The anniversary of a Lodge is always worthy of special celebration, but when one bears the name of Cornwallis, revered throughout the Masonic Province of West Kent, it is particularly appropriate that the history of the Lodge be updated to mark the hundred and twenty fifth year of its existence. It was in honour of Lady Holmesdale, whose family name was Cornwallis, that the Lodge was formed. Lord Holmesdale was the then Provincial Grand Master for Kent. The Lodge thus commemorates the name of a family which has provided Provincial Grand Masters for Kent for over a century.

It has other claims to distinction. It is the oldest of the Lodges meeting in Bromley and is among the 24 with the lowest numbers although, of course, the number of a Lodge is not necessarily an indication of its age. Only one other Lodge bears the same name - Cornwallis No. 5062, Bombay.

Masonic historians have to depend largely on Minute Books for information about Lodge transactions, especially those of the early days, because letters and communications tend to disappear as the years go by. There are two types of Lodge Secretary - One takes a peculiar pleasure in including in the Minutes almost everything (sometimes even references to the prevailing weather) that may legitimately be put into writing, and thus provides something of the "atmosphere" of the age. This type is the delight of anyone delving into the past. The other is inclined to carry caution to the extreme. The laconic statement that a candidate was Initiated, Passed or Raised, is usually followed by the bald announcement that, all Masonic business, having been transacted, the Brethren went to dinner and parted in harmony. We are left in ignorance of what was included in "Masonic business". Unfortunately, the early secretaries of Cornwallis Lodge fall into the second category and only one or two out-of-the-way incidents enliven what is otherwise a somewhat prosaic recital of the events from the Consecration on 1st June 1866, to the Installation meeting on 17th July 1878. There is then a break for seven years. The first Minute Book has sufficient pages left for covering at least a score of meetings. Why, then, were they not used? The mystery is made all the more intriguing from the fact that the last pages contain the names and addresses of subscribing members, under the dates of May 1876, and 16th June 1873, in that order. Fortunately returns were made to Grand Lodge, so that continuity of meetings can be established - otherwise there might not have been a centenary celebration.

Let us take a quick glance at the outstanding events of the 19th century. The American Civil War had ended the year before the Lodge was founded and 1865 saw the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. In July 1866, after several failures, the Atlantic telegraph cable was successfully laid. The Franco-Prussian war of 1870 was still in the making. At home, according to G. M. Trevelyan in 'English Social History', the most marked changes of tendency in Victorian England may be ascribed to the later 'sixties' and 'seventies'. The old landmarks were still there, but they were no longer so prominent. It was a liberal, outspoken age, whose most representative men were neither the aristocrats nor the shopkeepers, but men of University education, or trained professional intelligence, readers of Mill, Darwin, Huxley and Matthew Arnold, George Eliot and Browning.

The working men of the towns had received the Parliamentary franchise by the Reform Bill of 1867; and three years later Forster's Act provided primary education for all. By the legislation of 1871-1875 the trade unions received a new charter of rights, corresponding to their growing power; in business administration, limited liability companies were taking the place of the old family firms. In 1871 Oxford and Cambridge were thrown open to all, irrespective of religious belief. The professional and social emancipation of women went forward and the "equalisation of the sexes" began to be advocated in theory and found its way increasingly into the practice of all classes.

The greatest single event of the 'seventies' was the sudden collapse of English agriculture. In the first decade of the decline, that began in 1875, the acreage of wheat in England fell by nearly a million acres. In 1881 there were some hundred thousand fewer farm labourers than ten years before, and that was only the beginning of the exodus. They continued to flock into the towns or to pass overseas.

The English lost some of the complacency and cocksuredness of the 'fifties' and 'sixties'. In those lucky days gone by, England had manufactured for a world that was still a generation behind her in industrial machinery. The Franco-Prussian War of 1870 was the first shock, and during the three following decades America and Germany rose as manufacturing powers rival to our own.

Many articles that were luxuries in 1837 were common comforts in 1897. Food, clothing, bedding and furniture were far more abundant than in any previous age. Gas and oil lighting were giving way to electricity. Holidays by the seaside had become a regular part of life to the lower middle class and even to large sections of the working class, particularly in the North. Towns, in the last decades of Queen Victoria's reign, were undergoing rapid improvement in sanitation, lighting, locomotion, public libraries and baths and, to some extent, in housing.

