On 7 November 2023 the brethren of Langley Lodge met at Middleton Masonic Hall. There was a very interesting item on the summons:

To receive a Masonic Lecture, “The history of the craft in general and with particular reference to the Oldham area including Shaw” To be given by WBro Alan Oakley PProvJGD

Please find below the lecture, a very interesting read.

THE HISTORY OF THE CRAFT IN GENERAL AND WITH PARTICULAR
REFERENCE TO THE OLDHAM AREA AND INCLUDING SHAW

For this I am indebted to the research of W Bro Harold Woodward for his detailed
Family Tree, and the further help he was able to provide. And also, the research of
WBro Brian Gee, who carried out a detailed study of the history of Friendship Lodge
and chronicled the further development of Freemasonry in Oldham.

Brethren in the latter part of the 18th century the Craft of Freemasonry had spread its
popularity throughout the country, to all branches of society from every background
and occupation. By then they were governed by two Grand Lodges. These were the
Moderns founded in 1717, and the Antients formed in 1751. However, in 1813 these
were united, and became, “The United Grand Lodge of England’, which has survived
as the ruling body to this day.

It was decided at that time that every Lodge should have a unique name and number
and that this process was not completed totally by 1813 and needed a final change
of some numbers in 1863.

So, we now start this history as it applies to this, our local area in 1789, with the
Consecration of Friendship Lodge in the township of Oldham. This was under the
auspices of the Modern Grand Lodge.

Thirteen Masons joined together to form the first Masonic Lodge in Oldham,
The Lodge of Friendship No. 554 was warranted by the Moderns in 1789 on the
petition of Jonathon Raynor, Joseph Dunkerley and Isaac Clegg. The Consecration
took place on the 2″ of September and the opening words of the 1* Minute Book
are: ‘The Lodge of Friendship opened on Wednesday the 2″ day of September 1789
at 5 o clock in the afternoon in due form at the Ring of Bells, Oldham by the Lodge
of Sincerity, Bulls Head, Manchester.

Fortunately, the Local press took a note of this event and Wheelers ‘Manchester
Chronicle’ of the 5″h September 1789 reports – “On Wednesday last a Lodge of Free
and Accepted Masons was constituted at Oldham by a deputation from the different
Lodges of Manchester and Bury. The procession was joined about 2 miles from the
town by the Brethren of the Neighbourhood and thence conducted to the Ring of
Bells whence after the usual ceremonies, they proceeded in due form to St Peter’s
Chapel where divine service was performed and an excellent service preached from
Romans Chapter 13, verse 10 by the Reverent Miles Wrigley M.A who had only that
day been initiated along with two other candidates.

What a momentous year that was, In the April of that year the mutiny on the Bounty
took place, and on the 30″ of that same month George Washington became the first
President of the United States, In July the storming of the Bastille took place which
heralded the start of the French revolution.

Friendship Lodge proved to be very popular they had their early meetings at the Ring
of Bells, Oldham but in the December of 1789 transferred to The Angel Inn. Oldham
was little more than a village in those days. The township consisted of four main
streets, Goulburn, High Street, a short length of what is now Rochdale Road a and a
small Street which passed mid-way between George Street and Manchester Street,
called Water Street. These Streets were little more than dirt tracks.

Over the next ten years, Friendship Lodge became the Mother of two Daughter
Lodges, namely Fortitude Lodge, which handed in its warrant two years later and
Harmony Lodge No 298 which held its early meetings at the Blue Ball Pub on
Yorkshire Street, Rochdale. Later moving to the Flying Horse Pub, Rochdale,

Thus far we have concentrated on Friendship Lodge, but this history must now bring
into the story Tudor Lodge and its Founding. In April 1840 Dr Abraham Leach who
had been Initiated two years previously into Friendship Lodge resigned from the
lodge and joined a new lodge, based at Waterhead Mill, to be called Victoria Union
Lodge, which shortly afterwards changed its name to Tudor Lodge, and in January
1852 the founded Tudor Chapter,

Tudor Lodge and Friendship Lodge worked in a happy alliance to promote
freemasonry in Oldham and in unity moved forward the development of Oldham
itself.

No History of Oldham and Shaw Freemasonry would be complete without mention
of the Union Club, Union Street, Oldham. Funds were raised for this great
Endeavour by selling shares owned by Lodges and individuals to subscribe to the
construction.

The Oldham Chronicle of the 8 May 1869 reports as follows *The building will be
in DORIC style of architecture and will, of course, be constructed upon pure
Masonic plans. It will comprise Lodge, Banqueting, Club and Billiard Rooms etc.,
and so far, as external appearance goes, it will form a creditable addition to the public
structures of the Town. The want of a place like this has long been felt by the
Brethren in Oldham and in order to remedy this, a project was recently set on foot
in the Local Lodges and the requisite shares were taken up by the members.
The Building was two years in construction and was dedicated by the Right
Worshipful Provincial Grand Master, Colonel Starckie, on the 22nd of April 1871.
Friendship had in December 1793 founded Harmony Lodge no 298 who themselves
went on to be instrumental in the founding of Erie Lodge in 1855 which transferred
to Canada in 1857, Albert Lodge no 854 in 1861, in February 1898 they founded
Hollingworth Lodge no 2702, then St Martin’s Lodge No 2320 in July 1889 and
Unison Lodge No 4051 in May 1920.

