Fitzwilliam Lodge in Rotherham has recently been involved in a most remarkable series of events, which all began when the former Deputy Provincial Grand Master attended a funeral in Cheshire during the lockdown.
Jack Pigott, a much-respected Sheffield Mason, was paying his respects to his elderly aunt, who had passed away, and there were very few people at the funeral owing to the Covid regulations. One attendee, who knew Jack, mentioned that he had heard about some Masonic jewels that a neighbour had mentioned. He believed they could have come from a Derbyshire Lodge as the person who owned them used to live in Hathersage. This turned out to be false as further enquiries resulted in Jack discovering they were from Yorkshire; Rotherham to be exact.
The gentleman who owned them had been a Past Master of Fitzwilliam Lodge, having been Master in 1989. He had then resigned as he had moved away, and now lived near Jodrell Bank in Cheshire, where Jack’s aunt had also lived. Jack arranged to collect the Past Master’s Jewel and the Master’s Collar Jewel and also contacted John Beaven, Fitzwilliam Lodge’s Secretary.
The outcome of all this was that on 26th January Jack presented Fitzwilliam Lodge with these beautiful Masonic Jewels, returning them to the Lodge they originated from.
John also contacted the former member, who had so kindly returned them as he felt that his grandchildren would probably not understand their significance, and reminisced about their years together in the Lodge in the 1970s and 1980s when they were very much younger.
Also in January two seminars involving Masons from across Yorkshire were held, one in Leeds and one in Sheffield. These well-attended sessions were designed to develop initiatives to give the community at large a better insight into Freemasonry and the way Masonic Charities help so many causes in the area and to show how enjoyable and beneficial it can be to anyone who is involved.
If you are interested in discovering more about Freemasonry please visit www.yorkshirewestridingfreemasons.org.uk and www.freemasonryinrotherham.co.uk.