MEN WHO HAVE PLAYED AN IMPORTANT PART IN THE BUILDING UP OF A LIVING BROTHERHOOD

Thanks are extended to Brother Mick Walker for the submission of this page

Brother Harry Pearce, K.O.M.

    One of the most energetic and indefatigable workers for the Order in this period was Bro. Harry Pearce and some notes written by him have a real value in assessing the general situation which existed for a number of years. He was Grand Secretary for the fourteen years 1869 1883. He had great natural ability and having had considerable experience in a Friendly Society was able to grasp and resolve many of the administrative problems with which we were faced.

    He was a printer by trade and at the age of 17 he joined the staff of the “News of the World”. Later he went to the “Sunday Times” and for some time conducted a column headed “Buffaloism” in which the news of the Order was recorded.

    His “quality” can be judged by the fact that his proposer and seconder were two of the most forceful personalities in buffaloism at that time, Bro. Brandon Ledger and Bro. W. Kell, both of whom were to be subquently blacklisted by the Grand Surrey Lodge for their loyalty to the Grand Primo Lodge. Another V.I.P. of the Order, Bro. J. Fernandez, “read him in”.

    His preferment in the councils of the Order was very rapid and he became known as the “King of the Kangaroos” because of his ability to surmount obstacles which might have deterred a lesser man.

    Primos in those stirring days were most influential and powerful and it was not long before an old friend Bro. J. Carter, proposed Bro. Pearce for Primoship and the election resulted as one might anticipate and Harry joined the charmed and charming circle of nobilities who guided our destinies so wisely and well.

    He became Grand Secretary at a time when the finances of the Order were in such poor shape that Bro. Field had agreed to do all the printing required and, if necessary, to wait for the money. An added item in this respect was the printing of Dispensations which was being done for the first time. The vacancy for the Grand Secretaryship arose because the then Grand Secretary, Bro. E. Mitchell, was nominated as Grand Primo, and duly elected. The salary at that time was Two Pounds per annum and to say there was no great rush to take over the position is an understatement, in point of fact there were no candidates for this most remunerative office and Bro. Pearce only yielded under pressure, and when the nomination came forward he was unanimously elected with thirteen Primos in the Grand Primo Lodge.

    Later he took over the duties of Corresponding Secretary in succession to Bro. E. Scates.

    A Provincial Correspondence Committee, inaugurated by Primo Rushton took over and accomplished much good work between London and the provinces and thus minimised the work of the central office.

    There can be no doubt but that at this time bitter enmity existed between many of the parties to the original dispute and the work of appeasement and advancement might have come to a full stop in the hands of a less astute and experienced administrator but Bro. Pearce managed to hold the respect of most people even when they most violently disagreed with him and he was able to keep the ship off the rocks in spite of the fiercest storm.

    Progress was made and if some were critical of the speed they could not complain of the quality. Disputes between the Order in the provinces were continually arising mostly due to lack of understanding but the patient and tactful Grand Secretary proved equal to his task and mainly through him and Bro. Harland Hoxley a scheme of Provincial Grand Lodges was launched successfully. The salary then rose to the munificent figure of Six Pounds per annum.

    Even more busy times ensued as the new organisation developed and Grand Lodge, now meeting at Savoy Hill, frequently worked on until late at night with consequent further labour for the Grand Secretary.

    Whether as a reward for this or as a salve to their consciences we know not, but the record shows that a further increase in salary was granted and the unheard sum of Ten Pounds was paid as an annual salary to the Grand Secretary.

    Bro. Pearce was exalted to the third degree in 1874 at the Oxford lodge. During his career he was the recipient of tokens of respect and affection from many quarters and an association of which he was particularly proud was that of Leicester for whom he had acted as London representative for many years.

    One of the things with which he is credited was the founding of a sick and funeral fund in connection with the Order in London and it was stated in 1890 that it had then been established for more than twenty years. Subscriptions were 3/ per quarter. Benefits were 6/-per week for twelve weeks and the sums accruing at death were £7 for the death of a member and £3 10s. 0d. on the death of a member’s wife. Up to 1890 over £250 had been disbursed for deaths alone.

