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EZEKIEL BATES LODGE

Location: Attleboro

Chartered By: William Sewall Gardner

Charter Date: 06/14/1871 1871-79

Precedence Date: 04/09/1870

Current Status: Active

PAST MASTERS

REFERENCES IN GRAND LODGE PROCEEDINGS

• Petition for Dispensation: 1870
• Petition for Charter: 1871

ANNIVERSARIES

• 1920 (50th Anniversary)
• 1945 (75th Anniversary)
• 1970 (Centenary)

VISITS BY GRAND MASTER

• 1871 (By Charles W. Moore; Constitution of Lodge and installation)
• 1881 (Lawrence)
• 1884 (Howland; for the interment of Bro. Alfred Chatterton)
• 1904 (Sanford; cornerstone laying for the Bronson Building Masonic hall; see invitation below)
• 1905 (Sanford; hall dedication)
• 1920 (Prince; 50th Anniversary; Special Communication)
• 1927 (Simpson; Veterans' Night)
• 1930 (H. Dean; Hall dedication)
• 1942 (Schaefer)
• 1945 (Wragg; 75th Anniversary; Special Communication)
• 1954 (W. Johnson)
• 1970 (Jaynes; Centenary; Special Communication)
• 1972 (Vose; Table Lodge)
• 1982 (Berquist; Ladies' Night)
• 1999 (Bauer; Reception for Senior Grand Warden Louis A. Harmon)

BY-LAW CHANGES

1879 1886 1887 1894 1895 1919 1920 1927 1929 1937 1940 1941 1947 1951 1952 1957 1967 1968 1971 1975 1980 1984 1989 1990 1996 2004 2005

HISTORY

• 1920 (50th Anniversary History, 1920-128)
• 1945 (75th Anniversary History, 1945-98)
• 1970 (Centenary History, 1970-83)

25TH ANNIVERSARY HISTORY, OCTOBER 1895

A History of Masonry, A. F. & A. M. in Attleboro

To the Officers and Members of Ezekiel Bates Lodge, A. F. & A. M.

Ezekiel Bates Lodge, Attleboro, Mass., Chartered April 9th, 5870. Thus reads the Seal of this Lodge, the official stamp of our organization. (It is not clear w)hether this date, October 16th, can be called the proper date on which to celebrate the Silver Anniversary of this Lodge or not. It occurred to the minds of some of the members that the Year 1895 completed the twenty-fifth year of our existence. And as the Charter granted bore the date of April 9th, and the Lodge was not constituted until September, which is near our annual meeting, it was suggested and finally decided to hold some sort of meeting that would in some measure fittingly recognize the occasion, and at the same time institute a precedent that should be continued forever hereafter, viz., an effort to make the annual meeting a time to be look forward to, when every member would be expected to be present, act on the yearly reports, elect officers, and give the Lodge a good send-off for the new year.

And this evening, as the result of these foregoing thoughts and acts whereby the Lodge through its Committee have been able to in a measure carry out its plans, we are assembled here to consult as to the best plans for the coming year, become acquainted one with the other and socially set together around the table and feast upon the good things set before us. It was suggested that it might be a good plan to prepare a historical paper concerning Masonry in Attleboro to be read at the Annual Meeting. Said suggestion was considered wise and work was begun (which was work indeed) with the following results.

The History of Freemasonry in Attleboro dates back to the year 1812 when Bristol (now located in North Attleboro), the Mother Lodge, moved here from Norton, Mass. But let us go back still further, June 26, 1797, in the Town of Norton, Bristol Lodge was organized and held its first meeting, there being nine (9) members and one visitor present. The record does not say where they met but the record of July 19th, the same year, says the lodge was opened at Samuel Fay's house, which together with a section in the By-Laws under which they worked that reads "That the Lodge shall meet at such a place as the majority of the members present think fit" on the evening of the first Monday of every month; "if there is an equal division as to the place, the Master shall decide;" (it) looks very much as if they met around among the members in their different homes.

