january - Grand Encampment, Knights Templar

The Royal Arch apron of John Mort, Sr., the last Grand Master of the Rebel GrandLodge, which he wore at all times in the lodge room. Photo by the author.knight templarthe mid-nineteenth century, the societyhad started to expand. The newly constructedProvincial Grand Lodge of WestLancashire, formed in 1826 to make thelarge province of Lancashire more manageable,soon made its presence knownin Liverpool, and prominent local figuressuch as Robertson Gladstone wereappearing in the membership list of St.George’s Lodge of Harmony, especiallyas the lodge could now claim to be theoldest surviving lodge in the area. 29There is a large gap in the minutebook from the last known meeting inLiverpool in 1825 until April 13 th , 1838,when the Grand Lodge suddenly metin Wigan at the Hole I’ th’ Wall tavernin the market place. Gage was not inattendance, but original rebels ThomasPage from the “Antient” LiverpoolLodge No. 31, (renumbered to its originalpre-Union number of 20 after therebellion) and Robert Bolton from theWigan based Sincerity Lodge No. 492were present. A new Grand Master,William Farrimond Esq., was elected,officially replacing George Woodcockwho, according to the surviving minutes,had never actually attended the GrandLodge meetings, and the rebel GrandLodge began a new phase as it took onmore of a Wigan identity, gradually severingits ties with Liverpool.After 1838, the meetings of the GrandLodge took place regularly every quarterin various Wigan taverns, some of whichwere run by its own Freemasons suchas the Hole I’ th’ Wall, which was run byBrother Thomas Johnson; the Banker’sArms, which was run by Brother ThomasBolton; and the Angel Inn in nearbyAshton-in-Makerfield, which was run by9