Consecration Of The Walthamstow Lodge, No. 2472.

Bro . Pinder Prov . G . Treas . Essex as Inner Guard . Bros . William Shurmur P . M ., J . H . Wildash P . M ., William Harris P . M ., D . H . McGowan P . M ., H . P . J . Hallowea P . M ., S . H . Baker P . M ., Thomas Franklin P . M ., Samuel

Herbert , Nathaniel Fortescne , Charles McColla , William Gower , James Clark , Alfred J . Stacey , Thomas W . Stacey , and P . Felsenthal are the founders of the Lodge , the first meeting being attended by a large number of visitors .

The music was nnder the direction of Bro . T . W . Stacoy , assisted by Bros . A . J . Stacey , James Clarke , P . Trickofcfc , and S . Fortescne .

Bro . Letchworth gave the address to the brethren on the object of the meeting , and Bro . Philbrick delivered the Oration . The ceremony of consecration completed , Bro . Letchworth installed Bro . William Shurmur P . P . G . Treas . Essex as the first Master of the Lodge . Brothers John H . Wildash P . M . was appointed to act as I . P . M ., William

Harris P . M . S . W ., D . H . McGowan P . M . J . W ., S . H

Baker P . M . Treasurer , Samuel Herbert Secretary , C . MacColla S . D ., William Gower J . D , James Clark I . G ., A . J . Stacey D . of C , T . W . Stacey Organist , Thomas Franklin P . M . and P . Felsenthal Stewards , Marx Gross Tyler . The thanks of the Lodge were unanimously voted

to the Consecrating Officers for their eminent services , and to this vote Bro . Letchworth made a gracious acknowledg - ment . Names were afterwards given in of numerous

brethren who wished to join the Lodge , and of gentlemen who desired to see the light of Masonry . Then the Lodge was closed , and the whole company was entertained at a banquet furnished hy Bro . H . F . J . Hallowes .

The usual Loyal and Masonic toasts followed the banquet . Brother Shurmur , in proposing the Pro G . M ., the Deput y Grand Master , and the rest of the Grand Officers , said the brethren were under a deep debt of gratitude to the noble lords mentioned in this toast for the invaluable services

they rendered to what to them was tbe sacred cause of Freemasonry . The brethren had had that day an opportunity of witnessing the excellent work of the Grand Officers , and they would agree with him that everything

that could possibly be desired had been done by them . He would , however , descant on this matter in the next toast , associating with the present one the name of Brother Philbrick Grand Registrar and Deputy Provincial Grand Master for Essex , a Province which was celebrated for its

truly Masonic spirit . The brethren of that locality were especially grateful to Brother Philbrick for presiding over the Walthamstow Lodge of Instruction , which , under his guidance and distinguished patronage , had attained to such a degree of importance as to be deemed worthy of being

entrusted with a warrant for a regular Lodge . He thought that was the highest compliment that could be paid to a Lodge of Instruction . After the holidays their worth y President wonld perform the consecration ceremony at tho

Lodge of Instruction , and its number would be altered from 2192 to 2472 . He thought also that in a great measure they had to thank the Grand Registrar for his kind offices in obtaining the warrant for the Walthamstow

Lodge . Bro . Philbrick , in acknowledging tho toast , thanked the brethren for the truly fraternal recognition of the eminent •services of Lord Lathom and Lord Mount Ed gcumbe to the Craft . It was within the recollection of many of the brethren that Masonry had taken a very considerable step ,

not merely in its internal organisation , but in the respect and esteem which it enjoyed with the public at large who were not Masons . They might , he thought , attribute in great measure the different position which the Craffc held now to what it did to the presence among them of the

distinguished noblemen who had held the offices of Pro Grand Master and Deputy Grand Master , to their exertions for the Craft , and to their influence generally in the work . Depend upon it , the first way to be respected was to respect yourself ; ultimately thafc brought the

respect of others ; and in this way the loyal service whioh had been rendered by those whose position in the country entitled them to he looked up to , whose position as advisers of the Queen and of the nation called

to high office , as was the late Lord Carnarvon , the services of those whose position at this present moment showed that they were highly thonght of , had roused within Masonry a keen sense of life and vitality , had caused in it respect for its great principles , and had led to that esteem in which the

