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Furness and South Lakeland
Group of
Lodges & Chapters
FREEMASONRY
IN FURNESS AND SOUTH LAKELAND
In the mid nineteenth century Ulverston was the main commercial area on the
Furness peninsula. Nationally, Freemasonry was expanding as men with high
ideals and sound judgement met to form new lodges. Groups of like-minded men
in the Ulverston and Furness area decided to form local lodges, the first
of which was the Lodge of Furness which has a Warrant issued on 22 December
1863 and still meets in Ulverston. This was closely followed by Hartington
Lodge in 1864 and Hindpool Lodge in 1868, both meeting in Barrow-in-Furness
and Baldwin Lodge in 1872 meeting in Dalton-in-Furness.
The development of Freemasonry in the area ran parallel with the commercial
development of the district so that today there are fourteen lodges in the
Furness and South Lakeland Group, as we call it, meeting in Grange-over-Sands, Newby Bridge,
Hawkshead, Ulverston, Dalton-in-Furness and Barrow-in-Furness, the most recent
being formed at Ulverston in 1991. The lodges meet monthly with the majority
meeting between September and June. Lodges have their own premises except
in Hawkshead where the lodge meets in the Market House, which they share with
other members of the local community.
Membership of the lodges varies from forty to seventy-five members, with each
lodge presided over by a Master and two Wardens. The lodges in the Furness and South Lakeland Group enjoy a very close fellowship, with extensive inter-visiting being one
of the features of local Freemasonry. A Masonic Fellowship meets monthly in
Barrow-in-Furness to provide an opportunity for retired Freemasons, their
wives and widows to continue to enjoy social fellowship.
Freemasonry is not a benefit institution for its members or their dependants,
but from its earliest days it has been concerned with the care of orphans,
the sick and the aged. Its concern for the community as a whole, not just
its own members, is expressed in charitable giving and by voluntary endeavour.
An extensive list of non-Masonic charities, both local and national, which
are supported by Freemasonry, is freely available.
There are many social occasions organised by the Group and the lodges within
it, at which wives, families and friends enjoy meeting and creating life-long
associations in informal surroundings.
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