In Victoria's reign, when the tide of emigration was still running stronger than ever, the postage stamp kept the cottage at home in touch with the son who had "gone to the Colonies", and often he would return on a visit with money in his pocket and tales of new lands of equality and self-help and, maybe, an affectionate contempt for the slow old ways at home. The professional and upper classes also went out to careers all over the world, to govern, trade and shoot big game in Africa and India. All ranks of the army knew India, so far as it could be seen from the lines.

In this manner, a vast and varied overseas experience was forever pouring back into every town and hamlet in Victoria's England. Since Tudor times the influence of the sea had been strong, even in Upland villages, none of which is more than seventy miles from a tidal estuary. To the old maritime influence was now added, in equally full measure, the Colonial. Our island people were, in some respects, the least insular of all mankind.

Such, in brief outline, were the conditions in which the Cornwallis Lodge was founded and continued its existence.

A statement on the first page of the Minute Book sets out its purpose. It reads as follows (in all extracts from the Minutes, the spelling and grammar are as written):

'It having been deemed advisable by a few Brethren to establish a Lodge of Free and accepted Masons in the vicinity of Belvedere Kent.'

'they formed themselves into a committee to consider the best means of carrying the same into efect at Br. Instones, at the Belvedere Tavern on Wednesday 7th March 1866 when the following resolutions was adopted.'

'First. That a Petition be drawn up in conformity with the Book of Constitutions Page * and that the same be forwarded to the P.G.Secty. requesting him to solicit the assistance of the W.P.G Master in obtaining the Sanction of the M.W.G. Master the Earl of Zetland for a Warrant to hold the same.'

'2ly. That in honnor to Lady Holmsdale it should be named the Cornwallis Lodge.'

'The Petition was accordingly prepared with the following Bretherens names attached'

'Viz. Br. C.T.Sutton, W.H.Phipps, R.P.Atkins, R.F.Lacey, T.W.Blofield, G.S.Gracie and H.T.Wadley'

'And that Br. C. T. Sutton be named as the first W.Master, Br. Captn. W.H.Phipps as the first S. Warden and Br. R.P.Atkins as the first J. Warden.'

'The Petition was then sent through the P.G.Secty. and was approved of by the W.P.G. Master Vict. Holmsdale and forwarded to the G.Secretary, Who having submitted it to the W. G. Master the Earl of Zetland, he was Pleased to grant the Prayer of the Petition and ordered the Lodge to be numbered 1107 on the register of the G. Lodge of England.'

Dated 14 Apl./66

* - The number of the page is not given.

Next comes an account of a meeting at the Belvedere Tavern on April 23rd, with the Master-designate as chairman. Bro. Sutton reported that he had received a letter from the Grand Secretary stating that the Grand Master had sanctioned the "Warrant" and also that by the kind assistance of Bro. Spurrill he had obtained permission to hold the Consecration ceremony at Belvedere House. The Warrant reads as follows:

ZETLAND. G. M.

TO ALL AND EVERY OUR RIGHT WORSHIPFUL, WORSHIPFUL AND LOVING BRETHREN

We Thomas Dundas EARL OF ZETLAND Baron Dundas of Aske in the County of York, Lord Lieutenant and Custos Rotulorum of the North Riding of Yorkshire, Knight of the Most Ancient and Most Noble Order of the Thistle, etc., etc., etc.

GRAND MASTER

Of the Most Ancient and Honourable Fraternity of Free and Accepted Masons of England

