31, N. G. John Mather, of the Arcanum Lodge, Crawford, to Miss Elizabeth Sheldon, daughter of brother Joseph Sheldon, of the same Lodge.-January 17, brother William Dickens, of the above Lodge, to Miss Mary Smith, sister to V. G. Smith, of the same Lodge.-October 15, P. G. Daniel Massey, of the Bud of Hope Lodge, Bonsall, to Miss Elizabeth Weston.-February 11, at Runcorn, by the Rev. F. Master, vicar, N. G. William Harding, of the Ebenezer Lodge, to Miss Ann Littler, daughter of C. S. Samuel Littler, of the Runcorn District.-December 7, Thomas Bishop, of the Good Intent Lodge, Loughborough, to Mary Pallets, of the same place. January 23, John Swann, of the Good Intent Lodge, Loughborough, to Harriet Willmot, of the same place.-January 4, P. S. William Dawson, of the Lily of the Valley Lodge, Huddersfield District, to Miss Sarah Ann Hallows, of Berry Brow; and P. G. George Crossland, of the above Lodge, to Amelia Whitehead, both of Armitage Bridge.-January 26, at St. Mary's church, Secretary Robert Hadfield, of the Earl Fitzwilliam Lodge, Manchester, to Miss Mary Broaden.-December 27, at the parish church of Glossop, by the Rev. Christopher Howe, brother James Fielding, of the Prince Regent Lodge, Glossop, to Miss Mary Hague, of the same place. -February 10, by the Rev. Mr. Carter, brother John Ainland, maltster, of the True Britons' Lodge, Mirfield, to Mrs. Wormald, both of Mirfield.-January 4, P. G. George Crossland, of the Lily of the Valley Lodge, Armitage Bridge, to Amelia, widow of the late Mr. John Whitehead, of Honley.—January 4, P. S. William Dawson, to Sarah Ann, daughter of Mr. John Fallows.-January 14, brother John Stockwell, to Miss Elizabeth Mellor.-Brother John Hawkyard to Miss Hannah Kinder.Brother Charles Hallas to Miss Christian Benton.-November 9, 1835, at St. John's church, Manchester, P. V. Lucas, of the Good Samaritan Lodge, Stockport, to Miss Ann Broughton, of the same place.-January 30, P. G. Atkinson, of the St. Thomas' Lodge, London, to Miss Miridud Darley.-March 6, Secretary Thomas Armstrong, to Miss Martha Readett, both of Manchester.-At Youlgreave, Derbyshire, January 19, 1836, brother Samuel Bateman, of the Rose of Cumberland Lodge, Manchester, to Miss Elizabeth Jones.-January 24, Secretary James Harrison, of the Strangers' Refuge Lodge, Belper, to Miss D. Day, of the same place.

DEATHS.

December 22, brother John Woodward, of the Constitution Lodge, Warrington, -Fanny, the wife of brother Job Bunting, of the Bud of Hope, Bonsall, leaving a husband and three small children to lament the loss of a good wife and parent.-Feb. 6, aged five years, the son of brother Tatlock, of the St. Thomas' Lodge, London.-January 3, John, third son of P. G. Jackson, of the Duke of Lancaster Lodge, St. Helens :

This lovely bud so young and fair,

Called hence by early doom;

Just came to shew how sweet a flower,
In Paradise would bloom.

February 26, P. G. James Banks, of the British Fleet Lodge, formerly of the Victory Lodge, Manchester.-December 13, after a long and painful illness, Hannah, the wife of host John Carbutt, of the George the Fourth Lodge, Kippax, in the 44th year of her age, leaving a large family to lament their irreparable loss.-February 2, of pulmonary consumption, at the age of 29, brother Barnard Davis, formerly host of the Loyal Cambrian Lodge, Merthyr Tydvil, Glamorganshire. His widow has to mourn the loss of an affectionate husband, and his children that of a fond and indulgent parent. -February 2, at Merthyr Tydvil, Mary Ann, daughter of P. Prov. G. M. Reynolds. —February 22, at Merthyr Tydvil, at the age of 33, after a protracted illness, borne with pious resignation, P. G. George Thomas, of the Cambrian Lodge. His remains were followed to the grave by a numerous procession of brothers, all of whom felt anxious to bear testimony of the estimation in which he was held among them.

Nipp'd by an untimely blast he fell,

But in that fall resign'd,

He bow'd to the will of Him who never errs.

