In the beginning - The Consecration
The weather forecast in the Times for
The famous front page Personal Columns exhorted the purchase of ‘Mr. John Carters Patent Revolving Bed Tables, adjustable to any height or inclination, prices from 35 shillings’ and contained the following advertisement:
’Wanted, a kind middle aged woman to take entire charge of a boy of rather weak intellect’
And on this day in 1894, another Lodge, the 40th, was added to the Roll of the Province of Surrey when Noel Money Lodge No. 2521, named after the Provincial Grand Master of the province, was consecrated at a ceremony at the Oatlands Park Hotel, Weybridge.
According to a report in The Freemason, ‘the want of a Lodge in this district had long been felt and accordingly a number of brethren presented a Petition to Grand Lodge, praying for a Warrant of Constitution which was granted in due course, their names being enrolled as Founders’. They were Bros.:
RW Bro. Col. Gerard Noel Money, CB, PM 1279, 1439, 936, 1616, Provincial Grand Master, Surrey
W. Bro. Henry J Bidwell, PM and Secretary 2120, PPGDC
W. Bro. Edward Taylor Madely, PM 2120
W. Bro. James MacIntosh, PM 59 and 2190
W. Bro. William Stephens, PM 1025, P. Dist. GD and Supt.Wks, Argentine Republic
W. Bro. William Dix, PM 2120
W. Bro. Arthur Grace
and Bros. Caleb Lewis, Frederick Cross, Frank Harper, Richard J Hunt, Thomas Dix, Edward Brown, Frederick Thomas, John Hill, Jesse Coleman, Alfred Gale, Thomas Disney Fisher and Henry Budd.
The report continues, ‘A Procession having been formed, the Brethren entered the Lodge and the Provincial Grand Master, having taken the chair, appointed Bros. Fredk. Flood as Senior Warden, FW Leaver as Junior Warden, C
The Lodge was Opened in the Three Degrees and after the hymn ‘Hail Eternal’ the Provincial Grand Master explained the nature of the duties the brethren were assembled to perform.
The Chaplain then offered prayer. The Warrant of the Lodge having been read by the Acting Secretary and the Brethren having signified their approval of the Officers named in the Warrant, an eloquent and practical oration of the principals of the Institution was impressively delivered by Bro. Rev. JS Brown-Rigg. The Lodge was then dedicated and constituted.
The Deputy Provincial Grand Master then took the chair and Bro. Col. Noel Money, having been duly presented by Bro. Bidwell, PM, was duly installed as the first WM and subsequently invested his officers as follows:
HJ Bidwell, Acting IPM
Frank Harper SW
RJ Hunt JW
T Dix Treasurer
EA Brown Secretary
F Thomas SD
JK Hill JD
J
AH Gale IG
H Rudd Steward
GJ Mason
TD Fisher Organist
The Addresses were delivered by the DPGM and the ceremonial which throughout was performed in a perfect manner was brought to a close.
The most recherché banquet followed the ceremony at which the Provincial Grand Master presided, supported by Bros. West,
The usual Masonic Toasts were duly honoured.
During the evening a number of songs, duets, were well rendered in which the following Brethren took part; Bros. Squire, Harper, Hill, Thomas, Grave, Webb and Welch; Bros. Henry Bidwell and Edward Brown giving recitations.
The musical arrangements were under the direction of Bro. Thomas Disney Fisher and too much praise cannot be given for the manner in which they were carried out, both in Lodge and at the table.
The banquet was all that could be desired and Bro. Arthur Grace deserves a word of praise for his excellent catering as does the energetic Secretary, Bro. Edward Brown, for the able manner in which the general arrangements were carried out’
The article in The Freemason concluded, ‘No lodge ever started under brighter auspices and a brilliant future is before it if only the brethren carry into effect the appropriate motto by which the arms of the Lodge are surrounded, 'Factis Non Verbis' – 'Action not words'
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