1788 Durham
William Henry Lambton was installed at the First meeting of the Provincial Grand Lodge of Durham in ample form with the accustomed honours on 9th September, in the presence of more than 150 brethren.
Provincial Grand Masters
Grand Lodge of Durham (1788 to date)
Sir Ralph Milbanke Bart,
Took the Name Noel 1815
John George Lambton
1st Earl Durham
Sir Hedworth Williamson
7th Bart
John Bowes
John Fawcett
5th Marquess of
Londonderry
Sir Hedworth Williamson,
8th Bart
Rt Hon. 9th Lord Barnard
Rt Hon. Gerald Wellesley Liddell
6th Baron Ravensworth
Brig. Gen. Sir Herbert Conyers Surtees
Cuthbert Wilkinson
Robert Wilkin Ernest Dixon
Col. Frederick Walton
Rt. Hon. 11th Lord Barnard
Dr Alan Martin Davison
Derek Richmond
Norman Eric Heaviside
John Arthur
John Paul Thompson
Over these 235 years 226 Lodges and 82 Royal Arch Chapters have been consecrated.
Interesting events from the rich historic tapestry of the PGLD 1788 to date
1793 SUNDERLAND
On Tuesday, the 24th of September, Rowland Burdon M.P, Master of the Sea Captains Lodge (now Palatine Lodge) laid the foundation stone of Wearmouth Bridge with full ceremonial honours, in the presence of the Provincial Grand Master, William Henry Lambton, M.P. and the Officers of the Provincial Grand Lodge of Durham. Subsequently, three years later, he had the pleasure of acting as Provincial Grand Master, in the presence of HRH Prince William of Gloucester, declaring the bridge open to the public of Sunderland. Its construction “proved to be a catalyst for the growth of Sunderland” since access between Monkwearmouth and Bishopwearmouth had previously only been possible by ferry, with the nearest bridge being at Chester-Le-Street. The Bridge cost an estimated £33,400 to build at that time.
1800 SUNDERLAND
Stephen George Kemble, Actor-Comedian, was initiated into Phoenix Lodge, and became a joining Member of the Marquis of Granby Lodge, Durham. He was Deputy Provincial Grand Master of the Province from 1803 to 1808 and died at Durham in 1822. He was interred in the Nine Altars Chapel in Durham Cathedral.
1806 DURHAM
Dr. William Reid Clanny, came to Sunderland to practice medicine. He was the inventor of a Miner’s Safety Lamp, one of the pioneers in the treatment of Tuberculosis and a founder of the Humane Society. He was Initiated into the Marquis of Granby Lodge and later became a joining Member of both the Phoenix and Palatine Lodges in Sunderland.
1806 SUNDERLAND
St Johns Lodge no 80 was Consecrated in 1806 and had a fine start – 7 meetings in the first month – 40 in the first year and at one meeting, three years later, 3 first, 5 second and 5 third degree ceremonies were performed. These must have been late nights and wives must have been very patient in those days. This was the only Lodge in Durham to operate under the Antients Grand Lodge prior to the Union in 1813. The Lodge moved to London in 2021.
1809 DURHAM
The foundation Stone of Durham Gaol and Law Courts was laid, by Bro. Sir Henry Vane Tempest, Bart., in the absence of the Provincial Grand Master, Sir Ralph Milbanke, Bart., assisted by Ralph John Lambton, as Deputy Provincial Grand Master.
1818 Durham
John George Lambton MP (afterwards first Earl of Durham), perhaps our most famous freemason, was initiated into freemasonry in 1814 and four years later was appointed as the Provincial Grand Master for Durham. He was later appointed Deputy Grand Master of the United Grand Lodge of England in 1834 and then in 1839 appointed Pro Grand Master. A great statesman, diplomat and politician, he died in 1840 at the young age of 48.
In 1844
Some four years after his death The Durham Monument was erected in memory for his services to County Durham. The Rt. Hon. Thomas Dundas, The 2nd Earl of Zetland, Grand Master, laid the Foundation Stone of the Durham Monument with full masonic honours as a Memorial to John George Lambton, 1st Earl of Durham.