In more recent years Friendship founded Brodhead Lodge no 9092 in September
1983

Unison Lodge was instrumental in the founding of Roch Valley Lodge No. 5120
in May 1929.

Now, as to Freemasonry in Shaw.

You can imagine the difficulties experienced by the Brethren who were resident in
Shaw, having to travel to their meetings at Harmony Lodge, and indeed to other
lodges meeting in Rochdale Oldham and Milnrow. Those were the days when it was
customary to travel on foot, being before most forms of public transport were
available to them.

It will therefore come as no surprise to be told that on the 6’h of September 1860, a
warrant was presented to the Provincial Grand Lodge of Lancashire, by 6 Cotton
Spinners and a publican whose homes were in Shaw, requesting permission to form
a Lodge in Shaw. Accordingly, the following year The Albert Lodge no 1156, later
to be changed to no 854, was Consecrated on the 114 of April 1861 in their new
home, The Duke of York, Market Street, Shaw, in that first year they gained 4
Initiates and 10 new members, and thereafter went from strength to strength, and
indeed this proved to be their home until September 1904.

They then transferred to the Blue Bell Inn, Market Street, Shaw, where they
remained until June 1922, From September 1922 until January 1926 they held their
meetings at the Conservative Club, Queen Street, Shaw.

The opportunity then arose to purchase the local doctor’s former home, *The
Gables, for the princely sum of £2500, 4 shillings and 8 pence. The lodge sold the
shares they held in the Cape, Hawk and Lily Mills to assist in the purchase. So, at
last, Albert Lodge had a home to call their own.

Since its inception, Albert Lodge has been instrumental in the founding of four
Lodges, Namely, Thornham No 279, in November 1888, Mitre Lodge No 5633 in
September 1936, Werneth Lodge No 6163 in October 1945 and finally Solidarity
Lodge No 7885 in March 1963

Solidarity Lodge went on to found Jubilate Lodge No 8561 in May 1974 and the
Crompton Lodge No 8879 in May 1979.

Mitre Lodge also went on to found Oldham Lodge No 6428 in May 1947. Mitre and
Oldham have recently amalgamated into the Oldham/Mitre Lodge.
United Companions Lodge. A Lodge made up of Supporters of Manchester United
came to join us at Shaw after spending many years at Salford Masonic Hall,
Freedom Lodge, Oldham/ Mitre Lodge, and Halcian Lodge are more recent Lodges
to join us in Shaw. This was due to the closure of that fine Masonic Hall. The Union
Club. Union Street. Oldham,

As you will appreciate from the talk this evening, our Lodges are not only a
Brotherhood but also a family of Lodges In which we have spanned 5 generations
covering over two hundred years.

So, what exactly is Freemasonry?

It is an International Movement with 280.000 members in the United Grand Lodge
of England. That is open to good men of every colour and creed, Masonry is not a
religion, but it does consist of men who have a belief in a supreme being and who
can adhere to the three Masonic principles or “legs of the stool. These three legs are
Respect for all other human beings, who can be of any colour or race, and anyone
who believes in God.

As to charity, We are the biggest givers to charity after the National Lottery, with
over £2 million a year donated to non-Masonic charities, and when you realise that
this money is raised from masons only, it should give us all a feeling of pride.
I hope Brethren you have found this talk of interest, which has spanned in detail 219
years of our Local Masonic history.

FREEMASONRY IN MIDDLETON

Imagine if you were in a Lodge meeting. It is being held In the Guildford Arms in
London. The year is 1805 and George Ill is on the throne.
There are five Lodge members present and three visiting Brethren, Joseph Heap.
William Summerskil and Francis Berry. The lodge is the Imperial George Lodge and
the minutes record three propositions being made, voted and approved. The first was
that the three visitors become joining members, the second that Brother Heap
become Worshipful Master, and the third resolution was that the Lodge be removed
to the Suffield Ars in Middleton, Lancashire. These three joining members were not
Londoners they were in fact Middleton men who had joined the Lodge of Friendship,
(then No 463) in Oldham in the previous July.

Many questions remain as to how and why they came to be in London and visiting
this particular Lodge, however, tonight what is of importance is that the Lodge duly
moved north and Freemasonry came to Middleton when the first meeting was held
on Sunday, 3rd July 1805.

For the whole of the remainder of the nineteenth century, Imperial George Lodge
was Craft Masonry in Middleton. I say Craft Masonry because in 1809 a Royal Arch
Chapter was formed called the Chapter of Knowledge and which, after the Union of
the Grand Lodges declared itself attached to Imperial George Lodge. This Chapter
existed until the late 1860s when it, sadly, returned its Warrant though exactly for
what reason we do not know.

From 1805 to 1849 the Lodge did a pub crawl up Long Street spending some time
in respectively the Suffield Ars, the Hare and Hounds, the White Hart and the Black
Bull before the strain of climbing the hill became too much and it settled down at
the Assheton Ams from 1849 to 1927.

