Tullymacann Rising Sons of William LOL 110

This book is not a history of the Orange Order, it is the story of a country lodge, LOL 110.  A lodge very similar to rural lodges throughout Ulster, very special to those members, past and present and hopefully the future. Many families have long connections with the lodge throughout several generations, but equally important are those who have brought new blood to Tullymacann.  The Orange Order was formed at the Diamond, Loughgall in 1795 and warrants were issued in numerical order although they were indeed, little slips of paper. The exact date of the issue of a warrant is very difficult to pinpoint but from what evidence I have uncovered a warrant for number 110 was possibly issued in July 1796. The reason for this assumption is based on the fact it is recorded that warrant No. 89 was issued to Timakeel on the 7th July, 1796 and warrant number 118 issued to Drumminis, Hamiltonsbawn on the 14 August 1796. The cost of a warrant was £l-2-9d (old Irish guinea).  I would suggest that the warrant for our lodge was issued before the 12th July as mast likely the lodge would have wanted the warrant for use in a parade to be held at that time in Tandragee on the 13th July, 1796. This parade was reported in a paper called the "Northern Star" on July 18th, a paper which unfortunately had a very obvious anti-orange bias.

"Happening to be yesterday in Tandragee, I saw with feeling and honest indignation, a grand division or party of Orange or Break-of-day men celebrating the anniversary of the Battle of the Boyne. The pious Hector of the parish was seen bringing up the rear, conversing delightfully with the most ragamuffin of them." However the "Newsletter", the front page of which I have reproduced here of July 15th 1796 testifies "to the magnitude of the first Orange procession in the County of Armagh. In number 2,000 at the lowest estimate, they met at Lurgan, sometimes called Little  England,  Loughgall,  Portadown,  Tandragee, Waringstown, Lurgan itself and other places supplying large contingents.

Warrant number 110 was first mentioned in the minute book of the Grand Lodge, 1798, and also noted again as a working lodge in Tandragee district on the 8th March, 1824. Further evidence of Tullymacann is to be found in the same book on the 2nd February 1829 when the first Worshipful Master John Loughland is named. I should at this time point out that spellings of names and places vary from one source to another, eg John Loughland can also be found as McLoughlin.

Following proscription Tullymacann 110 warrant was reissued again in 1856.  With Worshipful Master Wiliam Woods of Lisnakea, the first recorded meeting place of this lodge was at Mr Finch's farm some 400 yards from the present hall. Mr Finch held some position of authority in the Mill in Tandragee and an old saying was related to me "Tandragee no pinch, sell your corn to Mr Finch".

Following the Worshipful Master William Woods the name of Isaac McBurney is mentioned as master in both 1856 and 1891. This is recorded in the Grand Lodge minute books. In 1832 a duplicate warrant for No. 110 was erroneously issued to a lodge in Antrim but was cancelled in 1834 and a dormant warrant from Dublin was issued in its place.  In the Grand Lodge register of 1875 LOL 110 was still working in Tandragee district with Isaac McBurney as Worshipful Master. An addendum in 1888 states that No. 110, while it did not furnish returns for that year the Grand Lodge was aware that it was still a very active and working lodge.

A new warrant was issued to Worshipful Master William Cosgrove on the 12th May, 1894. This is the warrant which we now have in the Hall and was recently, in 1994, fully restored having been damaged by dampness in the Hail.

Following Brother William Cosgrove, came a name almost synonymous with 110, that of Vennard. Brother James Vennard became Master and held that post from 1897 to 1923. James Vennard was a very regular attender at District Meetings and was mentioned in most of the minutes of those meetings. He was however represented by other members at times and I have named those Brethren in  a  Chapter  called  "Snippets  from  the  District".   Unfortunately until 1929 most of the records of the lodge are no longer available as they were unfortunately destroyed .

