Dr Keith Lowson celebrated a half century in Freemasonry since his initiation at Warton Lodge No 8411 in 1975. Keith Lowson, as the WM, opened the lodge in the three degrees. After opening, Schofield, entered the lodge and was offered the gavel by the WM, which was duly accepted. Peter requested Assistant to the Provincial Grand Director of Ceremonies Bryan Cambidge, to place the celebrant, Keith, in a chair before him.
Peter Schofield was joined by Past Assistant Provincial Grand Master Keith Kemp and grand officer Chris Band, Lancaster and District Group Chairman Chris Larder, Provincial Senior Grand Deacon Kevin Rigg, Provincial Assistant Grand Director of Ceremonies, Ian Hallett, Provincial Grand Stewards, Lee Fisher and Stephen Renney.
Keith was born in 1942 at Richardson Hospital in Barnard Castle and lived with his father, Parkin, and mum, Olive, in Startforth, a small hamlet on the Yorkshire side of the River Tees. Keith attended Startforth Church of England Primary School in an era when the school was heated by pot-bellied stoves. Aged 11 years, he gained a free scholarship to the local boys’ private school, Barnard Castle County School.
The village church in Startforth played a huge role in his younger years and he attended Sunday School every week. Keith became an angelic choir boy and at the age of 12, his singing talents were recognised when he came first in an under-16 singing competition at the Cathedral School in Ripon. Keith has supported his local church all his life and has attended St Mark’s Church in the village of Nether Kellet for the past 55 years.
During his school years and as a teenager, Keith was a very keen sportsman, being a very good sprinter. Keith’s hobbies other than sporting activities were collecting model train sets and making model planes from balsa wood. After leaving school in 1961, Keith was successful in securing a place at King’s College Medical School at Newcastle upon Tyne, which was attached to the even more prestigious University of Durham.
Medicine became one of the great loves and influences in his life. Keith qualified in June 1966 and left medical school with a Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery and a Diploma in Obstetrics and Gynaecology. He took up a number of posts in the much-sought-after teaching hospitals in Newcastle, gaining valuable experience in all fields of the medical profession. Further postings took him to Dalston Hall, a very large estate with students being granted full access, where he studied obstetrics.
Following qualification in paediatrics and obstetrics, Keith secured a position in the obstetrics department at Hexham Hospital. Keith intended to branch into the field of paediatric cardiology, but after four years, it became clear that, because of the demanding call on his time, he was never at home and was missing the early years and development of his first child.
At this point, Keith decided to try general practice and found the ongoing personal contact with many different people both enjoyable and rewarding. He became aware of a vacant position in a practice in Carnforth. Keith applied and following an interview, was offered the position. On acceptance of the position, he was instructed to find a home in one of the surrounding villages and chose to live in Nether Kellet.
Following a successful settling-in period of 18 months, Keith was offered the position of partner, which he was delighted to accept. The practice in Carnforth was rather unusual as he and the other partners conducted all the deliveries of babies at Queen Victoria Hospital, Morecambe. Keith retired from the practice in 2000 at the young age of 58 and the practice remains immensely successful to date, employing over 21 staff.
During his school days, a certain young lady caught Keith’s eye. One afternoon, while walking along the riverbank in Barnard Castle, Keith came across his friend Harry Thompson, who was accompanied by the most beautiful girl Keith had ever seen. This was Miss Christine Haggart, who lived in Barnard Castle, whom Keith thought hadn’t noticed him. However, some five months later, he received a Valentine’s card from Christine. After plucking up the courage, he asked Christine for a date, which she accepted and after a suitable courtship, the relationship blossomed and they were married in 1966 at St Mary’s Church in Barnard Castle. Keith and Christine have been blessed with four children: Tara, Sari, and twins Jon and Huan. They also have six grandchildren: Oliver, Luke, Millie, Isaac, Mathew and Katie.
Keith has over many years given hours of free time to assist in fundraising activities for the Elizabeth Taylor School of Dancing in Carnforth, which was attended by his children. Each year at Christmas, Keith and some friends would dress up in a whole array of funny costumes and perform cabarets, which included dressing up as Charlie Chaplin among others, and perform slapstick comedy routines culminating with a Shirley Bassey routine in the village square on New Year’s Eve. The villagers had no idea who was behind the make-up and wigs.
Following their retirement, they lead a very active life, walking, cycling and hiking in the snow during the winter months. They were both skiing up to 12 months ago but have now decided to hang up the skis and are now happy to watch their grandchildren negotiate the slopes.
Keith’s Masonic journey began on 12 November 1975 when, poor and penniless, he was initiated into Warton Lodge, meeting at the Masonic Hall in Carnforth. He was proposed by Canon Brian Oddey and seconded by Allan Earl. Keith met Brian Oddey when he moved to Nether Kellett and accompanied him on walks most days of the week, but Brian always insisted he was unavailable most Wednesdays due to his attendance at meetings.
Keith assumed that these were church meetings and Brian was hoping he would be asked why every Wednesday, therefore allowing him to broach the subject of his attendance at Masonic meetings and stimulate an interest in the fraternity. In the end, Brian got fed up with waiting and asked the question! Keith was passed to the degree of a Fellow craft on 11 February 1976 and raised to the sublime degree of a master Mason on 14 April the same year.
Keith progressed through the various offices of Warton Lodge before becoming WM for the first time in 2009 and then again from 2019 through to 2021, greatly assisting the lodge to manage its way through the COVID crisis. Keith served as lodge secretary from 2002 to 2003 and lodge membership officer from 2023 to 2024. He was considered to be an excellent secretary, ‘a bit of a perfectionist’, the administration of the lodge affairs had to be just right, but Keith was always there to offer help, guidance, encouragement and support to any brother in need. In many respects, not just a good secretary but an excellent mentor to many as well. The qualities of which he always exercised during his time in office as lodge membership officer. In the words of a senior member of the lodge, Keith is considered a stalwart of Warton Lodge and his hard work and dedication over many years have gained the respect of brethren not just in the lodge but across the whole group.
In Provincial Grand Lodge, Keith was appointed to the rank of Past Provincial Junior Grand Deacon in 1994 and received promotion to the rank of Past Provincial Junior Grand Warden in 2000. Keith is also a member of Plantagenet Lodge of Installed Masters No 9357, Heysham Lodge No 4108 and Old Barnardian Lodge No 9358 in Durham. He recently rejoined Heysham Lodge and was appointed senior deacon at their installation meeting.
In the Royal Arch, Keith was exalted into Semper Fidelis Chapter No 4428, meeting in the South Fylde Group on 19 October 1978, and joined Carnforth with Sandylands Chapter No 5702 on 5 February 1987. He progressed through the offices of Carnforth with Sandylands Chapter and was first principal in 1996. Keith was also a member of Senators Chapter of Installed First Principals No 8966 from 1991 to 2012. In Provincial Grand Chapter, Keith was appointed to the very high rank of Past Provincial Grand Scribe Nehimiah. Keith’s outstanding service to Freemasonry was once again acknowledged by Supreme Grand Chapter in April 2022 when he received the Grand Rank appointment to Past Grand Standard Bearer.
At the end of the presentation, Chris Larder, Chairman of the Lancaster and District Group, was asked to read aloud the wording on the half-century certificate, which was signed by Provincial Grand Master Mark Matthews. Bryan Cambidge, then escorted Keith back to his rightful seat as master of the lodge. On closing the lodge, 35 brethren retired to dine at the festive board held at Kerneford Hall. The raffle raised £175.