In the presence of the Provincial Grand Master Mark Matthews, Newby Bridge Lodge No 4598, the lodge that moved 100 yards in 100 years, has celebrated its centenary in great style. Mark was accompanied by Deputy Provincial Grand Master Frank Umbers, Assistant Provincial Grand Master Peter Schofield, Provincial Director of Ceremonies Barry Fitzgerald and a full Provincial team.
Acting Provincial Officers were; Provincial Senior Grand Warden Anthony Humphrey, Provincial Junior Grand Warden Michael Silver, Provincial Grand Sword Bearer Martin Clements, Provincial Grand Deputy Secretary Michael Southern, Provincial Deputy Grand Director of Ceremonies Ryan Modlin, Provincial Grand Senior Deacon Graham Dowling, Provincial Junior Grand Deacon Peter Rowan, Provincial Assistant Grand Director of Ceremonies Steven Ellershaw, Provincial Assistant Grand Sword Bearer William Thompson, Provincial Grand Organist Stephen Derringer, Provincial Grand Standard Bearer Colin Rodgers, Provincial Assistant Grand Standard Bearer Steven Murray, Provincial Grand Pursuivant Adam Simpson, Provincial Grand Steward Andrew Baxter and Provincial Grand Tyler Neil Higgins.
The grand officers in attendance, not already named, were Past Provincial Grand Master Tony Harrison, Past Assistant Provincial Grand Masters Kevin Poynton, David Grainger and Keith Kemp; other grand officers were Rowland Saunders, Peter Taylor (Provincial Grand Secretary), Rev Canon John Hall (Provincial Grand Chaplain), Alan Jones, Barry Fitzgerald (Provincial Grand Director of Ceremonies), Philip Preston and John Wrennall.
Adding further to the splendour of the occasion were Furness and South Lakeland Group Chairman Alan Pattinson, vice chairman Chris Gray and secretary Tony Jackson, making 100 brethren in total, including a fellow craft.
First came the duties of the business meeting, in declaring Phil Burrow as master elect, to lay the foundation for next month’s installation meeting. This was carried out with customary efficiency by the master Gary Mansfield, who then opened the lodge in the third degree. Mark Matthews then entered the lodge and was welcomed by Gary Mansfield. Gary proffered the gavel of the lodge and Mark Matthews received the gavel with alacrity and opened Provincial Grand Lodge in due and ancient form. The lodge was then closed down to the first degree, and the tyler, Barry Saunders, and Nick Smith, a fellow craft of Ulverston Lodge No 7872 were admitted. Provincial Grand Chaplain John Hall orated the history of Newby Bridge Lodge, from its inception, foundation and first 40years, just across the road at the Swan Hotel, and the transition into new premises for the next 60. John’s fulsome tribute ended with a solemn prayer of rededication.
(Extracts from the Lodge History, compiled by secretary Phil Preston, appear by kind permission below)
By looking at the old minute book and deciphering the writing we can bring to light the work involved in forming a Masonic lodge at Newby Bridge, over 100 years ago. Formal discussions appear to have started in February 1922 in Windermere Lodge No 2217, when the idea was to form a second lodge at Windermere to be known as Birthwaite. Much correspondence and discussion seems to have taken place, due to some of the members feeling that two lodges in a place the size of Windermere would not be successful. Consequently, negotiations broke down and interest moved to Lakeside. The Lakeside Hotel was the suggested meeting place for the new lodge which was to bear its name. Again the move was thwarted as it was discovered that the hotel was likely to be sold in the very near future. So another move was instigated to Newby Bridge. Here the lease of a piece of land was sought from the Revell family of the Swan Hotel on which it was the intention to erect an army hut for conversion into a lodge. This was immediately frowned on by Provincial Grand Lodge. The idea of a wooden or tin hut being used as a temple was promptly rejected despite assurances that this would be made soundproof and suitable in every way. Outbuildings at the Swan Hotel now caught the eyes of the proposed founder members and talks with Mrs Revell ended in the lease being granted for the barn. A petition was presented on our behalf to the Northern Group council by the Lodge of Furness No 995 for Newby Bridge Lodge, which was approved by all concerned.
The ceremony of consecration took place on 28 October 1924 when the consecrating officer was John H Burrell, Provincial Grand Master, and the installing officer was L B Bailey Past Grand Deacon, Deputy Provincial Grand Master. The first master was Garnett Gibson, with Walter Hogg and J D Walker as wardens. A banquet at the Swan Hotel followed the consecration ceremony at which the 13 founder members and 50 guests enjoyed the excellent fare. The menu was as follows; oxtail and tomato soup, halibut and tartar sauce, roast lamb and duckling followed by greengage tart and trifle.
The first regular lodge was held on Wednesday 19 November 1924 when the first initiate was Maurice Borwick Revell, the company secretary of the Swan Hotel. If you go into the Swan Hotel today the restaurant is called Revell’s, maybe just a coincidence or it was possibly named after him.
At the outbreak of World War Two, the lodge was closed for three months and the next installation took place on a Saturday afternoon when the late Hugh Leck was installed as master and remained in office for two years.
