . J . F . Watson ( Leeds ) , W . D . Quarmby ( Dewsbury ) ,
Davis ( Batley ) , J . Wood ( Barnsley ) , J . W . Pownall ( Ashtonunder-Lyne ) , W . Blackburn P . P . G . D ., W . F . Smithson P . G . D . P . P . G . W ., H . G . E . Green Prov . G . Sec , J . R . Barton Prov . Assist . G . Sec .
The Deputy Provincial Grand Master , in opening the proceedings , remarked that about the 14 th of May he noticed in the papers that a man named Rennie was brought before the Police Court at Huddersfield , charged under the Vagrancy Act with begging , by representing himself to be a
Mason , and was sentenced to three months' hard labour . He wrote to Bro . Morton , the Chief Constable of Huddersfield , who had instituted the proceedings , thanking him for what he had done . He had had several interviews with Bro . Morton and they had tried to do what they could to cut short
the career of those impostors , and he was thoroughly impressed with Bro . Morton ' s conclusion that it is not only advisible , but necessary , that the Almoners of the Province should work together for that purpose . Those who had read the " Freemason " and the other Masonic publications would
know that Bro . Morton and Bro . Pownall , who was the Almoner for the District of Ashton-under-Lyne , had worked together to detect , and when possible , to punish , those Masonic Impostors . They were greatly obliged to Bro . Pownall for taking the trouble to be present that evening .
Bro . Morton and Bro . Pownall had been in frequent communication on the subject , advising one another with respect to these persons . In one case a man called on Bro . Morton stating that he was going to tramp to Lancashire to go to his sons , and was relieved . This was at Huddersfield .
about nine or ten o ' clock in the morning . Bro . Morton communicated with Bro . Pownall , and about half-past twelve the man landed at Ashton , where Bro . Pownall had him arrested . There was a great necessity for general organisation to put a stop to this nuisance . He had called as far as he
could a representative gathering of the Province to consider the question , which was one of the utmost importance , and he was glad to know that about half the Province was represented . His intention was to endeavour to get
Provincial Grand Lodge to consider the question , with the view of calling the attention of Grand Lodge to it , so that a united stand might be made against the evil . As Bro . Pownall would have to leave early , the Chairman called upon him to address the meeting .
Bro . J . W . Pownall , who said he attended the meeting at some little inconvenience , after remarking that he took it as a compliment to the District of Ashton-under-Lyne and to himself to be invited , said when he received the invitation he decided to be present , believing that he might derive some
benefit from the discussion which would take place relative to a more general and uniform system required in relieving itinerant Masons who travelled the country , some probably through misfortune and other circumstances , but by far a still greater number who had for years carried on the game of imposition and fraud . After remarking that he was only
a young Mason , Bro . Pownall stated that he acted as Almoner for thirteen Lodges is the Ashton-under-Lyne District , covering a radius of five or six miles , in which every applicant for relief was directed to him . These he dealt with to the best of his judgment . When he was approached ba
y deputation four years ago , to allow his name to be submitted to a meeting of deputies of the whole of the Lod ges concerned , he was afraid that he should not be competent to fulfil the duties with the same amount of credit as the two Almoners , the two Chief Constables of the borough , who had held the
Masonic Impostors.
office for fifteen years , had done . He was , however , unanimously elected , and was soon initiated into the deceitful practices of these itinerants . After allowing several of them to clear out of the town with a severe reprimand , he came to the conclusion that the subject of itinerant Masons had
become a very grave question indeed for Freemasons generally , and made a report to Bro . James Newton , the Prov . G . Sec . of East Lancashire , who replied that in any future case he must use his own discretion . The result of that communication was that he prosecuted in the next case
he found out , and a situation was granted the impostor to serve under Her Majesty ' s Government with three months ' hard labour . This was " followed very soon after by other two cases in which each person was sentenced to one month ' s hard labour . He was prompted to forward a list he had
collected of these impostors to other places , viz . : to Bro . J . Newton , the Prov . G . Sec . of East Lancashire ; Bro . Jno . Morton , the Chief Constable and Almoner of Huddersfield ; and Bro . J . V . Thomas , Police Superintendent and Almoner of Retford . Each of these returned the names of a few they
had come across , the result being that he compiled a list of all these " wrong uns , " and submitted it to his Committee . Instructions were given that he could get a number of copies of the list printed and circulated . He did so , and forwarded copies to Huddersfield , Leeds , Northumberland , Gateshead ,
Cheadle and Leek ( Staffordshire ) , Cornwall , Whitehaven , Retford , Dalmellington , Rothesay , Stafford , Cardiff , Liverpool , and other towns in Lancashire . He was very much pleased with the manner in which they were received and acknowledged , and the congratulatory replies . One reply in
particular , and the first he received , he was very much struck with . It was from Bro . H . Green , in which he said " I shall be delighted to assist in thwarting these pests to all the extent in my power . I should like to send a copy of the list to every Lodge in mv Province , if that is not asking too
much ( eighty-one Lodges ) . I have already placed several of the lists where they will be most useful . " The request for eighty-one additional copies of the list was a little too large from such a source as theirs , it being only a small fund , but he answered by sending twelve more , and advised Bro .
