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Records |
| SOME MASONIC RECORD BREAKERS - how close are
you? |
The oldest known
English Freemason:
W.Bro. Samuel Hartree Crabbe, who died aged 109, on 23 July 1990. He was born 12 December 1880 and initiated into the Dolphin Lodge,
No. 4464, Bristol, 9 February 1927. At the age of 103 he joined the Mark Degree.
In Australia Bro. Jack Lockett, died in 2002 aged 111, was initiated into Ouyen Lodge, No. 249 (Victorian Constitution)
in 1921 giving 81 years in Freemasonry. He was also Australia’s oldest man at the time.
The oldest Freemason today in the United Grand Lodge of England:
W.Bro. Arthur Halestrap, MBE, is 106 and recently was Master of Caritas Lodge, London, No. 4981, - for the third time! He was born
8 September 1898 and initiated into Caritas Lodge, 26 November 1952.
W.Bro. Conrad Leonard, aged 104, was born 24 October 1898.
For 62 years he has been a member of London Warwickshire Lodge,
No. 3846.
The longest service to Freemasonry:
W.Bro. Fred Burch, Teddington Lodge, No. 4528, Middlesex. A Freemason
for 77 years, he was initiated 5 October 1926 &, sadly, passed to
the Grand Lodge above on 26 September
2003. (Many thanks to his son W.Bro. John F. Burch for the
updated information - note: W.Bro. John F. Burch will be installed as
Master of his Lodge on 11th April 2008, during his 50th year in
Freemasonry! )
Historically the longest serving Freemason was W.Bro. Arthur
King-Davies, initiated into Llynfi Lodge, No.2965, South Wales (E.D.)
10 May 1911, died 26 December 1991. He had served 80 years 7
months in Freemasonry.
In Australia, (Queensland), 103 year old RWBro. Ted Smout, OAM,
ASM, Legion d’Honneur, Past Assistant Grand Master has celebrated
83 years in masonry. He was initiated into Victoria Lodge, No.10,
Brisbane, 10 May 1921; he was Master in March 1935.
The longest family service to one Lodge:
The Wilding family in Cheshire have tyled Lodge of Sincerity, No.
428, continuously since 1836, a total of 168 years. The current
Tyler, Bro. Tony Wilding, is the 7th generation of the family to
serve the Lodge.
The longest family service as Provincial Grand Masters:
The Dundas family provided the Provincial Grand Master for
Yorshire, North and East Ridings, for a total of 167 years.
Lawrence, 1st Earl of Zetland was installed as Provincial Grand
Master in 1817; the last to hold the office, Lawrence Aldred, 3rd
Marquess of Zetland, retired in 1984.
The most masonic work by a Master:
W.Bro. Major Henry Sadler, Master of Aldershot Camp Lodge, No.
1331, in 1916, during his year presided over 136 Degree
ceremonies: 48 initiations, 42 Passings and 46 Raisings. The
candidates were mostly NCOs awaiting transfer to the front-line.
During his masonic career W.Bro. Sadler performed a total of 174
Degree ceremonies.
W.Bro. John Denton, founding Master of Harrogate & Claro Lodge,
No. 1001, in 12 regular and 3 emergency meetings performed 45
ceremonies in his year, 1864, initiating, passing and raising 15
candidates with 10 multiple ceremonies.
R.W. Bro. Colonel Alexander Foster Gough as Master of Honour
Lodge, No. 526, in 1858-59, presided over 15 meetings at which he
initiated 12 candidates, passed 10 and raised 10 giving a total of
32. But during his second period of Master of the same Lodge,
1859-60, he initiated 11, passed 12 and raised 10; a total of 33
candidates. From 1889-92 he was Provincial Grand Master of
Staffordshire.
In 1898, W.Bro. T. Linskill, Master of Harrogate & Claro Lodge,
conducted 32 ceremonies.
W.Bro. Surgeon A. Knight Prescott, joined The Aldershot Army and
Navy Lodge, No. 1971, in June 1886. He was elected Master the same
night. While in the Chair, during 7 meetings, he initiated 7
candidates, passed 9 and raised 12, a total of 28. The Lodge
Minutes suggest that each ceremony was worked separately.
Serving as Master of the same Lodge the greatest number of
times:
W.Bro. Alexander Logan served as Master of the Marquis of Granby
Lodge, No. 124, Durham, for 18 continuous years from 1800-1818 and
then in 1821 and 1831; a total of 20 years.
W.Bro. R. Blanchard was Master of Unity Lodge, No. 132, Ringwood,
Hampshire, from 1784-1798, a total of 15 years plus 1800, 1803,
1806 and 1810 giving a total of 19 occasions.
W.Bro. J. Ward also served as Master of Unity Lodge on 15
occasions.