SEND GREETING

The said Lodge to meet at the Belvedere Hotel, Belvedere in the County of Kent on the first Tuesday of every Month empowering them in the said Lodge when duly congregated to make pass and raise Free Masons according to the Ancient Custom of the Craft in all Ages and Nations throughout the known World. And further at their said Petition and of the great trust and confidence reposed in every of the above named Brethren We do appoint the said Charles Thomas Sutton to be the first Master, the said William Hugh Phipps to be the first Senior Warden, and the said Richard Peter Atkins to be the first Junior Warden for opening and holding the said Lodge and until such time as another Master shall be regularly elected and installed strictly charging that every Member who shall be elected to preside over the said Lodge and who must previously have duly served as Warden in a Warranted Lodge shall be installed in Ancient Form and according to the Laws of the Grand Lodge that he may thereby be fully invested with the dignities and powers of his Office. And we do require you the said Charles Thomas Sutton to take special care that all and every the said Brethren are or have been regularly made Masons and that you and they and all other Members of the said Lodge do observe perform and keep the Laws Rules and Orders contained in the Book of Constitutions and all others which may from time to time be made by our Grand Lodge or transmitted to us or our Successors Grand Masters or by our Deputy Grand Master for the time being. And we do enjoin you to make such By-Laws for the government of your Lodge as shall to the majority of the Members appear proper and necessary the same not being contrary to or inconsistent with the General Laws and Regulations of the Craft a Copy whereof you are to transmit to us. And we do require you to cause all such By-Laws and Regulations and also an account of the proceedings in your Lodge to be entered in a Book to be kept for that purpose. And that you are in nowise to omit to send to us or our Successors Grand Masters or to The Right Honourable George Frederick Samuel Earl de Grey and Earl of Ripon of Studley Royal in the West Riding of Yorkshire etc. etc. etc. Our DEPUTY GRAND MASTER or to the Deputy Grand Master for the time being at least once in every year a List of the Members of your Lodge and the names and descriptions of all Masons initiated therein and Brethren who shall have joined the same with the fees and monies payable thereon. It being our will and intention that this our WARRANT OF CONSTITUTION shall continue to be in force so long only as you shall conform to the Laws and Regulations of our Grand Lodge. And you the said Charles Thomas Sutton are further required as soon as conveniently may be to send us an account in writing of what shall be done by virtue of these Presents. GIVEN under our Hands and the Seal of the Grand Lodge at London this 14th April A.L. 5866 A.D. 1866.

BY COMMAND OF THE M.W. Grand Master

deGrey Ripon D.G.M.

Wm. Gray Clarke, G.S.

The letter from Bro. Dobson, the Deputy Provincial Grand Master for Kent, authorising the meeting at Belvedere House was written on the back of the Consecration Summons. It was quite a "casual" document, with several corrections and missing words written in. Here is a reproduction of the Consecration notice:

Bro. C. T. SUTTON W.M.

Bro. W. H. PHIPPS S.W.

Bro. R. P. ATKINS J.W.,

Bro. G. SNOW Treasurer,

Bro. J. HENDERSON Secretary

Bro. F. H. SUTTON S.D.

Bro. H. de GREY J.D.

Bro. T.W. BLOFIELD I.G.

Bro. J. PEEN Tyler

A meeting preparatory to the Consecration was held at the Belvedere Tavern on May 28th. The by-laws had been approved and Bro. Snow was "appointed" Treasurer and Bro. Henderson, Secretary. The date of the Consecration was settled and it was decided to ask the Provincial Grand Master's sanction for the ceremony to be carried out by W.Bro. Henry Muggeridge. Bro. Phipps undertook to provide the flags and Bros. Wadley and Perry the flowers and shrubs for the decorations, Bro. Henderson the Masonic furniture; Bro. Sutton, the Master-designate, undertook to assist Bro. Instone in providing the banquet.

All preparations were now complete, and Brethren assembled for the Consecration ceremony on Friday, June 1st. The time of the meeting is not stated. No picture, unfortunately, exists of the be-flagged room, with its floral adornment and shrubs; nor do we know how many Brethren were present.

Kent Brethren of today, accustomed to seeing their Provincial Grand Master or his Deputy consecrate Lodges in the Province, may wonder why W.Bro. Muggeridge should have been selected to do this important and responsible task a hundred and twenty five years ago. True, the name of Muggeridge was well known in Masonry. He was the compiler of the Muggeridge (or Stability) ritual. He was an experienced Past Master, and it may be that there were not too many people in those days who knew how a Consecration ceremony should be done.

Not only did W.Bro. Muggeridge consecrate the Lodge - on the Summons he was detailed to give the Oration in the absence of the Provincial Grand Chaplain - but he also installed Bro. T. C. Sutton and gave the usual addresses to the W. Master, the Wardens and the Brethren - quite a tour de force. No doubt he also replied to a toast at the banquet which followed.

The master designate was presented for Installation by the Provincial Grand Secretary (W.Bro. Wates) and the Provincial Grand Chaplain (W.Bro. Hill) also assisted in the ceremony.

The form of consecration does not seem to have varied over the years, with the exception that the Brethren were, on the Summons, accorded the choice of singing the National Anthem or the Hallelujah Chorus at the end of the proceedings. It is not indicated what was actually sung. It may seem curious to a modern generation to give the Chorus such a place of honour, but Handel's works were still at the height of their popularity; societies for the publication or performance of his oratorios had sprung up in London, Leipzig and Boston, and the Chorus was probably one of the best known of his compositions.

