A recent ceremony in a local lodge room, witnessed by family members of the person recognized by the gathering, mixed a number of historical components into one relatively short but important event.
The event took place in the Freemasons' Union Solomon Lodge room in New Westminster and was held to dedicate to lodge use a sword that was formerly the property of a man who passed away some 85 years ago.
The gentleman in question was a well-known Sapperton resident, James Nelson Aitchison, who died in 1927.
The sword was created for and used by him in his Masonic work prior to that time.
Aitchison's family also donated artifacts related to him to the Masons as well as to the local museum.
All are fascinating items with very interesting connections to the man and a segment of his life. A large number of Aitchison family members were in attendance in the lodge room to witness the ceremony.
We were involved in this process to add stories of some New Westminster Masons with special attention paid to the role of James Aitchison in our community.
While we are not personally connected to Freemasonry, our family has been closely tied to it for many generations, and we often give presentations on its history and role in this city and area.
For the story of James Aitchison, we found some wonderful material.
James and his family lived in Sapperton and had been in the city for about 34 years when he died, and many descendants of this family still reside locally.
The family, from Scotland, lived on Knox Street in the early 1900s, near Knox Presbyterian Church.
This was a short street that used to meet East Columbia, not far from Sapperton Park and the Royal Columbian Hospital.
James loved his town and was part of an early group known as the Sapperton Improvement Association.
Aitchison was a tailor who was highly regarded for the quality of his work. He was a primary source for B.C. Penitentiary and local police uniforms, as well as suits for the ordinary man. His business was downtown near Columbia Street at Begbie, and he also devoted time as a trades instructor at the B.C. Pen.
His connections in town include the Masons, Shriners, Elks, Eagles, Sons of Scotland, Kiwanis, the Royal Agricultural and Industrial Society, the Westminster Men's Vocal Club and the Royal Columbian Hospital, on the board of which he served for many years.
His funeral was large and colourful, with members of his fraternal affiliations coming out in their regalia to honour their friend and his passing.
This was an interesting event with many connections to historical events in the overall story of the Royal City - his family were pleased with the gathering; the Masons were pleased with the sword and other items; and we were pleased to tell his story.