1874 Durham Cathedral
A window was given by Durham Freemasons to commemorate. Rt W Bro John Fawcett, the longest serving Provincial Grand Master of Durham from 1847-1880. During his time as PGM he installed HRH the Prince of Wales as WM of a Craft Lodge and assisted in the installation of the Prince of Wales as MWGM, which took place in the Royal Albert Hall on the 28th April 1875.At the time of his retirement, he was the oldest PGM in England. The panels of the window in the Chapel of Nine Altars depict:
Solomon building the Temple. Our Lord in the midst of the Doctors, hearing them and asking questions. The Angel showing St John the Heavenly Jerusalem.
The inscription on the Plaque below the window reads: – “To the Glory of God, and as a Testimonial of the affectionate esteem for their Provincial Grand Master, John Fawcett Esq A.D. 1874, being the twenty-seventh year of his rule over them.”
1880 County Durham
The Most Noble the Marquis of Londonderry, K.P., Lord Lieutenant of the County, was installed as Provincial Grand Master of Durham. He was also patron of the first Royal Masonic Institution for Boys festival in Durham which raised the sum of £661.
The RMIB jewel is currently displayed in the Provincial Library & Musem.
1907 Sunderland
By 1906, Provincial membership had risen to around 5000 and it would seem reasonable to assume that this large organisation would be administered from suitable offices. However, the reality of the situation was that the whole administration of the Province was controlled from the front room of the Provincial Secretary’s home in Tynemouth. A special committee was therefore set up to address this problem, under the chairmanship of Lord Barnard. This committee concluded that the existing arrangements were most unsuitable and that the Province ought to have an office of its own. They reported that they had found suitable offices at 27 John Street, Sunderland, to be let on lease for three years, at £35 a year.
By 1908 edition No 2 of the new Gazette records that the Provincial Grand Master the Rt. Hon. 9th Lord Barnard, thought it desirable to now establish a Library & Museum of books and objects of interest for the brethren. By1938 the Office and Library & Museum had moved to its current location at The Esplanade, where, for more than 100 years, it has continued to develop and grow and now houses one of the finest and most impressive exhibitions of Masonic artefacts and books in the country, offering a wide range of resources to all, to facilitate a greater understanding of the heritage and rich history of the Province.
1918 County Durham
Freemasonry continued to develop in the Province and by 1918 there were 66 lodges and 9800 Members. Over 30 lodges had a membership of over 150 and 3 had a membership that surpassed 300.
1937 Sunderland
Installation of R W Bro R W Ernest Dixon, as Provincial Grand Master. He had previously served as Provincial Grand Secretary for sixteen years, Deputy Provincial Grand Master for two years and as the Provincial Grand Master, guided the Province through the difficulties that World War II presented. A tremendously active force in the province until his death in 1959.In those 22 years of his mastership a further 54 new lodges where consecrated and the membership increased by 5600 to 19100.There were also now 56 Royal Arch Chapters with a total membership of about 5000.
1948 Durham
Sunday, 6th June saw another milestone in the history of Freemasonry in the Province of Durham when upwards of 2,000 Brethren attended a Memorial Service at Durham Cathedral. It was a memorable gathering and included Brethren from every part of the Province , all wearing their Masonic Regalia. V.W.Bro. The Rt. Rev. the Lord Bishop of Carlisle, D.D.Past Grand Chaplin gave a very instructive address. The Masonic Procession then following the Clergy and Choir left the Cathedral by the Southwest Door and proceeded to the Chapter House where the Provincial Grand Master unveiled a Masonic Memorial Window which was dedicated, by the Very Rev. The Dean Dr. Allington.
The Inscription on Plaque below window (in Latin) translates After the second Victory over the Germans the Freemasons set up this window in gratitude. 1948.
1963 Durham
The Marquis of Granby Lodge No 124 celebrated 200 years of continuous existence. A special meeting was held in the Chapter House at Durham Cathedral. The attendance of The Grand Master Lord Scarborough and the Grand Secretary VW Bro J W Stubbs honoured the lodge.