Bro. Sutton, the first W. Master, was a Past Provincial Assistant Director of Ceremonies, and a Past Master of Lodges, 55, 780 and 829. He lived in the City Road and is described as a victualler. Nothing further is known of him. The other officers invested were: S.W., Bro. Captain William Hugh Phipps, R. N.; J.W., Bro. Richard Peter Atkins, who lived in the City and was a carrier; Treasurer, Bro. George Snow, who also lived in the City and was a stockbroker; Secretary, Bro. John Henderson, of Woolwich, who is described simply as "Founder"; S.D., Bro. Frederick H. Sutton, a printer, living in the City; J.D., Bro. Henry D. Gray, a victualler, of Woolwich; I.G., Bro. Thomas W. Blofield, a builder, of Belvedere; Tyler, Bro. Peen. It will be noted, that no Stewards were appointed. Only from the fact that his name was included in a vote of thanks, do we learn that Bro. Dobson, The Deputy Provincial Grand Master, was present. Among other votes of thanks was one to Bro. Instone for the excellent manner in which the banquet was "got up", and presumably "got down".

Propositions included the following: "Proposed by the W.M., Secd. by the S.W., that the following Brn. become members of the Lodge - Bros. Snow, Henderson, Winscombe, F. H. Sutton, De Gray, Hutchinson, Hillyard, Barrett, Luckie, Barth and Gracie being named in the Warrent." In what circumstances these Brethren were named in the "Warrent" if not members of the Lodge is not clear.

Three candidates were proposed for Initiation.

At the end of the Minutes of the next Regular meeting appears this note: "Since the last meeting of the Lodge the following Gentlemens' Names and other particulars have been received by the W. Master for Initiation who has been pleased to have the same inserted in the Summonses... There follow the names in question, with those of the proposers and seconders. Similar notes appear at the end of Minutes of other Meetings.

Early Lodge meetings, both Regular and Emergency (of which there were quite a few) seem to have been confined to making Masons, although the phrase "all Masonic business being ended" which occurs in the Minutes of almost every meeting, may conceal much about which we would like to have known. On January 3rd, 1867, it was proposed that Mr. Edward Long, landlord of the Belvedere Tavern, should stand "a candidate for Initiation". He, with another candidate (note the grammar and spelling) "was properly prepaired Introduced and duly received into Freemasonry" at an emergency meeting on February 6th. Bro. Long, in due course, became Master Mason.

The painstaking Secretary included in his Minutes a copy of the Return of members sent to Provincial Grand Lodge embracing the period from June 1866 to April 1867, and also the Grand Lodge Return. The merit of this is that one can see at a glance the members' names and the occupations they followed. Cornwallis Lodge was then, as it is today, representative of many callings. One Brother (who lived in Whitechapel) described himself as "Gent". The Lodge membership was given as 26.

The first Masonic year ended at the meeting on June 5th 1867, when a new W.Master was elected. It had been a year of steady consolidation and candidates were continuing to come forward in ample number, together with a fair sprinkling of joining members.

The second year followed the same pattern. There is, however, one entry in the Minute Book which is of importance. It is a communication from Grand Lodge indicating the danger of admitting to Lodge meetings men claiming to be Masons unless properly vouched for, and recommending the procedure which should be adopted. The communication is reproduced on the following page.

UNITED GRAND LODGE

of

ANCIENT FREE & ACCEPTED MASONS

OF ENGLAND

THE RIGHT HONble THE EARL OF ZETLAND, K.T., &c., &c., &c.

R.W. GRAND MASTER

W. Master,

I am desired by the Board of General Purposes to inform you that it has come to their knowledge that at the present time there are persons claiming to be Freemasons and who pretend to hold Lodges, but are not acting under any regular or recognised Masonic Authority, that such persons are in the habit of attending at the Meetings of regular Lodges of Freemasons and endeavouring to obtain admission on the alleged plea of belonging to the Fraternity.

The Board are of the opinion that under these circumstances more than ordinary caution should be observed when a stranger seeks admission to your Lodge and they consider that a simple examination as to a knowledge of Freemasonry is not in itself sufficient, but that a stranger presenting himself for admission to your Lodge and not properly vouched for by some well known Brother, should on no account be admitted without production of his certificate from the Grand Lodge to which he claims to belong and satisfactory identification of the applicant with the Brother named in such certificate or other proper voucher of his being initiated in a regular Lodge and the Board desire me to direct your attention to the regulations in reference to visitors in the ancient charges and the Book of Constitutions which you are bound to observe.