Imperial George had twice hosted meetings of the Provincial Grand Lodge, once in
1876 and again in 1905. On the latter occasion numbers were such that the meeting
had to be moved to what was the National Schools on Long Street. It was probably
this that prompted the members to start to consider a move to larger premises and in
1906 an attempt was made to move to the Middleton Bowling and Tennis Club but
unfortunately, the required two-thirds majority necessary for approval was not
obtained.

In 1919 the town was undergoing a post-war expansion, and neighbouring towns,
Oldham and Rochdale were forming more Lodges. Members of Imperial George
began to feel that Masons who regularly visited them would, in future, tend to restrict
their visiting to their own neighbourhoods thus leaving this Lodge somewhat
isolated. The decision was made that Imperial George should give birth and the result
was the formation of the Langley Lodge No 3989 which was duly consecrated in
1920.

Again, the question of a more appropriate meeting place became a topic of
discussion which this time resulted in a move to the Middleton Assembly Rooms in
Corporation Street in 1927. This was superseded in 1936 when the two Lodges
jointly purchased the Middleton Bowling and Tennis Club on Manchester Old Road,
and the Middleton Masonic Club was born. The building and land comprising about
two acres was purchased for £2000 and Ordinary shares and Debentures were issued.
Some seven years after moving to new premises it was felt that it would be
advantageous to have a Royal Arch Chapter in Middleton and on 30th June 1943,
right in the middle of the Second World War, Imperial George Chapter was
consecrated. With men returning from that war the need for a further Lodge was
recognised and Imperial George gave birth yet again, this time to the Alkrington
Lodge No 6102.

For a number of years, Social Boards had been held in the Lodge room with the
respective Stewards being responsible for removing the Lodge effects and setting up
the tables. This was to change in 1972 when the Provincial Grand Master, the Rt.
Hon. Lord Hewlett opened the new dining hall and function room to be named the
Sir Frank Lord Suite after WBro Sir Frank Lord who had been APGM for the
District. This is still part of the facilities at Middleton and serves us well having been
upgraded during the years.

The three Lodges and a Chapter already mentioned comprised Freemasonry in
Middleton for some years subsequently to be joined by others moving from different
locations. I do not have the dates of arrival of these Lodges but suffice it to say, over
the years we were joined by Blair, Ben Brierley, Peace and Harmony, Pilgrim,
Scroll, Cleveland, and Tonge Hall. Also formed at Middleton during these years
were Old Elizabethan, Lodge of Installed Masters and Horton. The number of
Chapters also increased with the formation of the Tonge Hall Chapter in 1991 and
with Ben Brierley moving from Oldham.

Sadly, a number of these Lodges have returned their Warrants and both Scroll Lodge
and Tonge Hall Chapter for different reasons have moved to other locations.
With the closure of the Union Club in Oldham and the subsequent need to relocate
not to mention in some cases the reluctance to cope with the perceived difficulties
of meeting at Bridge Street, Richmond, Arthur Sullivan, Thornham, Stanley and
Imperial, and Werneth Lodges have joined us though Imperial has now ceased to
operate.

Clearly, the old Bowling and Tennis Club buildings could not cope with these.
numbers. During the 1980’s it was realised that major work was going to have to
take place if the building were to continue to remain serviceable and, after due
consideration it was decided that a new building was the only practical solution. This
duly occurred and the new premises comprising a Lodge room, club room, bars and
committee room was opened in 1989. This was financed by the sale of the land to
the Lancastrian Building Society whose intention it was to base their headquarters
on the land at the front. Difficulties arose from this as the Building Society was sold
to the Northern Rock BS which had no intention of developing the land for
themselves and so sold it to the Peterloo Medical Practice on the opposite side of the
Road for their development. This too was to come to nought and it was realised by
the Directors of the Masonic Club that should another party buy the land and develop
it in such a way that car parking space for at least 50 cars would be lost we should
no longer have a viable function room for outside hire. After much deliberation if
was agreed to levy each Lodge an amount equivalent to £200 per member which
could either be paid by the individual Lodge members or by the Lodge itself. This
levy was also applied to the Chapters but only those members who were not in a
Middleton Lodge were counted so that no one was required to pay twice. Though
this caused some problems by and large it is to the credit of the members at that time
and to their determination to safeguard Masonry at Middleton that the full amount
was collected. This together with a loan from ELPREM, repaid well before the due
date, secured the land and can be said to have secured Freemasonry in Middleton.
The arrival of other Lodges also meant that an extra meeting room was needed and
some two years ago a further Lodge/Chapter room was added next to the Club room.
This has proved a boon in allowing more than one Lodge or Chapter to meet on the
same night. The separating of an alcove from the main function room has given yet
another room and it is not uncommon for three rooms to be in operation on one
evening for one function or another.

This additional facility has greatly increased to use of the Club during the daytime
as well as for Masonic and other functions in the evening and has now placed
Middleton on what promises to be a safe and secure footing guaranteeing
Freemasonry in Middleton for many years to come.