March 9, aged 27, William Bake, P. G. of the St. George Lodge, Manchester, much and deservedly respected by the brethren of the Manchester District, of which he has for many years been an efficient member.—September 17, 1825, John Davies, of the Ancient Briton's Lodge, Wrexham : his death was occasioned by falling from a scaffold, when employed at a newly-erected building at Manchester; he has left a disconsolate widow & two infant children to deplore his loss: he was universally respected by his brethren, and his melancholy end is generally lauented.-January 26, 1835, Frank, the only son of brother G. Burgess; January 27, Hannah, the only daughter of P. S. Wiliam Heeley; February 9, James, the youngest son of brother Robert Penny; February 15, David, the son of P. Prov. C. S. Robert Boyer; February 13, John, the son of brother William Wain; February 23, Sarah, the daughter of P. G. William Knowles; February 21, Henry, the son of brother Amos Barrowclough; February 10, James, and February 17, Zachariah, the two only sons of brother George Shore; January 19, Edwin, the son of brother Samuel Barker, all of the Clio Lodge, Tintwistle.-November 2, 1835, aged 28, Sarah, the wife of C. S. Edward Chambers, Pontefract District. The deceased had the misfortune to be so severely scalded about a month before, as to render the remainder of her existence excrutiatingly painful to herself, and deplorable to the survivors, a husband and four lamenting children.-January 5, host Rawson, of the Cornwallis Lodge, Huddersfield.-January 20, brother Thomas of the Rose of Sharon Lodge, Elland.-January 20, brother Marmaduke Nuttall's wife, of the Rose of Sharon Lodge, Elland.-February 10, brother Daniel's wife, of the Friend. ly Drop Lodge, Heckmondwike.-February 22, brother Johnson's wife, of the Friendly Drop Lodge.-February 26, brother William Sykes' wife, of the Amphibious Lodge, Bradley.-February 28, brother Hellawell's wife, of the Amphibious Lodge, Bradley. -February 26, Elijah Turner, of the Wellington Lodge, Huddersfield.-January 23, 1836, the son of brother William Wilson, of the Queen Elizabeth Lodge, Stockport. -February 2, Frederick, aged one year and eight months, and on the 12th of May, aged four years, the beloved son and daughter of P. S. Joseph Woodcock. of the Key Lodge, Hadfield, Glossop District-January 4, John Burhose, the son of P. G. George Atha, of the Lily of the Valley Lodge, Armitage Bridge, aged three years.January 17, aged twenty months, Martha North, the daughter of P. G. Abraham Crowther.-January 22, aged two years and nine months, Edwin, the son of Warden Richard Varley.-February 15, aged six months, Thomas Clapham, the son of P. Prov. G. M. William Wright.-February 17, the wife of brother Emanuel Brendley, of the Strangers' Refuge, Belper.-February 20, the wife of brother John Yeoman, of the same place.

Printed by P. G. M. MARK WARDLE, 17, Fennel-street.

ODD FELLOWS' MAGAZINE,

NEW SERIES.

JUNE.

[PUBLISHED QUARTERLY.]

BIOGRAPHY.

MR. THOMAS ARMITT, C. S. OF THE ORDER.
(WRITTEN BY HIMSELF.)

Concluded from our last Number.

1836.

The questions were put, and such answers given to them, as were not, nor could not be, fairly contradicted. My time for stopping had now gone by nearly an hour; when I told them I must withdraw. Hewitt begged but one other explanation, concerning our authority for suspending Lodges out of our own District? They refused to be satisfied with my answer on that head, although they acknowledged all the others had been answered satisfactorily—I told them, we had obtained that power by the sanction of the Annual Committee, and if we had broken our laws, we were answerable for our conduct to that committee only. I then left them, accompanied by N. G. Whittaker, for our new Lodge-house, where we spent the remainder of the evening.

Thursday, I pursued my journey for Yeadon, assisted and accompanied by friend Carter. We arrived there about two o'clock, and found their meeting was called for five. About half-past four, it was announced, that Hewitt, Gascoigne, and two others, had arrived from Leeds. Mr. Hewitt had told me the day before, that a party of them was invited to attend the Yeadon meeting, of which I took little notice. As the time of meeting drew near, I asked for the N. G. of the Lodge, and told him I had no personal animosity against the characters thus invited from Leeds, yet I could not, as things stood at present, sit with them either in Lodge or Committee, without committing a known breach of the laws. The N. G. denied any knowledge of their invitation. I advised him to take the opinion of the past officers as to what was to be done, it not being my wish to give offence; but rather than barter my honor as a past officer, I would then leave them. After taking the sense of the P. Gs. they said, as their Leeds friends had come so far, (though without any legal invitation) and as their Lodge was opened by them, they wished we should all spend our evening together. To this I assented, but not to sit as a Lodge or Committee-merely a meeting for harmony and as a convivial party. Here they have a new and a beautiful Lodge-room, which was soon filled with a respectable and orderly people. The meeting was opened as I proposed, and a chairman appointed to keep order.

