Petition Letter for Yeatman-Biggs Lodge

Founding Members of the Lodge

The centenary of the Lodge was held on 7th June 1997. At that stage the Lodge had had 538 members registered since Consecration, it’s certainly many more now, we just haven’t been able to count them all!

Where Does the name Yeatman-Biggs Lodge Come From?

Major-General Sir Arthur Godolphin Yeatman-Biggs passed away on 4th Jan 1898

Early Years

In India the Lodge held meetings every month, something which few Lodges do these days.

Meetings were held at

Consecration – 55 Bentinck Street, Calcutta

Until 19th January 1971 – 19 Park Street, Calcutta

The Lodge then moved to England, working under dispensation

From 13th February 1971 to 13th October 1984 – Wingfield House, 261 South Lambeth Road, London SW8

Until 13th April 1996 – Wessex House, Clapham Junction

Onwards – Freemason’s Hall, Great Queen Street, London

Dining in London was held at The Ship Tavern

Year By Year

27 July 1844 Arthur Godolphin Yeatman was Baptised in the Parish of Manston, Dorset. His brother Huyshe Wolcott Yeatman was baptised in the same place, almost a year later, on 7th July 1845. Parish Records for Manston, Dorset from http://www.ancestrylibrary.com via Bolton, Lancs., Central Public Library
18 Dec 1860 Arthur Godolphin Yeatman, Gentleman-Cadet becomes a Lieutenant in the Royal Artillery – War Office, Pall-Mall 4th January 1861.
London Gazette, Friday Jan 4, 1861 No.22467 Pg 43

2 Apr 1871
Arthur Godolphin Yeatman The 1871 Census shows him to be aboard HMS Eclipse, a Sixth Rate Vessel, and listed as; A. G. Yeatman, Lieutenant R.A., taking a passage. In regard to; Condition, Age and, where born, “No particulars known” was the declaration of Eclipse’s Captain, Anthony Hoskins. The vessel was at sea, at Latitude 9o.50′ North, Longitude 58o 54′ W. By rough interpolation thie coordinates imply a position some 150 miles east and south of Trinidad. According to Manning & Walker, “British Warship Names”, London, 1959, was, at the time, a Sloop. which became a mine depot in 1894.

1871 Census RO 10/5780 http://www.ancestrylibrary.com via Bolton, Lancs., Central Public Library.

Manning & Walker, “British Warship Names”, London, 1959

Reader’s Digest Atlas of the World, 1989

3 Feb 1874 Lieutenant Arthur Godolphin Yeatman becomes Captain – to be Captain, vice [in place of] C. W. Bellairs, who resigns. 4th February 1874 London Gazette, Feb 3, 1874 No.1374 Pg 491
10 Feb 1876 Captain Arthur Godolphin Yeatman becomes Adjutant, vice G. W. C. Rothe, who resigns the Adjutancy only. London Gazette, Mar 10 1876 No. 1854
2 Jan 1878 Captain Arthur Godolphin Yeatman adds Biggs to his surname. Queen Victoria was “graciously pleased to grant this unto Arthur Godolphin Yeatman of Stockton House, in the Parish of Stockton, in the ccounty of Wilts., Esquire, a Captain in the Royal Regiment of Artillery, Her Royal licence and authority that he and his issue may, in compliance with a direction contained in the Will of Harry Biggs, late of Stockton House,aforesaid, Esquire take and use the surname of Biggs, in addition to and after that of Yeatman, and that he and they may bear the arms of Biggs quarterly with those of Yeatman, providing the same be exemplified according to the laws of arms, and with the said Royal Licence duly recorded in Her Majesty’s College of Arms, otherwise the said Royal licence to be void and of none effect”. London Gazette, Friday, January 11, 1878, No. 24541
Pg 169 –
Whitehall, January 2, 1878
5 Feb 1878 Captain and Adjutant Arthur Godolphin Yeatman adds Biggs to his surname with War Office Permissiion – has been permitted to assume the surname of Biggs, in addition to and after that of Yeatman London Gazette, Friday, February 5, 1878, Pg 583 –
War Office, Pall Mall
5th February, 1878
14 Mar 1879
Captain Yeatman Biggs rides in the Royal Artillery Steeplechases, Sandown Park. – He participated in the Welter Hunters’ Stakes of 3 sovs. each, 1 ft, with 75 sovs. addes. Three miles. The entrants were Mr. F. Waldron’s Kilbride, aged, 14st 7lb. (Owner) – 1; Mr. A. Warde’s Bromham, 5 yrs, 14 st. (Mr. Barry) – 2; Capttain Yeatman-Biggs’s Cocktail, aged, 14st. 7lb. (Mr. B. Cochrane) – 3; Mr. A. Chambers’sw Bexley, aged, 14st. (Owner) – 0; Betting, – 2 to 1 each agst Cocktail and Kilbride, and 5 to 2 agst Bromham.

