W. Bro. Humphrey Alexander Minchin

(Information very kindly provided by Rt.W. Bro. V. Rajendran, OSM, PDyGM, PM,  Lodge Pandyan #49, GLI, Madurai, reproduced as such)

Extract from the Membership Register of Lodge Pandyan

Date of birth 08-10-1868

Joined Pandyan from Lodge Faith Hope and Charity on 1-10-1892

Senior Warden : 1893

WM               : 1894

Profession : Assistant Sanitary Engineer (perhaps of Madurai Municipality)

Extracts from the Platinum Jubilee Souvenir of Lodge Pandyan, 1965. 

1). �W Bro H A Minchin joined Lodge Pandyan as a Joining member on 1^st October 1892. On 15^th December 1892 (two months after joining) he was appointed as the SW of the Lodge. He was elected as WM of Lodge Pandyan on 15^th December 1893. At the meeting on 1^st August 1894 the minutes record that the WM, (W Bro Minchin), pointed out that �of late several members had been in arrears in paying dues for refreshment charges and that  the local shop keepers had been complaining about their bills not being settled.� He had therefore paid for the same out of his own pocket and hoped members would at once settle their dues!!�

2). �W Bro H A Minchin who was the Master of Lodge Pandyan in 1894, on  his transfer to Trivandrum, true to his enthusiasm in Masonry, decided to establish a Masonic Lodge in  that city which was then the capital of the State of Trivancore. He had addressed a letter dated 4-7-1897 to the Lodge which considered it at the regular meeting on 2-8-1897 when it unanimously resolved that a letter of recommendation be drafted in accordance with request for the founding of a Lodge in Trivandrum�.

3).�Accordingly the following letter dated 7-8-1897 addressed to the District Grand Secretary, Kilpauk, Madras was sent: � �Pursuant to the Resolution No.3 passed at the Regular Meeting held on 2^nd August last, we the Worshipful Master, The Senior and Junior Wardens and the brethren of Lodge Pandyan No. 2356 EC do hereby support the application of W Bro Minchin, Past Master and Bro. Subramnia Aiyar, the present Secretary for a Charter to open a Lodge at Trivandrum� � Signed: A. Joyce WM,  R Fischer PM, D S Rengachari JD (Asst. Secy.), L Narasinga Rao Tyler, P Muniswamy Pillai SW, V Bashyachary JW, and D Subramania Iyer IG�. ---  �Lodge Minchin No. 2710 EC was warranted on 20^th October 1897�.

4). �At the regular  meeting on 1-12-1897 a letter of thanks had been received from Lodge Minchin and the Lodge resolved �that a letter congratulating W Bro Minchin upon his having founded a Lodge in his name in Trivandrum with Bro. Subramania Aiyar as its Secretary be sent�.

5). �At the request of this Lodge, Lodge Minchin had presented this Lodge with a portrait of W  Bro Minchin in December 1959.�

The European Engineer Mr. Minchin constructed Pechiparai Dam during the period 1897-1906.  This   was built across Kodayar River about a mile below the confluence of the tributaries Kallar,  Sittar and Kuttiyar at Pechiparai a place 11 Km.  North of Kulasekaram and is 45 K.M. from Nagercoil.  The cost of original construction was Rs. 26.1 Lakhs.

The Dam is a straight gravity type masonry dam  of 425.5 M. long and 120.70 M. high above the deepest foundation.  There is not inspection gallery.

(source : http://www.thuckalay.150m.com/history.htm  by M. Afzal Khan)

Comments by Web Master : From data given above it appears that W. Bro. Minchin became a mason immediately after he was 21, a Master at 27 and a Founder in his own name and right at 29 ! and died at 45.  Incredibly fantastic!!

