THROUGH THE ARCHIVES: Loyal lodge continues to go from strength to strength, says worshipful master

The annual social meeting Crozier’s True Blues Temperance LOL 2001 had recently been held in College Street Orange Hall in Belfast reported the News Letter on this day in 1882.

The paper noted that there was “a very numerous attendance” and that the hall had been tastefully decorated with flags and evergreens.

Sadly, the Reverend J B Crozier of Holywood was unable that evening.

He had sent a letter of apology, it read: “It is with very deepest regret I have to write and say that there is no hope of being at the soiree tomorrow. I met with what might have been a fatal accident last week, and thought nothing of it till yesterday, but the doctor on examining me today absolutely forbids my leaving my bed, and I have to put off altogether a parochial meeting this evening as I have no curate. I am truly sorry and much disappointed, but trust you may have a happy and prosperous meeting.”

The Worshipful Master, Brother John Forsythe, in opening the proceedings said that he felt much pleasure in presiding over such a well attended meeting.

He told how, when the lodge had been inaugurated (in 1877) the lodge had consisted of 13 members, but by January 1882 the number of members exceeded 60.

This was greeted with loud applause, noted the News Letter.

Brother Forsythe remarked: “Orangemen are banded together for the maintenance of the Protestant principles which were fought by their forefathers. We should be careful to maintain those principles, and hand them down to our children as we received them.”

This statement was greeted with “Hear, hear” from the audience.

He continued: “The Orange Institution has made rapid strides of late, and were it not for the Orangemen of the north the Fenians of the south and west would have been in arms long ago.”