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Athole Lodge No. 1004
About us
The Athole Lodge
Athole is a Freemasons lodge in the Provincial Grand Lodge of the Isle of Man and we are thus Manx Freemasons. Our lodge was founded in 1864 and is warranted under the United Grand Lodge of England. We were the first lodge to meet in the Freemasons Hall, Woodbourne Road, Douglas, Isle of Man.
Athole Lodge welcomes new members. You do not have to wait to be approached. Email us with a request to join and we will get back to you.
email: athole@freemasonry.im
WELCOME
We are an innovative and growing lodge of Manx Freemasons and as a result have a programme full of interesting meetings and events planned for this year and beyond.
Some of these include ceremonies for the initiation of new candidates who want to join us and become Manx Freemasons while others will advance the masonic development of our brethren. Some of our brethren will take part in specially arranged ceremonies at other lodges associated with Athole.
Meetings
We meet at The Freemasons’ Hall in Douglas, on the first Wednesday in the months of October, November, December, January, February, March, April and May
Our new Master is installed at the December meeting each year.
Lodge History
Based on the Centenary booklet by the late W.Bro.F.W. Bain, P.P.S.G.W.,P.Z. and appended to by W.Bro.C.Cunningham
At our 125th Anniversary in 1989, the Worshipful Master at the time included the following in his forward to the above booklet:
‘As we celebrate this important anniversary, that we continue to maintain and uphold the Traditions started by our founders in 1864 shows the true values of Freemasonry; Love, Harmony, Charity and Brotherhood, that have held the Lodge together through the passage of time.’
To find out about the origin of the Athole Lodge we must go back to the 14th January 1843, when a meeting of Masons was held at the Royal Hotel, North Quay, Douglas, and a Resolution was passed that an application for a Warrant be made to the Grand Lodge of England and Scotland. No reply was received from the Grand Lodge of England, but one was received from the Grand Lodge of Scotland, and eventually in April 1843, a Lodge, called the Royal Isle of Man Lodge, was formed under the Grand Lodge of Scotland.
The Charter for the Lodge was issued on March 20th, 1843, and as there were two Rolls in use in Scotland, the Lodge received two numbers, 409 on the old Roll and 338 on the new Roll.
Among the Initiates of this Lodge were H.B.Noble, the well-known Manx benefactor, whose memory is preserved about Douglas by such places as Noble’s Hospital and Noble’s Park, and Samuel Harris, afterwards High Bailiff.
Apparently things did not go very smoothly, and after some expulsions and resignations the Lodge did not meet after May 1845.
In 1856 the Lodge was reformed, with the same name, this time under the Irish Constitution, with the number 123, at the Douglas Hotel, the owner of which was W.Bro.Henry Mayle, and he was the first Master.
In the following year, 1857, he acted as Installing Master when a Lodge under the Irish Constitution was formed in Castletown No. 212, and also assisted when another was formed at Peel, No. 221.
Among the Initiates in Lodge 123 were James Brown and J.A.Brown, Father and son, founders of the Isle of Man Times.
This Lodge went on until 1862, when petitions were made to the English Grand Lodge for a Lodge under the English Constitution.
Apparently, the proposed first Master and Wardens were members of the old Irish Lodge and were not eligible, but in 1863 all was in order as three English Constituted Masons were found. A Warrant was issued and on the April 6th 1864, a Lodge was formed at the Douglas Hotel by W.Bro. James Hamer, Provincial Grand Treasurer of West Lancashire, who was subsequently elected the first Honorary Member of the Lodge.
It would appear that the name “Royal Isle of Man Lodge” was not acceptable to the Grand Lodge of England so the Lodge was called “The Athole Lodge” after the House of Athole’s ancient association with the Isle of Man. It was given the number of 1004 and is the oldest Lodge on the Island.
In May 1870 a Royal Arch Chapter attached to the Lodge and bearing our number was consecrated and in 1883 a Mark Master’s Lodge called the Peveril Lodge of Mark Master Masons No 323 was formed, mainly of Athole members.
Athole members were also mainly responsible for the founding of The St. Maughold Lodge No. 1075, The Tynwald Lodge No. 1242, The St. Trinian’s Lodge No. 2050, The Spencer Walpole Temperance Lodge No. 2197 and the Onchan Lodge No. 6512
Over time, the Lodge has met in several premises and in 1925 had the honour of opening the first Lodge in the Douglas Masonic hall where we still meet on the first Wednesday of the month from October to May, our Installation Meeting being held in December.
