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Duke of Athol 210

4th Duke of Athol

Sometime previous to 1795, a number of men who were all members of Irish lodges, and who had all settled in Manchester to carry on the business of manufacturing muslins, decided to form a lodge of their own. being Irishmen, and with the proverbial perverseness typical of the Irish always being 'agin the government', they would not associate themselves with the Grand Lodge of England formed in 1717, otherwise known as the "Moderns" but, instead presented their petition to the Grand Master and Grand Officers of the rebel "Grand Lodge of England according to old Constitutions", commonly termed "Ancient" or "Athol" masons which had been formed in 1753.

The following is the wording of the petition of our warrant.

" To His Grace, John, Duke, Marquis, Earl of Athol etc. etc. Right Worshipful Grand Master and the rest of the Right Worshipful the Grand Officers of the Grand Lodge of Masons, London, according to the Old Institutions, etc."

" We those names are hereunder written and subscribed, being persons residing in the town of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, and Regular and Free Accepted Masons and duly certified as such under Certificates and Seal of the Grand Lodge of Ireland, and having nothing nearer to our hearts than the prosperity of the Craft, do most humbly request to be constituted and installed and formed into a just and perfect lodge, by Virtue of a Warrant from and under your Right Worshipful Grand Lodge."

"That should this our request be granted we promise strict conformity to the Edicts and Commands of Your Right Worshipful Grand Lodge and we beg to nominate and recommend

Brother Hugh Ardery to be the first Master

Brother James Gillespie, Senior Warden

Brother Henry Haddock, Junior Warden

and the Lodge to be held at the Royal Archer, Dale St Manchester upon the first Monday in every calendar month, and, as in the duty bound, shall ever pray etc.etc."

(signed) Hugh Ardery, Intended Master.

James Gillespie, Intended S.W.

Henry Haddock, Intended J.W.

The Petition is recommended and signed by the Master and Wardens of Lodges 275 and 278, both "Antient" lodges meeting in Manchester at the time. The Lodge of Fidelity No. 275 was warranted in 1792 and has since become extinct. Lodge No. 278 is now the Caledonian Lodge No. 204, meeting at Freemason's Hall Bridge St. Manchester.

The petition was signed by two muslin manufacturers, sixteen muslin weavers and one tailor, an early instance of what may be termed a "class" lodge. The following are the names and professions and trades of the petitioners, together with the numbers of his Mother Lodge in Ireland and place of meeting.

Name	Trade or Profession	Lodge No.	Held At
Hugh Ardery	Muslin Manufacturer	681	Killylea, Co Armagh
James Gillespie	Muslin Weaver	671	Killylea, Co Armagh
Henry Haddock	Muslin Weaver	393	Hamiltons Lawn, Co Armagh
John Honey	Muslin Weaver	333	Caledon, Co Tyrone
George McCormick	Muslin Weaver	715	Loughbrickland, Co Down
Andrew Hunter	Muslin Weaver	333	Caledon, Co Tyrone
Hugh Holmes	Muslin Weaver	459	Clare, Co Armagh
Robert Hamilton	Muslin Weaver	460	Ballinascreen, Co Derry
John Morgan	Muslin Weaver	681	Killylea, Co Armagh
John Park	Muslin Weaver	526	1st Battalion of the 68th Regiment of Foot
James Irwin	Muslin Weaver	404	Ballinderry, Co Antrim
John Parker	Muslin Weaver	526	Hallsmills, Co Down
James Coal	Muslin Weaver	592	Portadown, Co Armagh
Robert Carol	Muslin Weaver	673	Rocksorry, Co Monaghan
Moses Hammond	Muslin Weaver	465	Moy, Co Tyrone
Robert Lister	Muslin Weaver	184	Drum, Co Monaghan
Moses Mitchell	Muslin Weaver	450	Balbriggan, Co Dublin
Daniel Doras	Tailor	715	Loughbrickland, Co Down
William Sedgwick	Muslin Manufacturer	716	Lisburn, Co Antrim

The Lodge was warranted by the "Ancients" Grand Lodge on the 21st March 1795, to meet at the Royal Archer, Dale St, Manchester its number on the register being 289.

Prior to the "Union" of 1813, brethren of the rival Grand Lodges were frequently distinguished from each other by the names of their respective Grand Masters. Thus the members of lodges under the "Regular" or Constitutional Grand Lodge (1717) were known as "Prince of Wales" masons or "Moderns", whilst those under the jurisdiction of the Grand Lodge (1753) were styled "Athol" masons or "Ancients".