Centenary Celebration Of The Alfred Lodge, No. 300, Leeds.

until 17 th February , 1797 , filling perhaps one-third of a stoutly bound , well-preserved volume . For some reason they then suddenly cease , and for nearly four years—i . e ., from 17 th February , 1797 , to the 28 th December , 1 S 00—we have no entries . When thc next record of the proceedings of the Iodge appears , it is in an altogether new book , commencing 28 th December , 1800 , and continuing without intermission to 4 th September , 1812 . This book is completely filled and closed .

Now comes the second gap . From 4 U 1 September , 1 S 12 , to 2 nd October , 1 S 1 Sa period of six years—tho minutes arc lost . That they were probably taken , during this period , is shown by thc fact that , on the 29 th September of that year , there is an entry in the Treasurer's book of 3 s . gd . for thc purchase of a new minute book . This book , according to a memorandum dated 5 H 1 September , 1 S 1 S , was abandoned , though incomplete , and " by reason of thc leaves of such book being inconveniently small , this ancient Minute Book" ( i . e ., the one lirst

mentioned , and only one-third filled ) " was unanimously agreed to be made use of on all occasions "; so that what is virtually the fourth ' minute book fills the remaining pages of the earliest one . This commences 2 nd October , 1 S 1 S , and takes us down to 4 th April , 1 S 34 , and from that date onwards there is no interruption . It will thus be seen that from 1 S 1 S to 1895 our minutes are complete , and that , between 1795 and 1 S 18 , there are two periods , lodge minutes of which are not forthcoming . Fortunately , during these years we had excellent lodge Treasurers ;

Treasurers whose accounts are kept most minutely and accurately , and the Treasurer ' s book shows most clearly that during these years the lodge met regularly , for it gives dates and details which cannot be questioned . A careful perusal of this Treasurer ' s book would repay any Masonic student we may have in our lodge , and materials might be drawn from it which , coupled with the minute books , would enable an interesting and readable history of the Alfred Lodge to be compiled .

It was evidently a common practice that the W . AI . for the time being , should act as Treasurer , and two distinguished names appear in this double capacity during the infancy of the lodge . They are Wm . Hodgson and John Simpson . The history of these worthy and distinguished brethren—both founders of the lodge—deserves to be rescued from its present oblivion , and we hope that some effort in this direction will one day be made . During the lirst few years the accounts show that they have been audited half-yearly , thc balance sometimes

being on one side , sometimes on the other ; but at the end of June , 1 799 , an extraordinary epoch begins . On that date Bro . John Simpson enters a balance in favour of the lodge of 2 s . g . Jd . He continues Treasurer until his death in 1817 , and incredible as it may seem , from 1 st July , 1799 , to the 7 th November , 1816 , when , in a feeble hand , the last entry of Bro . Simpson is made , he had never once had his accounts either balanced or audited . For ifi . V years do they go on , being carried forward page after page until his death . They are then examined , and briefly stand thus :

Receipts from all sources—1 st July , 1 799 , to 7 th November , 1816 £ 623 7 9 ] Expenditure of all kinds during that period ... 610 11 8 Balance in favour of the lodge ... £ 12 6 H Whatever such a condition of circumstances may he attributed to , it at least shows the unbounded confidence which the brethren placed in the integrity of their Treasurer , Bro . John Simpson . Bro . Simpson , who is described in the lodge

register as a gentleman , was made W . M . in August , 1796 . He was repeatedly reelected , and , although the loss of the minute books prevents our establishing it as a fact , it is strongly presumable that he held the ofiice for many years , for it can be shown that he was in the chair in 1812 . VVe don't know if any representative of his family survives ; but it is not unreasonable to suppose that , considering his attention to his duties as Treasurer , he would be equally careful in preserving the minutes of his lodge during his Alastership ; and that the books , which cannot now be found , may have been taken to his own house for safe keeping .

Another AIasonic worthy , whose biography would be interesting , is William Hodgson . He was a founder and the first W . AL of the lodge . The earliest record we possess states that a meeting was held at Bro . Hodgson ' s Academy . From this statement—supposing the Hodgson to be the same—we should conclude that the first W . AL of the Alfred Lodge was a schoolmaster . In the register , he is described as a merchant . This is a discrepancy which we will leave to the future historian of Lodge No . 306 to grapple with . Hodgson , and in fact all the

founders of the "Alfred , " were members of "Fidelity , " from whicii they withdrew . An interesting entry—the first in the "Alfred" minute book—gives an account of the first meeting of the seceders . It states that " in consequence of the repeated irregularity and unpleasant behaviour of a part of the Lodge of Fidelity , No . 512 , which the undersigned forbear to mention in their proceedings , 3 meeting was held at Bro . Hodgson ' s Academy , April 17 th , 1 795 , to consider of some expedient to conduct the business of Alasonry upon principles more consistent with the noble Institution . "

Present : Bros . Wm . Hodgson , John Simpson , George Ireland , Alatthew Vickars , Wm . Cowling . Wm . Drake , and John Kemplay . These worthy brethren unanimously passed the following resolutions : ist . To secede from the Lodge of Fidelity , No . 512 . 2 nd . To establish a new one under the title or denomination of the Alfred Lodge .