12 February 1940 is a memorable date in lodge history, for on this day the lodge suffered a disastrous fire. The brigade from Ulverston quelled the blaze after about five hours with water pumped from the lake. It was reported in the local newspaper: “That at 4:10pm, Ulverston Fire Brigade arrived at Newby Bridge with 12 men and found a stone building adjoining the Swan Hotel and used as a Masonic temple a veritable inferno. Fortunately, the lodge jewels were saved but the Warrant was lost and damage to the contents was estimated at £1200.” However, the lodge was insured. The March meeting was abandoned due to having no warrant.
The Lodge of Furness and the Arthur John Brogden Lodge No 1715 at Grange-over-Sands offered the use of their premises. The April and May meetings took place at Arthur John Brogden Lodge. In attendance at the April meeting was T W Helme PGD, Assistant Provincial Grand Master to present the new lodge warrant. After a period of almost 20 years, it became necessary that the lodge find new premises, and a move to the Newby Bridge Hotel was completed in 1964.
With H Whittaker as architect, H B Wilson agreed to undertake the building of the new temple. Compensation from the legal proceedings formed the nucleus of the building fund for this project which began to take shape early in 1964. One brother who worked on the building was Michael Philipson Past Provincial Junior Grand Warden, he was the last member of the lodge who met at the Swan Hotel and the hall at the Newby Bridge Hotel, and he sadly passed away on the 1 January 2024.
On July 30 1964, the ceremony of laying the foundation stone of the new building was performed by the Assistant Provincial Grand Master H W Whittle MBE Past Senior Grand Deacon in the presence of members and their wives prior to a service at St Mary’s Church, Staveley-in-Cartmel, conducted by the lodge chaplain Rev T L Walsh Past Assistant Grand Chaplain, to commemorate the event. This was followed by afternoon tea at the Newby Bridge Hotel.
Building progressed rapidly during the next few months and due to the untiring efforts of H B Wilson and his staff, the building was ready for dedication by November 10 of the same year. The dedication ceremony was performed by the Assistant Provincial Grand Master H B Whittle, assisted by T L Walsh as chaplain and two Deputy Provincial Grand Director of Ceremonies, along with many distinguished guests. At the installation which followed, the master T T Tyson installed H.B Wilson as the new master. These events were concluded with a banquet at the Newby Bridge Hotel. Wilson was honoured the following year by Provincial Grand Lodge with the rank of Provincial Grand Steward for his part in the erection of the lodge building of which we are all justly proud. At the 50th anniversary of the consecration of the lodge, C A Wilson had put together all the lodge summonses over a period of time, although some from early years were inevitably missing and some from around the time of the fire, these summonses were bound together in a book form, with the front and back carved by hand in oak by H B Wilson and is still intact today in the lodge.
In terms of other celebrations and achievements, Newby Bridge Lodge has had Jock Buchanan celebrate 60 years in Freemasonry. In 2011, the lodge celebrated 50 years in Freemasonry with Michael Philipson, who was promoted on the night of his celebration to the high rank of Past Provincial Junior Grand Warden by the then Assistant Provincial Grand Master Philip Gardner. In 2017 they celebrated 50 years in the lodge of James Edmondson Dixon, both brethren were elected honorary members. On April 11 2021 Michael Philipson celebrated his 60th anniversary of his initiation into Freemasonry and was then the only surviving member of the Lodge who first met at the Swan Hotel, Newby Bridge.
In recent years, the lodge has also had many members who were recognised by Provincial Grand Lodge, and were appointed to acting ranks in the Province, James Richards and Thomas Collins both held the rank of Provincial Senior Grand Deacon, Reginald Wilkinson Provincial Junior Grand Deacon, Ralph Spours and Timothy Gill Provincial Grand Standard Bearers, John Broadhurst Provincial Assistant Grand Standard Bearer, Joseph Crabtree and John Morgan Provincial Assistant Grand Pursuivant, Philip Burrow and Mark Little Provincial Grand Stewards, to name a few.
In 2016, Philip Preston was appointed as Provincial Grand Charity Steward and Chairman of the West Lancashire Masonic Charitable Foundation 2021 Festival, which concluded in September 2021 with the final event, held at the Empress Ballroom in the Winter Gardens, Blackpool. The grand total announced to over 700 guests was an outstanding £3,504,423. Philip Preston was appointed to grand rank by the United Grand Lodge of England in April 2020 with the rank of Past Assistant Grand Director of Ceremonies and is the first initiate of Newby Bridge Lodge to be recognised by the United Grand Lodge of England.
In an unscripted and pleasant turn of events, Alan McDougall, Past Provincial Grand Superintendent of Works, was placed before Mark Matthews and promoted to the high rank of Past Provincial Junior Grand Warden, in recognition of his services to both the Newby Bridge Lodge, and the wider community, to much acclaim from the assembly, and deep gratitude and emotion from Alan himself.
Immediately after Provincial Grand Lodge was closed and Gary Mansfield had retaken the chair, he addressed Mark Matthews and advised that the lodge would be donating the sum of £4,598 to Masonic Charities. A magnificent sum, and a fitting way of marking the Centenary.
At the first rising, secretary Phil Preston declared that the correspondence received included a Grand Lodge Certificate for Roger Baker, and wondered if the Provincial Grand Master would be pleased to present it to him? Mark Matthews duly obliged and gave a shortened delivery of the explanation of the certificate, making a special evening for Roger even more memorable.
Alms were collected after the ceremony, at the Feast of St John in the Newby Bridge Hotel, plus gift aid of £91.25, totalling £456.25, plus £39 loose cash and the raffle made a further £643, giving a grand total of £1,138.25.