LANDMARKS IN THE LODGE HISTORY
During the first year of the Lodge, five brethren joined and six gentlemen were
initiated into masonry. Bro A. E. Mansell is recorded as the first initiate.
The Warrant
The Warrant of the Lodge was displayed for the first time at the meeting on the
11th September 1951, not having been available before and the case to keep it
in was presented by W.Bro R. E. Watling.
The death of a Founder W.Bro S. W. Pollock occurred on the 16th of October 1951.
Illness prevented Bro J. C. Draycott from carrying out his duties as Junior Warden
and also prevented him from proceeding to the higher offices of the Lodge.
The first Regular Meeting of the Lodge at The Masonic Hall, Uxbridge took place
on the 21st February 1952.
Blackballing
In February 1954 a joining member was Black Balled. This appears to date to
have been the only occasion that this has arisen.
A New Lodge is Formed
On 16th June 1955 a petition was signed sponsoring the formation of The Harefield Lodge No. 7417.
Lodge of Instruction Commences
In February 1956 the Lodge approved the formation of a Lodge of Instruction;
previously there had been a Class of Instruction. This commenced working in
September 1956, meeting every Thursday from September to June at the Vine,
Hillingdon, subsequently transferring to the Turks Head, Hillingdon, and later to
the Falcon, Uxbridge where the meeting night had to be changed to Wednesday.
The preceptor was W.Bro J.W. Gathergood who continued in this office until 1972. On the 9th of January 1984, the Lodge of Instruction transferred to the Angel Public House.
The Banner Dedication
The Provincial Grand Master R. W. Bro. Phillip C. Bull DSO, TD, again visited the
Lodge on 17th December 1957 to dedicate the Banner donated by W.Bro W. A.
Voought.
Another New Lodge is formed
At the same meeting, the petition was signed for a warrant for The Old Masonians Middlesex Lodge No. 7568.
1957 saw the formation of The Uxbridge Lodge Masonic Benevolent Association
with W.Bro S. Wilson PPrAGReg, as Secretary. He continued in this office until
1969 when W.Bro R. Harrison took over.
Bro. C. Lock who went to Australia before completing his three degrees was at
the request of the Lodge raised on the 18th September 1963 by The Lodge of
Beneficence No. 324 Western Australia.
On the 17th of June 1965, the Lodge resolved to keep the traditional wording for
the penalties of the obligation, but have been abandoned by Grand Lodge ruling.
Honoured Guests
From December 1965 the Masters of The Royal Union Lodge No. 382, The
Harefield Lodge No. 7417 and The Old Masonians Lodge No. 7568 became
honoured guests of the Lodge at all meetings.
Celebrating the first 25 years
At the request of the Grand Lodge on the 15th of February 1968 W.Bro. R. G. Harrison raised Bro. H. V. C. Fey of the De Noord Star Lodge No. 28 under the Grand East of the Netherlands to the degree of a Master Mason. Bro Fey become a joining member of the Lodge in the following December.
Consecutive Years as Master
The first Master to occupy the Chair twice in consecutive years was W. Bro A. W. Caudery PPrAGDC in 1971/1972. The second time was in 1991/1992. Since then, it occurred regularly between 2008 and 2017. As it has been necessary for a Past Master to occupy the Chair to allow for the natural progression of officers, the re-elected officers were W Bro’s Steve Little PPrAGDC, Kevin Gates PPrGSuptWks, Bill Crawley PPrGSuptWks, David Greig PPrSGD. In 2018 W Bro Ken Demmen PPrJGW was installed and due to Covid – 19 meant he did not vacate the Master’s chair until 2021.
Grand Officers
W.Bro. R. R. Bath-Burley became the Lodge’s first [and so far only] Grand Officer having been invested by the Grand Master as PAGDC on the 24th of April 1974.
W.Bro. J. C. Davies was the first past master of the Lodge to receive Provincial Grand Rank.
Twinning the Lodge
Grand Lodge on the 9th of September 1975 gave permission for the Lodge to correspond with the Carl zur Treue Lodge No. 41 under the United Grand Lodges of Germany. This Masonic twinning corresponds with that of the local authority as Schleswig the home of the German Lodge is twinned with the London Borough of Hillingdon. This twinning did not develop for reasons unknown.
At the Installation Meeting on the 15th of April 1976, W.Bro. R. G. Harrison was appointed and invested as the first holder of the office of Charity Steward.
50 Year Certificate
On the 21st of October 1965, Mr. Douglas Horler was initiated into Uxbridge Lodge No. 7066 and on the 21st of October 2015, W Bro Douglas Horler PPJGW was presented with his Certificate for 50 years of service to the Uxbridge Lodge in particular and Freemasonry in General. Members and past members came from all over the country to witness the first of its kind in the history of the Lodge.