Craft was held among society at large . He thonght , therefore , they could not be too grateful to those who , in high

Consecration Of The Walthamstow Lodge, No. 2472.

station , had taken the highest offices among them , for tha services they had rendered , and the effect which those services had caused upon Masonry at large . And now with regard to the rest of the Grand Officers , he understood that his brother on his left ( the Grand Secretary ) would return

thanks presently for a toast , and he would nofc trench upon that which the Grand Secretary might legitimately say , Ho shonld not be a man , hut one of those impossible beings which were angels , if he did not pluck a crow which he had with the Grand Secretary . Wbat right had a poor

lawyer to be a chaplain ? Why , two black professions were always jealous of each other , and sometimes tbe very bitterest produce of pulpit eloquence was when they drew a distinction between the law and the Gospel . Bnt so it was , for better , for worse , he came to discharge the

chaplain s duties tbat day . All he would say upon that was that he was sure every Grand Officer present would be equally glad in any capacity to help to serve the new enterprise , and to wish this Lodge God speed by giving it any help thafc lay within his power . The Worshipful Master

had alluded to the Lodge of Instruction and to the contiguity of the neighbouring Province over which this limit t o fche metropolitan area extended . He supposed ifc was by . a very few hundred yards ; it might be tbat they were within the Province of Essex : but whether within the

Province of Essex or not , he was quite sure that he on the part of fche Province might well wish , and heartil y represent the whole of the Province , in wishing this new Lodge God speed . The Worshipful Master had also alluded to the Lodge of Instruction as having introduced tbe

Walthamstow Lodge there . Ifc was nofc the first time , especially in modern politics , when they had heard that the tail had wagged the head . Usually the process was the reverse—he meant in well-conducted animals—because many of the brethren who looked at John Leech ' s

ininimitable picture of the Skye terrier , of which the boy could not say which was his head and which was his tail , would recognise the able tactics of the Worshipful Master when he reversed the procedure aud took the enemy in the rear . But apart from that masterly movement and tactics , '

it had achieved snecess , on which be congratulated the Lodge ; and whether it was the Lodge of Instruction that established the Lodge , or which ever was the motive cause , he could only hope they would look upon the principles on which he had said enough in the Lodge thafc day , and that

these would be looked up to as controlling the conduct of the Lodge . If thafc was so , the Grand Officers would have tho utmost satisfaction in looking back to the achievements of thc day , as they had now , through him , of wishing a continued career of prosperity to this new Lodge .

Bro . Shnrmnr next proposed the Consecrating Officer Brother Edward Letchworth Grand Secretiry . He said he was sure ho was echoing the sentiments of all present in stating their admiration of the very perfect and

impressive manner in which Bro . Letchworth had performed fche ceremony of consecration , and their deep sense of gratitude to thc Graud Officers who had so ably assisted him—Dr Ralph Gooding , Bro . Belton , Bro . Philbrick , Bro . Matthews , and Bro . Pinder .

Bro . Letchworth said it had afforded him the greatest possible pleasure to attend and consecrate this Lodge , but be felt he was more than indebted to those Grand Officers who had done him the honour of assisting him in this ceremony . He was sure they would all deeply deplore

with him the fact that Bro . Richardson ' s absence was due to his ill-health . He hoped he would very shortly recover . If the brethren would allow him , he would now propose to them what was really the toast of tbe evening , the health of the very distinguished Brother whom he had

had the great pleasure and honour of installing in the chair of their Lodge thafc night—Brother William Shurmur Worshipful Master . He was aware that in that parfc of the county of Essex , Brother Shurmur ' s name was a household word . He believed there was no brother in that

neighbourhood , afcleast , who had shown more zeal for the interests of Masonry than Brother Shurmur had done , and he was quite confident that , under his able and genial rule , this Walthamstow Lodge would very shortly attain a high

position among the Lodges of the metropolis . That it might do so be was sure was the wish of every one in that room ; he knew it was the earnest wish of every one who had been associated with him in its consecration .

Brother Shurmur tendered his thanks . He considered it a very great honour to be appointed the first Master of this Walthamstow Lodge . But he had no fear its