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Freemasonry in Whitehaven
The previously
secret world of freemasonry is now coming out into the public domain. In Whitehaven
there are four craft lodges of the movement, entitled Concord, Temperencia (named
after the Temperance movement ) Cumbria lodge and the oldest Whitehaven lodge,
The Sun Square & Compasses Lodge 119.
Below are Notes on the history of the 119 lodge composed by Wr, Br, J Garroway
PAGDC Oct 2007
Revised March 2008
Some fifteen to twenty years ago, I wrote a short article entitled "why
oh why did I join 119" it was based on the fact that some of the very early
Brethren were not shy, or known for there quite and gentile manner, but more
of that later. For the first one hundred years of it's existence 119 did not
have a permanent home , but moved from public house to public house at the dictate
of the Worshipful Master at the time.
However in November of 1858 this Hall was purchased and the Lodge had at last
a permanent home. It was this small snippet of information that set me thinking
how little I knew about our ancestors in 119 and this Lodge in particular.
I would like to say how indebted I was to some of the older members of the Lodge,
but they are no longer around to ask, and I am just about the top of the tree
as that stands so brethren you will just have to take my word for it, however,
there are some historians who have penned articles that have been of great assistance
to me, the Reverend Barker Cryer for inspiration from his book, although in
his later additions he has lost the plot a little , when writing the Laurence
Dermett story he has the date completely wrong and unfortunately it is in print
a cannot be altered. and To the unknown author who in 1926 compiled the "History
of the Sun Square and Compasses Lodge" I give my praise and gratitude
In
1858, Brother James Jackson was elected W.M. His year of office was memorable
for the acquisition of this Masonic Hall here in College Street Whitehaven,
our present home. Owing to the increasing number of members, the Lodge had to
be removed in 1857 from the Black Lion Hotel to a more commodious room, at the
Globe Hotel, this was after what was probably the longest time that we had stayed
under one roof having moved to the Black Lion Hotel in King Street on April
12th 1852 having been in the Packet Inn for a very short time and the Grapes
Inn, New Street before that.
This building
was bought during Wr,Bro,Jackson's year of office, for £608, and by trust
deed, dated November 29th,1858, the property was conveyed to and vested in Bro's
Joseph Fletcher, James Dees, Henry Spencer, and James Jackson. An amount of
£453 was expended in altering the premises, bringing the total original
cost up to £1,061.
To meet this outlay " The Masonic Hall Company" was formed, and 1,150,
£l, shares were issued to the shareholders, who were required to be members
of the Lodge. Considerable sums were at the time spent on the building, making
the total outlay up to well over £2000.00.
The Lodge purchased the shares in January, 1902, and the Trustees of the Masonic
Hall Company, there upon conveyed the premises to the new Trustees appointed
on behalf of the Lodge and thereby making the Lodge the absolute owners, this
was achieved by the energy of it's members who went on to improve the building
in many ways Electricity etc
Bro Lamonby wrote in 1879 " The Hall that belongs to the Sun Square and
Compasses Lodge is a Masonic Temple that is excelled by few anywhere for capacity
and completeness." In terms of a meeting place for a moderately sized town
such as Whitehaven, this is certainly the case and for the purposes of the Lodges
and Chapters that currently meet here it is both adequate and worthy.
The old minute books from the year 1804 enabled me to discover something of
their pre-hall days, but it was interesting to note that there was no name of
the first Lodge until 1855 when certain brethren went to London and waited upon
the Grand Secretary, who challenged them to the right of Lodge No 138 to the
title "The Sun Square and Compasse" as it had never been registered
in the books of Grand Lodge, and recommended the members to petition the Grand
Master praying to have the Lodge duly registered under that name or any other
they may chose to give it.
But it was not until August, 1862, that the title was registered in the Grand
Lodge books wherein the Lodge is styled by its old name "Sun Square and
Compasse" and not by its modern and correct name, Sun, Square, and Compasses.........
