Extracts From The Minutes Of The Royal Arch Chapter Of Concord Attached To The Anchor And Hope Lodge, No, 37, Bolton.

the amount thereof ; however it may not be necessary to observe that all our members except John Smallwood Avere initiated before the obtaining of our Chapter . We conceive the Registering fees of the Companions to Avhom tho Chapter was granted are already paid . We

shall be glad to have the form of a certificate for a R . A . Mason . " We are " Your affe . Companions . "

( Signed by the Z ., H . and J . ) The return above referred to is headed " No . 45 Chapter of Concord . " Thomas 11 th

« Grantprl f Kycroft , . Nov , uranteci i wmiam Johngon > L . 5789 ) l Nathaniel HowarthJ A . D . 1785 . " Held at the Hope and Anchor , in Bolton-le-moors on the last Wednesday in Feby ., May , Augt ., & November , " ancl

comprises the names of twenty-six Brethren , two of Avhom are stated to have " Declared off , " and three to have "left the town . " A meeting was held 27 th Feby ., 1788 , when it is said :

" The Grand letter of the 27 th Deer ., 1787 , sent us by T . Callendar , Esqr ., was again read and our answer to it , then a letter from John Frith , Esq ., J ., in London of the 20 th Feby ., ' 1788 , was read . " In a subsepuent entry the above " John

Frith , Esq ., " is designated " our Revu . Brother John Frith . " At this meeting a few of the Brethren intimated that they would pay their " Registering fees , " whilst , others ( including Bro . Thos . Thornley ) " declared off . "

Another meeting was held 5 th March , 1788 , at Avhich other Brethren intimated that they would pay their "Registering fees , " Avhilst others " declared off . " It is also stated _

"Bro . Peter Lawson was registered in Dublin . " "Bro . Thos . Thornley , having been registered before , being made in St . Augusta , in East Florida , in America , fourteen years agothis not being

suffi-, cientl y then understood he is reinstated in his place in this General Encampment . " A meeting was summoned for 30 th April , 1788 , at six o ' clock , under which

date appear the following entries signed by " Thos . Heaton E . " "About six o ' clock ( perhaps a minute after by the church ) I came to the house of Bro . W . Johnson ; there I found Bro . Richcl . Thornley , the Tyler , and in some

time afterwards Bro . W . Johnson came to us in the Lodge room . " " It is now about 7 J o'clock by the church clock , which is rather too late , and no other person has attended . " " About Ik clock Bro . Tho . Smethurst

came into the room ; he said to me about 6 o ' clock he could not come for an hour . " " Bro . P . Lawson , Bro . W . Thweat and Bro . Tho . Rycroft hacl told me they were afraid they could not come , and Bvo . Wm . Thweat paid me his Registering fee 5 / , to which I put mine 5 / , and delivered the 10 / to Bro . Tho . Smethurst , T . "

" Left the room about 8 o'clock . " Under date 3 rd May , 1788 , appears a copy of a letter addressed by the Scribe E . to T . Callendar , Esq ., enclosing £ 115 s , Od . as the Registering fees of seven Brethren , being all who had paid such fees , the

remainder of the Brethren having " declared off , " "left the town , " or " refused to pay . " On Srd October , 1788 , is the following entry : " Bro . James Crooke , Junr ., came from

Manchester with the form of Petition for a Chapter , He also brought a certificate from the Chapter of Unanimity held at Bury , certifying and recommending James Crooke , Joel Britland , and I think John Ashworth as proper persons to fill the

offices of Principals . We have wrote on the back : "Bolton , Chapter of Concord , No . 45 . " From the within certificate Ave make

no doubt of the Avithin named J . C ., J . B ., and J . A . having been exalted under the Chapter of Unanimity held at Bury . " Witness our hands this 3 rd Oct ., / 88 . " ( Signed by the Principals and the Scribes . )

A meeting was held 26 th Novr ., 1788 , at which the officers were elected for the year ensuing . " Proposed that so far of the 7 th By-LaAV which allows the T yler 2 / 6 be repealed , and in lieu thereof 1 / every G , E , be g iven to him , " 2 x 2