Royal Masonic Institution For Boys.

of £ 100 , the total of of its contributions from first to last being £ 1274 . When the Union was consummated , the -benolii's of the Charity were extended to the sons of all English Masons , independently of the Society in which they had been made , while United Grand Lodge , resolved on continuing tbe provision towards its support which its "Ancient" predecessor had decreed , as aforesaid , in 1812 ,

this particular annual contribution being still continued , but m the form of an annual grant of £ 150 , into which it was commuted in 1838 . In 1817 , a similar Charity which had been "instituted" in 1808 , by Bro . F . C , afterwards Sir F . 0 . Daniel of the Royal Naval Lodge of Independence , No . 57 , on the roll of tho " Modern " G . Lodge , but now the Royal Naval Lodge , No . 50 , was amalgamated

with the original or Burwood Institution , while in the following year the'number of boys in the establishment was increased to 70 . But this rapid extension of the Charity from six to 70 in the brief space of 20 years -would seem to have been ill-advised . A period of depression followed , and it was not always found possible to fill up the vacancies that occurred . In 1823 , Bro . Isaac Lindo , P . G . W .,

resigned tho oflice of Treasurer , which he had held since the Union , and Bro . Hancock , that of Secretary , to which he had been appointed in 1805 , and affairs became so much worse , owing to the misconduct of the lattcr ' s successor , that when three years later , after two distinguished brethren—Bros . F . W . Pott , P . G . D ., and Benjamin Rouse , P . G . I ) . —had been successively

elected to thc office of Treasurer and resigned , it dawned upon the minds of the Governors that there must be a screw loose somewhere in the system of management , tbe number of children was reduced to 43 . At once energetic steps were taken to restore the fortunes of the Charity . The laws of the Institution were revised ; circulars were addressed to the several lodges inviting them to appoint

brethren as Stewards at the Anniversary Festivals ; and , above all , on the recommendation of H . R . H . the Duke of Sussex , Grand Master and Patron , Bro . Thomas Moore , P . G . I ) ., was elected to the vacant Treasurership . Shortly afterwards it was made clear that the Secretary was a defaulter , and he having resigned to avoid a ¦ worse fate , the duties of his ollice were temporarily discharged by

Bro . John Finlassin . These measures and thc appointment of Bro . A . U . Thiselton as Secretary , very soon had the desired effect . Confidence was once again felt in the government of the Charity , and when in 1841 ill-health necessitated the resignation of his oflice by Bro . Moore , the invested funds of thc Institution had been increased from £ 900 to £ 6 ' 000 and the number of boys provided for

to 65 , or only five short of the number on the establishment in 1818 . In the meantime the Governors had been exerting themselves in other directions on behalf of the Institution . In 1830 , Bro . Coo , one of its most strenuous friends , gave notice of his intention " to take the scnee" of the Subscribers " on ( he propriety of erecting a Building for the Maintenance and Education of the Children , " but so

small was the attendance at thc Special Meeting convened on the Sth November of that year for considering the proposal that the discussion was postponed , and ultimately the proposal was withdrawn . In 1831 we first read of a silver medal being given to the boy who showed the greatest proficiency in writing , but it was not till 10 years later that such a prize WITS given regularly and by the

Instil nf ion itself . In 1832 , His Majesty William IV . subscribed to the Institution , and accepted tlie oflice of Patron , the title of tbe Institution being thereupon altered fo ( hat of "The Royal Masonic Institution for Clothing , Educating , and Apprenticing ( lie Sons of Indigent Freemasons . " About ( he same time ( he Dukeof Sussex accepted the newly-created position of " President , " ih ^ ollice of " Vice-President , " which was in the first instance purely honorary ,

being conferred on such Masons of distinction as the Marquess of Salisbury , Lord Dundas , the Karl of Yarborough , B . Rond Cabbell , M . P ., and others . In 1834 , owing fo the falling off in the Festival Receipts , Bro . Lythgoe , who a few years later becaine tlu- first , Honorary Solicitor to ihe Institution , evinced a desire that ( he existing arrangements under which the annual Festivals were held should be improved with a view to encouraging brethren fo under-

Royal Masonic Institution For Boys.

take the ollice of Steward ; but he found no support , and in the end this attempt at a reform , which appears to have been greatly needed , was postponed nine die . However , in 1840 , the Committee ventured upon renting a bouse in Bloomsbnry-place , thus obtaining for itself the local habitation which for all these years had been wanting , this being about the most beneficial of the reforms which had been from time to time adopted by the authorities of the Institution since the Union of 1813 .

Bro . Moore , who , as wc have said , resigned the office of Treasurer on account of failing health in 1841 , was succeeded by Brother Rev . AV . . 1 . Rodlier , G . Chaplain , and under his auspices the number of boys was raised to 70 , as it had been from 1818 to 1821 . Unfortunately , towards the close of the following year , and just as he must have become familiar with his duties , Bro . Rodber died , having

survived but a few months , his Royal Highness , the Duke of Sussex , who had recommended him for election . In 1844 , Bro . David—afterwards Sir David—Pollock was chosen his successor , but nothing of moment occurred during his tenure of the oflice , and in 1 S 46 , Bro . B . Bond Cabbell , M . P ., one of tho most active philanthropists of his day , was chosen to succeed Bro . Pollock , who had gone to India .

