MEN WHO HAVE PLAYED AN IMPORTANT PART IN THE BUILDING UP OF A LIVING BROTHERHOOD

Thanks are extended to Bro. Mick Walker for the submission of this page

Brother Lord Alverstone, R.O.H.

    On May 30th, 1904, Brother Lord Alverstone performed the formal opening ceremony of the Aldridge Orphanage. The decision taken by Grand Lodge in January 1898 to build an Orphanage for the R.A.O.B. was thus brought to fruition within the short space of six years. The land at Aldridge had been presented by Brother Croxall to Brother Leonard Aulton in 1900, and the enthusiasm displayed by the young Grand Lodge resulted in the opening of the first part of the building containing forty beds. Eight years later in 1912, Brother Lord Alverstone performed the official opening ceremony of the first extension of no less than sixty additional beds.

    An encyclopaedia of this period describes Lord Alverstone, born in 1842, formerly Sir Richard Everard Webster, Lord Chief Justice of England since 1900, as one of the most brilliant lawyers of modern times chiefly in commercial, railway and patent cases. He had been a Member of Parliament for Launceston in 1885 and for the Isle of Wight from 1885 to 1900. He was Attorney General three times under Lord Salisbury, served for a few months as Master of the Rolls and presided over a Tribunal which defined the Canadian and American boundaries of Alaska. As Attorney General, he conducted the major part of the prosecution in the Parnell Commission of 1888-9.

    There is no wonder that having so distinguished a brother in the active service of the Order that Grand Lodge should seek to make the most of his services, and should use these services on every occasion. Not only did he consent to perform the formal opening ceremonies in connection with the Aldridge Orphanage, but his raising to the Fourth Degree in the Grand Assembly Rooms at Bath on Friday, November 17th, 1911, was reputed to have been one of the finest ceremonies that has ever taken place in the Order. The building up to this ceremony is recorded thus -

    A curious and not wholly explained incident in connection with Lord Alverstone's association with the Order arises from the fact that as early as 2nd September, 1903, the Grand Secretary reported that at the request of a number of brethren he had asked Lord Alverstone if he would accept at the hands of Grand Lodge the dignity of the Third Degree as a mark of appreciation of His Lordship's interest in the Order and the Orphanage. He was happy to state that His Lordship had informed him that he would be very pleased to accept the honour.
    The Minute, in so far as it related to the exaltation, was confirmed in October, 1903.
    Nothing seems to have happened in connection with the proposal until December 6th, 1905 - two years later when the Isle of Wight Provincial Grand Lodge made an application to rescind the Grand Lodge Minutes of September and October, 1903, and for permission to exalt His Lordship to the Third Degree in that Province.
    After everyone had made it perfectly clear that no-one other than Grand Lodge could adequately express appreciation of the zeal and interest he had displayed, the Grand Primo ruled the Isle of Wight application out of order, there being no Minor Lodge qualification as required by rule.
    What actually happened between the Grand Secretary and the Isle of Wight Provincial Grand Lodge, is not at all clear, but at the January 1906 meeting of Grand Lodge, it was announced that the Grand Primo had read in a newspaper the previous evening that Bro. Lord Alverstone had, in fact, been exalted to the Third Degree by that Province.
    Bro. Kennedy then moved that the Minute of December 1905 be rescinded. The Grand Secretary suggested that the Minutes of September and October 1903 be dealt with in a similar manner, and after what the Minute describes as "a lengthy discussion", the motion was carried unanimously. We are not told what was said during this discussion - which is rather a loss. Some of the habitues of Grand Lodge had a first-class vocabulary and it may well be that they knew the solution to, and expressed an opinion on, the mystery of the lost two years, and of the fact that the Isle of Wight Province had found a way around, through, or over the decision of Grand Lodge one month earlier.
    But "it's a long lane -" you know the quotation, and on the 29th April, 1911, Grand Lodge had before it an application from Portsmouth for permission (in conjunction with the Isle of Wight Provincial Grand Lodge) to "exalt the Lord Chief Justice to the Roll of Honour Degree at Shanklin, at a date to be fixed by His Lordship". There was immediate support for the proposal and Bro. Tuck assured Grand Lodge that they would entertain any officer or delegate who might attend. Bro. Hickling wanted to know the cost to Grand Lodge and the Grand Primo opined that the railway fares of Grand Lodge officers might be paid, and then, at the moment when agreement appeared to be certain, the opposition became vocal, and Bro. Garton moved that the Lord Chief Justice be invited to attend Bath (where Grand Lodge was being held) for the exaltation.
    Bro. Tuck came back with opposition to this and reiterated his promise that the applicants would entertain visitors to Shanklin. He was of the opinion that the brother they wished to honour would decline to visit Bath for the purpose.
    It was no use, the amendment to invite His Lordship to Bath was carried, and at the July meeting of Grand Lodge they actually agreed to the unprecedented proposal to postpone Grand Lodge from October 28th to November 18th, to accommodate his date, and fixed the exaltation for the evening prior to Grand Lodge meeting to be called for November 18th, 1911.
    No slip-up on this occasion, and at the Grand Assembly Rooms at Bath, on the selected date, our distinguished brother was exalted to the Fourth Degree by the Grand Primo of England, Bro. Councillor Lionel Jacobs, in the presence of a company estimated in the official report to number no less than six hundred.
    At this ceremony brethren prominent in all walks of life gladly played their part. The Exalting Officer was Brother Lionel Jacobs, Grand Primo, then a Councillor of Plymouth. Brother John Wilson, a Third Degree member at that time, was Knight Chamberlain. Grand Primos, past and future, included Brothers Roger Thornas, George Bennett, T. W. Boden, T. Johnson, J. W. Bray, J. Gardner, Tempest Smethurst, R. Jerram Hickling, J. T. Davies, George Cecil Storry, whilst on the Guard of Honour were Brother Lord Alexandra Thynne, M.P. for Bath, and Brother Richard Rigg, High Sheriff of Westmoreland. Brother Billy Rose was prominent on the Toast List, as were Brother Archie West, Director of Ceremonies, and Brother J. N. Zetterstrom.
    During the evening, His Lordship made two speeches, one in reply to the personal toast and one when giving the toast "The Orphanage", and needless to say, on both occasions he was received with delighted applause.
    Bro. Lord A. Thynne, gave the toast "The Grand Lodge of England", and he, too, was received with approbation.
    There appears to have been four Knights Chamberlains; four Sponsors and a Guard of Honour consisting of thirty of the most distinguished National and Provincial officers ever to grace a Buffalo Lodge Room.

