THE WAR YEARS AND PRESTON MASONIC TEMPLE
On the 3rd September 1939, the Most Worship Grand Master, His Royal Highness the Duke of Kent suspended all Masonic activity. This was subsequently revoked at the end of the month.
Preston Guild Lodge continued to meet at the Bull and Royal Hotel, along with the other 13 Preston Group Masonic lodges, throughout the Second World War. Lodge memberships averaged over 80 members each. This period became very interesting and ultimately a defining for Preston Masonry.
The rations allocated to the Bull and Royal Hotel were based on the Masonic Dining prior to the war. Unfortunately, many lodge meetings were held and members were unable to have a Festive Board as “their food” has been sold in the hotel restaurant instead.
Step forward James Sidney Howarth! At the Regular Lodge Meeting of September 1940, James made the following proposition that set a chain of events in motion that would have a profound effect on Preston Masonry:
“That the Officers and Brethren of Preston Guild Lodge No 4408 start a fund to be called “Masonic Temple Building Fund,” and further, that the sum of £50 be taken out of Lodge Funds and allocated to such Masonic Temple Building Fund”
At the same time the lodge determined that no further Festive Boards would be held at the Bull and Royal. Instead, the brethren took their meal at the Knowsley Arms (now the Stanley Arms).
James then set up the Preston Masonic Temple Committee with representation from all Preston Group Lodges. This led to the identification of Saul Street Primitive Methodist Chapel as a suitable location. As the committee had not set up a company at that time, James Howarth purchased the premises personally to secure ownership for Freemasons.
Preston Masonic Temple was dedicated and opened in September 1944 and Preston Guild Lodge held the first lodge meeting there on the 11th of that month. James was the Hall Charman at its dedication but had to retire in 1945 due to ill health. Sadly, he passed away in 1948. His legacy is our home.
On the 4th November 1942, James initiated a new member, John Lund. John was another member of the lodge destined to become Mayor of Preston. He served the borough in 1963.
John was also the founding First Principle of the Preston Guild Chapter No 4408 of the Holy Royal Arch in 1972.
During the war, Preston Guild Lodge, amongst many others in the Province of West Lancashire, welcomed Masons from the American Expeditionary Force. All lodges who had hosted American Masons received a beautiful commemoration listing all the Masons and their Lodges who had attended. Those who attended Preston Guild Lodge signed the reverse of the certificate.
POST 1945
Once again, the aftermath of a World War became a stimulus for interest in becoming a Freemason. Large numbers of men applied to be made masons.
Such was the demand that in May 1951 a decision was made to suspend the receipt of new applications to join the lodge as the waiting list had grown so long. This situation endured until October 1953.
In the early 1950’s, 19 lodges were meeting at Preston Masonic Temple. Lodge meeting dates were allocated by the Temple Management. It was clear the Temple needed to grow as capacity had been reached. Once again, Preston Guild Lodge was at the vanguard of that work. Preston Masonic Temple introduced a Debentures Scheme to raise funds for the purpose of extending Preston Masonic Temple on Saul Street in 1955. The Temple worked with the West Lancashire Masonic Charities to enable lodges to donate through the debenture scheme. Preston Guild Lodge entered into the debenture process with charitable donations as well as direct contributions and loans from Lodge Funds. The latter loans were later converted to gifts. The new Lodge Rooms were consecrated in October 1961.
Preston Guild Lodge maintained its commitment to masonic and non-masonic charities. Every National Masonic Festival was honoured with Patronage as well as the West Lancashire Charities.
Following significant legacies left by sadly departed members and their widows, the Preston Guild Lodge No 4408 Benevolent Fund was created as a Registered Charity. The initial funds came from the estate of Robert Henry (Harry) Turner who passed away whilst serving as Senior Warden. These funds were augmented by further bequests over time. Most notably were very significant bequests by William Bellamy and Mrs Annie Whipp, the widow of the late long serving member Thomas Whipp – one of William’s contemporaries. It was determined in 1952 to formalise this fund as a registered charity with four Trustees. Those appointed were the four longest serving members of the lodge, chaired by the lodge’s first initiate, Walter Pomfret. This fund has provided a means of supporting Masons and their relatives in Preston as well as the wider Preston Community ever since.
