The Beginning

Founding a New Lodge

The idea of a new Lodge originated as early as 1943, when members of the Sunday morning Class of Instruction of the Hereditary Lodge No 5731, held at the Congleton Arms, Maxey Road, Plumstead, proposed the creation of a new Lodge. At this stage of the war, enemy air activity was spasmodic but during one air raid the Congleton Arms was severely damaged, and the idea of forming a new lodge was postponed until after the War.


The Hereditary Class of Instruction continued to meet at the Barrack Tavern on Woolwich Common, but many Lodges of Instruction were unable to meet in the evenings because of the air raids.


Early in 1947 saw the re­birth of the idea, and W Bro Charles Laver, the secretary of the Hereditary Class of Instruction formed a committee to consider the creation of a new craft lodge.


The committee consisted of W Bro Laver, Bro A E Sayer, Bro S T H Colman, Bro S L Reeves, and Bro W Gowers and the inaugural meeting took place at the Congleton Arms on Friday 28th March 1947.


The following is a summary of what was proposed and agreed at that meeting: Charles Laver was a Woolwich man, the idea for a new Lodge was conceived in Woolwich and the new lodge would meet in Woolwich.


It was therefore important for Charles that the Lodge reflected its origins. The name Hulviz was suggested which is the Anglo Saxon name for Woolwich, but in the end The Borough of Woolwich Lodge was agreed. It had no relationship to the Woolwich Borough Council.


  1. The name of the new lodge ­ The Borough of Woolwich Lodge.
  2. A list of Brethren interested in becoming Founders.
  3. The Founders fee ­ six guineas.
  4. The sponsoring lodge ­ to be arranged.
  5. The nomination and appointment of the first Officers.
  6. That the Lodge be attached to the Province of Kent.
  7. That the ritual would be Universal Craft Masonry.
  8. That the annual subscription be four guineas (inclusive of dining fee).
  9. That the Lodge meet five times each year, during the winter months (including installation).
  10. The initiation fee to be twenty guineas, including the presentation of a MM Badge and Ritual Book.
  11. The joining and re­joining fee be five guineas.

At a later meeting the Committee agreed to approach the McCartney Lodge No 3283 who subsequently became our sponsoring lodge.It is interesting to reflect on the conditions in post­war Britain when thirteen Masons decided to come together to form the Borough of Woolwich Lodge.


The phrase never again captures the motivating impulse of the first half­dozen years after the war;

  • ­  never again would there be war;
  • ­  never again would the British people be housed in slums, or live off a meagre diet thanks to low wages;
  • ­  never again would there be mass unemployment;
  • ­  never again would natural abilities remain dormant in the absence of education.

It was an age dominated by the shadow of war; the economy was a near­ constant disappointment and the social and economic problems the welfare state was designed to solve, proved tough to crack. But there was real progress, progress on a scale and duration never surpassed in the nation’s history.


The motivation to form new lodges in this period was driven by the number of men returning to civilian life, wishing to re­direct their energy, broaden their friendships and maintain some form of discipline. For some, Freemasonry provided part of that framework. Existing Lodges found themselves with a waiting list for membership, a need to carry out three degrees at a meeting, and consequently a considerable waiting period before being able to reach the Chair. During the first few years after the war about 650 new lodges were consecrated, the Borough of Woolwich Lodge was one of them.

The Consecration Ceremony

From the minutes of the 7th Committee meeting it was agreed that, provided the Luncheon does not exceed 12s /­9d per head and the beer supplied limited to two bottles per person with Sherry as an addition, the cost of tickets for visitors be 21/­ each.

 

 

The consecration ceremony should have been conducted by the Provincial Grand Master who at that time was RW Bro The Rt Hon The Lord Cornwallis. He was also The Lord Lieutenant of Kent and on the day of the Consecration was required to meet the King and Queen at Dover on return from their tour of the Empire.

 

 

The ceremony was therefore undertaken by the Deputy Provincial Grand Master, VW Bro Wing Commander BW Noble.

 

 

Extracts from the Minutes of the Consecration Meeting

The minutes of the Consecration Meeting of the Borough of Woolwich Lodge No 6610 which took place at the Masonic Hall, West Hill, Dartford, Kent on Wednesday July 7th 1948 at 3pm.

 

Prior to the ceremony, lunch was partaken with The Deputy Provincial Grand Master VW Bro Wing Commander BW Noble presiding owing to the enforced absence of Lord Cornwallis KBE, MC, the Provincial Grand Master who was engaged on Royal Duties, but even so had sent good wishes for success, happiness and prosperity of the Lodge to the Founders.

 

There were present, Sixteen Consecrating Officers, Thirteen Founders, 48 Provincial Officers. Three Officers of LGR, Five Reigning Masters, Ten Past Masters. 58 Master Masons whose names are duly registered in the Signature Book.

 

After Luncheon the usual Masonic Toasts were duly honoured.
The Deputy Provincial Grand Master proposed the Toast of the Founders of the Lodge and expressed his confidence that the future of the Borough of Woolwich Lodge was going to be a very successful one, particularly as they had in their Secretary to be appointed W Bro GC Laver, one who would be certain to see that everything from the Lodge viewpoint, would be carried out satisfactorily, special reference being made to his labours as the Secretary to the Founders.

 

At 2:45pm the Brethren present assembled in the Lodge and stood to order to receive the Deputy Provincial Grand Master, who entered in procession being escorted by the other Officers of Provincial Grand Lodge, and appointed his officers as follows:

 

W Bro John William Kennard as Senior Warden
W Bro Alexander Beveridge as Junior Warden
W Bro Daryll James Branson as Director of Ceremony
W Bro William Heath as Inner Guard

 

The Lodge was opened in the Three Degrees and the Opening Hymn was sung. The Deputy Provincial Grand Master was saluted in ancient form.
The Assistant Grand Masters were saluted in ancient form.

 

The Officers of Grand Lodge were saluted in ancient form.

 

The Deputy Provincial Grand Master addressed the Brethren upon the motive of the Lodge, followed by the Provincial Senior Grand Chaplin who gave the Opening prayer and later gave an Oration upon the nature and Principles of the Institution.

 

The Consecration of the Lodge then took place, followed by the Dedication Prayer, after which The Borough of Woolwich Lodge No 6610 was duly constituted by the Consecrating Officer.

 

The Deputy Provincial Grand Master vacated the chair to W Bro Arthur Atkinson, PGD, APGM who carried out the Ceremony of Installation.
The Lodge was resumed to the second degree.

 

Bro Thomas Ewen Maclean was presented and took the obligation of Master Designate.

 

The Lodge was resumed to the Third Degree and all below the rank of an Installed Master retired from the Lodge.

 

A Board of Installed Masters was declared and W Bro Thomas Ewen Maclean was installed into the Chair as Master of the Borough of Woolwich Lodge No 6610 according to ancient custom, by W Bro A Atkinson PGD, APGM.

 

The Board of installed Masters was closed and the Master Masons were re­ admitted.

 

W Bro Maclean was proclaimed for the first time and saluted. The working tools of Master masons were presented to him.

 

The Lodge was resumed to the Second Degree and the Fellow Craft Masons were re­admitted.

 

The Master was proclaimed for the second time and saluted. The working tools of a Fellow Craft were presented to him.

 

The Lodge was resumed to the First Degree and the Entered Apprentices were re­ admitted.

 

The Master was proclaimed for the Third time and saluted.

 

The Working Tools of an Entered Apprentice were presented to him and the Warrant of the Lodge entrusted to his care, he was also presented with a Book of Constitutions.

 

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