Some of the By-Laws under which our fathers worked seem peculiar, some of which are as follows. The By-Laws fixed the membership at forty, no more could be added except by vote. Concerning the meetings, it says "and that each member shall appear decently dressed each night." Another, "No liquor shall be brought into the Lodge Room except by order of the Worshipful Master." And another, "No member of visitor shall do any fighting or quarreling or use and profane or opprobrious language during the Lodge meeting or within thirty minutes after closing; in case of a disobeyment of the rule, the member shall be called up by name and publicly reprimanded by the Master; for second offence, he or they shall be expelled."

The Annual Meeting and Election of Officers was held the first Monday in June. The Stewards were required to hand in at the Annual Meeting an Inventory of Utensils and Furniture which, if accepted, was handed over to the new Stewards. Notices of Meeting were either given out from one meeting to another or they were delivered by the Tyler at the Master's order. "Any member proposing a candidate shall be held responsible for the fee, and if he (the candidate) fails to take the degree after a clear ballot, the member shall pay five dollars for the Lodge Chest." "On ballot being clear, candidate shall take first degree, and the second when the Master thinks him deserving, and must be examined before taking the Third, and if raised at a special meeting, the candidate must pay the fee and expense of meeting, and I am informed by older ones that most of the raisings occurred on special meetings and the candidate had to settle. Fees: First, $10.00; Second, $3.00; Third, $4.00 and expenses. So much for the By-Laws.

On the 14th of December, 1797, the record says that the Lodge was opened in Taunton and received a petition. They seemed to have a very large jurisdiction. Petitions were received from Taunton, Walpole. Rehoboth and other places. It is very interesting to look through the old records and trace the doings of our early Brethren. It has been the privilege of the writer (through the kindness of W. Bro. E. P. Price, Cashier, Attleborough National Bank, in whose vaults the old records are kept) to look them over although for lack of time in rather a hurried manner. They (the members) were apparently free and easy-going in their methods but careful as to the spirit of the Institution. Nothing of great importance occurred while the Lodge was in Norton (except that one time they granted a Charter to petitioners from Rehoboth to hold a Lodge in that Town.) The Lodge (Bristol) was constituted June 20th, 5798 by Josiah Bartlett, Grand Master. At a meeting held March 6th, 1800, it was voted "No refreshments to be brought in in the future except wine and spirit." The writer has been led to wonder what they were in the habit of having previous to this vote.

Without any reason given, at a meeting held December 5th, 1811, agreeable to a petition, voted "To move the Lodge to Attleboro, East Precinct," the Grand Lodge having amended the Charter and given permission so to do. Mathias Richardson, Junior, was Worshipful Master. And at the same, it was voted to increase membership to 80. The last meeting held in Norton was on January 23rd, 1812, at which time the Master called the next meeting to meet in the Franklin School House, Attleboro East Precinct (which site, I believe, is now the front yard of the Second Congregational Church, to right as you approach the main entrance), Thursday next preceding the full moon at one o'clock P.M., which appears from the records to have been a special meeting for the purpose of receiving a petition, fee $15.00, K. Daggett, Secretary.

February 27th, 1812, a committee consisting of Jobel Ingraham and Amos Sweet were chosen to see about a lot and to build a hall. There is no record of this committee, but December 16th, same year, at a regular meeting, it was voted to have a committee for drawing up plans for a hall. William Fisher and Noah Claflin were appointed on this committee and at the next regular meeting, this committee was discharged and another committee consisting of the same men with the Master was chosen with full power to "act as agents for the Lodge and build a building such as they think best." Nothing further in the record is heard from them. February 11th, 1813, chose another committee to arrange with Benjamin Balkum to build them a suitable hall and let (it to) them for five hundred dollars for fourteen years.

March 5th, 1813, Samuel Carpenter, father of S. F. Carpenter, was proposed as a candidate, fee $15.00, a raise from $10.00. He was initiated March 11th, crafter April 15th, fee $3.00, and raised May 13th at 2 o'clock, P.M., which appears to have been a special meeting. At the next annual meeting, he was appointed Tyler, served one year and appears next as Treasurer in 1818 and 1819, and at various other times up to 1830. Nothing more appears of him as the record book from 1832 to 1871 can up to this time not be found.

