Albert Edward Lodge No.1519
Greetings
The Worshipful Master and Brethren of Albert Edward Lodge bid you welcome to our webpage and cordially invite all Brother Masons to visit us.
We meet on the last Thursday of the month from September to May with the exception of December when we meet on the 2nd Tuesday.
Our Installation meeting is January.
A brief history of the Lodge...
Albert Edward Lodge is years old being founded in February 1875 and is the daughter Lodge of Bank Terrace Lodge No.462 and the granddaughter Lodge of the Lodge of Amity No.283. Since 1875 the Lodge has met at three premises, all in Clayton le Moors, previous to settling at Mill House:
It was the brethren of our Lodge, who in the mid 1960's, recognised the potential of the site just across the road from the Conservative Club. The site of the old Appleby Corn Mill, later occupied by the East Lancashire Soap Company, (Proprietors: The Hacking family), the Mill was known as Dr Lovelace's Soap Mill, famous for its floating soap. The Lodge purchased the buildings, Mill House and adjacent land in 1967 and set about converting the old property into a Masonic Hall, at that time, Mill House comprised 27 rooms; the building was gutted and reduced to 13 rooms. After this conversion, the first Masonic meeting held at Mill House was on Thursday 25th November 1971. The Lodge has been meeting there since that date.
It is interesting to note that at one time or another during the 19th and early 20th Centuries both the Appleby and Hacking families owned Henfield House, (where Arthur Appleby was born), Mill House and the Corn Mill / Soap Works; and that Joshua Hacking, William Henry Hacking and Arthur Appleby were all members of Albert Edward Lodge No.1519.
To see a brief history of Mill House click [here].
Lodge Centenary: In 1975 the Lodge celebrated its one-hundredth year of active Freemasonry since it was founded.
St. Mary Magdalen's Church, Accrington - Foundation Stone Laying
This took place on Saturday 25 June 1898 and was the object of a remarkable and imposing demonstration by local Freemasons. The RWBro Colonel Starkie, Provincial Grand Master for East Lancashire was unable to be present, so he granted a special dispensation to allow Bro Arthur Appleby of this Lodge to act in his place to perform the ceremony of laying the corner stone. Rain put a dampener on the procession of Sunday school children from the five schools within the original parish of St. James's.
The Masonic procession through Accrington was led by the Craft Lodges, followed by the Provincial Brethren. Next came the Worshipful Masters of the three local Lodges, Bro E Welch (462) who carried the Corn, Bro J Grimshaw (1145) carrying the Wine and Bro R Pickup (1519) carrying the Oil. Following them two Past Masters (PMs) carrying the Maul and Trowel, two more PMs followed carrying the SW and JW columns. They were followed by another PM carrying the brass plate containing the inscription. Immediately following were eight Sons of Freemasons clothed in purple cassocks and white surplices carrying the Volume of the Sacred Law. Preceding the Masonic procession was the Accrington Reed Band playing "Prosper the Art". The ceremony was conducted by the VRev Canon Rodgers MA. The Masonic part of the ceremony was performed with solemnity and dignity and was punctuated with flourishes of trumpets. It was a great honour for one of our Brethren to represent the Provincial Grand Master and for the Lodge to be involved in this event which forms an important part of the history of Freemasonry in East Lancashire.
Contact details:
Secretary: WBro Steve Dowber