The Board advise that the production of such certificate or other vouchers and proof of identity be required in the first instance and. before any examination takes place. You will cause this letter to be read in open Lodge at the first regular Lodge Meeting held after its receipt and you will afterwards have it transcribed on your Minutes.

It will be well that you remind the Members of your Lodge that they can hold no Masonic communications with persons belonging to irregular; Lodges without incurring very serious penalties.

I am, W. Master

Your Faithful Servant and Brother,

WM. GRAY CLARK,

G.S.

Freemasons Hall,

London, W.C.

June 3, 1867.

The Provincial Grand Lodge Return for the second year showed an increase in membership to 31. The Deputy Provincial Grand Master and the Provincial Grand Chaplain attended the Installation meeting on July 1st 1868. The subsequent banquet is described as "splendid". At the next meeting on August 5th, the consent of the Lodge was unanimously given to the formation of a Lodge of Instruction under the "warrent" of the Lodge. A Regular meeting on September 4th, with W.Bro. Sutton in the Chair, is noteworthy from the fact that he and Bro. Henderson, the Secretary, worked the first and second sections of the First Lecture and "Bro. Henderson gave the Creation". This is the only mention of the Lectures being worked. The, Lodge was too busy making Masons.

It was quite usual for the three Degrees to be worked at one meeting and for several candidates to be Initiated or advanced in the Craft. The record seems to have been reached on May 1st 1872, when no fewer than six candidates were Raised, two Passed and two Initiated. In what manner the ceremonies were carried out is not stated, but the Brethren of those days, were certainly gluttons for work.

From the somewhat monotonous recital of ceremonies worked, one picks out a few facts of more than ordinary interest. There is, for example, the Initiation on May 4th 1870, of Mr. John Phipps as a serving Brother. The following month a Brother was given honorary membership - and one with the same name was returned earlier as a defaulter. Possibly he was in reduced circumstances and this was done to enable him to continue membership. Today a practice such as this would be frowned upon by Grand Lodge, who regard honorary membership as an honour conferred for distinguished work on behalf of the Craft and the Lodge.

The Installation meeting on July 6th 1870, at which the Deputy Grand Master was present, is notable for the appointment, for the first time, of a "Chaplin", a Director of Ceremonies and a Steward. The W.Master was thanked for the "beutiful" hymns he introduced at the opening and closing of the Lodge. No indication is given about these hymns; it would have been instructive to have seen the W.Master's selection. Monetary awards were quite frequently voted to the Lodge officers. Thus we find on August 3rd, at the first meeting following the Installation that year, that the Lodge voted ten guineas to Bro. Sutton "for the many services he rendered to the Lodge during his year of office 1869 to 1870" and five guineas to the Secretary on the same grounds. Bro. Sutton got another five guineas in 1871 (he had been re-elected to the Chair) and from time to time gifts of like amounts were made to other officers.

Under the date September 7th, is recorded for the first time the sending of a Return to the Clerk of the Peace of members of the Lodge. It was in 1799 that an Act of Parliament was passed requiring all Masonic Lodges to furnish to the authorities a list of their members and this is one of the duties which fall on the Secretaries. Secret societies as such are forbidden in England by law, but charitable societies and Freemasonry are excepted.

About this period the Lodge began preparations for the first of its many moves before it found a permanent home in Bromley. A committee was appointed to consider the desirability of changing from the Belvedere Hotel (as the Tavern had been called now for several years) to the (then) new Public Hall at Belvedere. Incidentally, Bro. Long, the landlord of the former Belvedere Tavern, was put on this committee.

The Lodge changed to the Public Hall in 1873. A little domestic history is missing here. There could hardly have been discontent with the Belvedere Hotel - Bro. Long, in fact, introduced his successor there (a Mason under the Scottish Constitution) as a joining member of Cornwallis Lodge - and, as will be seen later, the Lodge returned for a spell to the Hotel a year later. At all events, the meeting following that on April 2nd, at which the proposal was made and carried that the Lodge should move from the Hotel, was held at the Macclesfield Arms, in City Road.