At a meeting held August 13th, 1829, voted: "That Elihu Daggett personally present a petition to the Grand Lodge to have erased from the Charter the clause East Precinct, no reasons given. March 14th, 1830, Willard Blackinton in the chair, a communication was received from the Grand Lodge complying with the above request, giving the Lodge the privilege of "meeting as their best interests require." May 6, 1830, voted to move to Farnum's Hall. It is supposed by many that this vote was the action by which the Lodge was moved to its present location, North Attleboro. Nothing appeared in the records to explain why they moved but it is natural to suppose that as North Attleboro was then the most important part of the Town, they expected to gain in members by the change. It is impossible to further pursue the Lodge's action because of the missing link before referred to.

We know, however, that early in the Thirties the great anti-masonic move swept the country and that the Charter of Bristol Lodge was returned to the Grand Lodge, where it lay for many years and Masonry took a long rest as it appeared on the surface. The next we hear of Bristol Lodge comes in the form of the restoration of the Charter to eight brethren, December 13th, 1854 - Willard Robinson, S. O. Draper, Willard Blackinton, Rufus P. Barrows, Ephrium Deon, Daniel Babcock, Noah Claflin and Edward Richardson. For some reason it was not taken up; or if it was, it was returned to the Grand Lodge without being used until September 14, 1859, when the Grand Lodge again restored it to the same Brethren.

Willard Blackinton having been the W. M. at the time of the surrender of the Charter, at its restoration he was appointed the first Master. At the reorganization and from that time to the present, Bristol Lodge has gone on its way doing good work and gaining in members and influence. It will soon be time to celebrate its Centennial Anniversary, when we shall probably have a more detailed history of that Lodge.

Up to the year 1868, Attleboro Precinct, as it was then called, had grown to be an important part of the Town, having gradually increased in numbers and in the business line was of much importance and many of the citizens desiring to unite themselves with the Fraternity, worked their way Northward until quite a number were members of Bristol Lodge. About this time (1868) a few zealous members of Bristol Lodge, North Attleboro, began to interest themselves in a movement looking towards the formation of a Masonic Lodge in the East part of the town. Among the first movers in the matter was our well-known Brother, A. R. Crosby, who then occupied a small one-story building situated on the north side of Park Street, where Briggs Block now stands, known at the time as "Uncle Tom's Cabin", wherein he followed his daily round of business. In the attic of said building, whose only approach was by a ladder, through a scuttle, night after night, the business of the day over, at first two or three and as the interest increased several others, met and studied up the work and laid the foundations of the Lodge that was so soon to follow.

The number of those interested increased to the extent that more spacious quarters were made necessary, and a suite of rooms was hired in the house owned by Daniel K. Adams, corner of Bank and Peck Street. The interest remained unabated and soon after the removal to the new quarters, it was voted that application be made to the Grand Lodge for a dispensation to form a Lodge and work the degrees, and through the influence of our late townsman, friend and Brother, Ezekiel Bates, whose name we bear, a member of St. Andrew's Lodge, Boston, the dispensation was granted, the Lodge formed, and Bro. Daniel H. Smith was appointed to be its first Master, together with the following Officers:-

• A. P. Crosby, Senior Warden
• Geo. F. Bicknell, Jun. Warden
• James H. Sturdy, Treasurer
• John M. Daggett, Secretary
• Charles E. Bliss, Chaplain
• John W. Luther, Marshal
• Edwin M. Crandall, Sen. Deacon
• Edward C. Martin, Jun. Deacon
• John Baxter, Sen. Steward
• Thomas S. Nye, Jun. Steward
• Orville Balcom, Sentinel
• W. W. Smith, Tyler

In the meantime, arrangements were being made for more commodious quarters. The building now known as Dean's Block, Park Street, was in process of erection and arrangements were made with Mr. Dean to extend his plans by adding one story, thereby making a hall for our accommodation. The hall was completed and furnished in due time and Ezekiel Bates Lodge moved into its new and finely furnished quarters.

OTHER

• 1872 (Participation in the cornerstone laying of Grace Protestant Episcopal Church)
• 1937 (Petition for reduction of fees for lodge)

EZEKIEL BATES MEMBERS SERVING IN THE WAR OF THE REBELLION

Information on these Brothers was provided by Bro. Bryan Simmons of Ezekiel Bates Lodge in July, 2013.

BLISS, EVERETT BRADFORD 1839-1906

Jeweler.

• MM 1872
• Corporal H Company, 14th Massachusetts, 09/01/1862-06/16/1865

BRADFORD, WILLIAM H.