Family Name: MINCHIN OF ANNAGH Incumbent: HENRY FALKINER REILLY-MINCHIN

Lineage: Lineage-CHARLES MINCHIN, of Moneygall, Capt in the Parliamentary Army, purchased the Annagh estate from Maj Solomon Camb... (Source :http://www.burkes-peerage.net/code/)

(Source :http://www.geocities.com/thadacto/minchinx.html)

Humphrey Alexander Minchin was the son of  John William Minchin born 1836 in India, who resided at Clovelly, Ootacamund, Madras, India.

John William Minchin was a coffee planter. He was one of 11children of James Minchin, and his second wife, Susan Mary Cherry, eldest daughter of Peter Cherry, Madras CS.

James Minchin, born in Hampshire, England in 1791 was a Barrister-at-Law, and Master, Supreme Court, Madras, India. Educated at Winchester, and Trinity College, Cambridge, England. (BA 1813, MA 1817).

(Source :George Thompson (residing Argentina))
 

What does the <%=Surname%>name mean?
Last Name: Minchin
	English: nickname from Old English mynecen �nun� (a derivative of munuc �monk�). French: from a diminutive of Picard minche, a dialect form of French mince �slender�, �thin�. Bulgarian: from a pet form of the female personal name Dimitra, from Greek Dēmētrios (see Demetriou).

FOUNDATION LAYING CEREMONY SEPTEMBER 7, 1979

After the District Grand Master was received in the 3� in open Lodge WM explained the purpose of constructing a new temple and expressed the desire that the District Grand Master should lay the Foundation Stone. The District Grand Master consented to the request and retired to the proposed site on the eastern side of the existing temple. The D of C of the Lodge Minchin then led the WM and his officers and other brethren in procession to the site and placed them in appropriate places. The Lodge was then close tyledwith the tyler remaining at his post. after the flourish of trumpets and the invocation chorus led by W.Bro. J.C. Alexander at the organ, the ceremony was proceeded with according to ancient rites and customs. After the District Grand Master's address, the District Grand Secretary read the inscription on the plate and the stone was lowered by 9 (22.5 cm) inches with the choir accompanying in solo and in chorus. The District Grand Treasurer deposited the vessel containing coins, parchments etc. in the cavity and the plate was then cemented in its place. The stone was again lowered by 9 inches. The DJGW proved the stone perfect and trustworthy, the DSGW proved it level and well founded, and the Dy.D.G.M. proved it well wrought and true. Having found that the craftsmen have laboured skillfully the DGM gave knocks with the mallet. There was further flourish of trumpets and the choir followed. The D.G. Supt. of Works presented the plans of the building to the DGM. The DGM strew corn and poured wine and oil upon the stone with appropriate blessings. Money for the workmen was placed on the stone by the DG Treasurer. After further benediction the DGM and officers retired from the site in procession. The WM, officers and other brethren retired to the Lodge and the Lodge was closed in due and ancient form.

Membership of the Lodge

From its inception in 1897 to the end of December 2004, 543 members had joined the Lodge either as Initiates or as Joining members, of whom 26 members left the Lodge only to rejoin later. As of January 1, 2005 the membership stood at 106. 

Membership grew from 7 at the first meeting in 1897 to 46 in a decade to 1907, but fell to 29 in the following decade in 1917, with only 10 resident members, most of whom were irregular in attendance so much so that no valid meeting could be held for several months. In fact, steps were also taken to erase the lodge. 

However,  membership rose phenomenally from 1919 onwards and it touched 165 in November 1980 and the Lodge was forced to stop further recruitment, putting the ceiling at 160. Many brethren who had earlier left the Lodge rejoined in 1919. One hundred members of the lodge attended the District Grand Lodge Meeting held at Trivandrum in September 1979, a record in the history of the District Grand Lodge for the number of members from any single lodge attending. With 165 members the Lodge was the singularly largest in the District, and the premier status continues to be so even today with 106 members.

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T. G. Kesavan Nair, S/O M. Govinda Pillai,  Carnatic Lodge 2031 

L.A. Stuthridge

Lusignan Lodge 7453, Nicosia, Cyprus