It had been agreed that when the Lodge numbered 60 subscribing members the Initiation fee should be increased to seven guineas and the Joining fee to three guineas. When, however, the total of 64 was reached in 1873, these figures were amended to ten guineas and seven guineas respectively. The meeting on April 2nd furnishes two small items apart from the usual record. Bro. Henderson, the Secretary, was given five guineas "as a small token of esteem and for the attension (sic) to his duties as sectiary (sic) during the existence of the Lodge". Two years later Bro. Henderson died, having been Secretary of the Lodge from its consecration.

The other item is quite intriguing. A Brother wrote, tendering his resignation, and it was agreed to send him a letter expressing regret at the mistake which "occured" at the previous meeting in reference to him and trusting that he would reconsider his decision to resign. It is tantalising that there is no clue to what the mistake was and there is nothing in subsequent Minutes to clear up the mystery.

The Lodge moved to the Belvedere Hotel on September 5th 1874, but only remained there for a few meetings, for on May 5th 1875, following discussion of a letter from a Brother (the contents of which are not recorded), notice of motion was given that the Lodge should consider the desirability of moving to the Masonic Hall at Erith. The resolution, when it came before the Lodge at the following meeting on June 2nd, was carried unanimously, and the next Installation, on June 7th, was held at Erith.

On April 4th 1877, the W.Master read to the Lodge a letter and a copy of a petition "with regard to the Jews and Masonry in Germany". It was agreed that the memorial should be signed by the W.Master and forwarded to the proper quarter. No further details are given.

Many younger Masons may not be aware of the circumstances in which Grand Lodge ceased to recognise the Grand Orient of France, and those who read this history might like to know how this break occurred. The communication from Grand Lodge is one of the last entries in the first Minute Book, and sets out the changes in the laws of the constitution of the Grand Orient. Originally these laws said of Freemasonry:-

The substituted laws read as follows:-

Grand Lodge viewed with profound regret the removal from the constitution of those paragraphs which asserted a belief in the existence of T.G.A.O.T.U., because such an alteration was opposed to the traditions, practice and feelings of all "true and genuine" Masons from the earliest to the present time. It, therefore, withdrew its recognition of the Grand Orient.

The last entries in the first Minute Book are an account of the Installation meeting held on July 17th 1878. The Provincial Grand Lodge Festival had been arranged for June 4th at Erith, and this had clashed with the Cornwallis Lodge date.

Thus comes to an end the record of the first twelve years of the Lodge's existence. Unless the second Minute Book is providentially recovered, the next seven years will remain a blank so far as the transactions of the Lodge are concerned.

There is much about the early days of the Lodge that one would like to know, but the information provided is scanty. The modern practice of inserting copies of the Summons in the Minute Book was not, then, followed. Even the time of meeting is not given, and it was not until 1878 that the names of the Brethren attending Lodge were included in the Minutes.

Now comes the blank in the Lodge's records to which allusion has already been made. There is, in the archives of the Lodge, however, the Declaration Book containing the declaration which has to be signed by every candidate and from this it is found that, during the period November 1878 to April 1885 - the years covered by the second Minute Book - twelve candidates were initiated. From this fact may be deduced the belief that the Lodge was functioning normally and carrying out its primary duty of making Masons.

The years following 1912, with which we are bound to deal, embrace some momentous events. There were the deaths of four Sovereigns - Queen Victoria, Edward VII, George V and George VI (King Edward and George VI were both Grand Masters of the Order); and of four Grand Masters who passed away while still in office - the Duke of Connaught and Strathearn, the Earl of Harewood, the Duke of Kent and the Duke of Devonshire. There is no elaborate treatment of any of these events but, after all, the successive Secretaries were dealing with the Masonic proceedings of a private Lodge and were not writing a history of their own times.

The Lodge had moved, on June 2nd 1880, to Lullingstone Castle Hotel, Swanley, where it remained for some thirteen years, transferring to the Bull Hotel, Chiselhurst, in 1893, the first meeting at the new premises being on April 12th. It was apparently the custom to invite ladies to banquets following certain Lodge meetings; on June 14th 1893, sixteen ladies joined the Brethren at dinner and the Secretary wrote that "a most enjoyable evening terminated a very happy day". Dispensation, incidentally, had been obtained for Masonic clothing to be worn.

A similar "Ladies' Day" had been held the previous year, but how far back the custom went in the Lodge will only be known if the missing Minute Book ever comes to light. In those days it was normal practice in the Lodge to present the outgoing Master with his Past Master's jewel at the festive board. This went on down to 1913. The I.P.M. in 1895 preferred the gift of an aneroid in place of a jewel, which, possibly, he obtained privately.