Under the auspices of thc new Treasurer , thc great change to which thc best friends of thc Institution had been looking forward , but with little or no encouragement from the chief authorities , for some years previously , was adopted . In 1848 , the Jubilee Festival was celebrated , but who presided and what was the amount of the donations and subscriptions announced on the occasion , I have

notbeen able to discover . In July of this year , the Quarterl y Court of Governors unanimousl y resolved that , " a Committee be formed for the purpose of taking into consideration the present financial position of the Charity , with a view to extend its usefulness , " and at the April Court in 1849 , the Committee appointed delivered an elaborate report , in which certain improvements were proposed , and agreed to

be adopted . In October , 1850 , a further Committee was appointed , and an improved scheme was recommended , and ordered to bo carried into effect from Lad y Day , 1851 . But the further tlie Governors went in the direction of improving the Institution , the more apparent it became that nothing short of completing the original scheme of the founders would satisfy the friends of the

Institution . Hence it is not surprising to learn that within a few months of Lad y Day , 1851 , a fresh agitation set in with tho openly avowed object of obtaining School premises suitable for the requirements of the Institution , and tho Earl of Zetland , who as M . W . Grand Master , was President of the Charity , having expressed acquiescence in the proposals , and promised his sanction to tho

measures which it might be found necessary to adopt , a series of resolutions was at once formulated and unanimously adopted , in the first or declaratory article of widely it is laid down "that it is essential to the future prosperity and usefulness of this Institution to take measures for adding to its existing system , an establishment for the maintenance , as well as education , of the sons of indigent and

deceased Freemasons . " It was also proposed to start a Building Fund , and these and ( he other proposals having been adopted , Bros . the Far ! of Yarborough , B . 13 . Cabbell , 'Samuel Scott , and R . G . Alsfon , were in April , 1852 , appointed Trustees of the said Fund . Resolutions nt ( he same meeting were adopted inviting donations and subscriptions , and so rapid was the progress that , thanks to tho

material aid rendered b y Grand Lodge which voted firstl y £ 500 as a Sustentation of Building Fund , and then two sums of £ 350 and £ 1000 respectivel y in furtherance of the main object , the Governors found themselves in a position in December , 185 ( i , to pay £ 3500 for the pniohase of Lordship House , Tottenham , with the grounds in which it stood . The necessary alterations to convert , the house into

a Boarding School were at once undertaken , and in March , 1857 , 25 of Ihe children were taken into residence and placed under the charge of the Rev . 0 . and Jlrs . Woodward , as Master and Matron respectively . The experiment succeeded so admirabl y that in 185 !) the whole of the boys on the establishment , with the exception of a few who elected io remain under thc old riuiiine , were admitted to the

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LondonOrphanAsylum,Watford.1m For the Maintenance & Education of respectable Fatherless Boys & Girls from all parts . Age of admission from 7 to 11 . 500 now in the School . 6 , 051 have already been benefited . "ZT'i ^ Z ^ - " * ¦ ,,,,-- . ^ ¦ - " ^ I ^ i ^^^ ftfB ^?* .. ^^* "T ~"! ^ - ^" "'^ : ;; S ^^^ £ ^ v ^^ -Hri r" ^^_ ~ r 0 ver £ 15 , 000 Per annum is necessary . ^^ SB ^^ ^^ S ^ k ^^^^^ ^^ ¦ The assured income is only £ | , 3 QQ . ^^^^ "' D hi ^^^^^^^ M ^^^^^ i ^ i ^^^^ The year 1898 commenced with a Deficit Balance of fe ^ Y ' .. ;' ' iiM ^^' ^ W' ^^^^ mM ' >^^ - ' ^" i ^^^^^ W ^^over £ 3 . 3 QQ . so that the Managers have been compelled to g ^^^^^^^^ M ^^^ 'i ^ Tj ^^^^^^ 'i ^^ C "" -43 |? $ j ^ . ^ i ^^^^^^ reduce the admission at the Election in June to thirty ifi ^ y ^§ Pii ^ ' - ^ '" Jj ' "itr iS ^ pi ; ii ''^ , % ip | P ^ children , viz : 22 Boys and 8 Girls . B ^^^ Ye 4 iY ^^ I ^*^ ' " ' ' ¦ ' ' \ ijY ' :- ' l ^^ ' ^^^ f * - ^ ' | ' ^ lr ^ $$$ § Tlii're lire now viii-rirn-ics I ' m- neiu-ly 10 3 in tlir > Institution , which would bn I ^^ S r'Y ^ t . ' ^^^^^ fi ^^^: - ^' . J ^ l : ^^^- *; Y *"* ¦ —' ¦ ,- ..: ¦ j" Annual Subscription for 1 Vote at each Election 10 s . 6 d . } Increasin ,, in IB A . Chapel . D - Junior Boys' Schoolrooms , Houses A . CAI'KI . C ' AltXI'HV AltHUTIIXOTT TreiHitrer B . / 'D'nlnu Hall and Administrative Offices . and Playground . Offlf-n— K II l ' oisini .-i n Chairman ' I ,. C . Senior Boys' Schoolrooms , Houses and E . Girls'Wing and Playground . „ , > J ° „ . _ . , „_ 1 .. Jl . JJOI srihi . ii , t / i « w » WH . r Playground . F . Infirmary . 21 , Great St . Helen ' s , E . G . Hl'XHV C . AltMKiKit , Secretary .