Could not find card

• H Company, 14th Massachusetts, 09/01/1862-12/15/1864; buried in Woodlawn Cemetery

CRANDALL, EDWIN LORENZO 1841-1887

Dentist.

• MM 1867, Bristol
• Charter Member Ezekiel Bates Lodge; WM 1874-1876
• Corporal, H Company, 40th (or 14th?) Massachusetts, 09/01/1862-07/16/1864; disabled

CROSBY, ALFRED R. 1838-1922

Jeweler

• PDDGM
• 1st New Hampshire Artillery; buried in Woodlawn Cemetery

CUMMINGS, JOHN CRAWFORD 1841-1930

Jeweler.

• MM 1867, Bristol
• Charter Member Ezekiel Bates Lodge
• Corporal, H Company, 14th Massachusetts, 09/01/1862-06/16/1865; POW at Andersonville / Florence

HORTON, EVERETT SOUTHARD 1836-1911

Clerk.

• MM 1870, Bristol (EA in 1864)
• Member of Ezekiel Bates Lodge from 1872
• Major, C Company, 47th Massachusetts 09/23/1862-07/14/1865; POW

HORTON, GIDEON MARTIN 1839-1886

Jeweler.

• MM Ezekiel Bates 1873.
• 10th Rhode Island Light Battery, 05/16/1862-08/30/1862; buried in Woodlawn Cemetery

KELLEY, ENSIGN ELDRIDGE 1820-1897

Postal Clerk.

• MM Lafayette #19, Washington, D.C., 1865
• Member of Ezekiel Bates Lodge from 1871
• I Company, 7th Massachusetts, 06/15/1861-10/15/1862; Wounded

LINCOLN, ROGER L.

Could not find card

• 11th Rhode Island, 10/01/1862-07/13/1863

SMITH, DANIEL H. 1835-1913

Jeweler.

• http://masonicgenealogy.com/MediaWiki/index.php?title=MASuppNecrologiesSZ#SMITH.2C_DANIEL_H._1835-1913 SN]; PDDGM
• Sergeant, H Company, 26th Massachusetts, 10/07/1861-10/07/1864; Wounded at Deep Run, Virginia

WEAVER, JOSEPH MANFRED 1846-?

• MM 1872, Bristol
• Suspended 1891
• Gunboat Galena, G Squadron, 08/27/1864-06/12/1865

WILMARTH, JOHN CRANE 1842-?

Jeweler.

• MM 1865, Bristol
• Suspended 1880
• H Company, 14th Massachusetts; POW

EVENTS

The following document scans are courtesy of Ezekiel Bates Lodge.

CORNERSTONE LAYING, APRIL 1903

Invitation to the Cornerstone Laying of the 2nd Congregational Church, April 1903

CORNERSTONE LAYING, JULY 1904

Invitation to the Cornerstone Laying of the Bronson Building, July 1904

OFFICIAL VISIT, SEPTEMBER 1909

Official Visit by R.W. George A. Cox Mem

GRAND LODGE OFFICERS

• Hubert E. J. Berry, DDGM, District 28 (Attleboro), 1962, 1963; N
• Robert L. Cooke, DDGM, District 28 (Attleboro), 1931, 1932; N
• Alfred R. Crosby, DDGM, District 23 (Taunton), 1888, 1889; Memorial
• Ralph C. Estes, DDGM, District 28 (Taunton), 1919, 1920; N
• Edward C. Martin, DDGM, District 23 (Taunton), 1907, 1908; Memorial
• Johnny D. Pass, DDGM, District 28 (Attleboro), 1988, 1989
• Daniel H. Smith, DDGM, District 23 (Taunton), 1902; SN
• Benjamin W. Taylor, DDGM, District 28 (Attleboro), 1945, 1946; N
• Charles Thomae, DDGM, District 28 (Attleboro), 1949, 1950; N
• Donald Turnbull, DDGM, District 28 (Attleboro), 1974, 1975; N

DISTRICTS

1870: District 13 (Taunton)

1878: District 19 (Taunton)

1883: District 23 (Taunton)

1911: District 28 (Taunton)

1927: District 28 (Attleboro)

2003: District 16

LINKS

Lodge web site under deveiopment

Massachusetts Lodges