The hall is first mentioned in Griffiths valuation of 1863 as being Drumnaleg Parochial School, house and yard. It was exempted from rates and the lessor was Rev. Arthur Moloney. Even then, country schools were closing, and in 1912 Drumnaleg school became vacant. Prior to this the lodge is known to have met at Finch's farm and also in Cosgrovels barn. However, like many other country lodges of the time they almost certainly met in various farm houses around the area and the following have been mentioned - Heak's and Whitten's. Therefore the lodge had good reason to buy the old school and wisely did so for the sum of £32.  

The transaction was completed and the Trustees were appointed, Rev John McEndoo, Ballymore Rectory Tandragee, Sir James Stronge, Baronet of Tynan Abbey, County Grand Master of Armagh and John King, Farmer, Lisbane, Vandragee.  The document was signed and sealed by Rev McEndoo and Sir James Stronge in the presence of Thomas Gamble, Solicitor's Clerk, Armagh and John King in the presence of James Taylor, Physician Tandragee.

Finally, where did the E32 come from to pay for the Hall, I can find no concrete answer to this as f32 was a substantial sum of money at that time.  One piece of information I was given and I believe that there is more than a ring of truth to it.  Lodge member Brother E. Vennard, who a short time later was to pay the supreme sacrifice in the killing fields of France during the Great War, wrote a letter to Lord Armaghdale, the then MP for Co Armagh, informing him of the fact that the school was for sale and the lodge was desirous of purchasing the property. Lord Armaghdale was a well-known benefactor in the county and is known to have donated substantial sums of money to many causes and since he was a great supporter of the Orange Order it is very probable that he provided the whole of the money or at least a fair part of it. In fact such was his generosity that after his death a stain glass window was placed in Armagh Church of Ireland Cathedral, and I quote from the Primate's speech on that occasion, "his charity and generosity was unbounded; no appeal of worth was made to him in vain".

The majority of membership was most likely drawn from the immediate townlands around the Hall, although a few members did come from the town, particularly the houses at the Mill.  Tullymacann Hall stands on a site where five townlands converge, so I thought it would be of interest to include copies of the valuation records dated 1863. They give a list of families living around the Hall at that time and also show how much more densely the countryside was populated. Most of these people made their living from the land.  Some of the families mentioned still have connections with the lodge and it is also interesting to see same of the names of the early Worshipful Masters such as Woods, McBurney and Cosgrove. Those townlands are Tullymacann meaning Hill of the Parsnips Lisbane meaning the White Fort Mullaghglass meaning the Green or Grassy Hill. Drumnaleg meaning the Hollow on the Ridge Lisnakea meaning Fort or Raft, second part unclear. Tullymacann Hall itself actually stands in the townland of Drumnaleg.

It is however known that Brother James Napier became Master on 1.1.1924 and held that office until 31.12.1928. The year 1929 starts the beginning of regular minutes and with this comes a new Master, Brother John Black. Those present at the meeting were Brothers John Black, James Napier, John Gordon, R. Gordon, James Gordon, T Liggett,  J.Walker,  N.  Grant,  W.Grant,  R.Walker,  D. Meredith and on the following meeting 6.9.29 the names of Samuel Pennington and Andrew Pennington of Ballymore LOL were mentioned, requesting transfer to Tullymacann before 12th July 1930. The same year Brother Stanley Taggart and Percy Meredith were initiated. It is interesting at this time that for many years the lodge minutes were signed by 'Master' or 'Chairman'. Another long connection with the lodge also began at this time when Brother Douglas Meredith became Secretary, a post he held for many years, I would like at this time to pay tribute to Douglas Meredith, in particular to his excellent minutes and recording of the lodge and its various functions. He certainly made the writing of this book considerably easier than otherwise it would have been. At the meeting on the 3rd October, 1930, it was proposed by Brother John Grant and seconded by Brother Meredith that the lodge should add to its title "Rising Sons of William". Following this a new banner was ordered with the Battle of the Boyne on the front and reverse the Secret of England's Greatness. The total cost of this banner was £33.

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