PAST MASTER'S JEWEL 1963
CATEGORIES OF JEWELS
HOPE LODGE No. 243
PAST MASTER'S JEWEL 1963.
CONTENTS:-
[TO JUMP DIRECTLY TO A SECTION CLICK ON NUMBER ]
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1. DESCRIPTION OF JEWEL.
2. SHORT HISTORY OF WARRANT No. 243.
3. HISTORY OF HOPE LODGE No. 243, 1882 - 1990.
4. SHORT HISTORY OF THE 59th REGIMENT OF FOOT.
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OBVERSE OF JEWEL
A silver Past Master's Jewel suspended from a sky blue ribbon by two silver bars.
The Compass and Square is a standard silver Past Master's Jewel with a fixed "G".
REVERSE OF JEWEL
The reverse of the Jewel bears the inscription :
"Province of Antrim
82nd W.M. MasonicLodge 243
1963
Presented to
Bro. Thomas Gibson McMullen
P.M."
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2. SHORT HISTORY OF WARRANT No. 243.
59th REGIMENT OF FOOT
Warrant No. 243 originally issued to brethren in the 59th Regiment of Foot,[see Brief History below] on the 1st April 1754.
The Minutes of Grand Lodge dated 7th March 1782 show concerning Warrant No. 243 -
"7 March, 1782 – Ordered a Duplicate of the Warrant No. 243 to sundry brethren of the 59th Regiment of Foot, the Original being defaced and now returned by them, to this R.W. Grand Lodge."
And again The Minutes of Grand Lodge dated 7th March 1784 show concerning Warrant No. 243 -
"4 March, 1784 – Ordered a Duplicate of the Warrant No. 243 to Brs. Wm. White, Thos. Mulligan and Wm. Mostyn, the original being taken by the Spaniards before Gibraltar."
This Lodge ceased to make any returns to Dublin after 1797, but may have continued in existence for some years after that date.
Warrant No. 243 held by the 59th Regiment of Foot was struck off the Register by Grand Lodge in 1815.
HISTORY THEREAFTER
Warant No. 243 reissued to brethren in GARVAGH, Co. Londonderry on the 7th February 1822, in lieu of Warrant No. 779,only to be cancelled by Grand Lodge on the 7th August 1856.
Warrant No. 243 reissued to brethren in BALLINROBE, Co. Mayo on the 9th August 1872 only to cancelled in December 1874.
[The above represents the barest of facts relating to Warrant No. 243 before same reissued to Hope Lodge No. 243 - the IRISH MASONIC RECORDS cd-rom gives a very full account of the Lodges who held Warrant No. 243 for the years setout above]
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3. HISTORY OF HOPE LODGE No. 243. 1882 - 1990
The Minutes of the Grand Lodge Board of General Purposes dated 2nd October 1882 show concerning Warrant No. 243 -
"2 October, 1882 – Read a Memorial for a new Warrant for a Lodge at Belfast, Co. Antrim from Bro. Rev. Thos. J. Welland, Rev. Robt. Knox, John McKenzie and others. Recommended by Lodges Nos. 22, 106 and 659 and also be the P.G.L. of Antrim. The regular Fee enclosed.
The Board recommend that the prayer of the Memorialists be granted and that a Warrant, to be numbered 243 be issued to them."
The Recommendation of The Board was followed,as is shown in the Grand Lodge Minutes of 5th October, 1882 as "Confirmed"
Accordingly Warrant No. 243 reissued to `Hope Lodge' in the Masonic Hall, Arthur Square, BELFAST, on the 6th October 1882.
Series three Vol. 8 of the extant Grand Lodge Registers shows -
"Reissued Warrant No. 243 to Belfast as “Lodge of Hope”, 6 October, 1882 - Rev. Thomas J. Mulholland (Bishop of Down); Rev. Robert D. Knox and John Mackenzie, all from Lodge No. 66, registered along with six others from various lodges, 6 October, 1882."
The Inaugural meeting of Hope Lodge No. 243 was held at Arthur Square, BELFAST on Monday 16th October, 1882 at noon
From the Minutes of the Grand Lodge Board of General Purposes dated 3rd December 1883 show concerning Lodge 243 -
"3 December, 1883 – Read application for leave to remove the place of meeting of Lodge 243, Belfast from Arthur Square to No. 5 Murray’s Terrace. Recommended by the P.D.G.M."
