One Hundred Years
We are being told that we can all expect to live longer
in the future. If this is so, I suppose that it could
be possible in the years to come that a founder of a
Lodge could be present at its centenary celebrations. Sadly
we haven’t reached that point in time yet,
your humble servant has been asked to pen a few thoughts
on almost forty years membership of the Lodge. I hope to
reminisce on some of the events and to remember some of
the brethren of the University of Durham Lodge who have
made their contribution to what the Lodge is today.
One of my earliest memories is of a tall, thin clergyman
who arrived late for a meeting as I stood outside the Lodge
room as an Entered Apprentice whilst the ceremony of a
higher degree was in progress. He was the treasurer of
the Lodge and his name was the Reverend Prebendary Charles
Waton. He was the Vicar of St Benet Fink, Edmonton and
was a Grand Officer. To me, he was a very important mason
yet was very friendly and put me at my ease. If anyone
had said to me at that time that I one day would also become
a Vicar and a Grand Officer I would probably have died
of shock! One of the things I remember about Brother Waton
was that he had a large ink stain on his apron proving
I suppose
that his tenure of the treasurership pre-dated the biro!
The records show us that the Prebendary was Initiated in
1916, only ten years after the Consecration. He became
Master first in 1921 and later again in 1937. Anyway, back
to 1904 it was a very different world to today. Orville
and Wright had just completed the first
controlled flight. How ironic that one hundred years later
when we take air travel for granted, we have recently grounded,
for good, the first super-sonic passenger aircraft – Concorde.
At that time the founders of our Lodge were still beginning
to grapple with motorised transport, if they could afford
it!
It was in November 1903 that a number of keen masons,
who were graduates of Durham University, met to consider
the possibility of forming a Lodge in London. Some of them
lived in the capital, others came from other parts of the
country but who would be prepared to travel to London for
the meetings. Surprising really, but perhaps steam trains
ran on time in those days! Having decided to proceed, W.Bro
Frederick Spencer called a meeting at his home, 17 Wimpole
Street, London W 1. There
were present W.Bro. Sir George Hare Philipson and Bros.
Abbot Anderson, Harry Spicer RN, Henry Bircham, Joseph
Nicholas Lee, A. Leahy, R.J. Brobyn-Williams, F. Silva
Jones, Richard M. Wilkes, Rowland H. Coombs, The Rev. William
Holding, Percy S. Jakins, Thomas Dutton, T Outerson Wood
T.H. Openshaw and A.E. Neale.
W.Bro. Phillipson having been voted to the chair and W.Bro
Spicer as pro tem. secretary it was decided to proceed
with an application to form a new Lodge. It was also decided
that all graduates, licentiates and those holding honorary
degrees in the University should be eligible for membership.
The name of the Lodge should be “University of Durham
Lodge" and that it should meet on the second Thursday
in the months of January, March, June and November.
The annual subscription for town members should be one
guinea and for country members half a guinea. The Initiation
fee five guineas and the Joining fee three guineas. These
fees were fixed low in order to meet the “wideIy
expressed wishes of numerous graduates” in all parts
of the country.
Sir George Hare Philipson was chosen as the first Master,
The Rev. William Holding as first Senior Warden and T.H.
Openshaw as Junior Warden.
Thirty five brethren signed the Petition and therefore
the Founders of the Lodge
were as follows: T. Herbert Alderson, W.M. Abbott Anderson, Henry Bircham,
John Braithwaite, R.J. Burton, Frederick Cambridge, T.Ponsford Cann, Charles
Forsyth, John G. Gibson, The Rev William Holding, J.R.Humble, Percy S. Jakins,
J.G. Revington-Jones, S. Silva Jones, Herbert Knyaston, E.Burritt Lane, A.
Leahy, Joseph N. Lee Loftus, G.W. Lumb, Alan Reeve Manly, Milner M. Moore,
T. Horrocks Openshaw, W. Pitt Palmer, George Hare Philpson, William J. Sheppard,
Arthur P. Sherwood, Frederick Spicer, John Stokes, William Travers, L.R. Tulliet,
Richard M. Wilkes, R.J. Probyn Williams, M Dale Wood T. Outerson Wood and T.C.J.
Young. It is worth noting that seven of the Petitioners were graduates in medicine
of the university. The Charter for the new Lodge was granted on 2nd March
1904 by the Most Worshipful the Grand Master, HRH The Duke
of Connaught and Strathearn K.G. under the Title of “The
University of Durham Lodge no. 3030”.
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