Green to get sixty-nine more printed . He was strongly of opinion that the best plan for dealing with applicants for relief was that there should be one Almoner only for each district , and not one for each Lodge , as in many cases . That the applicants should be required to produce their Grand
Lodge Certificate , which now was done in very exceptional cases , and that each applicant should sign in the receipt book his name and the number of his Lodge , and the Almoner should note the personal appearance , age , dress , build , & c , & c , and report every case to one general head ,
who in return could furnish the Almoners with every additional impostor which came under his notice . These lists should be circulated , as was done at Ashton-under-Lyne , with additions from time to time . This system could not be done without expense , and he suggested that each Province
should bear its proportionate share by the levy system on each Lodge . The expense incurred by the Ashton-under-Lyne Committee had up to the present been fully repaid by the benefited results of raising the first list of " wrong uns , " and by the kindly manner in which it had been received by
the Brethren generally . The lax system adopted of relieving these itinerants was shown especially in the last case on record , which was prosecuted in May last , by his friend , Bro . John Morton . The case was that of William Rennie , who
represented himself to belong to 51 , Angel Lodge , Colchester , which was false , as neither he or any person of that name had ever been connected with it . He was , however , sent to Wakefield Goal for three months . He stated before the
Court "That what the Chief Constable had said was more or less correct , and that he had carried on the business for twelve years . Necessity had compelled him some years ago to seek Masonic relief , and the ease with which he obtained it inspired him to make a profession of it . However , he had
come to the end of his tether . He had had a pretty long innings and he was bowled out at last . " Imposition by these itinerants was very rife throughout the whole of the land , and
he ( Bro . Pownall ) trusted that the conference would be the means of a system being adopted for the purification of an evil which had existed so long among the high , honoured , and noble body of Ancient Free and Accepted Masons .
bro . J . Morton ( Huddersfield ) , after remarking that the man Rennie already referred to was never initiated , and was therefore never a Mason , said : I think it will be generally admitted that the question of placing some check upon the operations of Masonic impostors is of considerable importance
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Masonic Impostors.
MASONIC IMPOSTORS .
IN view of the great importance of the question we have pleasure' in reproducing the following report of a Conference of Almoners of the Province of West Yorkshire , held at Leeds , on the 20 th July last , as just issued by that Provincial Grand Lodge :
At the invitation of the Worshipful the Deputy Provincial Grand Master of West Yorkshire W . Bro . Rd . Wilson , a number of Brethren , many of whom hold the office of Almoner within the Province , took tea at the Hotel Metropole , Leeds , on Thursday evening , 20 th July 1899 . After tea an
adjournment took place to the Provincial Offices , 2 Park Place , where a Conference was held " to consider the best means of protecting the Craft in this Province from fruadulent Masons and others . " The Deputy Provincial Grand Master presided , and he was supported by the following Brethren : —
W . H . Smith ( Halifax ) , C . Stokes ( Sheffield ) , F . Stafford ( Wakefield ) , J . Morton ( Huddersfield ) , J . H . Ford ( Leeds ) , L . J . F . Watson ( Leeds ) , W . D . Quarmby ( Dewsbury ) ,
Davis ( Batley ) , J . Wood ( Barnsley ) , J . W . Pownall ( Ashtonunder-Lyne ) , W . Blackburn P . P . G . D ., W . F . Smithson P . G . D . P . P . G . W ., H . G . E . Green Prov . G . Sec , J . R . Barton Prov . Assist . G . Sec .
The Deputy Provincial Grand Master , in opening the proceedings , remarked that about the 14 th of May he noticed in the papers that a man named Rennie was brought before the Police Court at Huddersfield , charged under the Vagrancy Act with begging , by representing himself to be a
Mason , and was sentenced to three months' hard labour . He wrote to Bro . Morton , the Chief Constable of Huddersfield , who had instituted the proceedings , thanking him for what he had done . He had had several interviews with Bro . Morton and they had tried to do what they could to cut short
the career of those impostors , and he was thoroughly impressed with Bro . Morton ' s conclusion that it is not only advisible , but necessary , that the Almoners of the Province should work together for that purpose . Those who had read the " Freemason " and the other Masonic publications would
know that Bro . Morton and Bro . Pownall , who was the Almoner for the District of Ashton-under-Lyne , had worked together to detect , and when possible , to punish , those Masonic Impostors . They were greatly obliged to Bro . Pownall for taking the trouble to be present that evening .
Bro . Morton and Bro . Pownall had been in frequent communication on the subject , advising one another with respect to these persons . In one case a man called on Bro . Morton stating that he was going to tramp to Lancashire to go to his sons , and was relieved . This was at Huddersfield .
about nine or ten o ' clock in the morning . Bro . Morton communicated with Bro . Pownall , and about half-past twelve the man landed at Ashton , where Bro . Pownall had him arrested . There was a great necessity for general organisation to put a stop to this nuisance . He had called as far as he
could a representative gathering of the Province to consider the question , which was one of the utmost importance , and he was glad to know that about half the Province was represented . His intention was to endeavour to get
Provincial Grand Lodge to consider the question , with the view of calling the attention of Grand Lodge to it , so that a united stand might be made against the evil . As Bro . Pownall would have to leave early , the Chairman called upon him to address the meeting .
