Bristol

BRISTOL LODGE

Location: Norton; Attleboro East Parish (1811); North Attleboro (1892)

Chartered By: Paul Revere

Charter Date: 06/12/1797 V-264

Precedence Date: 06/12/1797

Current Status: Active

NOTES

At the 125th Anniversary in 1922, an excellent history was presented (beginning on Page 1922-150 of the Proceedings). It indicates that the lodge was in the 3rd Masonic District (though this is probably an error - should be the 5th District) "as late as 1846", that records (with one exception) are missing from 1832 to 1859, and suggests that the charter was surrendered some time after 1846 and restored in 1859.

In Grand Master Heard's address in December 1857 (Page 1857-36 in the original Proceedings), it was noted: "Having received information that Bristol Lodge, in the town of Attleboro, had held but one meeting since its Charter was restored, December 13, 1854, and that during this period it had made no returns or payments required by our regulations, I ordered, in August last, D. D. Grand Master Taber to take possession of its effects. This duty was promptly performed, and the Charter, records and jewels, have been placed in the keeping of the Grand Treasurer. As the delinquency of this Lodge to make returns and payments has continued for three years, its Charier, foods and regalia should be declared forfeited to the Grand Lodge, according to our Constitutions, Part 4th, Article 1, Sec 4."

MEMBER LIST, 1802

From Vocal Companion and Masonic Register, Boston, 1802, Part II, Page 20:

R. W. Ephraim Raymond, M.
W. Ebenezer Tyler, S. W.
W. Benjamin Billings, J. W.
William Veny, Sec.
George Gilbert, Tr.
Jonathan Willmarth, Deacon.
Silas Cobb, Deacon.
Hezekiah Tucker, Steward.
Daniel Knap, Steward, Tiler.
Daniel Gilbert, Marshal.
W. Laban Wheaton, Rep. to the M. W. G. Lodge.

No. of Members, 40.