3 rd . To petition the Provincial Grand Lodge for a dispensation to assemble as a regular Lodge of Free and Accepted Alasons , in a private room in the borough of Leeds , the first Friday in every month , and that Bro , VVm . Hodgson be named the first Alaster , Bro . John Simpson , first Senior Warden , and Bro . Geo . Ireland , Junioi Warden , Ac . At this same meeting Bro . Hodgson was desired to draw up the petition . This he did . A copy follows . It was addressed to the VVorshipfuI Grand Master ,

Deputy Grand Alaster , Wardens , and thc rest of the brethren of the Provincial Grand Lodge of the county of Yorkshire , and set forth in the usual terms that they , the signatories , " had agreed , " & c . ; and that " they did pray for a warrant of constitution ; " and " that they promised strict conformity , " and so on . ln three days' time a reply came from John Watson , dated York , 29 th April , 1 795 , and with U the dispensation . That document , which , we regret to say , is lost , was , however , copied into the minute book , and was in these words :

'To Bros . Wm . Hodgson , John Simpson , Geo . Ireland , Alatthew Vicars , and John Kemplay , Alembers of the most ancient and honourable society of Free and Accepted Masons : " Brethren , " You are hereby authorised to assemble as a regular Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons , under the title or denomination of the Alfred Lodge , in a Private room in the borough of Leeds ; and to make , pass , and raise Masons as occasion may require ; and also in every other way to act as a regular Lodge , until

a Warrant of Constitution shall be made out . Given at York under our hand and seal of Masonry , this 27 th day of April , A ""' ' 7951 A . 1 .. 5795 . By the Provincial Grand Alaster ' s command . ( Signed ) WM . SI-ENCER , P . Dep . P . G . AI . Witness : J WATSON , P . G . S . " Thus was founded the Alfred Lodge . ,, J ^ or was it long in obtaining its warrant ; for , in that mine of information" * : ycasurer ' s book—under date of 18 th November , 1 796 , we find £ 5 15 s . 6 d . ** aid for "Constitution , " & c . No meeting of the lodge—as a lodge—was held , owevcr , until 15 th June , 1795 , thc reason for which being , thc Secretary coolly

Centenary Celebration Of The Alfred Lodge, No. 300, Leeds.

declare ? , " want of jewels , & c" At this first meeting there were only six brethren present , and for some years afterwards the number continued small . The registet extending from 1795 to 1 S 06 gives a total of 71 names , and describes 7 as gentle men ; 11 as merchants ; 30 as tradesmen ; S as professional men ; 6 as inn-holders ; 7 as book-keepers ; 1 as officer , and i as professor of languages—total , 71 .

It must not be supposed , however , that the lodge , if small , was inactive ; for , in the six months of the first year , it met 16 times ; and in the following year ( 1796 ) no less than 30 times . It is true , beside regular lodges and lodges of emergency , some are . styled lodges of instruction , yet minutes were read , proposals brought forward , candidates initiated , and , in fact , all the usual business routine gone through just as in an ordinary meeting .

It is interesting to know that our predecessors , the founders and first members of our lodge , were very simple in their tastes , and modest in their wants . Thc refreshments , every item for whicii is most scrupulously entered by the Treasurer , consisted , at first , and for some time , of only bread and cheese , and ale . It is true , the amount set down for the last item ( the ale ) is usually about four times that expended upon the bread and cheese ; but that is a detail . Their fare was plain bread and cheese , and ale . By and by , porter appears in the books ; also tobacco

and pipes . A little later they seem to have indulged in " pyes , " made from what materials does not appear—plain " pyes , " spelt with ay . For sometime after this the Treasurer enters the provisions as " Eating , " not caring evidently to particularise , but sad to say we now find lemons , for which the sum of 3 s . 4 d . is paid , "shugar" ( spelt with an h . ) , and evidently at war prices , tor a single night ' s supply cost 7 s . Then follow wine , spirits , and alas ! Brethren , bowls of punch , after which last , all continue under the generic term of " liquors . "

They kept their St . John's festivals too , most religiously ( both St . Johns ' . ) The Baptist they feted in June , and the Evangelist they celebrated in December , on which occasions they were sometimes joined by their brethren of " Philanthropic " or " Fidelity , " or both . All this time ( of course , we are speaking of the early years of the lodge ) the work was steadil y and regularly pursued . ' Not content with this , they bought books for the use of the brethren , for we find as early as 179 6 , "two copies of

Preston , us . j" Hutchinson ' s , " Spirit of Masonry , " 55 . ; " " four Magazines and binding , ios . " They also purchased that splendid die , from which those beautiful seals which appeared on our December toast lists were formed . This was from the firm of Livesey and Saloman , and cost £ 4 . os . 6 d . Unlike many of the earlier gifts and purchases , the seal we still possess ; but a brass candlestick , for which £ 6 ios . was paid , jewels at 16 guineas , a " Shandeleir " at ns . 3 d ., and many other things , not perhaps intrinsically worth much , but which we should value highly now , are gone , no one knows where .