(Pause)
The approach to the Lodge is discreet, set in a quiet street in the centre of
the town, the visitor mounts a set of stone steps, and through a vestibule door,
to enter the long corridor that leads from the front door to the dinning room,
half way along this corridor one can mount the usual winding staircase-not,
to the middle chamber of the temple, but to the original, though partially modernised
committee room. Herein are deposited the moveable jewels and relics of the Lodge,
one could spend hours just looking in the glass fronted cabinets in which these
are displayed and certainly too numerous to be described in this talk,
I would advise anyone who is interested, to visit this room for there is also
a Library of books of Masonry in general and 119 in particular.
Taking ones exit by another door you enter by means of a short corridor, the
Lodge room itself.
Your eyes are immediately drawn to the alcove in the East, it is set between
two half projecting straight white pillars with golden chapiters. In the alcove
itself stands the Worshipful Masters chair which dates from about 1820,
A magnificent mahogany and parcel-gilt Master's chair having a halfdomed canopy,
(later painted with a gilt rising Sun), supported on fluted columns with Corinthian
Capitals, the seat is upholstered in cherry-red velvet, on square tapering fluted
legs with block feet, early 19th' century 199cm high.
Above this alcove and still between the white pillars there is a curved cornice
with gold decorated motifs and, at is centre a golden sun in glory, having a
human face with a shining gold star on it's forehead and a blue shield over
its mouth bearing the number 119, this feature completes the whole effect, and
rightly enhances the place where the senior officer of the Lodge has sat throughout
the Hall's history.
When the Lodge is opened, to the right of the Worshipful Master on the wall
above the Provincial Officers, hangs the Lodge Banner.
This is comparatively new, having been dedicated by the Right Wro Provincial
Grand Master Bro John Hale, on Monday May the 3rd 2005. This banner features
a shield with the name of the Lodge at the top, the Sun Square and Compasses
on the right hand side and the three Castles and Compasses from the United Grand
Lodge of England coat of arms on the on the left hand side.
Its ironic that the Lodge in those days had the presents of mind to chose the
castles from the United Grand Lodge coat of Arms as this was the Badge of the
Modern Grand Lodge and our Lodge was, originally warranted by the Grand Lodge
of Antients, and it stands today as the only Antient (Atholl) Lodge in the Province.
This Banner replaced the old one which sadly had deteriorated beyond repair,
and is a fine testament to the progress of the Lodge from consecration to present
day.
In front of the Masters Chair is a pure white pedestal bearing on it's face
a Square in Gold, this pedestal bears the Volume of the Sacred Law resting on
a velvet cushion, its age is shown by the number 138 (granted in 1832), and
its embossed cover bears not only four motifs of the Square and Compasses at
each corner, but a large radiating sun at the centre with an open book named
Holy Bible, and on it the Square and Compasses once again. This book sets beyond
doubt the age of the Lodge, it was printed by the Oxford press in 1850 and sold
by E, Gardner, who was a church publisher at the time. Flanking this Pedestal
are two very well preserved Terrestrial and Celestial Globes pointing out Masonry
universal.
These are a pair of very fine globes of Victorian origin, by W. and A. K. Johnston,
1858, the globes are 18" diameter on mahogany tripod scroll bases with
turned stretchers incorporating compasses, 45.Scm diameter by approximately
108cm high.
The effect should be to draw the visitor's mind back to pre-union period when
lectures on such subjects were part and parcel of the Lodges usual activities.
Hanging on this pedestal are one of the original Tracing Boards, in there present
form the, Tracing Boards are a familiar item of Lodge furniture, but they should
remind us of the boards upon which the Master Mason in Medieval days set out
his plans for the building, the two others are displayed on the Senior Warden
and Junior Wardens pedestals displayed throughout the working degrees
In early speculative Lodges it was customary for a design to be drawn in chalk
upon the boarded floor of the meeting- room, usually by the Tyler, and this
the candidate was required to erase at the end of the ceremony with the aid
of a mop and pail.
Many different styles have survived but these design's by John Harris in 1820,
in many respects set the pattern for those seen today in the great majority
of English Lodges. None are in any way regarded as `official' and artists with
varying measures of talent have created quite original versions, always necessarily
based on the symbolism enshrined in Craft working and depicting the features
described in the relevant Tracing Board Lectures.
The location of the three tracing-boards in the Lodge room varies quite considerably.
