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MY GENEALOGYAND MY FAMILYIN FREEMASONRYBy Derek W Allan, CambodunumLodge No 3953I WAS born in Dublin in 1945 but myparents brought me and my sister I toEngland in 1953 after which I visited mygrandparents in both Dublin and Corkuntil the late Sixties. In 1999 I decided togo back to Ireland to see if I still had anyrelatives there.There, I found an aunt and severalcousins whom I had last seen in 1967 sothere was a lot to catch up on. But I alsomet a very close friend of my Uncle James(Jim) Perrott, Jim Aston, or as I found outvery quickly, W Bro Jim Aston. Jiminformed me that my uncle had also beena Freemason and next time I visited Ishould take my Masonic regalia and visithis Lodge. Sadly this was not to be as Jimdied before I could visit again.My research started properly in 2009when I started to put many notes intospecific family history computer software.I then started to wonder about whichLodge my uncle had been a member.Jim Aston was a past master of Lodge No3 in Cork, so I assumed my uncle wouldhave been also.After an internet search I found that theProvince of Munster, which includes Cork,had a very interesting website(www.munsterfreemason.com) so Iemailed them and the ProvincialArchivist/Librarian, David Butler, veryquickly replied that my uncle had in factbeen a member of St Patrick’s Lodge No8 which had amalgamated in 1997 with StFin Barre’s Lodge No 209 butkept the older number. BroButler very kindly passed myenquiry to Michael Ellard, theLodge secretary , and heinformed me that my uncle hadjoined the Lodge in 1941 andhad been Master three timesin, 1950, 1974 and 1986.I corresponded with boththese Brethren and was invitedto visit the Lodge. In April 2011I went to Dublin, first to dosome research in the publicrecords office, which wasextremely fruitful.After spending a couple of days in Dublin I drove down to Cork as I had been informedthat in St Fin Barre’s Cathedral there was a plaque in memory of my grandfather who hadbeen Sexton and then the Verger. I was not expecting the marble plaque in his memoryover the Chapter House door! And on the floor just a short distance away was a brassplate in memory ofElizabeth Aldworth, thelady Freemason.That evening I hadarranged to meet W BroEllard in a coffee baracross the road from TheProvincial Offices and theLodge rooms in TuckeyStreet, before visiting theLodge. I must admit I felta little overdressed as theyhad not told me they dresscasually!The Province of Munsteris small in relation toYorkshire West Riding. Itcovers Cork City and County and part of County Kerry and has 13 Lodges in sixbuildings, including Tuckey Street, where eight Lodges meet. United Grand Lodge ofIreland covers all of Ireland, North and South and is governed from Molesworth Streetin Dublin.In St. Fin Barre’s Lodge the ritual which I saw is derived from Bristol and I was told thatit came over with merchant mariners. It was a passing ceremony which was mostenjoyable.The day after my visit and before I returned to Dublin I went to the cemetery at Douglaswhich is a suburb of Cork to find my uncle’s grave. I am ever grateful to theBrethren ofSt Fin Barre’s Lodge for their hospitality and assistance in my research. They are trueFreemasons.WHEN YOU CAN’T SEE THE WOODFOR THE TREESSound and Sympathetic help fromFinn GledhillSolicitorsHalifax and Hebden BridgeYour Contacts: David Lee (Notary Public) Marc GledhillTel: 01422 330000 and 8424514