Page 23 - PBCOctober2020

Pickwick Bicycle Club Magazine Volume 17 No.2 October 2020 23

More Pickwick history…following the trail of the two Lodges …..

For some time now, with the skills of Mrs Winkle, I have been exploring the history of
some our early members, looking at connections of how and where they met. We know much
from Walter Blake’s early history written in 1905, but we have also found there was a link
through the Freemason’s fraternity. The Covid-19 restrictions thwarted our efforts but
the curators at the Metropolitan Grand Lodge have been very helpful albeit at arms length.

The Pickwick Lodge (2467) was issued with a warrant of constitution in early 1898 and
amongst its members were Kossuth Yeoman, Joseph Atto and Walter Blake - all ‘known’
names in the Pickwick Bicycle Club. Other names came to the fore as well, such as Edward
Hollands, Thomas Boulter, John Benningfield, Herbert Hill, Charles Scrivener, Frank Mess
and Stephen Rhodes. All of whom can be found in our history of Club Officers -check out
the Club website. It can only be assumed that the Lodge was formed by these Club
members hence the Pickwick Lodge. There were a further 26 names in the lodge register,
but were they members of the Bicycle Club, and if so what do we know of them?
Clearly more work to do on this link.

We then jump to 2018 when Pruffle acquired a Pickwick Lodge
enamel badge - but it had a Lodge number of 5448. Investigation
reveals the this was issued its warrant in 1933, with its HQ at the
Leather Bottle Hotel in Cobham, Kent, and remained there until 1971
when it moved to Wilmington. Kent. Many of us know Ye Olde Leather
Bottle in Cobham as it is now called, having had several summer
gatherings there. It has a plethora of Dickens & Pickwick related
artefacts and memorabilia - well worth a visit (when permissible).

So far regrettably, we have been unable to access any information on the members names
of this second Lodge, but as soon as it’s possible to visit the Grand Lodge Museum &
archives - just a few steps from the Connaught Rooms, then the Winkles will pursue this
alternative Club connection.

If any members are able to shed some light on either Lodge - perhaps you are members,
then it would be of historical interest for aiding us in the continuance of our Club history
for future . Please contact the editor if you can help.