Lodge Of Harmony, No. 133, Faversham, Kent.

re-issued . In fact , the lodge was completely lost sight of from the day almost of its birth . At page 90 Bro . Lane gives an epitome of the career of the present Lodge No . 133 , and my suspicions , since proved correct , were that this lodge was the continuation , without break , of the former .

The Athol warrant was granted by the Earl of Kelly in 1763 , as No . 114 , to Bros . William Bennett , Thomas Wilkinson , and Julius Shepherd , as W . M . and Senior and Junior Wardens , to meet at the Sign of the Ship , & c . It is signed by L . Dermott , and presents no points of difference to the usual warrants of the

period . Under this warrant the brethren met on the 25 th May , and on the 27 th December they elected new officers , the J . W ., Bro . Shepherd , being made Worshipful Master . During the year several brethren joined , one being a " Modern " Mason , who , it is expressly stated , was made an " Ancient "

Mason , and no less than 10 candidates were initiated . But during the year light must have been vouchsafed to the brethren , and somehow they discovered that they had gone to the wrong shop for their warrant , for on the 28 th August , 1764 , a warrant was granted them by Lord Blaney , as No . 319 , under the

" Modern " or original Grand Lodge of England . That it was not a new lodge , but the continuation of the old one , is proved by many circumstances . The minutes are in the same book , and without break , the same names appear , and the officers named in the new warrant are J . Shepherd , as W . M ., who was J . W .

under the old one ; T . Wilkinson , S . W ., the same office which he held in the old one ; and Robert Lukyn , J . W ., an initiate of 1763 . The first W . M ., Bro . Bennett , once more became Master in 1765 . But on the old warrant the lodge had had a number , 114 , given to it , whilst the new warrant specifies no number , and

it almost looks as if the brethren were a long while in finding out what number they were entitled to , because for two years they made use of the old one , the only one , possibly , known to them . It was not till April , 1766 , that we find them using their rightful designation of No . 319 .

In 1773 , Captain Charles Frederick , who in 1774 was P . G . M of Kent , was initiated in the lodge .

In 1774 and again in 1777 the Provincial Grand Lodge of Kent was held under the banner of the Faversham Lodge . In 177 8 the lodge was visited by several brethren from the regiment of the Royal Scotch Greys . This led to important results , because on the 2 ist December a special lodge was held ,

when by the assistance of Bro . W . Sumpter , one of their own members , and of John Beattie , Alexander Leishman , sergeant , and George Penn , private , members of the Royal Arch Lodge of St . Andrew , held in the regiment of the Royal Scotch Greys , seven brethren were exalted to the Royal Arch Degree . From this time forth exaltations are noted on the minutes for a series

of years . In 17 86 J . Shepherd , the first W . M . under the new warrant was appointed Deputy Grand Superintendent of the Royal Arch for Kent . In 1789 , application was made to Grand Lodge to call the

lodge by the name of Harmony . Bro . Lane says the lodge was named in 1791 . In 1795 the Provincial Grand Lodge was again held at Faversham . In 1797 the minutes record the visit of some Dutch prisoners on parole , whilst later in the year three Dutchmen on parole from Wye were initiated . The lodge had

already once left the Ship , and gone to the Red Lion for a few years , but in 1804 it removed once more from the Ship and migrated to the Two Brewers . Lane gives the date as 1806 . Provincial Grand Lodge was again held at Faversham in 1806 , and in 1807 five brethren were made Ark and Mark Masons .

On the 10 th January , 1820 , eight brethren took the Past Masters' Degree , and the lodge returned to the Ship . But after 1825 or 1826 affairs began to go wrong , the lodge was removed to the Sun Inn in 18 35 , the chapter followed in the next year , and a portion of the furniture was sold . In 18 37 more of the chapter furniture was sold , and it ceased to meet .

In 18 43 the members of the lodge were reduced to seven , and the next year they came back to the Ship . Then comes a long period of darkness , and the statements of men not long gone to their rest inform us that the lodge ceased also to meet , that the members were reduced to three , but that these three

kept the warrant alive by regularly electing themselves in turn to the chair , and punctually paying up the lodges dues and quarterages , a financial transaction which was effected by selling off bit by bit the old lodge furniture . In 1856 Comps . S . M . Shrubsole and B . Jones petitioned Supreme Grand Chapter for

leave to transfer the Royal Arch dispensation to the Maidstone Lodge , No . 741 , but as this was refused , it was surrendered in July . The lodge possesses little of its old belongings except

the minute books , charters , a Royal Arch tracing board , and a small Royal Arch pedestal , and it was during this time that the original Athol warrant went astray , it only lately having been returned to its rightful owners .

Lodge Of Harmony, No. 133, Faversham, Kent.

However in 18 59 the regular meetings of the lodge were resumed , 10 members joined or were initiated , amongst them Bro . Giraud , the present Secretary , and since then , with _ slight ups and downs , such as every lodge must expect , all has gone well . In 186 9 it received its centenary warrant acknowledging its

existence from 1764 . Probably nobody at that time knew of the previous one of 1763 , which was perfectly valid . In 1813 many lodges which were similarly possessed of two warrants elected to stand by the " Ancient" document , and thus obtained a higher place on the Grand Lodge roll than their age entitled them to . Had No . 133 so done , it would now be known as No . 91 .

