Information obtained from the original Declaration and Attendance books makes it apparent that Milton Lodge was originally sponsored by brethren from the Lodge of Minerva No. 300, established in 1793, who resigned once Milton Lodge had become firmly established.
Early documents give no indication as to why Milton Lodge came to be named Milton Lodge. It may be of no consequence that English poet John Milton published his epic poem Paradise Lost in the year 1667, 200 years before the Lodge was founded, but it is a befitting name for a Masonic lodge.
The consecration of the Lodge and Installation of the Worshipful Master Thomas Nicholson took place on 4th March 1867 at the Masonic Hall in Manchester on Cooper Street (it’s still there if you want to find it!). The consecration was effected by the Provincial Grand Master of Lancashire (Eastern Division), the RW Bro Stephen Blair, assisted by the Provincial Grand Chaplain and the Provincial Grand Secretary. Some 50 Brethren were present to witness the ceremony which was followed by a banquet. The inaugural meeting of the Lodge took place on Monday 1st April 1867 at the Burlington Hotel in Ashton-under-Lyne where they continued to meet until 1870.
It is of interest that the likeness of John Milton appeared on the summons from April 1927 until March 1957, when the present crest was adopted but again, no reasoning behind this is mentioned in the minutes.
Whilst our Lodge may not have a particularly distinguished history, we have had many notable brethren over the years and their dedication and commitment to the Lodge is testament to our endurance. Our current membership stands at 18 and we continue to recruit new members into the Lodge, and we are positive and confident of our future as we continue the excellent work of our past brethren.
At Milton, we believe in leading by example. We are proud of our history and our accomplishments. We believe that Milton Lodge is a warm and welcoming lodge, no doubt a reflection of the nature of its members. We take our ritual seriously and have a good time doing it. It is fair to say we enjoy our social boards with good food and great times.

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We are a lively lodge with members from many different back grounds and professions…we take our ritual seriously and have a good time doing it.

We meet every 2nd Thursday from September to May with our Installation meeting in March. Practices are normally on the Monday or Tuesday in the same week as the meeting, but should the Brethren want extra practices then extra dates are added.

We always have a summer get together – the location and date are decided by the incumbent Worshipful Master.
Two members of the lodge are the founding members of the East Lancashire Masonic Fishing Charity which raises money to take disabled children fishing.
The lodge has been a member of the Armed Services Covenant for 5 years with three ex-servicemen and one serving member who is currently a Major in the British Army. The lodge has supported many different local charities and organisations over the years from football clubs to hospices.

https://miltonlodge.org.uk/

mralexhmiller@yahoo.com