It was in this year that the Charity Representative "described the action taken by the Almoners of the various Lodges in the Province in dealing with the question of 'vagrant Masons'". This tantalisingly brief mention of what may have been quite a serious problem is one of those instances where a little loquacity on the part of the Secretary would be welcome today.

Grand Lodge notified Lodges that the Grand Lodge of Peru "having ordered the restoration of the V.S.L. to its place upon the Altar and in the Ritual is entitled to recognition as a true and lawful Masonic body so long as it conforms to the landmarks and beliefs common to pure Masonry and that this recognition should be extended to all Lodges holding under the Grand Lodge of Peru which faithfully carry out the true principles of the Craft as ordered by later decree".

Another Grand Lodge communication, read at the Lodge meeting on March 8th 1890 warned Brethren against visiting "a body styling itself the 'Hiram Lodge of London' under the Grand Orient of France" and Lodges admitting as a visitor a member of "the said irregular Body or any similar Body". Grand Lodge pointed out that the Grand Orient of France had no jurisdiction to establish or warrant any Lodge of Freemasons in England.

The Secretary of Cornwallis Lodge for 1966 has, in his possession, - and greatly prizes it - a copy of the Summons dated July 1899 (and also of an illustrated booklet of the Jubilee and Installation meeting dated April 1916).

The only reference that can be found to the South African War in the Minutes is a letter from the Grand Secretary read at the meeting on April 12th 1900, inviting subscriptions for "our distressed and sorely tried loyal Brethren in S. Africa". The Lodge responded to the appeal. A year later, on April 11th 1901, the Lodge recorded its "profound grief at the calamity which has befallen the Fraternity of Freemasons by the death of: their Patron and Friend, Victoria the Beloved".

On his accession to the Throne, King Edward relinquished the position of Grand Master which he had held since 1874. He had thus ruled the Craft for 27 years. There followed another long period of unbroken service from his successor, the Duke of Connaught and Strathearn, who was Grand Master for 38 years, down to his death in 1939. It will be within the memory of many that the Duke of Kent's Grand Mastership was tragically cut short in 1942 after it had lasted for only three years, and that the Earl of Harewood , his successor, died after five years in the office and that the Duke of Devonshire enjoyed the honour for the brief period of three years.

The Lodge moved to another meeting place, the Bickley Hotel, Chiselhurst, in 1903, but only remained there for four meetings. Then what the Minutes describe as a "temporary meeting" took place at the Royal Bell Hotel, Bromley, when it was unanimously decided "to permanently remove the Lodge" to the hotel. A "Regular" meeting was then held.

The "permanence" of the meeting place proved, in fact, only temporary. Many West Kent Lodges had a number of changes of abode round about this time, and far-seeing Masons negotiated the acquisition of a large mansion off Mason's Hill, Bromley. They were few in number, but to their foresight is due the fact that one of the finest and best equipped Masonic halls in Kent was then available for West Kent Masons. A company was formed and the necessary capital for the purchase of the premises was largely subscribed by members of Lodges, including Cornwallis. After adaptation for Masonic use, the building was opened as the Bromley and West Kent Masonic Hall. The Cornwallis Lodge contributed a substantial part of the Lodge room equipment. The majority of the shares of the company are now held by the Lodge in their corporate capacity.

While the Lodge was still meeting at the Royal Bell Hotel, there occurred an intriguing event about which, again, one would like to have more details. A member drew attention to a statement by another Brother at the previous meeting that he was entitled to the rank of Past Master. There is no reference to the matter in the Minutes of this meeting, so either the Secretary did not think it of sufficient importance to mention it, or the statement may have been made out of Lodge.

At any rate, the Brother was called upon for an explanation and was then asked to retire. The Lodge, after a full discussion, decided that the Brother's explanation was not entirely satisfactory and he was so informed on his return to the Lodge. There the matter seems to have ended. Was it a storm in a teacup, which can occur in even the best regulated Lodges, or was there something more in it than meets the eye? Eighty + years have gone by, and this minor mystery is not now likely to be solved. In any case, the harmony of the Lodge does not appear to have been impaired. In 1905 the Lodge held an emergency meeting in London (by dispensation) at Anderton's Hotel in Fleet Street, which is no longer in existence. The object of the meeting was to consider, at the request of the Board of General Purposes, the mode of election of Grand Treasurer. The Lodge voted unanimously in favour of the then existing system of election. At the time the calling of emergency meetings was entirely at the discretion of the W.Master and many were, in fact, summoned.