August 1957 was a poignant landmark for Preston Guild Lodge. Our last and longest serving Founder Member, Eli Calvert, passed to The Grand Lodge above at the age of 84 years.
The Master at the time is recorded as saying, “W Bro Calvert was one who never seemed to grow old, for he always displayed the spirit of youth and cheerfulness.”
April 1960 saw the very first Grand Lodge Appointment for Preston Guild Lodge. Rev Thomas Gould Beer was appointed to be Past Assistant Grand Chaplain of the United Grand Lodge of England.
Thomas was a native of Swansea. He served as Curate at St James’s and Vicar of St Jude’s as well as Chaplain for Bushell’s Hospital and the Territorial Army. Thomas had a distinguished war record being Mentioned in Dispatches.
A very sad passing occurred in September 1962 when the lodge’s first initiate, Walter Pomfret died. He had served the lodge for 40 years.
Also in September 1962, William Seddon initiated his son, William Richard Seddon. Bill Seddon Junior was to become a major figure in the Province of West Lancashire. He became Master of the Lodge in 1974. Bill was the lodges second Grand Officer when appointed as Past Assistant Grand Registrar in 1989. Five years later he was appointed as an Assistant to the Grand Superintendent of the Holy Royal Arch and then in 1997 as an Assistant Provincial Grand Master in the Province of West Lancashire.
Joseph Cray had a very interesting initiation in April 1964. We enter our masonic journey poor and penniless. Joe was wearing a ring that the united endeavours of the Tyler, Inner Guard, Director and Assistant Director of Ceremonies could not remove. It was necessary for the Master to declare that all proper precautions had been made and the ceremony could continue. That wasn’t Joe’s last ceremonial hiccup. On his Installation to the Chair in 1975, his nerves got the better of him at the Banquet when he mistakenly toasted the Grand Master as the Duke of York. With brilliant comic timing, the Director of Ceremonies, George Hudson, announced that the next toast would be “to his ten thousand men!”
By 1967, the wonderful Lodge Banner was showing signs of wear and tear. The lodge had the banner restored after 40 years of service. As Founder Member Chris Miller had funded the original purchase, his two sons John and Arthur, who Chris had initiated into the lodge, paid for the work in tribute to their father. Chris was a great benefactor to the lodge. He presented a magnificent carved casket to the Lodge in 1931 to house the Masters Portrait Book.
!967 marked the 250th Anniversary of the United Grand Lodge of England. The Grand Lodge 250th Anniversary Appeal Fund called on lodges to donate the equivalent of £1 per member. Each lodge meeting the appeal target was awarded a jewel for the Masters Collar. A jewel adorns both the Masters and the Past Masters Collars.
Mirroring growth in the Craft, there was a demand for more Holy Royal Arch Chapters. In 1971, a new Chapter was mooted and as it would be Consecrated in 1972, the year of the Guild Merchant, representations were made to name this new Chapter Preston Guild Chapter No 4408. John Lund, an Initiate of Preston Guild Lodge and Rupert Ord, the nephew of Founder Member Will Ord were two of the new Chapter’s Founding Members. The lodge donated a Bible to their namesake at Consecration.
Preston Guild Lodge had adopted the Ritual used by Unanimity Lodge since Consecration but this Ritual had “evolved” over the years. 1988 saw the introduction of a new Ritual Book which was elaborately decorated by Bill Davies. This book is passed from Director of Ceremonies to Director of Ceremonies.
Today that is very much a symbolic transfer as the Ritual was further amended at Amalgamation and additions have been made since then.
From the mid-1980s, membership began to decline. As with many other organisations, time became more precious and stressed. This was further compounded by a mixture of age leading to the passing of long-term members and of mobility in the workplace as Masons moved away for work.
Preston Guild Lodge provided the Group with a Chairman for the second time in 1980. Sidney Canning Matthews, who had been a Joining Member of the Lodge in 1945, served the Group until 1984.
The lodge’s longest serving active member was George Cottam. Initiated into the Lodge in 1943, George enjoyed both his 50th and 60th years as a Mason with special celebrations in 1993 and 2003. At the time of his 60th Celebration, George was still faithfully serving and working in the lodge as Junior Warden. He passed away in 2006 after being a Mason for 63 years.