Early Masonic history of the Provinces is often lost in the emphasis given to London when the origins of organised Freemasonry are discussed. Four London Lodges formed the Premier Grand Lodge on 24 June 1717 but Freemasonry already existed in various Provinces. It was in Warrington, on the border of Cheshire and Lancashire, that Elias Ashmole was made a Freemason in 1646, and Cheshire boasts the first Provincial Grand Master, Colonel Francis Colombiane, appointed 1725. By this time three of the seven Provincial lodges under the authority of the Grand Lodge of England were meeting in Cheshire: two in Chester and the third at Congleton, constituted in July 1724.
    This lodge met at the Red Lion Tavern, next door to the present Kings Arms in the High Street where Michael Baigent and I enjoyed an excellent pub-lunch in the company of Peter Boone and Reg Gowing. The Lodge was erased in 1759; thirty years later Lodge Independent, No. 550, was constituted but it moved out of Congleton in 1805 and it too was erased in 1828. Congleton was not to enjoy further Masonic presence until August 1846, when Eaton Lodge, No. 777 (from July 1863, No. 533), was founded, due mostly to the dedication of one man, Gibbs Crawford Antobus. This new Lodge was named after his mansion, Eaton Hall.
    Under these particular circumstances, it is not surprising that the newly established lodge kept up many old traditions. Its first Tyler, John McCraken, was charged with delivering the summonses to the Brethren by hand. On his appointment, the lodge presented him with a Tyler’s coat and hat purchased a year earlier from Lodge of Harmony, No. 705, consecrated in Knutsford, 1818. Two years later, his successor, Thomas Craddock, was initiated by special dispensation in October of 1848 and passed a month later, enabling him to be formally appointed Tyler. On his appointment the twenty-four year old gardener was presented with the Tyler’s coat, which he wore through his thirty years of service. A contemporary photograph of him wearing his coat and hat is on display.
    Another of the traditions adhered to by Eaton Lodge was the use of a floor cloth at the lodge meetings. This early predecessor to the current tracing boards was laid out in the middle of the lodge before the opening and rolled up and stored at the end of each meeting. They are rare and exceedingly attractive. A third and equally interesting tradition adopted soon after its consecration was the use of celestial and terrestrial globes in the Lodge proceedings. The floor cloth and the pair of John Cary globes, purchased by the Lodge in 1848, continue to decorate the Lodge room today.
    It is to the great credit of the members of the Lodge that these important artefacts, together with a large number of additional items, have been preserved intact and undamaged in boxes and cabinets. Many of the items now on display in the
    R. M. Young Masonic Museum which adjoins the lodge room in Mill Street, Congleton, originated with the Lodge of Harmony. The Museum was formally opened on 19 September 1991. Most credit goes to two men: ‘Don’ Young, who at the ripe old age of 85 saw his long standing hope come to fruition, and Peter Boon, our host, whose dedication to the Museum and artefacts preceded the formal opening by several years. Peter, a qualified historian, acted as Don Young’s right hand man and the Museum has been in his charge since its inception.
    ‘There are no formalities, committees or directors of the Museum’, Peter informed me with considerable pride ‘I suppose I am the curator but every single member of our 80 strong Lodge takes an active interest in the Museum.’ He is, in fact, the very soul of the small and important collection. He is the fund raiser, buyer, cataloguer, caption writer, historian, lecturer and author of the standard reference work on the lodge, Eaton Lodge number 533 Congleton 1846-1996 A History published on its 150th anniversary.
    The compact Museum room, still used for the preparation of candidates (which probably explains the great interest by all the members of the lodge), is dominated by a cabinet displaying the Tyler’s coat, an impressive and unique item probably dating from 1818. A wide range of other masonic objects are dispersed through the room, displayed in several glass cabinets and shelves. Most striking is the collection of oil portraits of 15 Past Masters of the Lodge and several other masonic dignitaries. One is curious: a well painted portrait of the Duke of Sussex, if somewhat primitive and naive in its style. It remains un-attributed but is clearly a 19th century
    re-interpretation of the well known engraving of the Duke by the famous architectural draughtsman and miniature painter, John Harris, first published in 1833. Harris gained fame in 1823 for his prize-winning design of tracing boards which subsequently became standardised.
    A punch bowl accompanied by a silver ladle in which a 1743 florin is embedded, a copy of the 2nd edition of Dermott’s constitutions of 1751, an early 19th century solid silver inkstand on scroll feet presented to the lodge in 1847 and recovered in an 1990 auction by an observant and generous brother who donated it to the Museum, are just some of the many interesting items. The two most important remaining objects are used in the lodge room itself.
    On entering the first floor room, fully laid out and ready for the opening ceremony, one’s breath is taken away by the splendour of the magnificent floor covering dominating the ground. It was presented to Eaton Lodge in 1869 by George Reade to replace an earlier floor cloth of which no trace now remains. The covering had been painted by Brother Goodwin, a Past Master of Lodge of Unity, No. 267, in Macclesfield. At the meeting when the floor cloth, with its roller and the large wooden box, was presented to the Brethren of the lodge, the artist is recorded to have delivered a ‘most instructive and interesting explanation’.
    For the next 125 years the Lodge dutifully used the floor cloth, several meetings a year, rolling it open and rolling it up after each meeting. The fact that the cloth survived at all is a reflection of its original quality. In 1995 the Brethren of the Lodge decided to have the Floor cloth properly cleaned and restored. The result was a revelation: bright colours, symbols and text appeared; the true quality of the original gift to the lodge now became apparent.
    The triple twill canvas on which expensive paints had been used surfaced showing the high quality of the 19th century workmanship. The classical masonic emblems, the all seeing eye, the sun and moon with the mottos Sit Lux et Lux Fuit and Audi Vide Tace (‘Let There Be Light And There Was Light’ and ‘Listen, Observe, Be Silent’) head the design on the cloth. On either side of the large pillars are the flaming sword that traditionally guards the entrance to paradise and the Tyler’s sword guarding the entrance to the Lodge. On the chequered pattern is a multitude of masonic emblems, many highlighted by bright colours, yellow predominant. The floor cloth has been beautifully and carefully framed. At the head of the frame are a pair of original globes, one celestial, the other terrestrial, dated January 1830 and made by the famed cartographic family of John Cary. The Lodge purchased them in November 1849 and today the new candidate stands between the globes to receive his obligation.
    The R. M. Young Masonic Museum was created for the preservation of existing artefacts. It has no ambitions for expansion or acquisitions. In that sense it is unusual, if not unique. It is a dedicated Museum and admirably fulfils its function of representing the remarkable history of one single Lodge. n

