The Lodge Building.
At
the April 1897 meeting, a report of the
Building Committee was read by Brother
Robert John Parker the Junior Deacon
and after a discussion it was proposed
by Brother Henry White and seconded by Brother Henry Sawtell, Senior
Deacon, and carried unanimously that:-
"The
site in Church Street, Melksham be purchased for the sum offered,
namely £50, and that instruction be
given to Mr Awdry, Solicitor of Melksham
to proceed forthwith as to the Conveyancing
of the same to the Worshipful Master
and Wardens in trust for the Chaloner
Lodge No. 2644, and steps taken to
obtain possession of the land from
the present tenant by paying him the
sum he was willing to accept as
named in the report of the Building
Committee, namely £30.
Brother Charles Awdry made a kind
and
generous offer to the Lodge. He was prepared to lend the sum of £750 at 4%
interest per annum, repayable by
installments of £100, on the mortgage of
the land and the building of the proposed new premises to the plan of Brother
Randell. After some
discussion,
it was proposed by Brother Charles Sawtell, Lodge Treasurer, and seconded
by Brother Charles Saxty that the
offer be accepted and the architect be requested to get out quantities
and specifications provided the
resolution was carried unanimously. A
vote by ballot was taken and the Worshipful
Master reported that nineteen
Brethren were in favour and one against. Consequently, the
resolution
was not carried.
It was then proposed by Brother Henry
Sawtell
and seconded by Brother William Hunt that a redemption fund be formed
to pay off the loan. Each Brother to contribute £1 per year for that purpose;
every Brother's contribution to be optional and not compulsory. This
was
carried.
Thus
the site of the Masonic Hall was settled.
Captain
Chaloner - Worshipful Master
John
Parker - Secretary & Immediate
Past
Master
Charles Saxty
-
Senior Warden
Edward Lowther
-
Junior Warden
Henry
Sawtell - Senior Deacon
Robert John
Parker - Junior Deacon
After
consideration and discussion it was deemed advisable that the following
resolution should he proposed at the next Lodge Meeting by
Brother Henry Sawtell and seconded by the Worshipful Master, Captain Chaloner:
"That
before accepting Brothers Awdry's generous offer with reference to raising money for Building purposes, the
Brethren of the Lodge be invited to lake up
the necessary amount in £5 shares to
be repaid by ballot at the rate of not less than four shares
per annum, such shares not to bear interest".
The size and cost of the proposed Hall still engaged the attention of the Building Committee and some doubt had been expressed concerning the size and price estimated, namely £700 as quoted in a letter dated 21st April 1897 from Brother J.A. Randall, M.S.A. Architect and Surveyor of Exchange Place, Devizes. The original details of the proposed buildings at the price of £700, excluding the land, were as follows:
Lodge
Room 37'
0" x 25' 0"
Cloak
Room
8' 0" x
8' 0"
Tyler's Room 14' 6" x 8' 0"
Club Room 25' 0" x 4' 6"
Kitchen 9' 0" x 8' 0"
Lavatory 11' 0" x 8' 0"
The
Building to be constructed of Atworth Stone with Bath Stone Dressings and Roofed with
Bridgewater Tiles, and the whole to be surrounded
by
ornamental railings. At the next regular Lodge Meeting held at the Town
Hall on Friday 21st May 1897, it was
then proposed by Brother Henry Sawtell,
Senior Deacon and seconded by Brother
Charles Saxty, Junior
Deacon
"that the sum of £400 be spent in building a Lodge with Tyler's
Room, Cloak Room and Lavatory, according to the smaller
plan before the Lodge, and that Brother Randall the Architect be instructed to
advertise for tenders and get out quantities and specifications at once. The Building
Committee to have absolute power to
see the work completed. "
This
was
carried
unanimously.
The
Secretary, Brother Parker reported that
£450 was the price quoted by the Architect
for the smaller plan. No time was lost putting these resolutions into practice,
for on the 18th June 1897, the following agreement was signed:
"We, George Davis and Son
and William Carpenter of Melksham, in the County of Wiltshire, Builders and
Contractors hereby undertake, contract
and agree to and with the members of
the Chaloner Lodge No. 2644, Melksham,
aforesaid to execute, perform, complete and. finish
all and e-very, the necessary and other services and works severally set
forth, described and enumerated in the
accompanying drawings and specification prepared by Mr: John Ashley
Randall M.S.A., of Devizes in the
aforesaid County for work iii the erection of a Masonic Hall at Melksham and according to the annexed conditions
for the sum of £450 - 14s.
and we agree to and abide by and. fulfil
all and every of the terms, conditions
and provisions of the Contract contained in the said specifications
numbered pages 1 to 19
As Witness this 23rd Day of June 1897,
George Davis and William Carpenter:
The
Building of the premises were started forthwith and the Lodge Minutes record that the first meeting of
the Lodge in the new Masonic Hall took place on Friday the 19th November 1897, some five
months after the signing of the contract.