    So, for twelve and a half years, with Harry at the Helm, we trod the upward path but alas, uninformed “young blood” probably with the assistance of disgruntled “old blood”, a thing not unknown in our own generation, made up their minds that “new blood” was required at the head of the Order and the clamour went on until Bro. Geo. Eshelby had replaced Bro. Harry Pearce as Grand Secretary.

    No account of our Order would be complete without a chapter showing what Harry thought of it all, including his replacement in office, and no account could be more appropriate than the one given in his own words some few years later. It is as he wrote it and has not been edited in any way.

AN OLD TIME GRAND SECRETARY'S STORY

    Buffaloism, not being a friendly society, as the Oddfellows, Foresters, Anglo Saxons, Comical Fellows, and many others of the above class, it needs some explanation. It teaches, or should teach, brethren the necessity of exercising the virtues of Charity and Affability, and inculcate the principles of Brotherly love among brethren.

    The object of the Order is by means of small voluntary contributions, initiations, and fines to be in a position to give immediate relief – temporary and in some instances substantial – to brethren in pecuniary difficulties, its motto being ‘Philanthropy and Conviviality’.

    When and from what source did it spring? Well, from various sources of information, there can be no doubt it sprang from a Bacchanalian Society with the title of ‘The City of Lushington’, held at the Harp Tavern, Russell Street, Drury Lane, and exactly opposite one of the pit entrances to Drury Lane Theatre. It was here in the early days of the last century that it was established, and we believe that nearly the whole of its members belonged to the Dramatic and Musical professions.

    Now, at the said Harp Tavern, in the same room that the ‘Lushington’s’ held their meeting, the first Buff was initiated, but by whom and at what date remains a mystery.

    It is well known that Buff Lodges 60 years ago were sprinkled over London, and over 51 years ago, C. Morton, of Canterbury renown, had a lodge called the ‘Regenerator Lodge’, held in his public house, called the Canterbury Arms, in Upper Marsh, Westminster Road, and which contained in addition to the offices which are now used, an Alderman of Lunacy and an Alderman of Suicide, these being two of the wards belonging to the ‘Lushingtons’.

    There was also a lodge somewhere about this time held at the Victoria Tavern, next to the Victoria Theatre, near Waterloo Railway Station, called the Vampire, which was afterwards removed to the St. George’s Tavern, close to the Catholic Cathedral, opposite the Bethlehem Hospital, St. George’s Road, Southwark, and it was re christened the Grand Surrey Lodge. This Lodge, being in close proximity to Astley’s, Surrey, and Victoria Theatres, also to the Winchester, Canterbury (which was built then) and other small Music Halls, the Grand Surrey became an influential lodge.

All lodges at that time stood on their own ‘bottom’ as there was no executive of any sort in existence in London, the Grand Surrey being also largely attended on Sunday evenings, and nearly the whole of its members belonging in some way to the Dramatic and Musical professions.

    Now, when any brothers wished to open a lodge, they usually appealed to the Grand Surrey to assist them. This brought the Grand Surrey into repute. It was here that they started the Order of Merit and had the Lecture written by J. Carcass, and, of course, this made them more important still. Harry Dobson, a detective, was the first K.O.M., J. Fernandez (who was at the Surrey Theatre) the second, and the renowned Joey Jones the third. Still the lodge in reality was only a minor lodge. There were no dispensations and the only regalia was a piece of ribbon for the Primo, and each lodge printed their own rules. At the end of the year 1865, Primo Brown (a Mason) host of the Beehive Lodge, Walworth, mooted the idea of an Executive Council. The lodges – Grand Surrey, Britannia, Bloomsbury, Beehive, York. Minster, Flowers of the Forest, Sampson, Shakespeare — sent delegates, discussed the matter, and drew up the laws, and in June, 1866, the Grand Primo Lodge was opened at the ‘Albert Arms’, London Road, Southwark, only a few minutes’ walk from the Grand Surrey Lodge.