PAST MASTERS

Seth Smith, 1797
Laban Wheaton, 1798, 1799, 1807
Ephriam Raymond, 1800, 1801
Ebenezer Tyler, 1802, 1803
William Verry, 1804, 1805, 1806
Abiathar Richardson, Jr., 1808-1814, 1816, 1817, 1825; SN
Edward Richardson, 1818, 1819
Moses Richardson, 1820-1823
George W. Robinson, 1824
Danial Babcock, 1826-1829
Williard Blackinton, 1830; 1859
Samuel G. Bates, 1831
George B. Richards, 1832
gap in records and loss of charter
William Cutting, pro tem 1838
Samuel S. Ginwood, 1860-1863
Charles E. Smith, 1864, 1865; SN
John B. Maintein, 1866-1868
Thomas A. Sandland, 1869, 1870
Obed C. Turner, 1871, 1872
Frank S. Fairbanks, 1873, 1874
Samuel H. Bugbee, 1875, 1876
Arthur E. Codding, 1877, 1878
Edward R. Price, 1879, 1880; Memorial
James A. Codding, 1881, 1882
Theodore B. Hazzard, 1883, 1884
Walter E. Barden, 1885, 1886
Elton I. Franklin, 1887, 1888
Fred B. Byram, 1889, 1890
George E. Hawes, 1891, 1892
Owen B. Bestor, 1893, 1894
Leo A. Heilborn, 1895, 1896
Henry H. Curtis, 1897, 1898
William H. Pond, 1899, 1900
William S. Metcalf, 1901, 1902
Charles E. Stainley, 1903, 1904
William F. Maintein, 1905, 1906
Arthur E. Coding, 1907, 1908
Edwin E. Hale, 1909
H. Alton Hall, 1910
Arthur T. Parker, 1911
Harry E. Litchfield, 1912; N
Charles S. Parker, 1913
Silas H. Dyer, 1914
Ernest T. Upham, 1915
Fred I. Gorton, 1916
Harlie H. Thompson, 1917
George E. Osgood, 1918
Edmund G. Flint, 1919
Winthrop F. Barden, 1920
Byron S. Gardiner, 1921
George A. Livingston, 1922
Henry B. Cornell, 1923
John A. Clarner, 1924
William H. Beckman, 1925
David Sinclair, 1926
Lee R. Higgins, 1927; N
A. Victor R. Chevers, 1928
John L. Thompson, 1929
John H. Paton, 1930
Frank Batchelder, 1931
John A. Gilchrist, 1932
Edward P. Bennett, Jr., 1933
David G. Hayes, 1934
James Donaldson, 1935
Clarance F. Telford, 1936
John H. Peckham, Jr., 1937
George Lincoln, 1938
Edward E. Osterholm, 1939
William H. Ryder, 1940
Benjamin Armstrong, 1941
Albert B. Totten, 1942
Gerald E. Riley, 1943, 1944; N
Ovid A. Davington, 1945
Edwin W. Cheney, 1946
A. Gilbert Weller, 1947
Donald F. Austin, 1948
Ralph B. Johnson, 1949
Leroy C. Linnekin, 1950
Earl C. Batchelder, 1951
William Budlong, Jr., 1952
John D. Cruickshank, 1953
Albert Kanadarian, 1954
Eugene E. Hawkins, 1955; N
Horace E. Darling, 1956
Lawrence E. Zilch, Jr., 1957
Robert J. Gillespie, 1958
Leon G. Carpenter, 1959
Reginald B. Keyes, 1960
Albert K. Welton, 1961
Samuel B. Robinson, 1962
Stanley C. Welton, 1963
Ralph H. Hemmingsen, Jr., 1964
Harold H. Chace, 1965
Frank E. Manchester, 1966
William H. Riley, 1967
Anthony F. Ferreira, 1968
L. Raymond Wyatt, 1969
Robert B. Chamilliard, 1970
John F. Burke, 1971
Mowry E. Tennant, 1972
Ronald C. Hobbs, 1973
Louis A. Harmon, 1974
Blaine Emery, 1975
Herbert M. Tinkham, 1976; N
Damon J. Swistak, 1977
Edward A. Dyer, 1978
Herbert A. Cote, 1979
Neal B. Emerson, 1980
Markeith E. Host, 1981
Damon J. Swistak, 1982
John H. Nelson, 1983, 1988
David L. Thibault, 1984
Charles A. Currie, 1985
Louis A. Lasker, 1987
Richard F. Grant, 1989
Clifford H. White, 1990
Conrad A. Morel, 1991
Lawrence E. Williams, 1992; PDDGM
David L. Beane, 1993
William E. Taylor, 1994
James W. Halliday, 1995
Herbert A. Prew, Sr., 1996
David S. Tinkham, 1997; PDDGM
Michael E. Rench, 1998
Alfred H. Erdos, Jr., 1999
Todd O. Galarneau, 2000
Oliver J. Galarneau, 1986, 2001
Douglas R. Lovett, 2002
Gerald L. Brookbush, 2003
Donald M. Ryng, 2004, 2011
Richard D. Cathcart, 2005
Emil J. Kashouh, 2006, 2009
Herbert A. Prew, Jr., 2007
Frederick C. Parastatides, 2008
Lawrence E. Thomas, 2010
David R. Brecken, 2012
James S. Fontaine, 2013

REFERENCES IN GRAND LODGE PROCEEDINGS

Petition for Charter: 1797
Petition to Restore Charter: 1854; 1859

ANNIVERSARIES

1897 (Centenary)
1922 (125th Anniversary)
1947 (150th Anniversary)
1972 (175th Anniversary)
1997 (200th Anniversary)

