Extracts, With Notes, From The Minutes Of The Lodge Of Friendship, No. 277, Oldham.

July 27 th . Every officer absent , except for reasonable cause , to be fined Is . ancl every other member 3 d . 5 s . per member to be paid at each festival of St . John for the expenses of the clay . Visitors the same . Sep . 28 th . Br . P . I . to be admitted to the Lodge during sickness " without being charged . " Feby . 26 th 1817 . " Betwixt this 60 th page and the next page 61 five leaves

, were tore out of the Book by David Ogden or his order , who had intruded himself into the Lodge without being elected or being a member . The entries following are written at one time to serve private purposes , & James Potter , the Secretary , said he was ordered to report several members present when they never appeared . " April 30 th . The Loclge was held at the Angel Inn , when Daniel Lynch ,

Esq ., the Depy . P . G . M ., ancl his officers attended . A motion was carried that the Lodge be removed to the Spread Eagle , and the Depy . P . G . M . granted a dispensation for the removal . The minutes of this meeting are entered in two places , on pages 61 & 82 . The first record in the writing of Br . James Potter , and the second in that of Br . James Cocks . May 28 th . On this night the Lodge was held at the " Spread Eagle , " at 9

o ' clock , and another lodge was held at the " Angel , " at 8 o ' clock . The W . M . of the former was Br . Thomas Potter , and of the latter Br . Thomas Cawley , with whom were three other members , whilst Br . Potter opened the lodge with six Brethren present , besides the " Outer Guard . " The Lodge at the " Angel " continued to meet monthly until April 22 nd , 1818 . There were never more than 6 or 7 members present . The degrees of E . A ., F . C ., and M . M . were conferred on a CandidateThomas Waltonon the same evening . Reference

, , will be made subsequently to this Brother . No other working appears to have taken place in this " illegal lodge , " ancl the minutes are of no interest . Items from Cash Book : — 1817 . Dec . 17 th . —By Liquor and dinners for Masters in settling the difference £ 5 16 0 1817 . By a Lodge of Emergency called to see if the Difference

would be Accomidated betwixt the Brothers that have absented from the Angel to the Spread Eagle ... 74 Feby . 18 th , 1818 . The Lodge was held at the " Spread Eagle . " " An application was made to the P . G . Master , F . D . Astley , Esq ., by James Cocks , to remove the Lodge from the " Spread Eagle " to the "Angel" Inn , according to a resolution passed unanimously on the 12 th of December last at a Lodge of Emergency , convened by regular summons , and in a few clays a dispensation arrived , dated about the fourth of March , 1818 , of which the following is a

copy : — "Know all whom these presents do concern , that I do hereb y permit , order , and direct that the Lodge of Friendship , No . 519 , shall be removed from the " Spread Eagle " to the " Angel" Inn , in Oldham . ( Signed ) F . D . Astley , P . G . Master . March 18 th . It is stated that the " cause of removing the Lodfrom the

ge " Angel" was " obviated by the removal of the Landlord . " April 22 nd . The Provincial G . M ., with his Deputy , Wardens , and Secretary were present , but no mention is macle of the proceedings . May 20 th . The Prov . G . M . and his officers were again present . It is stated that " David Ogden " ( who " had intruded himself into the Loclge , " and was the illegal W . M . ) " was paid off all demands whatever on the Locland

ge his receipt on a stamp taken for the same . " After this date nothing seems to have destroyed either the peace or good harmony of the Brethren . June 17 th , 1818 . Festival of St . John . " Br . James Butterworth having ,