The Board sanction the removal of the Lodge.
A total of 106 brethren registered up to 12th November, 1900. In most cases the dates when the degrees were conferred and the issue of certificates is shown.
In 1906 Hope Lodge, together with four other lodges meeting at 5 Murray's Terrace moved to the New Masonic Rooms, Donegall Square South, BELFAST, which remained the home of the Lodge for the next half century.
Twenty-two members served of Hope Lodge No. 243 in the 1914 -18 War and Bros. Lieut. J.C. M`Cutcheon R.I.F., Lieut. E.L. M`Donald, R.I.R. and Capt. T. M`C. Phillips R.A.M.C. made the supreme sacrifice.
On 15th April 1918 the D.G.M. of Antrim attended to give his approval to the initiation of a candidate, one Lt. Douglas M.H. MacLeay, who was balloted for at the same meeting. This, the last occasion of this practice, was due to the candidate being a submarine commander about to leave Belfast on active service.
Hope Lodge No. 243 had some Members who held High public office,such as P.S. Kerr-Smiley was elected an M.P. from 1910 -1922 and R.S. Lynn was also an M.P. in 1918. Samuel Cunningham was appointed a member of the Privy Council of Ireland in 1920 and Robert Meyer, Town Clerk of Belfast, was knighted in 1921.
A total of 185 brethren registered up to 11th December, 1922. In most cases the dates when the issue of certificates is shown, together with the occupation of the brother.
Series five Vol. 18 shown as Vol. 2 of the extant Grand Lodge Register commences with the registration on affiliation of Charles F. McCaughey, (486) Minister, registered on the 12th February, 1923.
The Jubilee dinner of Hope Lodge No. 243 was in October 1932 was celebrated in great numbers when one hundred and twenty-six members and guests dined, including the Deputy Grand Master of Ireland, the P.G.M. of Antrim and the D.P.G.M. of Down. This was the last dinner with all those present in full evening dress, thereafter until 1939 all expect officers wore dinner jackets.
The framed list of W.M's. of Hope Lodge No. 243 was unveiled in 1947 by Rev. R.J. Clarke, then aged ninety, who was celebrating his diamond jubilee in the Lodge and his jubilee as W.M.
A total of 99 brethren registered up to 13th October, 1952. In most cases the dates when the issue of certificates is shown, together with the occupation of the brother.
Hope Lodge moved from the New Masonic Rooms in September 1956 to its then present home in the new Provincial Masonic Hall in ROSEMARY STREET, BELFAST. On the occasion of this move the Lodge presented a chair for the use of the Deputy Grand Master to the P.G.L. as a compliment to R.W. Bro. Samuel F. Jackson.
In December 1961 the opportunity arose to purchase the first W.M's past master's jewel and subsequently it was agreed that this Welland Jewel should be worn by the W.M. at every meeting.
In December 1966 the Deputy Grand Master of Ireland, R.W. Bro. J.A. Wallace presided and in May 1970 the Grand Master, M.W. Bro. The Earl of Donaghmore attended Hope Lodge No. 243. The end of the sixties and the seventies were times of difficulty due to the troubles in the Province. Some meetings were held at lunch-time instead of the evening, and evening meetings were held at 5.00 p.m. before reverting to 5.30 p.m. as some normality returned.
Unfortunately the number of Members decreased to such an extent in the 1980's that we see from the Minutes of the Grand Lodge Board of General Purposes dated 15th November 1990 -
"[Hope] Lodge 243 - 15 Nov. 1990 – The Board noted with regret for reporting to Grand Lodge the decision of Lodge No. 243, Belfast, to return the Warrant."
In the Grand Lodge Minutes of 6th December, 1990 the decision of Hope Lodge No. 243 to return Warrant No. 243 is shown as "Noted".
[For a more comprehensive History of Hope Lodge No. 243 see the IRISH MASONIC REDORDS cd-rom]
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WARRANT No. 243 HAD LABOURED ON AND OFF FROM 1754 TO 1990 FOR SOME 246 YEARS.
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4. BRIEF HISTORY OF THE 59th REGIMENT OF FOOT.
Under Construction
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