Faversham is a fine old town , retaining much of the quaintness , with none of the squalor and dirt of a mediaeval city . On every side old houses with overhanging floors and gabled roofs are to be seen , and its market , under the Town Hall , which is supported on pillars , is highly picturesque . Passing through the

churchyard we come to a fine broad avenue planted with limes , the gift to the town in 1590 of John Smythe , Esq ., of Sturry . Facing this is the fine old Grammar School , founded in 1527 by John Cole , clerk , Warden of All Souls' College , Oxford , and granted to the Abbot and Convent of St . Saviour at Faversham .

At the dissolution of the Abbey the King of course got possession , but the school was re-established in 156 7 by Elizabeth . The school-house was erected in 1587-8 , and was used continuously till the erection of the new and larger school in 18 79 . It was sold by auction in 1880 , and acquired by the lodge in 1886 .

Here , amidst the reminiscences of centuries , the brethren meet and prosecute our ancient rites ; the upper room , originally the school-room , has been beautifully furnished with oak stalls constructed out of the old school-desks , and other appropriate fittings , while the original architecture has been reli giously

preserved , and I know of no lodge in the country meeting in a quainter or more interesting building . On the walls hang four warrants , of 1763 , 1764 , the centenary warrant , and the warrant of the present Royal Arch chapter , dated ist February , 1888 , besides the few mementoes of the olden time

which the lodge has been able to gather together . It is worth a visit to Faversham , were it but to sit under the old oak rafters which have echoed to the voices of so many generations of school-boys , but when I add to this that the brethren are sure to afford any visitor a hearty welcome , that the work is

excellently done , that the present W . M . and S . D ., who are brothers , are lineal descendants , great-great-grandchildren , of the J . Shepherd who is named in the two old warrants , it will be evident that many a worse place for a Masonic pilgrimage might

be chosen . The Old Ship still does a good business , and on the occasion of my visit " mine , host" was passed to the Second Degree , and I myself took shelter for the night under its roof-tree . G . W . SPETH .

Provincial Grand Lodge Of The Isle Of Man.

PROVINCIAL GRAND LODGE OF THE ISLE OF MAN .

The annual communication of the Provincial Grand Lodge of the Isle of Man was held in the Tynwald Lodge Rooms , Masonic Hall , Loch Parade , Douglas , on Thursday , the 18 th December , by command of the Right Worshipful Provincial Grand Master , Bro . John Senhouse Goldie-Taubman , J . P ., C . P ., Speaker of the House of Keys . The Past and Present Provincial- Grand Officers , Worshipful Masters , Past Masters , and acting Wardens of the several lodges of the province

were summoned to attend , and all Master Masons were cordially invited to be present ; and taking into account the fact that the installation ceremonies and the accompanying banquets in connection with the Athole , St . Maughold , Tynwald , Elian Vannin , St . Trinians , and St . Germans Lodges had all been held within three or four weeks from the date of meeting of the Provincial Grand Lodge , there was a fairly good and representative attendance of the brethren qualified to attend . The Douglas lodges especially were well represented , whilst each of the lodges

located in Ramsey and Peel contributed their contingent to the representation , Amongst those who signed th < : register of attendance were the following : Bros . Major J . Senhouse Goldie-Taubman , Prov . G . M . ; S . Webb , P . M ., P . Z ., P . S . G . W . ; Rev . William Morris P . M ., Prov . G . Chap . ; James Hodgson , P . M ., Prov . G . Reg . ; Thos . H . Nesbitt , P M ., P . P . S . G . W ., Prov . G . Sec . ; Edward J . Bowman , P . M ., Prov . S . G . D . ; Lewis G . Hannay , P . M ., Prov . J . G . D . ; Charles M . Challender , P . M ., Prov . A . G . D . of C . j . Walter J . Brown , P . M ., P . P . G . S . B . ; William Kissack , P . M ., Prov . G . Std . Br . ; Mathias W . Corran , P . M ., Prov . G . S . B . ; and many others .

The Provincial Grand Officers assembled in the Athol Lodge Room , and the brethren generally in the Tynwald Lodge Rooms . The Provincial Grand Master immediately opened Prov . Grand Lodge , Bro . James Hodgson , Prov . Grand Registrar , acting as Deputy Prov . G . M ., in the unavoidable absence of Bro . J . A . Brown , D . P . G . M ., and Bro . E . J . Bowman , P . M ., P . S . G . D ., acting as Prov . J . G . W ., in the absence of Bro . Henry Brearley , P . M ., Prov . J . G . W .

The PROVINCIAL GRAND SECRETARY , having read the circular convening the meeting , called over the roll of lodges and the roll of Provincial Grand Officers , when it was found that each lodge was represented , and an increased attendance of Provincial Grand Officers as compared with those present at the annual meeting of last year .

The minutes of the proceedings at the annual meeting held at Douglas , on the 21 st November , 188 9 , on which occasion Bro . J . A . Brown , D . P . G . M ., presided , and the minutes of the proceedings of a special meeting of Provincial Grand Lodge , held on the 24 th day of October , 1890 , on which occasion the Deputy Grand Master of England and Prov . G . M . of West Lancashire , Bro . the Right Hon . the Earl of Lathom , presided , were subsequently read , approved , and confirmed .

Letters of apology for inability to attend , and wishing success and continuous prosperity to Provincial Grand Lodge , were reported as having been received from a number of brethren .