Freemasonry in Suffolk

1663 Harfcismere Eye 23 FREEMASONRY IN SUFFOLK . 1823 Royal Clarence Clare * 1983 Martyn Southwold 25 WHEN tbe history of our own times comes to be (* no returns). compiled by some future Masonic writer, the annual calendars which are now issued in many of the The Provincial Grand Chapter is nnder the government Provinces of England will be found to afford one of the of the Rev. 0. J. Martyn P.G.P.S., and consists of six readiest means of supplying much of the data necessary Chapters, wifch a joint membership of about 150 Com- for the historian's work, even if, in a few years' time, panions, distributed as follows :— a collection of these Calendars will not in themselves No. Chapter Meeting afc Membera contain sufficient for a full history of English Freemasonry 81 Royal York Woodbridge 21 of the present day. There are, however, many ways in 225 Sfc. Luke Ipswich 18 which these Calendars mi 376 Royal Sussex Ipswich 41 ght be made of more general 959 Royal Alexandra Ipswich * interest than they are now, and they wonld prove of 1008 White Rose Bury St. Edmunds 28 greater service for historical purposes if each edition was 1631 St. Andrew Gorleston 29 to contain a brief summary of Masonic events particularly (* No returns). associated with the Province in which they are issued. By The Province of Suffolk may thus be said to be strong in this means brethren would have an incentive for local both the Craft and Royal Arch degrees, and , as we shall research, which we are sure would be the means of bringing show later on , it is also represented in Mark, Rose Croix, much valuable information to li ht. For a time at least g , , and Knight Templar Masonry. It is, however, in its sys- ifc would only be necessary to devote a few pages of each tematic support of the Masonic Charities that Suffolk is edition to the details we suggest , as we should simply deserving of more than passing reference and if the Year advise the , giving of dates, and the most meagre Book now under notice did nothing more than record what details. This should make the local Calendars of has been done, and what is being done on behalf of " the interest outside the districts for which , they are specially poor and distressed " of the Fraternity, it would still bo a compiled , and, in view of the fact that a large majorit y of mosfc useful publication, and one worthy of being con- them are at present carried on at a loss , from a financial sidered as an example for other districts to imitate. The point of view , this in itself should be matter for considera - Suffolk Masonic Charit Association is a committee formed tion. There are Masonic y events connected with every dis- with a view of utilizing to the utmost the votes for the trict worth , y of being recorded in a local work, which at Institutions which are received b brethren in the Province present y , escape any permanent record , except, perhaps, in and consists of one brother from each Lod the newspap ge, elected at the ers of the day, which fire seldom preserved, regular meeting in January, in addition to the Provincial merel because there is no available means of recording y Grand Master and Deputy Provincial Grand Master them. If our suggestion (who were adopted, this would no act as President and Yice-President respectivel longer be the case and once having y). The , created a demand for Committee meets at least twice in each year, and proceeds historical information , the supply would soon prove equal to meet it. to the selection of the most deserving candidate, for the support of the Province afc the respective elections the We have before us the *' , Masonic Tear Book for the method of selection being by voting among the members Province of Suffolk for the year 1886," and propose to review its contents present, the chairman having a casting vote. Each Lodge , with a view of making the informa- has to contribute 10s a year towards defray tion it contains more generall ing the neces- y known, and as an incentive sary expenses of printing, postage attendance of for other districts not similarl , repre- y supplied to follow its ex- sentative at the elections ample in the several matters referre , &c. Minor matters of detail are d to. imposed on each of the members of the The Provincial Grand Lod Committee, in ge of Suffolk, which was order that proper returns may be made and annuall under the rule of the late Lord Waveney up y until the day of laid before Provincial Grand Lodge. In proof of the excel- his death in February lasfc consists of twent , , y-one Craft lent organisation and the united spirit which exists in the