    Things went on smoothly, and the second year Sir E. Scates became Grand Primo. He was rather of a pompous order and always liked to be in front of everything. When his time expired, he did not like giving up his power, so he got some of his chums to put him up a second time. Now, Primo Andrew Greig, Secretary to the Grand Surrey Lodge, was also put up. I remember remarking to my old chums, Sir B. Ledger and Kell, that this election of 1868 would end in a quarrel. Well, Scates got in, and this was the thin end of the wedge, and our refusing to pass a brother to the Primo degree of the St. Thomas’s Lodge finished it. Then, the Grand Surrey got hold of a few lodges, and so did the Grand Primo Lodge, and this was the first split. The Grand Surrey with their three or four lodges made themselves into an Executive, which plainly showed they were not so before, and it became the Grand Surrey Lodge, and in order to give it another title they called it the ‘Mother Lodge of the World’.

    They owed us a lot of money that we had expended on the Rye House Fete, and so when Field, Ledger, Kell, Scates, Mitchell, and your humble servant met at the lodge house we were fairly ‘up a pole’ – no money, in fact, so to speak ‘no anything’.

    Well, we stuck to the Grand Primo Lodge for we were undoubtedly the legitimate head of the Order. Field trusted us the printing. We drew up the Dispensation advertised in ‘The Era’ and when I took on as Secretary in 1869 we had 20 lodges, and when I retired in 1881, or truly speaking, was rascally ousted….. I had signed 480 Dispensations during my time of office.

    The Grand Surrey some time after got into another scrape. Josh Danks joined the Grand Surrey. He had not been at the Grand Surrey long before he ousted Sir A. Greig, who had been Secretary for years. Greig and his party went to the Marquis of Granby, New Cut, and there opened another ‘Executive Council’. Both were issuing dispensations. Here we had the Grand Lodge of England, then the Grand Surrey self constituted, and ‘The Executive’ the same.

    Things seemed to be going fairly smoothly with the two outsiders, when the host of the Grand Surrey fell into difficulties, and asked Host Craddock, who held a Friday night lodge, to take over the properties or they might be seized by the brokers. Craddock did and the Grand Surrey was removed to the ‘Gibraltar’.

    Well, some of the old Grand Surrey members set to work, and after a little time again opened the Grand Surrey at the Old Home, there they stayed for years; now they meet at the ‘Hampton Court Palace’, a splendid house opposite the Clock Tower, Newington Butts, and it is a rich lodge. Here then came in Grand Surrey No.2 Mother Lodge of the World, both claiming the title; one which neither can claim. Well, in the seventies we had the Grand Lodge of England legitimately established – Grand Executive Council, and two Grand Surreys, and how many more independents and others 1 don’t intend to start upon.

    Now you have the real and truthful facts. Our late Grand Lodge by their wanton waste of money, and the way they put the pressure on the lodges about the year 1890, when they used to vote one another Order of Merit for G.L. It was the means of shutting up the following lodges one by one: Beacon, Britannia, Beehive, Cambridge, Duke of Edinburgh, Elizabethan, Earl of Essex, Grosvenor, Harry Albert, Lambeth, Louis Victoria, John Pern, Pride of Bermondsey, Palmerston, Ordnance, Oxford, Sons of the Thames, Prince of Wales, Watmer Castle.

    There are one or two more, but I cannot remember them. There is only one lodge on the South side of the Thames and that is comparatively a new one in the Blackfriars Road.

    “Now, if the Grand Lodge of England is not the legitimate head of the Order, then I am a Dutchman”.

    Such then is a brief history of the early days of the Order as Bro. Pearce knew it.

    One further link in the chain he helped to forge and we leave him. On October 15th, 1883, the same year that saw him lose office as Grand Secretary, a presentation was made to him at the Montpelier Assembly Rooms' Prince's Street, Walworth. It was organised in recognition of what the programme called his “efforts for the Royal Antediluvian Order of Buffaloes Sick and Funeral Fund” of which he had then been secretary for 13 years. He continued in that office for many years afterwards.

    So there we leave Brother Harry Pearce, an old time Grand Secretary whose influence on the building up of a living brotherhood is legendary.

    Unfortunately no pictures are available at the time of this presentation.