We will end this short précis of our Lodge and its history by including another quote from the forward to our anniversary booklet:
‘So, as in the past, the strength of the Lodge was in the value its members placed on their membership, participation and support for their Lodge – so it is at present, and will be for the future, the same need for support from the Lodge membership in order that the lodge continues to pass further milestones in its history and also moves forward from strength to strength’
Past Masters
1864 – Bro. T. Ousley
1865 – T. Bawden
1866 – Henry Mayle
1867 – H. P. Mayle
1868 – G. M. Lofthouse
1869 – H. P. Mayle
1870 – R. Tuton
1871 – S. Webb
1872 – T. Hanley
1873 – G. C. Heron
1874 – J. Lambert
1875 – E. Mundy
1876 – S. 1. Harrs
1877 – J. C. Brearley
1878 – J. C. Fargher
1879 – R. C. Turner
1880 – H. Brearley
1881 – C. F. Johnson
1882 – L. G. Hannay
1883 – A. W. MoolC
1884 – J. A. Dearden
1885 – J. Holden
1886 – T. H. Nesbitt
1887 – Robt. Lightfoot
1888 – M. W. Corran
1889 – M. W. Corran
1890 – J. Lawton
1891 – T. E. Radcliffe
1892 – S. Webb
1893 – H. Hambleton
1894 – F. A. GlCville
1895 – Thos. Cobban
1896 – F. B. Reming
1897 – H. Webb
1898 – H. T. Rylance
1899 – J. E. Bowling
1900 – Jas. Ritchie
1901 – Wm. Kissack
1902 – J. R. Rylance
1903 – G. A. Bowling
1904 – John Cain
1905 – G. A. Thomason
1906 – G. N. Garry
1907 – W. H. Kelly
1908 – A. Sugden
1909 – Wm Kissack
1910 – A. C. Legge
1911 – R. B. Newell
1912 – F. J. Buxton
1913 – E. Ruscow
1914 – S. Plant
1915 – R. W. Connell
1916 – L. B.. Bradshaw
1917 – R. T. Corlett
1918 – F. Makin
1919 – J. Chalmers
1920 – T. A. Clague
1921 – W. Adamson
1922 – J. Halsall
1923 – J.A. Billott
1924 – T. H. Lewis
1925 – H. Q. Kennaugh
1926 – J. A. Kelly
1927 – E. H. Temple
1928 – R. W.Cain
1929 – B. N. Greenhalgh
1930 – W. R. Hudson
1931 – W. B. Clucas
1932 – J. A. Appleyard
1933 – W. S. Bignell
1934 – J. H. Skillicom
1935 – J. W. Dawson
1936 – F. Hampton
1937 – W. C. Bridson
1938 – J. E. Clarke
1939 – M. H. Cannell
1940 – T. Morley
1941 – W. Gale
1942 – H. Quiggin
1943 – F. W. Bain
1944 – T. D. Lewis
1945 – A. C. Quiggin
1946 – B. H. Cain
1947 – R. O. Callister
1948 – H. T. Mms
1949 – F. R. Kelly
1950 – R. Kelly
1951 – T. W. Faragher
1952 – H. J. Kelly
1953 – P. Clowes
1954 – W. Caley
1955 – G. Moore
1956 – T. S. Kelly
1957 – J. Davidson
1958 – W. A. Harrison
1959 – Jas. Swindlehurst
1960 – A. J. Winckle
1961 – T. H. Kennaugh
1962 – G. B. Quinn
1963 – H. T. Morley
1964 – W. M. Cretney
1965 – R. L CobOOn
1966 – A. Barber
1967-8 – J. A. Quiggin
1969 – W. H. Plant
1970 – E. Makin. Jnr.
1971 – J. L. Rome
1972 – J. Drewry
1973 – S. R. Shimmin
1974 – J. W. Shimmin
1975 – G. P. Rubython
1976 – F. Coadwell
1977 – W. H. McDowell
1978 – E. H. Rundle
1979 – F. A. Watterson
1980 – J. H. Morrison
1981 – C. J. Quayle
1982 – C. G. Bowen
1983 – G. Harvey
1984 – J. R. Mitchell
1985 – C. Cunningham
1986 – G. A. Duggan
1987 – C. B. Coole
1988 – W. C. Harvatt
1989 – C. M. Thompson
1990 – J. King
1991 – L.R.Glaister
1992 – A. N. Cretney
1993 – D.A. Cracknell
1994 – W.F. Murray
1995 – W.A.K. Kelly
1996 – I. Bratty
1997 – D.J.Robertson
1998 – J.D.C. Clague
1999 – G.Cracknell
2000 – S. Cracknell
2001 – D. Farrell
2002 – D.J. Robertson
2003 – C.M. Thompson
2004 – J.C. Webster
2005 – I. Gaynor
2006 – W.A.K. Kelly
2007 – J. Cuddy
2008 – G.M. Toombs
2009 – I. Bratty
2010 – I. Gaynor
2011 – I. Gaynor
2012 – J.D.C. Clague
2013 – E.J. Wagstaffe
2014 – C.M. Thompson
2015 – K. J. Cowburn-Wood
2016 – G.M. Toombs
2017 – S.E. Moore
2018 – N.D. Stewart
2019/20 – T.D.C. Earl
2021 – I. Gaynor
2022 – A.J. Hennis