Bro . J . W . Pownall , who said he attended the meeting at some little inconvenience , after remarking that he took it as a compliment to the District of Ashton-under-Lyne and to himself to be invited , said when he received the invitation he decided to be present , believing that he might derive some
benefit from the discussion which would take place relative to a more general and uniform system required in relieving itinerant Masons who travelled the country , some probably through misfortune and other circumstances , but by far a still greater number who had for years carried on the game of imposition and fraud . After remarking that he was only
a young Mason , Bro . Pownall stated that he acted as Almoner for thirteen Lodges is the Ashton-under-Lyne District , covering a radius of five or six miles , in which every applicant for relief was directed to him . These he dealt with to the best of his judgment . When he was approached ba
y deputation four years ago , to allow his name to be submitted to a meeting of deputies of the whole of the Lod ges concerned , he was afraid that he should not be competent to fulfil the duties with the same amount of credit as the two Almoners , the two Chief Constables of the borough , who had held the
Masonic Impostors.
office for fifteen years , had done . He was , however , unanimously elected , and was soon initiated into the deceitful practices of these itinerants . After allowing several of them to clear out of the town with a severe reprimand , he came to the conclusion that the subject of itinerant Masons had
become a very grave question indeed for Freemasons generally , and made a report to Bro . James Newton , the Prov . G . Sec . of East Lancashire , who replied that in any future case he must use his own discretion . The result of that communication was that he prosecuted in the next case
he found out , and a situation was granted the impostor to serve under Her Majesty ' s Government with three months ' hard labour . This was " followed very soon after by other two cases in which each person was sentenced to one month ' s hard labour . He was prompted to forward a list he had
collected of these impostors to other places , viz . : to Bro . J . Newton , the Prov . G . Sec . of East Lancashire ; Bro . Jno . Morton , the Chief Constable and Almoner of Huddersfield ; and Bro . J . V . Thomas , Police Superintendent and Almoner of Retford . Each of these returned the names of a few they
had come across , the result being that he compiled a list of all these " wrong uns , " and submitted it to his Committee . Instructions were given that he could get a number of copies of the list printed and circulated . He did so , and forwarded copies to Huddersfield , Leeds , Northumberland , Gateshead ,
Cheadle and Leek ( Staffordshire ) , Cornwall , Whitehaven , Retford , Dalmellington , Rothesay , Stafford , Cardiff , Liverpool , and other towns in Lancashire . He was very much pleased with the manner in which they were received and acknowledged , and the congratulatory replies . One reply in
particular , and the first he received , he was very much struck with . It was from Bro . H . Green , in which he said " I shall be delighted to assist in thwarting these pests to all the extent in my power . I should like to send a copy of the list to every Lodge in mv Province , if that is not asking too
much ( eighty-one Lodges ) . I have already placed several of the lists where they will be most useful . " The request for eighty-one additional copies of the list was a little too large from such a source as theirs , it being only a small fund , but he answered by sending twelve more , and advised Bro .
Green to get sixty-nine more printed . He was strongly of opinion that the best plan for dealing with applicants for relief was that there should be one Almoner only for each district , and not one for each Lodge , as in many cases . That the applicants should be required to produce their Grand
Lodge Certificate , which now was done in very exceptional cases , and that each applicant should sign in the receipt book his name and the number of his Lodge , and the Almoner should note the personal appearance , age , dress , build , & c , & c , and report every case to one general head ,
who in return could furnish the Almoners with every additional impostor which came under his notice . These lists should be circulated , as was done at Ashton-under-Lyne , with additions from time to time . This system could not be done without expense , and he suggested that each Province
should bear its proportionate share by the levy system on each Lodge . The expense incurred by the Ashton-under-Lyne Committee had up to the present been fully repaid by the benefited results of raising the first list of " wrong uns , " and by the kindly manner in which it had been received by
the Brethren generally . The lax system adopted of relieving these itinerants was shown especially in the last case on record , which was prosecuted in May last , by his friend , Bro . John Morton . The case was that of William Rennie , who
represented himself to belong to 51 , Angel Lodge , Colchester , which was false , as neither he or any person of that name had ever been connected with it . He was , however , sent to Wakefield Goal for three months . He stated before the
Court "That what the Chief Constable had said was more or less correct , and that he had carried on the business for twelve years . Necessity had compelled him some years ago to seek Masonic relief , and the ease with which he obtained it inspired him to make a profession of it . However , he had
come to the end of his tether . He had had a pretty long innings and he was bowled out at last . " Imposition by these itinerants was very rife throughout the whole of the land , and
he ( Bro . Pownall ) trusted that the conference would be the means of a system being adopted for the purification of an evil which had existed so long among the high , honoured , and noble body of Ancient Free and Accepted Masons .
bro . J . Morton ( Huddersfield ) , after remarking that the man Rennie already referred to was never initiated , and was therefore never a Mason , said : I think it will be generally admitted that the question of placing some check upon the operations of Masonic impostors is of considerable importance