The portraits and pictures also , many of them have disappeared . There are entries to show that several were bought , amongst others , those of the Grand Master and the Prov . Grand Master ; but their whereabouts it is impossible to say . In July , 1804 , the minutes tell us that "It was proposed that the W . AL should have his likeness taken in full uniform , and it was unanimously agreed to by the whole body . Bros . Hebblethwaite , Cryer , Ireland , Nichols , and Wood to see the same executed . " This W . AI . was the Bro . John Simpson previously

mentioned , who was so closely and honourably identified with the lodge during the first 20 years of its existence . On the 14 th October following the presentation was made , and the Treasurer tells us that the picture and frame cost £ ' 18 18 s ., and that the sum of £ 3 4 s . 2 d . was spent on a supper to commemorate the event . That picture may , or may not . be still in existence , but it is not in the possession of the Alfred Lodge . It is lamentable to think that , through the carelessness or indifference of those who preceded us , things of this kind should be utterly lost .

Besides the seal , we seem to have very few relics of the past . There is a heavy , setting maul made from the oak taken from the timbers of the Leeds old parish church , and presented by Bro . Beckwith in 183 S ; and there is our Bible . Relative to this last , which was presented to the lodge hy Bro . and Comp . Jas . Alanks , we have no minute , as the book containing our transactions during that period is lost ; but in the Treasurer's book , under date of gth June , 1815 , we find— " To supper to the Members of ye . Alfred Lodge , on account of the gift of the Bible ,

and also the gift of Bro . Nicholl ' s binding and beautifying the Bible—£ 12 16 s . od . " The Bro . Thomas Nicholls was , at this time , a new member , having been initiated in the February of that year . The Bible is a handsome quarto copy of Cranmer ' s Great Bible , and is printed by Edward VVhytechurche . It is , of course , in black letter , and is in excellent preservation , though , as is so commonly the case , the edges have been much cut down in the re-binding . The date is 1540 . It is quite worthy of a much fuller description than we have time to give it .

I here are many curious incidents and quaint entries upon which comment might be made , but it is not our intention to take up your time by doing so at present . We may mention , however , that our early brethren met often , and on each occasion expected to be entertained at supper at the expense of the lodge . The amount spent in this way was very large , and it is not surprising that , at a very early stage of its existence , the lodge got into debt , ln January , 1797 , we find that the W . M ., Bro . John Simpson , with a view to clear off present and avoid future obligation of this kind ,

proposedist . I hat the lodge should meet only on the regular lodge nights and at the two festivals . —This was negatived ueiu . eon . 2 nd . That the refreshments of the lodge be dropped till the finances are reestablished . —This was also negatived item . con . from which we may infer that the brethren looked upon gratuitous entertainment as a Alasonic privilege , and were not disposed to part with it .

The minutes also inform us that it was by no means uncommon to admit a candidate to two Degrees in one night . There is evidence of this as late as 1811 . The word " initiated " was also used in reference to all Three Degrees , and , after initiation or passing , a candidate was balloted for before he could take his next Degree . The minutes werc read at any stage of the proceedings , and a gentleman was proposed as a candidate by a visiting brother . Alention is made of the

occasional use of the black-ball ; of the custom of a new brother receiving a certificate signed by the regular officers in open lodge ; of the ceremony of " passing the Chair , " and of the " Union system of Working " being used . Then wc are told that communication was kept up both with the Provincial Grand Lodge in York and the Grand Lodge in London ; that the W . AL and his Wardens went occasionally in " a chaise and pair" to attend Provincial Grand Lodge at the former place ; and that their expenses were paid bv the lodge .

The minute ot 7 th September , 1822 , is quaint ; alter noting down the names of the brethren who were absent as well as those who were present , it continues :

" When the brethren , present , after sanguine expectations , found they could not open—being short of numbers , and consequently reflecting on the neglect of absent Bros . —reconciled themselves over a cheerful glass , and spent the evening with conviviality till 10 p . m ., and departed with P . P . and H . " In the early twenties , the lodge was much reduced in numbers , not more than seven or eight being named in the returns . In 1829 there were 14 names sent up to Grand Lodge , and it was quite a common thing to find the visitors far exceeding the members in number at the regular lodge meetings .

In 1828 thc practice of a candidate being required to answer " test questions , " before proceeding to a further Degree , is first mentioned . In 1831 first mention of explaining working tools . In 1833 the lodge number was changed from 571 to 384 . In that year thc installation was put off " for want of more brethren , " and a lodge of Past Alasters , for the purpose of Installation , is first recorded .