Priory Lodge, No. 5204

It was on 11th April 1930  that a petition, to be sponsored by Canute Lodge No 4876 was signed by 24 Master Masons, including 5 Past Masters. This was submitted on 12th May 1930, to Grand Lodge for a new Lodge to be formed called Priory Lodge, with the meetings to be held at the Parish Hall, Thorold Road, Bitteme Park, Southampton, on the third Monday in each Month except June, July and August. The reasons given to Grand Lodge by the founders for the name Priory Lodge was “St Denys Priory, adjacent to Bitterne Park was founded in about 1124, and flourished until about a century ago, and some ruins are still able to be seen”.

Because of the association and connection that Bitterne Park has with the old Priory, as it actually was a part of the Priory grounds, that the founders were anxious to associate their Lodge with this name.  The petition was granted on 23rd May 1930, and the warrant was issued in August 1930.

The Consecration Ceremony, which took place on The 20th October 1930, at the Masonic Hall, Woolston, was performed by the then:

Provincial Grand Master, Right Worshipful Brother The Earl of Malmesbury.

Worshipful Brother William Pegden was installed as the first Master of the Lodge, with George Henry Strevens as Senior Warden and Alfred Ernest Udall as Junior Warden.

(Left: Early Lodge Members)

The details of this meeting including the names of the first officers, and a list of all who attended, were published the next day (21st October) in the local Echo.

Those in attendance included 12 Grand Officers, 11 active Provincial Officers and 10 other members of Provincial Grand Lodge.

A total of Eighty Four Brethren attended the Ceremony. All the visitors were guests of the Founders at the celebration dinner, and the newly formed Lodge and the first Officers were heartily congratulated by the assembled company.

FOUNDER MEMBERS OF PRIORY LODGE

Pegden, William Vincent   4876 Canute Lodge

Strevens, George Henry   1990 Hampshire Lodge of Emulation

Udall, Alfred Ernest   1461 Clausentum Lodge

Thurlow, Albert   4541 Danehurst Lodge (Essex)

Whitfield, William Francis   Canute

Penney, Percy Charles Absolom   Canute

Allison, George Henry   Clausentum

Mills, Vernon Charles   Clausentum

Flood, John Arthur Collingwood   3174 Hillingdon Lodge (Middlesex)

Upton, Charles James   446 Benevolent Lodge (Somerset)

Smith, William Newton   Clausentum

Cheverton, Alfred Douglas   Clausentum

Powdrill, Arthur Henry   Clausentum

Urquhart, James Robert Millar   Clausentum

Taylor, Harold Howes   3948 St Andrews Lodge (E. Kent)

Ridgley, Charles Frederick   4222 Vespasian Lodge

Maitland, The Honourable Ian Cohn (Lord Thirlestone) later,

The Earl of Lauderdale   6 Lodge of Friendship (London)

Meggeson, Richard Ronald Hornsey   3045 Richmond Lodge (Transvaal)

Brock, Oliver   Clausentum

Ponsford, Walter   Clausentum

Udall, Ernest Charles   Clausentum

Miell, Herbert Samuel   Clausentum

Gradige, William Clement   1112 Shirley Lodge

Laverly, George   2523 Roll Call Lodge (Middlesex)

The Lodge General Purposes Committee first met on 13th October 1930, a week earlier than the date of the consecration ceremony, and it is recorded that by that date 13 applications for membership had been received. Their order of admission was decided by ballot, with the first four Initiates and one joining member being proposed at the consecration. It is apparent from the minutes of the G P Committee that the premises were not entirely satisfactory, as on the 12th February 1931 a Building sub-committee was set up to find new premises. First, a site in Cobden Avenue was considered, but in June 1931 the Rampart Hall in Rampart Road and adjoining land became available at a cost of £700.00. This building was to be the Lodge Temple for the next 28 years.

It was also agreed at this time that the Officers of the Lodge would pay “Dues of Honour” and these are listed (as :)

 Worshipful Master - 10 shillings (50p)

Wardens - 5 shillings (25p)

All other Officers – 2 shillings, 6 pence (12.5 p)

These were backdated to 1931 and they remained payable until 1966.

