On a weekend in September, Warrington Masonic Hall hosted open days which were open to the general public. For anyone who hasn’t been, the wealth of Masonic items of interest is incredible and well worth a visit.
In addition to the exhibits on display, a feature was included on the “Grand Lodge of Wigan” which is a fascinating story of Masonic Rebellion and discontent from the early 1800’s to the beginning part of the 1900’s.
The main organiser was Jim Miller, whose grandfather, James Miller, was the last surviving member of the Grand Lodge of Wigan and was a member of Sincerity Lodge No 3677 when it was re-introduced into the United Grand Lodge of England, with every member having to be initiated, passed and raised back into UGLE.
The original name of the lodge was Lodge of Sincerity No 486, as it was consecrated in 1786. However, this lodge was erased in 1828 and on re-joining UGLE, it was updated and renamed Sincerity Lodge No 3677 with a consecration date of 26th September 1913. Sincerity Lodge was the last remaining lodge of the Wigan Grand Lodge, and this event marked the end of Masonic rebellion and also the Grand Lodge of Wigan some 90 years after it started.
The two days went ahead as planned, with over 20 artefacts and documents, including candlesticks, grand lodge certificate printing plates, gavels and aprons which were received from Great Queen Street, these not having been seen in the north since 1947.
Jim Miller gave excellent insightful talks over the two days, and a table was set up to replicate the one in the picture which was painted by Jim’s grandfather of the lodge room at Leader’s Building, King Street, Wigan, where a lot of the decision at the time were made. It is interesting to note that the Masonic markings are still visible on the outside of this building in Wigan.
Brethren of Arrowhead Lodge of Freedom No 8500 re-enacted the events of the rebellion around a recreation of the table from the painting on each of the two days which proved very popular. The lewis was manufactured by Vic Charlesworth, Curator of the Masonic Museum at Warrington and the globes were made by Ken Elston, a volunteer at the Museum.
The event was deemed a great success welcoming over 90 people into the Hall, which also resulted in two social bookings!
The story of the Grand Lodge of Wigan is a fascinating one of Masonic discontent highlighting the divide that existed at the time between London and the northwest; lasting for nearly 90 years, it shows the tenacity, and also stubbornness, of our Masonic forbearers.
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