1922 - THE PETITION
The Petition to the Grand Master for a proposed new Lodge to be known as Regis Lodge was signed by sixteen Master-Masons, six from Noah's Ark Lodge No. 347 in the Province of Staffordshire, seven from Perseverence Lodge No. 573 in the Province of Worcestershire, and the rest from various Lodges.
The proposed new Lodge was sponsored by Noah's Ark Lodge No. 347 and at a Regular Meeting held on 17th March 1922 at Royal Oak Hotel, Dudley Port, Tipton the petition was approved by the members and recommended for the favourable consideration of the Most Worshipful the Grand Master. It was signed in open Lodge by John Chilton, W.M., John DaIlow, Jnr., S.W., and Horace W. Parsons, J.W. In the petition John Dallow Senior was designated W.M., Sydney Hill, S.W., and George Williams, J.W.
The Provincial Grand Master of Staffordshire, the Rt. Hon. the Earl of Dartmouth gave his approval of the Petition for its submission to the Grand Master on 23rd June 1922. The following are extracts from a letter sent with the Petition to the Grand Secretary by W. Bro. D. Morby Secretary protem :-
"the want of a Freemasons Lodge to serve the important and populous district embraced in the Urban District of Rowley Regis has been felt for a considerable time past amongst local Masons and well-wishers to the cause of Freemasonry.
The great difficulty in the past has been to find suitable accommodation. This has now been removed by the provisional securing, after considerable trouble, of the use of the large and commodious buildings known as Trinity Institute, near to the Parish Church at Old Hill.
The Urban District of Rowley Regis, which the proposed new Lodge will serve, comprises an area of 3828 acres and upwards of 37 miles of streets, with a rating value of £114,282, and with 17,354 persons registered as Parliamentary Voters. The District is situate in the extreme southern part of the County of Stafford, and is the largest Urban District in point of population in the County, and Old Hill, where it is proposed to hold the Meetings, is in the centre of the District. The Township of Rowley Regis is of great antiquity, as its name by its indication of connection with the Throne shows. The District is well served by railway, tramways and Motor Bus services.
The nearest Lodge is the Lodge of Perseverance No. 573 at Halesowen, Worcestershire, and the Harmonic Lodge No. 252 and Royal Standard No. 498 both at Dudley, Worcestershire, are some miles from the centre of the District.
The nearest Staffordshire Lodge is the Noah's Ark Lodge No. 347 at Great Bridge, which is some five miles away from Old Hill and difficult of access.
The proposed new Lodge has the support of Noah's Ark Lodge and of all local Freemasons, and from the large number of informal applications already being received from eligible persons in the District desiring to become members as soon as the Lodge is constituted. the founders feel that the success of the Lodge is fully assured in advance."
The Petition was approved by M.W. Brother the Grand Master and the warrant for a new Lodge to be known as Regis Lodge No. 4463 under the jurisdiction of United Grand Lodge of England was issued on 17th July, 1922.
|