1870 – 1880
December 2nd 1870
First Regular Meeting. The first Initiation was that of Bro F Coales. He and Mr Charles Vero had been proposed at the Consecration Meeting but Mr Vero was unable to attend on December 2nd owing to having been injured in a collision on the North Western Railway. He was not well enough to attend until March 3rd when he was Initiated.
January 6th 1871
Initiation of Bro Samuel Blower. On being Raised on March 3rd, he was appointed Tyler, the office he held until 1929.
June 2nd 1871
The following cryptic entry is quoted in full: “A correspondent between the WM and the Secretary was read in which the former excused himself from attending this Meeting providing his absence on this occasion was not thought detrimental to the interests of the Lodge, and suggesting an excursion into the Country at next Lodge Meeting, which suggestion was to stand over for further consideration.”
March 1st 1872
As a result of an appeal by the WM, Bro C Vero lent £40 which put the finances of the new Lodge on a sound basis.
December 6th 1872
Bro Mayln presented an Inkstand for the Secretary’s table.
June 6th 1873
Letter read from the son of the late Bro E Sage whom the Lodge had enabled to enter the Masonic Boys’ School. “My Dear Sir, Will you please thank the gentlemen of Athelstan for their kindness and good wishes. I will try and be truthful, honest and industrious that I may become a good man and true that they may never be ashamed of their first successful candidate. I am, Dear Sir, Yours obediently, Charles Sage.”
August 1st 1873
Bro Downie, a visitor from Plymouth Lodge, Massachusetts,USA, gave an address on ‘American Masonry’.
January 12th 1874
Concert given by the Brethren for the benefit of the proposed Ball-Courts for the Grammar School. £13 sent to Mr Churchill, Headmaster.
May 8th 1874
Bro Blower, Tyler since 1871 expressed a wish to retire and asked the Brethren to look round for a successor. The Minute Book states, “that as Bro Blower spoke rather hastily it was hoped he would think better of the matter.” In fact he was Tylerfor a further 55 years.
October 6th 1875
A concert given under the auspices of the Lodge. £9 was raised for local charities.
April 7th 1876
The death was reported in Lodge of Bro PM Cohen, the first Master of the Lodge. He had resigned from the Lodge in 1873.
October 7th 1876
£15.15.0 subscribed by the Brethren was sent to the Masonic Boys’ School. The Banquet at the Lodge was not held in consequence of the recent death of Bro Coales.
April 6th 1877
Bro Vero’s loan of £40, which had greatly assisted the finances of the Lodge since 1872, was repaid.
November 4th 1877
It was entered in the Minutes that the WM Bro Orme and seven Brothers attended the Meeting of PGL for the purpose of assisting to lay the foundation stone of a Memorial Theatre to Shakespeare at Stratford-upon-Avon.
February 7th 1878
W Bro C Vero presented a set of Tracing Boards.
January 3rd 1879
A letter of thanks was received from the Secretary of Machen Lodge No 1782 for the loan of furniture for Installation.
April 4th 1879
W Bro Phillips, Charity Steward, announced that two Brethren had become annual subscribers to the Royal Masonic Institute for Girls and fifteen had agreed to pay £1.1.0 per annum for five years for the purchase of Life Governorships, and these governorships to be balloted for each year by the subscribers.
October 3rd 1879
A letter of resignation from Bro PM Tippetts was accepted with great regret. Bro Tippetts was the first Secretary of the Lodge and was largely responsible for its formation.
October 3rd 1879
It was announced that Provincial Grand Lodge would visit Atherstone in the Autumn of 1880. At the Meeting of PGL in 1879, WM Bro Mears, PM Orme and Bro Vero were appointed PG Stewards. W Bro Mavins was appointed PGJD.
October 3rd 1879
As a result of a number of resignations the spirit of the Lodge was evidently at a low ebb at this time. Bro PM Phillips spoke on this matter in Lodge and I quote: “begged the WM and Brethren to entertain no feelings of discouragement on that account reminding them that though for a moment a slight cloud of depression might seem to be visible in the career of the Athelstan Lodge yet the causes of it were in no way to be attributed to failure or lack of zeal in itself, and that they had many good and true names among its Members, and so long as the Brethren united in making their Lodge a centre of good works and of good influence in the Towns and the Province, he felt sure that those who desired the welfare of our Town and of our Craft would be proud to belong to it.” He concluded by wishing those Brethren who agreed with his remarks to take courage and determine to stand by and support Athelstan Lodge whatever happened.
March 5th 1880
£2.10.0 from Lodge funds voted to the Old Folks Dinner.
March 5th 1880
The arrangements of Provincial Grand Lodge to come to Atherstone on September 28th were put off by the Lodge owing to the Statutes Fair being held on that date.
Agust 6th 1880
Bro Mears and Bro Wood reported going to Truro to the Masonic Demonstration on the occasion of the laying of the foundation stone of the Cathedral.
August 6th 1880
Bro Mears and Bro Sharrott had both been to the Isle of Manto see Bro Furness just before he died. Bro Furness, who was a Hat Manufacturer, was Initiated in 1874 and had risen to the office of Junior Warden when he became ill in 1879. In reporting their visit to Bro Furness in Lodge, Bro PM Mears said that, and I quote: “They found Bro Furness in almost a dying condition, he could not speak to them, but showed by the smile that passed over his face that they were recognised not only as friends but as Brothers and he communicated to each of them the Masonic grip. Bro Mears concluded by saying that although we as a Lodge and individually have sustained a severe loss, yet we have the satisfaction of knowing that whilst he was permitted to stay on earth with us, he always did, as Bro PM Vero testified, his duty as a man and a Mason and has left no-one behind but who will feel that death has removed from us (for a brief season only) one of our fairest flowers.” Bro Furness was 40 years old when he died.
October 7th 1880
This was an important day in the growth of the Lodge. Provincial Grand Lodge held its Annual Meeting in the Corn Exchange under the Provincial Grand Mastership of Lord Leigh. The proceedings started at 1.30 pm. The WM, Bro Phillips was appointed PG Supt Wks. In the middle of the afternoon Provincial Grand Lodge adjourned to St Mary’s Church for a short service including an address by the Provincial Grand Chaplain. Provincial Grand Lodge was then resumed. A donation of £2.2.0 was made to Thomas Moore who was injured in preparing the Lodge room for the reception. Attendance – 18 Members, 62 Visitors.