Very often they will be displayed upon the floor and older lodges may have well-made
and often ingenious pieces of furniture to reveal and change them Against the
front of the pedestals is another much-used position. Occasionally they will
be found as framed pictures
on walls, with curtains or doors being drawn aside as necessary. Where ever
they are placed, it usually falls to one or both Deacons to attend to them,
but in 119's case it falls on the D.C. or A.D.C.
Next to the Masters alcove , and also to the left of both the Senior and Junior
Warden's chairs, there stands a set of three mid-Victorian classical columns
in carved turned and fluted pine, of the Corinthian, Doric and Ionic orders,
each surmounted by an etched glass terrestrial globe, now modified to give electric
light, and are illuminated during the ceremonies, they obviate the need for
candles and also illustrate the older tradition of having only one pillar and
a light at the principle officers chairs.
These pillars were gifted to the Lodge in 1873 by Bro, the Right Honourable,
G,A,Cavendish-Bentinck Member of Parliment, who was affiliated in the Lodge
in May of that year, his reason for presenting them underlines the practice
even then of emphasising the importance of Lectures.
He said on his last visit to the Lodge, when he had the pleasure of hearing
Bro Gibson explain the Tracing Board, that he regretted to observe that the
columns, representing the Ionic, Doric, and Corinthian orders of architecture
were very improperly represented by those in the Lodge at that time. He therefore
considered it his duty and privilege to provide others. They are certainly a
most distinctive feature of this hall. The Senior and Junior Wardens chairs
are uniquely similar but there is a great time span between them both, the Senior
Warden's chair is original and possibly early 19`h century, while the Junior
Wardens chair has been expertly crafted by a member of this Lodge, Worshipful
Brother. F.W Mifflin PPrGSwdBR from good quality timber recovered from old ships.
The oldest of the two is undoubtedly the Senior Wardens, A mahogany and parcel-gilt
chair of bowed form, the moulded back of continuous serpentine form terminating
in carved acanthus-decorated volutes, on a central `level' support between turned
columns, the centre rail of flat bow form, the D-shaped seat is upholstered
in cherry-red velvet and raised on gilt-enriched square section fluted legs
to the front and plain legs to the rear, all with block feet.
The Director and Assistant Director of Ceremonies sit on a pair of William IV
Mahogany dining armchairs, having overhung plain top rails, scrolled arms with
stylised leaf surmounts also upholstered in cherry red velvet, for the remaing
of the furniture, the Provincial Officers are blessed with a set of late Victorian
oak salon chairs having kidneyshaped oval backs with carved foliate cresting,
serpentine fronts, the backs and seats upholstered in wine American cloth.
Returning to the rest of the immovable jewels:- the rough and smooth ashlar's.
What are their use?
The first is representation of the brute stone taken from the quarry, which
is assigned to the apprentices ...that by their industry it might be brought
into due form and made fit for use. The second is the smooth stone, or polished
ashlar, which has undergone the skill of the craftsman and is ysed by him to
adjust his tools....the rough ashlar is said to be an emblem of the human mind
in its pristine state, while the smooth ashlar is a representation of the mind
improved by culture.
Thus we find the N.E. corner as the place for the Rough Ashlar, the E.A.'s foundation
stone, symbolically the foundation stone of the spiritual temple which we, as
Masons, are to build within ourselves. The position of the Smooth Ashlar...
allocated to the Fellow-Craft is found in the centre of the building, on the
Lodge floor, suspended by a derrick, and fixed by a lewis , which is a stone
masons Grapnel, a device used in raising and lowering stone blocks in the course
of the building, which is really two wedged shaped blocks set in the cut stone
with a spacer in between..
These ashlars are not always displayed in the north east corner, or are not
always the same shape, for in the Mid-lands they are on the J.W.and S.W. pedestals.
The J.W. is the rough ashlar - the axe-trimmed, rude, roughly squared stone,
more or less as it came from the quarry, and symbolising the natural man, uneducated
and unaware of any duty to society. The S.W. ( now, but not always in the past.
called the perfect ashlar), smooth surfaced, die -square, and ready to be built
into, and form part of a sound wall, symbolises the cultured and educated man,
a man having a social conscience. And the French did not use square stones as
a perfect ashlars but pointed stones called Thurnells but have been replaced
by the square ones after great confusion.
