Provincial Grand Lodge of East Lancashire
Bury District Archived News

Bury Grammar School Foundation Stone Ceremony – The Kindergarten Building

Monday 26th June 2006 saw a remarkable event – the laying of the foundation stone for the new Kindergarten building at Bury Grammar School . What made the event so remarkable was that the same ceremony took place one hundred years ago when the corner stone was laid for the central hall at the school.

Now as then, the ceremony was conducted with Masonic rite by the Provincial Grand Master for East Lancashire accompanied by a Provincial Deputation.

The evening marked one hundred years which have passed since the laying of the foundation stone, a close enactment of the original ceremony took place and the new foundation stone was laid by Paul Rink, Provincial Grand Master for East Lancashire who is Patron of the School Centenary Appeal.

It was very common one hundred years ago for foundation stones of many civic buildings to be laid with Masonic ritual and it was a common sight to see Masonic processions accompanying civic dignitaries at those ceremonies. Freemasons were a very visible and respected part of the local community. In fact most local papers would advertise Masonic functions and events.

The ceremony of the laying of a foundation stone is so rarely seen these days. The ceremony involves depositing in the cavity of the stone a box containing coins of the realm, copies of local newspapers and relevant documents to the building. The stone is then symbolically laid, its position checked with the plumb rule and level, common Masonic symbols, then tapped in place with a maul and declared to be well and truly laid and that the craftsmen had worked well.

Then corn, wine and oil and salt are sprinkled on the stone.

The original ceremony held on the 26 th June 1906 was led by the then Provincial Grand Master for East Lancashire , the Right Honourable Lord Stanley. The event was attended by many local people, who, came to witness this interesting and symbolic ceremony.

The Central Hall was funded by a donation from Mr Henry Whitehead who was the direct descendant of the Reverend Roger Kay, the man who was one of the founders of the first Masonic lodge in Bury, the lodge of Relief number 42.

Among the guests at the ceremony in 1906 were those who had been instrumental in bringing about the new school, which housed both Bury Grammar Schools , Boys and Girls. Mr Henry Webb, Deputy Chairman of Governors, Mr James Kenyon MP and Mr Henry Whitehead who donated the £4,000 needed to build the Central Hall.

Henry Whitehead was a Freemason and joined the procession which was led by Lord Stanley, son of the Earl of Derby and Right Worshipful Provincial Grand Master for East Lancashire . The Earl of Derby had provided the land off Tenterden Street , contributing three acres to the school site.

In his speech Lord Stanley reminded his audience how appropriate it was that Freemasons should associate themselves with the erection of noble and distinguished buildings since the guiding principle of masonry was to further such schemes as should promote the material and spiritual well-being of others. That spirit is alive and well today as his place is taken by the current Provincial Grand Master, Paul Rink, who is Patron of the Schools' Centenary Appeal, together with his Provincial Deputation, a number of whom are Governors or have very close connections with the school.

The events of 2006 were no less splendid and it is hoped that the new Kindergarten building at Bury Grammar School evokes similar memories one hundred years from now, and Freemasonry is back in its local communities helping and supporting all members of society, as it was one hundred years ago.