When silence was obtained, I begged leave to say a few words-the favour granted, I proceeded to shew, that in conformity with the resolution of the June Committee, 1825, I was sent to make a part of my northern tour, by the heads of the Order, and for the purpose of giving the new degree, pass-words, signs, &c. &c., I had now visited them; but under the present arrangement of things, I felt myself a little disappointed, and if they would candidly tell me, whether they had or had not declared in favour of a new system of government which their Leeds friends were trying to estabVOL. 4-No. 3-P.

fish, they would oblige me, and I should then know how to act. I was not come there to form parties, or to cringe or bow to any man or body of men. The Manchester Unity required no such pitiful auxilliries-conscious of its own strength, it is marching on with gigantic but steady step to a degree of usefulness and perfection, superior, I believe, to any other institution in the empire. My friends had put money into my pocket, to enable me to pay my road, and I was determined to act as an Independent Odd Fellow-neither to give nor take an insult. If my company was refused, my business with them was at an end-for rathr than be so weak as to turn either to the right hand or to the left, from the strict epath of DUTY (as laid down to me by the jaws of our Unity) I would become an exile in some distant land for ever.

This short speech had such an effect, that several were on their legs at once, to make the enquiry who it was that had given the invitation to the officers from Leeds ? -they all denied it. I observed, I felt no objections to their gratifying their feelings by inviting whom they thought proper, but I certainly contended that it was ill-timed. A brother, whose name I have not the pleasurr of knowing, here asked, "where they had received their knowledge of Odd Fellowship from?"-the general exclamation was, "Manchester, Manchester." Another rose, saying, it was a hard case, in his opinion, that a worthy P. G. M. should come from Manchester, and they should be called together to receive information, and be thus interrupted and disappointed. The General of the Leeds party, finding that he was out-marshalled, politely apologized for their intrusion, and withdrew with his discomfitted adherents, during the time of business, which lasted until past ten o'clock. After business, they were again admitted, with a positive promise from the chairman, that nothing relative to Odd Fellowship should again be brought in question that evening. Notwithstanding two or three individuals seemed to cleave to Leeds, they were well satisfied with the information and instructions given, and it was impossible to shew greater kindness, or give a more hearty welcome, than that with which I was treated-I had the thanks of the meeting, and everything ended well. I then wished them good night, and appointed eight o'clock next morning to give the past officers' signs, &c. &c. They here informed me, that I was about fifteen miies from Keighley, which lay on my road for Barnsley; and much to the credit of the St. Peter's Lodge, Yeadon, they arranged with Mr. Fletcher, who keeps a horse and car, that the N. G. of the Lodge, and a past officer, should accompany me over the mountains. They brought me on my way to the neighbourhood of Bingley, a short distance from Keighley, where we all felt need of refreshment. P. G. Fletcher sent for brother Dewhurst, an officer of the Myrtle Lodge, in that neighbourhood, when, after a good dinner, and a plentiful supply of liquor, they discharged the whole reckoning, and would not suffer me to pay a farthing, so long as I remained with them-nor even my share towards the expence of the horse and car. After returning thanks for their kindness and liberality, we took leave of each other, with feelings which will long be remembered by me with grateful delight, and I could not help internally indulging in the language of the Poet,

Friendship! mysterious cement of the soul!

Thou solder of society, I owe thee much!

Brother Dewhurst and another brother accompanied me to Keighley, where they soon collected many brothers of the Eboracum Lodge together. Here I found them athirst for knowledge. Our evening was spent in enquiries on their part, and in giving answers and information on mine. They thanked me for my unexpected visit, and said although they had appointed two to attend the Halifax meeting, yet, understanding by me, that it would be illegal, they would not attend, but appropriate the money to better purposes. They would not allow me to pay anything towards my night's expences, and we separated mutually gratified with our unexpected meeting.

