The Province Of Cheshire.

The Province of Cheshire .

PART III .

'TM-IERE are now over 60 lodges on the register of the J ^ Provincial Grand Lodge of Cheshire with about 3500 members . Of these , only seven lodges date back to the eighteenth century , and five have centenary jewel warrants . The first three are not now held in towns for which they were originally warranted , and only one of the

old lodges is of '' Ancient " or " Atholl " origin . The oldest was started in 1 754 , but some ^^ years or more have to be passed over before another lodge is found to keep it company of the same constitution . Though the province is at the present time the fifth largest in England , there were but

12 lodges on the list at the union of the two rival Grand Lodges in 1813 . By i 860 that number had been doubled , and 40 was reached by 1886 , since which period 25 more have been added , so that now there are the large number of 6 5 active lodges , the greater part of which have been chartered within the last 50 years , nearly all ( probably all ) being in a most vigorous condition .

The senior on the roll is the " Unanimity , " Xo . 8 9 , of Dukiniield , which was originally chartered " to be held on the first and third Wednesday in every month , at the place called St . Ann ' s coffee house , now kept by Harry Kirks in Manchester aforesaid , " 4 th day of February , 1754 . It is the oldest warrant extant of the kind under ( so-called )

modern auspices , having the names of the Worshipful Master and Wardens designated (" Joseph Greenwooch Genln . ; John Smith , Gcnlii . ; and John Harrysone , M . D ., " respectively ) , and exhibiting ¦ other features common to documents issued later , whereas previousl y the so-called

warrants were simply deputations lo couslilule . It was granted b y '' William Katchdale , of Liverpool , in the County Palatine of Lancashire , M . D ., " who was appointed Provincial Grand Master b y the Rt . Hon . Lord Dudley and Ward , M . W . Grand Master during the years 1742-3 , and officiated as the

ruler of that united province for several years . It has borne no other name than " Unanimity , " and successively held the number 256 , 194 , 154 , 122- 3 , and in , when the members evidentl y considered a change was desirable . The last payment to Grand Lodge when located

at Manchester was acknowledged in the transactions of November 23 rd , 1803 , when £ 2 10 s . and 16 s . are credited to the Hall and Liquidation Funds respectively . At 2 s . per member—the stipulated sum—that would suggest eight only on the register at that time . In the Grand Lodge Report

for April 6 th , 1808 , there are two credits of a guinea and half-a-guinea respectivel y for the Charily and Hall branches , dated from DUCKIXKIKLIJ .

Now the point is , was a regular removal effected between 1803 and 1808 , or should the lodge at Dukiniield be treated as virtuall y a new one , utilizing the old warrant . M y lamented friend , John Lane , in his colossal work— " Masonic Records , 1717-18 94 "—has represented the No . in as a second or new issue at Dukiniield , but it seems to me that as a minute of 1 st April , 1807 ,

reads"This Lodge Unanimity , No . 111 , removed unanimously from the sign of the ' Buck and Hay Thorn , ' Back Square , Manchester , in the County of Lancaster , to Mr . John Bradley , the ' Old General , ' in Duckinlield , in the County of Chester . "

I he brethren preserved their continuous working so long as the local authorities were duly consulted and agreed accordingly ; hence the centenary jewel warrant obtained 3 rd July , 1871 , was , I venture to think , fairly earned and duly merited , notwithstanding the change to another town as noted .

The second on the roll in respect to precedence is the Lodge of " St . John , " Stockport , which , though it works by virtue of a warrant granted the 21 st day of October , 1765 , the brethren would not have an easy task to prove continuity from 176 5 to 1775 , and then to 1806 , when the lodge was opened at Stockport . On the other hand the number was

preserved with which it started ( 139 ) to the union of the two rival Grand Lodges in December , 1813 , when it was altered to 168 , becoming 121 in 18 32 , and 104 from 186 3 . It is of "Ancient" origin ( and is the only "Athol" Lodge in Cheshire ) , for which reason it enjoys a position much higher up in the united roll , in proportion to Nos . 267 , 287 , and

other lodges of the province , four of which have centenary jewel warrants . The lodge was first chartered at the " Star , " MOTTRAM LoxGDKXDAr . K-ix-Loxc . DicxuAi . K , on 2 ist October , 1765 , but evidently collapsed almost as soon as it was constituted . Ten

years later the original document was again issued with the same number to DOHCKOSS , SADDLKWOKTH , Yorkshire , where it held on for some 30 years . It is possible that the continuity from 1775 may be satisfactorily established , but certainl y not from 1 765 . The endorsement of 31 st March , 1806 , permitting its

transference to the " Bunch of Grapes , " Stockport , is quite silent as to that important point , the wan ant being entrusted to the Worshipful Master and Wardens duly mentioned bv name , just as with an entirely new lodge , and was authorized by the R . W . Bro . Thomas Harper , D . G . M ., being duly attested by Robt . Leslie , G . Sec . I believe the first preserved minute is dated June , 1807 .

Between 1806 and 18 97 when it reached the Mechanics Institute , Wellington Road , at least a score of removals appear in the official and other registers , but from the latter year its journeyings all ceased .

I he third on the existing roll is the " Lodge of Unity , *' No . 267 , which was formed at Deansgate , Manchester , as No . 533 in 1788 , changing to Sal ford in 1816 , to Hulme in 18 3 6 , and the great cotton city once again in 18 39 , reaching MACCUCSKIKLD , Cheshire , in 18 44 , as No . 334 , at the " Macclesfield Arms Hotel , " where it has rested ever since .

It is quite within the bounds of probability that continuous working might be proved from the ninth decade of the 18 th century . We next come to four lodges having each the coveted centenary jewel warrants . ( 1 ) The " Beneficent , " and then

the " Unanimity , " No . 509 , of 1792 , but now No . 28 7 , was duly opened at the "Sun , " STOCK POUT , its special warrant bearing date 12 th July , 1792 . ( 2 ) The " King ' s Friends ' Lodge , " of 1793 , was constituted at the - ' Three Pigeons " as No . 520 , but is now assembling at the " Church House

and Masonic Hall , NAXTWICII . Its continuity has been acknowledged by the necessary warrant dated exactl y 100 years later than its original charter . ( 3 ) The " Union , " and later on the " Coinbennerc Lodge of Union , " was chartered as No . 526 , in 1793 , at MACCI . KSI'IKI . D , and enjoys the

distinction of a centenary jewel warrant of 24 th June , 1 793 . ( 4 ) " Lodge of Loyalty , " No . 585 , of 1799 , has now a confirmation warrant of 23 rd June , 18 93 , and a centenary jewel warrant of 1 st September , 18 98 , having been constituted the year before the date of its first charter at

MOTTKAM-IXLOXGDKXDAI . IC . It is now No . 320 , and holds its meetings at the Masonic Rooms , to which it was removed so far backas the year 18 3 ^ .

The next on the register is a remarkable trio , numbered 321 , 322 , and 323 , being respectively named"Uxnv , PKACK , Coxcoun . "