VISITS BY GRAND MASTER

1865 (Parkman; installation; not in Proceedings)
1876 (Everett; Dedication of Hall; Special Communication)
1881 (Lawrence)
1882 (Lawrence; Cornerstone laying; Special Communication)
1893 (Acting Grand Master Shepard)
1894 (Holmes; Cornerstone laying; Special Communication)
1897 (Hutchinson; Centenary; Special Communication)
1916 (M. Johnson; Cornerstone laying; Special Communication)
1922 (Prince; 125th Anniversary; Special Communication)
1927 (Simpson; Hall dedication; Special Communication)
1928 (Simpson; Hall dedication; Special Communication)
1929 (H. Dean; Cornerstone laying; Special Communication)
1943 (Schaefer; mortgage burning)
1947 (Wragg; 150th Anniversary; Special Communication)
1972 (Vose; 2 visits, including 175th Anniversary; Special Communication)
1976 (Maxwell)
1989 (Ames)
1997 (A. Johnson; 200th Anniversary; Special Communication)

BY-LAW CHANGES

1870 1871 1902 1908 1920 1923 1926 1953 1954 1957 1962 1970 1973 1976 1993 1994 1998 2001 2003 2004 2008

HISTORY

1922 (125th Anniversary History, 1922-150)
1947 (150th Anniversary History, 1947-217)
1972 (175th Anniversary History, 1972-132)

OTHER

1798 (Withdrawn petition, II-120)
1811 (Petition to remove to Attleboro granted, II-508)
1812 (Remonstrance on removal, II-526; II-539)
1821 (Report on delinquency, III-341)
1830 (Petition to remove to Attleboro East Parish granted, IV-182)
1836 (Communications, IV-412)
1838 (Communications, IV-451)
1843 (Communications, IV-589)
1892 (Endorsement of charter, 1892-102)
1935 (Petition to reduce fees granted, 1935-316)

EVENTS

INSTALLATION, JANUARY 1865

From Moore's Freemason's Monthly, Vol. XXIV, No. 5, April 1865, p. 182:

This old Lodge celebrated its 68th anniversary on the 28th of January last, by a public Installation of its officers, a supper, &c. The ceremonies of Installation took place in the neat and convenient hall of the Lodge, and in the presence of as many ladies as could possibly be accomodated. They were performed by the M. W. Grand Master in his usual happy and impressive manner. At the conclusion of which, he addressed the Lodge at some length on the general purposes of the Institution, and its importance as a means of great good, not only to its own members, but to the community in which it exists.

The Lodge was then closed, and the Brethren, with their ladies, formed in procession and marched to the vestry room of one of the neighboring churches, where tables were bountifully spread for about three hundred persons. After supper, the company were entertained with speeches by several of the Brethren person, but the great feature of this part of the entertainment was the music, and we have not on any similar occasion ever been more gratified, or known it to be excelled. The singing was surprisingly excellent, and the piano was handled with great skill and beauty. We are happy to state that the Lodge is in excellent condition, and is composed of a fine class of members. The following officers were installed: -

Charles E. Smith, W.M.
John B. Maintein, S. W.
John Stanley, J. W.
Abial Codding, Jr., Treas.
John T. Bates, Sec.
Thomas A. Sandland, S. D.
James W. Foster, J. D.
A. W. Sperry, Marshal
Gardner Clarke, Chap.
Chas. A. Blake, S. S.
James A. Hodges, J. S.
William H. Heath, Tyler.

GRAND LODGE OFFICERS

Eugene E. Hawkins, DDGM, District 28 (Attleboro), 1960, 1961; N
Lee Higgins, DDGM, District 28 (Attleboro), 1933, 1934; N
Louis A. Harmon, Grand Marshal 1996-1998, Senior Grand Warden 1999
Harry E. Litchfield, DDGM, District 28 (Taunton), 1925, 1926; N
Edward R. Price, DDGM, District 23 (Taunton), 1893, 1894; Memorial
Abiathar Richardson, DDGM, District 4 (Southeast), 1819, 1820; SN
Gerald E. Riley, DDGM, District 28 (Attleboro), 1947, 1948; N
Charles E. Smith, DDGM, District 13 (Dedham), 1880, 1881; SN
David S. Tinkham, DDGM, District 16, 2004, 2005
Herbert M. Tinkham, DDGM, District 28 (Attleboro), 1980, 1981; Junior Grand Warden 1985; N
Lawrence E. Williams, DDGM, District 28 (Attleboro), 1996, 1997