The next morning I set out by coach for Burnley, where I arrived about noon. After taking refreshment, I made the host acquainted with my business. He told me he had not heard of any meeting that was to take place. I desired him to send for the C. S. of the District-when he arrived, I found they had mistaken, in part, the purport of the circular. However, there was no time now for any fresh measures to be adopted, and in the evening I had a respectable attendance of the Industry Lodge, who paid the greatest possible attentlon to the information I had to communicate. evening was spent in a mannerbecoming our laudable profession, until time called upon

The

us to separate. They took their leave in an affectionate and manly manner, and I feel certain they are, in that place, pilotting the vessel of Odd Fellowship with integrity, zeal and prudence. The officers seem to be men of good morals and steady habits, and their Lodges are, consequently, in a growing state of prosperity.

Loaded with kindnesses and hearty welcomes, the next morning I took my leave, and arrived at Haslingden about twelve o'clock. I spent the remaining part of the day with the past and present officers of the District. The meeting was appointed for Monday afternoon-soon after dinner, the room began to fill-about five o'clock the chair was taken, and the meeting was opened. The unfounded slanders of the Leeds circulars had not in the least disturbed the minds of this well-informed people. They well knew it was not the first time these disturbers had attempted, but in vain, to snatch from our hands, the balance and the rod. Notwithstanding, I gave them a faithful account of the success of my mission on the present occasion, together with a sketch of the pretended offence the heads of the Order had given to Leeds. We then proceeded to give the signs, new lecture, &c. &c. &c. and I may safely say, this was a feast of reason, and a flow of soul. I received the thanks of the meeting in a cordial and friendly manner, and they were not only anxious to make me welcome, but would bear a part in the expences of my journey, in a most liberal and handsome manner— for which, in the name of the printing committee, and on my own behalf, I returned thanks, with a grateful heart. The Lodges in this District, are numerous and truly respectable, and they seem determined to support the existing heads and laws of the Order. We parted relunctantly, and at a late hour I retired to rest. On Tuesday, February 21, after an absence of twelve days, I arrived, by the kind Providence of Heaven, safe at home, when I found my family and friends in good health.

Thus have I given a simple and undisguised statement of the occurrences of this part of my tour-I have nothing further to add-I only hope I may not be misunderstood. In the spirit of F. L. and T. allow me to say to all ALL-PEACE BE WITH

YOU !

In 1826, the A. M. C. was held at the Prince's Tavern, Manchester, and it was a Committee that has not been surpassed since, for talent and men of integrity. By consulting its minutes my readers will find the five makings, which had used to belong to the Lodge that had the honor of opening a new one, was transferred to the necessary expences of dispensation and other requisites of the new Lodge. The R. H. Supporter's charge was improved-the Lodges in the Liverpool District were (with one exception) admitted into fellowship with the Manchester Unity-likewise the Abercrombie was in full compliance, and the law improved respecting certificates—a substantial provision was made for the interment of a brother should death overtake him on travel, with many other valuable alterations. Indeed, this was an eventful year. We saw the necessity of a change, but difficulties rose in our way which I did not know how to surmount. Mr. Hodgson, of the Prince's Tavern, had been for many years our Treasurer, and though we wished to remove our Treasureship, and to take rooms for the transaction of our general business, yet I thought we could not remove without paying to our Treasurer-as men of honor-any just debt he might have against us, which he said was a considerable sum. However the Nottingham A. M. C., which was held in 1827, relieved me from the difficulty. Of this Committee, G. M. Derbyshire was President-D. G. M. Fry, Vice President-and P. G. M. Wardle, C. S.,-they acted for the general good, and, assisted by our country friends, (after much deliberation) established a Firm and Board of Management in Manchester; and, in order to assist that Firm, one penny per quarter from every brother in the Order was willingly subscribed, to establish a Fund, to be called 'The Fund of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows.' Here, I think, it may not be amiss to name the persons who composed the first Board of Directors :-P. D. G. M. Adkin, of the Cumberland Lodge; N. G. Gray, Apollo; P. G. and C. S. Taylor, Oldham; N. G. Ainsworth, Turton; P. G. Scholfield, Mosley; P. G. Boardman, Devonshire; P. G. M. Derbyshire, Devonshire; Prov. G. M. Hewgill, Industry, Droylsden; N. G. J. R. White, Wellington; P. G. Hampton, Abercrombie; N. G. Healey, Clarence; G. M. Redfern, Nelson; P. G. M. William Armitt, Wellington; P. G. R. Wilde, Ashton; P. G. Whitehead, Rochdale; P. G. Carter, Saddleworth; D. G. M. Gorbutt, Abercrombie; P. G. Ashhurst, Nelson; P. G. Barnett, Cumberland, and myself. Thus we embarked, without any capi