W.Bro. William Hinchcliffe served as Master of the Duke of
Normandy Lodge, No. 245, in Jersey, in 1815, 1816, 1820, 1824,
1825, 1828, 1829, 1832, 1833, 1834, 1835, 1837, 1842, 1844, a
total of 14 separate occasions.
W.Bro. Richard Pearce was Master of Mount Sinai Lodge, No. 121,
Penzance, on 13 separate occasions.
More recently, W.Bro. D. Cook was Master of Park Lane Lodge, No.
8657, on 8 occasions: 1975, 1977, 1978, 1982, 1983, 1986, 2000 and
2001.
W.Bro. C.F. Langley served as Master of Beadon Lodge, No. 619,
London, on 5 occasions: 1973, 1974, 1985, 1994, 2003.
W.Bro. John Ovens, has been Master of the Victory Lodge, No. 3986,
Gosforth, also on 5 occasions: 1987, 1992, 1993, 1997, 2003.
In South Africa, Eastern Division, W.Bro. A.S. Ventor has served
as Master of White Hope Lodge, No. 1939, Tarkastad, on 9
occasions.
In Brazil, South America, Northern Division, W.Bro. Malcolm Curtis
was Master of the Lodge of Unity, No. 5560, Sao Paulo, on 7
occasions: 1980, 1981, 1984, 1987, 1988, 1994, 2001.
Greatest length of time between service as Master of a
single Lodge:
In 1994, W.Bro. F.A. Henshall was elected Master of Glantawe
Lodge, No. 5378, Swansea, 50 years after he had first served as
Master of the Lodge in 1944.
W.Bro. Philip Colville Smith was Master of Apollo University
Lodge, No. 357, Oxford, in 1891. He subsequently was to serve as
Master on 5 occasions, the last being in 1935, 44 years after his
first Installation. He also served as Grand Secretary of United
Grand Lodge of England, 1917-1937.
The greatest number of sons initiated into Freemasonry in
the same Lodge:
All 6 sons and 2 grandsons of W.Bro. W. Bevan were initiated into
Coleshill Lodge, No. 7910, Flint, North Wales, making a total of 9
family members in the lodge.
W.Bro. R. Wild and his 4 sons were all initiated into Thornham
Lodge, No. 2279, East Lancashire; all have subsequently served as
Master.
W.Bro. Bill Devine and his 4 sons were all initiated into Gateways
Lodge, No. 6374, Cheshire; all are past M.E.Z. of the Letchworth
Royal Arch Chapter, No. 5272, Cheshire, at one stage all held
office simultaneously.
W. Bro. Pat Huck whose 4 sons, all Freemasons, were either joining
members or initiated into Dronfield Lodge, No. 9570, Derbyshire.
In Scotland, at Lodge Seaforth, No. 854 (Grand Lodge of Scotland),
Fortrose, Ross-Shire, on 16 April 1990, 5 sons of Bro. James
MacKenzie were initiated in one ceremony.
The greatest number of family members in one Lodge:
In May 1963 W.Bro. W Bevan was a Founder of Coleshill Lodge, No.
7910, Flint, North Wales. Since that time his eight sons and
grandsons have all been initiated into the same Lodge giving a
total of nine members of the Bevan family in this one Lodge.
The greatest number of family members serving as Master of
a Lodge:
The Benin (Edo) Royal Family, Nigeria, have had eight members
serve as Masters of Benin Lodge, No. 7800 (EC) since its
consecration in 1962.
The greatest number of masonic visits:
Excluding attendance at his own lodge, W.Bro. Brian Anderson of
Lodge of Remembrance, No. 6319, Northumberland, has visited a
total of 1781 masonic meetings of many Rites and three
Constitutions.
The greatest number of descendant Lodges:
St Luke’s Lodge, No. 144, founded in 1765, and meeting in
Highgate, London, has a total of 315 descendant Lodges, including
seven daughter Lodges. Not all those descendant Lodges are still
working.
Merchants Lodge, No. 241, founded in 1780, which meets in
Liverpool, Province of West Lancashire, has 227 descendant Lodges
of which 12 are daughter Lodges. A total of 71 Chapters are
associated with those Lodges.
The oldest Masonic Hall in continuous use:
In Scotland, Lodge Canongate Kilwinning, No.2, has been meeting in
their premises since at least 18 December 1736, a total of 268
years;
Lodge Cumberland Kilwinning, No. 217, built its present Temple in
1757 and has been meeting there since that time, a total of 243
years.
Queen Street East, Sunderland, in use since 1785, a total of 216
years.
The oldest building used for Lodge meetings:
Restormel Lodge, No.856, Cornwall, meets in The Old Duchy Palace,
Lostwithiel, Cornwall, which was built by Edmund, Earl of
Cornwall, in the late 13th Century |
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