In an effort to raise much needed funds the entertainments committee organised whist evenings, which were followed by dancing. They agreed a set of rules for the whist and there were spot prizes given for the dancing. 36 packs of cards were purchased for the whist at a cost of five (old) pence per pack (2p). The profit from one whist drive in July 1932 was £14, 5s, 6d (£14.28), and after four such evenings over £50.00 was raised. What value would that have today when compared in relative terms? Whatever the comparative value it was a large sum in difficult times and we are all now reaping the rewards of their efforts.

Rampart Hall was renamed the “Priory Masonic Hall” and it appears that full occupation of the building took place in early 1932. At this time there was no Lodge Banner. The Lodge member’s wives raised the money to purchase one at a cost to them of £20.00 and presented it to the lodge. The Banner was dedicated by Brother R B Jolly, the Rural Dean, at a ceremony on the 8th February 1933. This Banner remained in use for almost 50 years, when, due to wear and tear it was replaced by the Lodge present banner, which was dedicated by Worshipful Brother, Reverend Dr Michael Morgan, Provincial Senior Grand Warden, during the Lodge 50th Anniversary celebrations in November 1980. Also at this time 6 dozen spirit glasses were purchased for use at the meal, which followed the meeting.

In 1935 the Lodge agreed to extend the building to accommodate the increasing numbers, at a cost, which was “not to exceed £500.00”.  When all the Quotations for the works were received, the lowest Tender was almost double this amount. In the minutes it refers to the extra costs as being due to. in architect’s language, alterations, additions and changes.  Perhaps now we can all congratulate, but also understand and sympathise with the similar prob1em encountered by the Trustees of the Woolston Masonic Centre, during the alterations that took place in 2003.

The first Official visit to the Lodge took place in February 1935, with the then Provincial Grand Master, The Earl of Malmesbury, accompanied by 6 Provincial Officers, attending.

Such was the increased demand for entry into the lodge it was common practice at many of the lodge meetings for double ceremonies to take place. and at some meetings there would even be different degrees. This meant that progress in Office was slow, and entrance into Freemasonry was delayed due to the number of applicants.  This growth continued, and enthusiasm for membership resulted in Priory Lodge sponsoring, on 1st February 1938, 5739 Bittern Lodge.  Priory Lodge (still) continued to grow in numbers (after the War) which resulted in the sponsorship in 1955 of 7383 St Denys; its second daughter Lodge.  The Bond between the Mother and Daughter Lodges has always remained strong with the exchange of Official visits taking place annua 

The outbreak of war in 1939 meant that the September meeting was, “due to the existing war conditions” abandoned. This resulted in the business of the Lodge being transferred to the October meeting, where the election of the master elect took place, which was immediately followed by the Installation of Brother Vincent Bernard Brown as Master, after which he appointed and invested his officers. Meeting’s continued to take place throughout the war years, but those normally held in November, January and February were instead held in June, July and August.  It is also interesting to note that during the war years, the Lodge summons contained a note indicating the location of the nearest air raid shelter.

In the late 1940s and early 1950s some of the Lodges using the Masonic Centre felt there was a growing need for the facilities to be improved. It was agreed that, although the Committee were doing their best to maintain the hail in good condition, time and shortages of labour and materials meant it was beginning to become rather “run down and shabby”. It was resolved that, space permitting, the Lodges should move to the Masonic Hall, Manor Road South, Woolston. This motion was proposed and carried on the 10th September 1958.

In May 1954 the minutes record that the sum of £1051 4s, 1d (£1051.20) was donated by the Lodge to the Royal Masonic Charity for Boys Festival, which was a considerable amount of money in difficult times. Once again we have to ask the question, what by comparison would the Lodge donation to the next Charity Festival (starting in 2010) be to just match this total?

Copyright © 2005, A.C. Holmes - permission sought to reproduce in part the original text.

(Source: a booklet witten by A.C. Holmes for the Lodge's 75th Anniversary Celebrations in November 2005)

See some Lodge history photographs by clicking here.