Lodge Of The Three Graces No.408, Haworth

Chapter Four, Lodge Street

The Lodge having received its new Warrant and now being numbered 862 held its first meeting on the 14th November 1831.

All the Officers from WM to Tyler were from Royal Yorkshire Lodge and the first business was to reinitiate, pass and raise all the Lodge Brethren who were enrolled in the period 1822 – 1833 during which period the meetings were irregularly convened. This reinitiation was done in stages so that by the meeting held on the 11th June 1832 all the Offices were held by the Lodge Brethren, John Brown being in the Chair.

Thus the Lodge became regularised, enabled to carry on its own work with its own Officers and without the assistance of outside help. An indication that the Lodge intended to prosper is indicated by an early proposal to buy a new carpet together with three mahogany chairs, the latter probably the ones still in use in the Lodge. But more important was a resolution in February 1833 “that a private Lodge Room be prepared in the new building belonging to Wm.Eccles”.

These rooms were in Newell Hill near the top of the Main Street on the left hand side. The street was renamed “Lodge Street” and bears this name to date.

To celebrate the establishment of the new Lodge rooms, it was resolved at an Emergency Meeting to hold a public procession on the 2nd September 1833 and John Brown and Joseph Redman were deputed to see the Rev. Patrick Bronte to request that he would preach a sermon to the Brethren in the Church at 12 o’clock. Accordingly such a procession was held. The only recorded details of the expenses now available are : – “Rev Bronte preaching 10/- , Band wages £ 1-10-0, ringers and singers 4/- , eating and drinking and Band £ 1-10-0, beer etc Band £1-14-0, cheese & bread visitors 2/8d, beer at Dinner 13/4d., writing letters 3/6d.” It is understood that 124 Brethren attended from far and wide. Unfortunatly we have no further details of the occasion, the Minute Book 1831 – 1869 having “disappeared” (how and when will be referred to later), so we are dependant on the information for this period on the Centenary History Book of Bro W.Feather, miscellaneous notes, memos and accounts written by Brethren.

Clearly the procession, Service and after proceedings were to mark an important occasion and reflect the determination of the Brethren to re-establish Regular Freemasonry in Haworth. Our brief records disclose that “the Brethren wore white aprons, gloves and jewels according to the conditions. The procession was in every way respectable, with praise to its conductors and much credit to the fraternity at large. This was followed by an excellent dinner, the remainder of the day being spent in masonic song and toasts suitable to the occasion” Quite how this report ties in with the quoted expenses must be left to speculation. Possibly the expenses related to the pre-procession activities, the “excellent dinner” being paid for by the guests, who knows. Doubtless the whole affair was the main topic of conversation for the 2500 Haworth inhabitants, at least for the next few days.

All the Lodge furniture had been removed from the Black Bull to the new Rooms and, no doubt at great expense, in September 1833, 24 rush bottomed chairs were bought and it is later recorded that these were still in use in 1931. And in 1835 the Lodge purchased a “pianoforte”. According to our Centenary History, at the Installation held in December 1834, the Minutes record a list of all the Brethren of the Lodge (37 in number) who had “passed the Chair” and of those who had “Received the Mark”.

The inference is that a Mark Lodge of some kind was in being at this time and was known as the 13 1/2d mark. This being the older method of Mark Masonry before its re-creation in its present form and working. Present day Tylers should note that the duties of the Tyler were then “to clean the Lodge, deliver the summonses and kindle the fire as specified in the rules” for the princely payment of of £1-0-03/4d. With no further information available we can only speculate on the reason for three farthings above the round sum of £1. (there are no prizes for the best guesses !). The Minutes also confirm that it was customary for Brethren to attend a deceased Brother’s funeral wearing white gloves and a scarf over the left arm.

Events of note around this period are the Initiation of Patrick Branwell Bronte in 1836, for further details , refer to his profile and in the same year the formation of Scientific Lodge No 439 (then 642). The first Lodge rooms of Scientific were in Cullingworth, the first Master J.C.Taylor, having been initiated into the Lodge in 1834, the Petition for this new Lodge being recommended by the Master and Wardens of Three Graces. In 1833 the Lodge formed a Sick & Benefit Society called “the Three Graces Union”. Each member paid two shillings and three pence per quarter and became entitled to benefit after 12 months membership. Sick benefit was 5/- per week up to a total of £20. and thereafter 2/6d per week; death benefit between £1 – £3 depending on years of membership. We do not know how long the Union lasted, no doubt it was overtaken by the many Oddfellow Societies then in existence.

The Lodge, originally meeting on the 2nd Saturday in certain months during this period under review, adopted a new regulation that meetings were to be held on Monday on or before every full moon and so it has continued, as a “Moon Lodge”. The first twenty years saw the re-established Lodge prosper, a new Warrant, new premises and a daughter Lodge. With progressive ideas the future looked bright, notwithstanding the difficult times of the early 19th century.