After going half a mile Cocktail bolted, and shortly afterwards Bexley refused, leaving Kilbride to win by 40 lenghts from Bromham. [14stone = 196 ib = 88.93 kg; 7 lb = half a stone = 3.18 kg; horse 1 was 5 years old, aged for the other meant over 5 years – the writer’s wife explained some aspects of the Times report. Like Captain Yeatman-Biggs, a distant relative, she too descends from the Godolphin family, noted for the introduction of an Arabian stallion into the sport]

The Times, Saturday 15 Mar, 1879
Pg 12, Iss 29516
via
Manchster 24 hour library
24 Jul 1880 Captain Arthur Godolphin Yeatman Biggs becomes a Major – Royal Artillery London Gazette,July 23, 1880, 4090, War Office, Pall Mall
23rd July 1880
30 Mar 1881 Captain and Brevet Major Arthur Godolphin Yeatman Biggs, Royal Artillery to be Brigade-Major of Royal Artillery in Natal and the Transvaal, Dated 30th March 1881 London Gazette,Mar 8, 1881, 1072, War Office, Pall Mall
8th March, 1881
7 Sep 1881 Captain and Brevet Major Arthur Godolphin Yeatman Biggs, to be Major, vice J.H.P. Anderson, promoted. Dated 7th September 1881 London Gazette,September 16, 1881, 4726, War Office, Pall Mall. 16th September, 1881
17 Nov 1882 (Brevet) Major Arthur Godolphin Yeatman Biggs to be Lieiutenant-Colonel, Royal Artillery London Gazette,November 17, 1882, 5173 – War Office, Pall Mall. 17th November 1882
18 Nov 1886 Lieutenant-Colonel Arthur Godolphin Yeatman Biggs to be Colonel Royal, Artillery London Gazette,December 3, 1886, 6126/6127 War Office, Pall Mall. 3rd December 1886
30 May 1891 Lieutenant-Colonel and Colonel Arthur Godolphin Yeatman Biggs, Royall Artillery, to be CB. “The Queen has been graciously pleased on the occasion of the Celebration of Her Majesty’s Birthday, to give orders for the following promotiions in, and appointments to, the Most Honourable Order of the Bath; – to be Ordinary Members of the Military Division of the Third Class, or Companions of the said Most Honourbale Order” viz. Arthur Godolphin Yeatman Biggs.

6 Jan 1898
Major General Yeatman Biggs, C.B. Obituary. The obituary shown on the Images page is an original cutting, dated around 6 January 1898. It was was found amongst the papers of Major Kenneth Archibald Holland T.D. (1905-1998) inherited at the time of his death by his maternal niece Rev Prof. J. M. Davies.

Details of a corresponding London Times publication date is given in the sources section to the right. The cutting was possibly from a West Country newspaper perhaps inherited by Uncle Ken from his maternal uncle Capt Robert Richard Clay MC (1881-1963) who participated in the Boer War and most of WW1 with only a back injury. That injury was obtained whilst demonstrating how to jump over a trench. He lived to be 82 years of age dying in 1963.

Capt Clay was first cousin of, and served in the 2nd Wilts.,with, Capt Vivian Hastings Clay who was killed at 5.30. a.m. on 18th October 1916; his 24th birthday. Uncle Ken, Rev Prof. J M Davies and the Clay cousins, all descended from Rev. Dr. James Burslem DD JP (c172 1-1786), younger brother of the Major General’s ancestor, William Burslem (c1718-1781) and, in turn, sons of James Burslem and his wife Elizabeth Godolphin who were married at Highgate c 1717. Uncle Ken and the Captains Clay were also descended from Elizabeth Godolphin’s sister, Mary Godolphin, who married Lt. Col. Richard Chaloner Cobbe (#1) at St. Martins in the Field, Nov 1726.

The families merged when Elizabeth’s granddaughter, Sarah Burslem, married Mary’s grandson Rev. Richard Chaloner Cobbe (#3) at Market Bosworth, May 1776. Richard was about 21 years of age and Sarah (daughter of Rev Dr. James Burslem and his wife Sarah Oldershaw) was about 18 years of age. They are known to have had 13 children, 10 of whom survived into or nearly into adulthood. The Clay cousins, Uncle Ken and Rev. Prof. J. M. Davies, descended from their daughter Charlotte (c1783-1858).