Lodges, and, at the time the present year' s calendar was Province we now give a summary of the Committee's compiled , had upwards of 800 members on its roll, distributed as under— work during the year 1885. Two hundred and fift y-seven different subscribers to the Institutions are recorded in No. Lodge Meeting afc Members the list which accompanies the Year Book, and the total 71 Unity Lowestoft 72 number of 81 Doric Woodbrid ge 50 votes to which they are entitled is given as 114 British Union Ipswich 2375, made np of 751 Girls' votes, 799 Boys', 364 Mens', ¦ ¦ 47 225 St. Luke Ipswich 93 and 461 Widows. Of these, 2088, or nearly eighty-eight 305 Apollo Becclea 20 per cent., were sent into the Association and used on 332 Virtue and Silence Hadleigh 27 behalf of the Province, which exhibits a state of 376 Perfect Friendship Ipswich 68 388 Prudence Halesworth 34 organisation unequalled , we think, by any other Province 516 Phcenix Stowmarket 41 in England. Another association formed in the county has 555 Fidelity Framlingham 35 for its object the obtaining of Life Subscribershi ps by 929 Waveney Bungay 30 Lodges, Chapters, Preceptories, and Societies of the Pro 936 Adair Aldeburgh 22 959 Prince of vmce, who subscribe not less than four guineas per Wales Ipswich * annum. A 1008 Eoyal St. Edmund Bury St. Edmunds 49 general meeting of the Committee is 1224 Stonr Valley Sudbury 61 held annually, in February, when a statement of 1452 St. Margaret Lowestoft 25 accounts is submitted, and a ballot or drawing 1592 Abbey Bury St. Edmunds 31 takes place for priority of presentation to as many 1631 St. Andrew Gorleston 30 life subscriberships as the amount of funds then in the hands of the Treasurer will allow, subject And now we come down through the ages until a time to certain regulations, among which we may men- when the Omnipotent reversed the hand which held tion that each Charity is to be selected as nearly as the flood, and in silent solitude the ark floats above the possible in rotation ; that each Lodge shall have one deluged world. chance in the drawing for every two guineas standing to These are two symbols, the flood and the Ark, and they its credit in the books at the time of the ballot, and shall mean—the one destruction, overthrow, and the other, be entitled to only one nomination at any one ballot ; rescue, safety, security. And the words deluge and ark that each successful Lodge has to give a promise in have lost none of their suggestive significance by their writing, through three of its principal Officers , to continue transfer from that far-off age to our own. Turn now a the payment of its subscription until the full amount of leaf and see where presumptuous mortals planned to scale the life subscription is paid. At the second general heaven's walls and get to themselves a name ; and they meeting of this Association, held at Ipswich on the 27th succeeded, for the name is Babel, and it lives, and is February 1885, fifty guineas was ballotted for, and the familiar to our enrs to-day, as the symbol of confusion and followin g Lodges and Chapter were successful in drawing crestfallen conceit. Turn yet other leaves of the wondrous a ten-guinea Life Subscribership :—Stour Valley Lodge, story, and lo! men build according to the plan drawn JNo. izz% St. Andrew s uoctge, INO . 1031 , noyai Sussex upon the trestleboard of heaven, the tabernacle, the tent of Chapter, No. 376, Adair Lodge, No. 936, and Unity Jehovah, and it is, as a whole, and its every several part, a Lodge, No. 71. Three of these Life Subscriberships went symbol in which is written some moral truth. io the Benevolent Institution, and one each to the Girls' It would be interesting to trace the symbolic teaching and Boys' Schools. throngh all the parts of this strange building, to show how Suffolk forms a part of the Provincial Grand Lodge of aptly the curtains, the vails, the boards, the pins, the rings. Mark Master Masons of East Anglia, and contributes the staves and the bars, the hooks, the loops and the three Lodges and seventy members to that body, viz.— tenons, and even the colour of the different vails, are all No. Lodge Meeting at Members made, without any forced application, to teach truth. And 70 Albert Victor Ipswich 21 yet more -wonderful is the teaching of the furniture of the 105 Freeman Bnry Sfc. Edmnnds 15 tent, and especially the Ark and its contents and appurten- 317 Yonell Gorleston 34 ances. The tables of the law, the pot of manna, and the while the higher degrees are represented by the Prudence rod of Aaron, are the most significan t symbols.

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