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Youngest Master?
With regard to the admission of Masons under the age of 21, a Henry Bamford, aged 20, was admitted into my Lodge, The Royds No. 816 (then No. 1118) on 31 March 1863.
He became Master of the Lodge on 28 December 1865 aged either 22 or 23. He was certainly the youngest Master of this Lodge and I wonder if he is the youngest Master in the Craft to date?
K B Orton
Todmorden, West Yorkshire.
Problems with Methodists
I have experienced the problems regarding the Methodist church and Freemasonry (MQ, Issue No. 19). As a Methodist, when the then minister found I was a Mason, he told me I could not enter his church (including my family).
Some days later, when I was out, he called at my house and told my wife we must cancel our covenant in favour of that church. Fortunately, Methodists change their ministers regularly, and some 20 years later my wife and I wanted to return.
The new minister said we could return and my family and I have been very active members ever since. Although he did not agree with Freemasonry, the minister revealed that his father had been in the Craft.
Dr D W B Hogg
Newcastle-upon-Tyne
Challenging Church bigotry
I sympathise with Bro Hendry (MQ, Issue No. 19) regarding Methodists and Freemasonry. I attend an Evangelical church, and about 18 months ago, whilst my pastor was making a derogatory remark about Freemasonry to me I told him I had been a Mason for a number of years.
To say he was shocked would be an understatement. He informed me that I would never be allowed to hold any office in the church, and this has since been reiterated by most members of the leadership team.
Am I bothered? No. If they have a problem through their ignorance of Masonry why should I be forced to resign from one of the two things that are important in my life - the Church and Freemasonry - in order to progress in my church?
I have given them this challenge - if they can find anything in English Craft Masonry which proves that there is anything evil, wicked or ungodly about it, I would resign from Masonry. I can make this promise in the certain knowledge that it would never be proven.
John Mellor
Hounslow, Middlesex
Publicising rituals
Freemasonry, particularly for new members, can be quite a mystery as far as ritual is concerned. As a volunteer working at Letchworth (the Shop at Freemasons' Hall), I often found members new and old not knowing which ritual book to obtain.
Many Lodges and Chapters include the ritual worked on the Summons, and this should be more widely adopted. It would also give visitors information about which ritual is practiced in the Lodge or Chapter.
Mahendra Rajdev
Ruislip, Middlesex
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Copyright 2002-2007
MQ Magazine
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