The Charter members included only two Past Grand Masters, M.W. Bro. James N. Allan, Provincial Treasurer of Ontario, aged 82 (G.M. in 1965) and M.W. Bro. William K. Bailey, retired educational administrator, aged 73 (G.M. in 1971). The Lodge was Instituted on September 21, 1977, and was Constituted on September 23, 1978. At a later meeting, after the Consecration of the new Lodge had taken place, the Grand Master, M.W. Bro. Robert E. Davies, withdrew, and M.W. Bro. W.K. Bailey was invited to serve as the first Installing Master. And - one more detail - the first Past Grand Master who actually presented a research paper to The Heritage Lodge was W.K. Bailey, who in September 1979 told us about The Constitution of Grand Lodge 1855-1979. Who was this man who overcame the hostility to the notion of founding a Research Lodge, who chose to be a Charter Member, who served as the first Installing Master, and who presented a paper to the Lodge?

 

The 1820s and 1830s were an active time for emigration from Ireland to Upper Canada. My wife's ancestors came over from County Wexford in 1822, and settled in Cavan, Durham County, 10 miles west of Peterborough; and my mother's people came from County Limerick in 1828 and settled in Brock Township. And at some time in the 1830s, James Bailey, a tenant farmer from County Fermanagh, in Northern Ireland, emigrated to Canada, apparently settling in Hastings County.

 

His grandson, George Anderson Bailey (1883-1941), also a farmer was initiated into Masonry in Stirling Lodge, No. 69, in Stirling, 10 miles north of Belleville, on January 23, 1913, at the age of 30. He served as its Worshipful Master in 1920. He and his wife Mary Maude Kirk had seven children, and four of his sons were initiated into their father's lodge in their early twenties.

 

They All Eventually Became Officers Of Grand Lodge:

​

(1) William Kirk (1904-1992), initiated December 31, 1925, at the age of 21; the subject of the paper.

​

(2) Clarence Arthur (1908-1974), initiated April 16, 1931, at the age of 22. He affiliated with St. Francis Lodge No 24, Smith Falls, in 1946, and served as Master in 1955. He was elected District Deputy Grand Master of St. Lawrence District in 1971.

​

(3) George Gordon (1913-1995), initiated May 17, 1934, at the age of 21. He served as Master in 1951 and was named as Grand Standard Bearer in 1971.

​

(4) Ross Craig (1919-1982), initiated July 16, 1942 at the age of 23, He affiliated with Temple Lodge, No 666, Belleville in 1951, and served as Master in 1957. He was named as Assistant Grand Director of Ceremonies in 1972.

​

William Kirk Bailey was born in Harold, Rowdon Township, Hastings County, Ontario, on September 17, 1904. He graduated from Toronto Normal School in 1924. Then, while teaching elementary classes at John Fisher Public School, he studied extramurally at Queen's University; in due course he was able to take away from teaching, to be a full-time student, and earned his Honours B.A. in chemistry and biology from Queen's University in 1931. After that, he taught successively at Oakwood Collegiate (1931-1944), Lawrence Park Collegiate (1944-1946), and Bloor Collegiate (1946-1947), all in Toronto. Then he became an administrator, and was successively Principal of Riverdale Collegiate (1947-1957), and Lawrence Park Collegiate (1957-1964). He closed out his professional career by serving as Assistant Superintendent of Secondary Schools for Personnel (1964-1970). This responsibility involved studying the school systems in Russia, Germany, and Holland, and recruiting teachers from Great Britain, New Zealand, and Australia.

 

On July 7, 1934, Bill Bailey married Mary Eleanor Langtry, of Carlton Place. They were the proud parents of three children, Robert Langtry, Sandra Eleanor, and Joan Kirk. Robert was initiated into Vittoria Lodge, No. 359, down near Lake Erie, on May 14, 1971, and served as Master in 1979.