The Freemason - 8th January 1870
Reports of Masonic Meetings -
Lodge of Temperance in the East No.898
The usual monthly meeting of this lodge was held at the Assembly Rooms, Poplar, on Wednesday, the 29th ult. At six o'clock the W.M., Bro. Cannon, sounded his gavel, and Bros. Marfleet , S.W.; Drummond, J.W. pro tem., Williams S.D.; Stewart, J.D.; Shayes, I.G.; Deveson, P.M., Tres., and many other members, opened the lodge in the first degree, when the minutes of the last meeting were read and confirmed.
Ballot then took place for Mr. William Allan, the eminent barge-builder of Lower Shadwell, which proving unanimous, a little dis-appointment was evinced when it was announced that pressing business would prevent his attendance that evening. Mr. Henry Rogers, whose ballot had also been successful, was introduced and admitted to the privileges of Ancient Freemasonry; the whole ceremony was very neatly done.
An itinerant brother, from a lodge in Edinburgh, under the Scottish dispensation, whose certificate appeared to be well thumbed, and had a peculiar and inexplicable ink-erasure at the back margin, was relieved with ten shillings from the lodge funds. Captain Owen, of the clipper Flying Cloud, and Mr. Isaac, lighterman, of Limehouse, were proposed for initiation on the last Wednesday in this month.
The business of the evening being concluded, the lodge was closed, and the brethren retired to the banqueting-room, where a sumptuous Christmas dinner awaited them. Amongst the visitors we noticed Bros. West (British Oak), Osborne (P.M., Neptune 22), Wiggens (217), Abbot (P.M., 217), Shaw P.S.W, and P.P.S.W., 496), Batten (174), and a West Indian brother, perfectly black, named Williams, who hails from Lodge No.217.
The customary loyal, and Masonic, and routine toasts were proposed and responded to, with the usual cast-end heartiness. "The White Squall" (Duncan), "The Musketeer" (Batten), "The Charming Young Widow" and the laughable recitation of "The Frenchman and his Family" (Osborne), contributed to the amusement of a snug jovial party of about forty.
In the course of the evening it was elicited that the black visiting brother (Williams), shipped for a voyage immediately after his initiation and payment of his private and Grand Lodge dues; upon his return to England, during the summer recess of his lodge, being desirous to receive his second and third degrees in this country, the W.M. of the Lodge Temperance in the East (898) most kindly acceded to the applicant's request, and he became a Master Mason. But the strange part of the business is, that his mother lodge repudiates and disowns him, while the Grand Lodge books show three months' quarterage and initiation fees registered for him, and when the good-hearted, quiet fellow tendered his back dues, they were rejected. If the colour of his skin be the present objection, surely he is not a whit blacker now than when he paid his yellow sovereigns to be initiated.
(Reproduced from The Freemason 8th January 1870, pages 15 & 16)