    Lord Alverstone was brought into the Order by Wilson-Marsh, who had no illusions as to the "status" value of having this distinguished citizen in the Order. His name was used with studied nonchalance in Lodges all over Britain. To be fair to him, whilst he was probably well aware of this fact, I think he enjoyed his membership as a complete escape from the many unpleasant experiences of his daily life as a Judge. Whatever the reasons, anyone would rate him as a good Buffalo in his own rights.

    The real service rendered to the Order by Brother Lord Alverstone was the popular recognition which his membership secured for the growing organisation. In a variety of ways this publicity was an advantage to the Order. An amusing example of this occurred when the Trustees of the North Durham P.G.L. sued a recalcitrant host in the Sunderland County Court for the recovery of monies and properties of the Sir John Falstaff Lodge. Counsel for the defence raised the ingenious plea that the R.A.O.B. was a Society which fell within a certain Act of George III, as being established for seditious and treasonable purposes whose members were required to take an oath of engagement not required by law, and the Society should be deemed unlawful, and therefore incapable of bringing the action. Counsel for the prosecution complimented Counsel for the defence on the ingenuity of his plea, but pointed out that this was not likely to be be a seditious Society "when the Lord Chief Justice of England and many others of the nobility were members at the present time". The Judge "That would not take it out of the act". (Laughter) Judge O'Connor found in favour of the Plaintiffs.

    Despite these public acknowledgments Brother Lord Alverstone's main interest was in Minor Lodge activity. He was initiated in the Clarence Lodge No. 226, Isle of Wight P.G.L., on June 6th, 1892, by Brother R. Wilson-Marsh, and was raised to the Second Degree by the same brother on December 30th, 1897, when Brother Wilson Marsh was Grand Primo, the ceremony taking place in the Falcon Lodge No. 203. He received his Third Degree in the Falcon Lodge on June 2nd, 1906, and his Fourth Degree, as mentioned above, at the hands of Grand Lodge in 1911. A contemporary of his was Brother Pierre Pionchon, who became a Fourth Degree member in 1910, and whose two sons, Frederick and Arthur, were both subsequently raised to the Fourth Degree by the Falcon Lodge. This present knowledge is attributed to a conversation with Brother Arthur Pionchon, which took place in 1945. Proudly shown on this page, is the W.P's. chair and rostrum, and prominence is given on Lodge Honour Boards to the name of Brother Richard Webster, subsequently Brother Lord Alverstone. It is on record that our distinguished brother conducted both First and Second Degree ceremonies in the Lodge, and that he persuaded many of his personal friends to become affiliated members.

Limitations of space prevent greater detail, so there we must leave our reference to one who was a good man because he was a good buffalo and a good "Judge"

Further articles to follow.........................