However, the oldest record of the Lodge so far discovered, is contained in the first Minute Book of the Lodge and is dated 24th June 1738. The extraordinary thing is that the first Minute appears to be a confirmation of a previous meeting and that a Brother Thomas Craggs was made a Mason.
1975 Durham
Two new Provincial standards, (which are still in use today) were presented to Provincial Grand Lodge by the Brethren of the Province on 18th June. These replaced the original standards presented by Lord Barnard’s grandfather in 1901.
2000 Beamish
The Foundation Stone for the Masonic Hall, moved from Park Terrace Sunderland to Beamish North of England Open Air Museum, was laid by Rt W Bro Dr A M Davison, Provincial Grand Master with full Masonic honours. The amount raised by Durham freemasons to move this hall was £500,000.
2006 Beamish
It was a momentous day for the Province when the Masonic Temple at Beamish, North of England Open Air Museum was opened by the Grand Master, His Royal Highness, The Duke of Kent, KG, GCMG, GCVO, ADC, 19th April. Nowhere in the British Isles has the opportunity to visit a Masonic Hall been given to so many people, over the last 17 years and millions of visitors have walked though these doors.
2008 DURHAM MASONIC HALL
To commemorate 275 years of freemasonry in Durham.
The original Lodge room window, a plain leaded glass construction erected in 1869, had seriously deteriorated, a decision was taken to replace it with the aim of completing the work during 2009, to coincide with the existence of Durham as a Masonic Province for 275 years. W Bro Tom Coulson of Lambton Lodge was asked to design a new window. His remit was to produce a design incorporating all the elements of Craft Freemasonry and the Royal Arch Chapter, a representation of the other Masonic Orders meeting in the building, and finally something for everyone to look at and contemplate during the ceremonies, instead of reading the honours boards.
2015 Durham
in 2017, United Grand Lodge of England celebrated the 300th anniversary of the formation of the Premier Grand Lodge in 1717. To mark this occasion, all Provincial Grand Lodges were encouraged to commemorate this milestone in the history of Freemasonry by some special project or event. Whilst considering many options available, it was discovered that Durham Cathedral had recently launched their £10 MILLION “Open Treasures Appeal,” the greatest development programme ever undertaken by them. This ambitious project was designed to provide access to hitherto inaccessible parts of the Cathedral by way of a new exhibition gallery. The high point for visitors from all over the world would be entering a restored magnificent Great Kitchen with its high vaulted ceiling, in which the most important and valuable treasures of the Cathedral would be displayed within a specially controlled environment. The restoration of this room, which was to be the main focal point of the exhibition area, would include a superb new floor using the best Dunhouse stone from the quarry at Staindrop which the Province agreed to finance and the project which was achieved record time.
The Symbolic Stone laying ceremony took place in the Great Kitchen Durham Cathedral, performed by the PGM R W Bro Norman Eric Heaviside and the Dean of Durham V Revd Michael Sadgrove, who was presented with a cheque for £136,000 from the Freemasons of Durham.
2022 Durham
The 2021 Festival Celebration dinner was held in The Bishop’s Suite at Ramside Hall, Durham on 30th July 2022. £3,477,877 being the total raised for the last (RMTGB) Festival, Royal Masonic Trust for Girls and Boys. The Provincial Grand Master J.P. Thompson, Mrs S Snowdon Lord – Lieutenant of Durham, RW Assistant Grand Master, Sir D.H. Wootton and Dep President of the MCF P William were in attendance along with families and friends of Durham Freemasons.
2023 County Durham
Since our first contribution to Masonic charities in 1880, which raised £661.0s.0d to our last Festival which raised. £3,477,877. The total amount raised by Durham freemasons to date being £13,462,732.
County Durham from 1734 to 2023 – 226 lodges have been consecrated in Durham.
97 of these lodges have met continuously for over 50 years ,76 for over 100 years, 3 for over 200 years,4 for over 250 years and one lodge for over 275 years.
