It was eight o’clock on the dark, misty and damp Winters evening of Tuesday 28th. February 1893 when the local Chief Constable, a wine merchant, a musician, a veterinary surgeon, a grocer, a hotel proprietor and two other distinguished gentlemen gathered in a private room at the Stork Hotel, Walsall. The room in stark contrast to outside was warm and cosy and a coal fire burned brightly in the hearth. They had received a letter requesting their attendance to discuss a subject which was most likely to be of considerable interest to them. Their mutual interest was in Masonry and the subject was to form a new Walsall Masonic Lodge. The letter had been written by Bro. C. Taylor the Junior Deacon of St. Matthews Lodge No.539 and it had been sent to sixteen brethren of various Lodges.
The eight Freemasons present opened the meeting and appointed Bro. Walter Paine as chairman for the evening’s proceedings. Bro. Taylor reported that certain recipients of his letter had tendered their apologies for their non-attendance but would in any case support the formation of a new Walsall Lodge. The assembled brethren discussed Bro. Taylor’s letter and the consensus of opinion was that it was most appropriate and propitious to form a new Masonic Lodge.
The chairman proposed and Bro. Taylor seconded the following resolution, ‘that the brethren present consider that the time has arrived, when it is desirable in the interests of the members of the Craft who are not members of St. Matthews Lodge, that a second Lodge be constituted and the brethren present pledge themselves to sign the necessary Petition to Grand Lodge for a Charter to form a new Lodge’. The resolution was carried unanimously.
It was originally decided to call the new Lodge the James Lodge but it was then discovered that there was already a St. James Lodge in the Province of Staffordshire.
Bro. Taylor assisted by Bro. Frank James, Past Deputy Provincial Grand Master obtained the permission of Lord Hatherton to call the Lodge the Hatherton Lodge and this having the approval of the worshipful Master designate the Petition was sent to Grand Lodge bearing the title of the Hatherton Lodge. Grand Lodge subsequently informed Bro. Taylor that the Grand Master had granted the Petition for a Charter and the number on the Register of Grand Lodge would be 2474. Hatherton Lodge No. 2474 had come into being.
In August 1899 a package was delivered to the Lodge which, when opened, revealed a sterling silver Loving Cup. This was a present from Lady Hatherton and the wives of the Brethren. In 1914 it was agreed that the cup should be passed to each new Master on his Installation to be kept at his home. This practice has now ceased as it is felt that it would be better kept in the safe custody of a bank.