In the south west corner stands a George 111 inlaid -mahogany and parcel gilt
organ surmount, having a gilt cresting and fretted side ornaments carved with
trophies of Masonic emblems, the whole being of finely figured Cuban flame-curl
mahogany, circa 1780, now fitted with a late 19`t' century mahogany Canadian
salon organ, by Bell and Guelph from Ontario Canada.
Standing on the floor, the warrant of the Lodge which stands on a magnificent
mahogany stand, and is proof positive that the Lodge has from May l8th 1768
(numbered 157 on the roll of Grand Lodge) been in regular existance.
The Warrent incidentally is printed in ordinary letterpress, and on a sheett
of foolscap rather than the more elaborate parchment favoured by G.L.
Lastly a predominant feature of the Lodge can not be listed among the Lodges
artefacts, I refer to the Magnificent Carpet, although old by design it is the
most recent item to be placed in the Lodge Room, being installed by the Masonic
Hall Company in the early 90s
That brethren is some of the history of the building, but to me the main feature
is one that I know has never been seen by anyone seated in here tonight, I refer
to the monument that our past masters have left us above our heads, the ceiling,
for hiding above us, this monstrous, thing called a ceiling, is a beautiful
ornate inlaid domed ceiling, with intricate moulded rope work and outstanding
paintings covering the full Masonic spectrum. I have always been at a loss,
wondering why our forefathers thought in there wisdom that it was going to fall
down, and what use a few sheets of asbestos would do if it decided to fall,
now we'll never know. (Pause) Brethren.
Let us now before closing have a light hearted look at some of the things that
are written down and are apart of our history.
From the minutes of 1823, it is recorded that fisty-cuffs occured and that the
two brethren involved were find four shilling each which helped toward the festive
board, and at that period in history it is recorded that Gin was the common
drink amongst working men and was so cheap it is a wonder that more such incidents
did not occur.
It seems to me that in those days all masters were publicans and vied with each
other to gain control of the Lodge in order to hold the meetings in their pubs
and make more money. There was also rivalry between the two Lodges which came
to a pique when the gentlemen's Lodge (Concorde) laid a complaint against the
working mans Lodge (119) accusing the Worshipful Master of recruiting all the
villains he could find, this came before Grand Lodge and was entered in the
minutes thus:That by the conduct of Byrnes, the master of the said Lodge, the
fraternity had been greatly injured and disgraced, by holding a Lodge of Masons
and as Master thereof had into his snares every young profligate whom he could
lay his hands on, four of them were later committed for
robbery................ (Maybe close here, and go to end)
A new master was elected and the meeting place again changed from the "Duke
of Atholl" (very aptly named) in the Ginns to the George inn Whitehaven.
Incedentally Wr. Bro. Byrne had eventually to insist on an enquiry to clear
his name, resulting in this entry in the minutes "After due investigations
and mature considerations we are of the unanimous opinion that the said James
Byrne is not guilty of the charges laid, where fore Bro McFadion (Concorde Lodge)
stands to be reprimanded.
A couple of years roll by, the meeting place changes yet again with a new master
to the Blue Bell and then to the Kings Arms, more problems, Charles Doran is
found guilty of knocking a tooth out of Peter Fitzsimons and silenced for 99
years, Richard McLinen, for striking a brother silenced for six months and James
Johnston for striking Charles Doran silenced for three months, strange isn't
it when thr minutes usually had words like "sat down to a plentiful dinner
where love and harmony crowned the festival.
Many changes with different Masters, still the feuding continued, an altercation
took place between the Master and Brother McCourt where upon the latter with
a pen blotted out his own name from the list of members, which was deemed an
insult to the craft, but all parted in love and harmony.
Why oh why did I join 119?.. I cant fight, and I don't lose my temper.
Such is the meeting place. (to my mind) of the oldest Lodge in our Province,
and as we continue to treasure its past and look forward to a changing future,
I hope that the decisions that we have taken lately, will not be viewed by all
future members as a retrograde step, but as the birth of a new era, and a strengthening
of new ties.
Only time will tell.
J.Garroway, PAGDC, LODGE 119,
August 2007-March 08