THE TYLER’S DUTIES
    The origin of the word Tyler is shrouded in mystery: before 1728 the position was called a garder and today the ritual refers to the outer guard. Anthony Sayer, our first Grand Master in 1717, was serving as Tyler at the time of his death in 1742. In 1738 the popular Grand Tyler, Andrew Montgomery, is referred to as Garder of Ye Grand Lodge although the Constitutions published that year refer to the office, for the first time, as that of Tyler. The Tyler is the first Mason a new candidate meets; he prepares the Lodge and clears it when the meeting is over. In former times he was charged with drawing the Lodge on the floor, a practice which led, eventually, to the tracing boards of today. Late into the 19th Century, the Tyler delivered the summonses to the Brethren and ensured that the Master arrived home safely after the meeting.

USE OF GLOBES
    Globes represent Masonry Universal and sadly today are to be found in just a few Lodge rooms through the Country as decorative furniture. This was not always the case. The famous masonic author and teacher, William Preston, in his ‘Illustrations of Masonry’ first published in 1772, makes specific and detailed reference to terrestrial and celestial globes, describing them as ‘the noblest instruments for giving us the most distinct idea of any problems or proposition, as well as for enabling us to solve it’.

There are no specific opening times for the Museum. All visitors are welcome but need to make an appointment with Peter Boone, who can be contacted at 01260 273 565.