The Lodge met at the Bromley Masonic Hall for the first time on April 9th 1908. This was Installation Night and it was curious to find at this meeting and at subsequent Installations the ceremony was broken off after the investiture of officers, and a candidate , or candidates, put forward for Initiation. The addresses to the W. Master, Wardens and Brethren were then delivered, presumably in the presence of the newly admitted members.

The somewhat controversial subject of music in Lodge came up for discussion. A communication from Provincial Grand Lodge referred to the use of "irregular music and irregular knocks" in the working Lodges in Kent. This must have been a matter of some concern to the Lodge, because it was decided to write to the Provincial Grand Master, asking for permission to continue using the music in ceremonies "as conducted by the Lodge". There is no further reference to the subject in the Minutes. It was at this same meeting that a "handsome banner" was presented to the Lodge by W.Bro. W. M. Goldsmith.

Seldom did the Lodge suffer from lack of candidates, but the occasion did occur on July 9th 1908, and the Lodge was entertained by the Charges in the three Degrees, delivered respectively by the W.Master, the I.P.M. and a Past Master. Another emergency meeting was held in London, this time at Frascati's (since demolished) for the purpose of initiating a candidate.

Again, Grand Lodge had occasion to warn Lodges against certain "irregular bodies". The Brethren were told at the meeting on April 14th 1910, that these were in the habit of holding meetings, professing to be Masonic meetings for working ceremonies of an alleged Masonic nature and called by Summons copying the Summons of regular Lodges. Brethren were warned of the penalties involved in taking part or visiting such "spurious and irregular bodies" and that, with regard to visitors in Lodges under the jurisdiction of Grand Lodge, no certificate of membership was valid in the case of English Masons unless granted by Grand Lodge.

When the Lodge met on May 12th 1910, the nation was in mourning for King Edward VII, whose reign had been short, especially when compared with the long Victorian era. The Lodge passed a resolution expressing the deepest sorrow at the death of the King, "Past Grand Master and Protector of the Order".

In the following year there was a happier note in the Minutes of the meeting on March 4th, when congratulations were extended to the Provincial Grand Master and Mrs. Cornwallis on the celebration of their silver wedding. It was an emergency meeting, clearly called for this express purpose.

The first reference to holding a "Ladies' Night" as such appears in the Minutes of September 14th 1911. The practice of inserting a copy of the Summons in the Minute Book, adjacent to the Secretary's account of the proceedings, was started with the record of the meeting on May 1st 1914, and it is interesting to note that on the front page was given the times of trains from Holborn Viaduct, St. Paul's (now Blackfriars) and Victoria, accompanied by the statement: "Vouchers for Special Railway Ticket enclosed herewith".

The train timetable bears witness to the widespread membership of the Lodge; the railway vouchers relate to those happy days when railway directors sought to encourage rail travel by offering cheap concessionary fares.

The First World War had started when the Lodge met on September 12th 1914, but the only reference to it is in a note that the delivery of an address by the Grand Lodge librarian depended on his not being requisitioned "in consequence of the present war crisis". The Minutes do not contain anything about the address, so presumably the librarian was duly "requisitioned" for some kind of war service.

Once more the Lodge had to move. The Bromley Masonic Hall was requisitioned for use as a hospital by the British Red Cross for the reception and treatment of wounded Belgian soldiers and every square inch of space was utilised. A dispensation was granted by the Provincial Grand Master for the Lodge to meet at the Assembly Rooms of Howard's Stores at Beckenham until the end of the War, or until the Bromley Hall was again available.

Accordingly, the 1915 Installation meeting took place at Beckenham on April 16th. There was no note on the Summons, this time, about special railway vouchers! The Lodge agreed to continue its support of the Bromley Hall and to return there after the War.

Those old enough to remember the First World War will recall the strong feelings - sometimes resulting in minor riots - against enemy aliens until they were interned. It is not surprising, therefore, that Grand Lodge should have ruled that "in order to prevent the peace and harmony of the Craft being disturbed, it is necessary that all Brethren of German, Austrian, Hungarian or Turkish birth should not, during the continuance of the war, attend any meeting of Grand Lodge, or Provincial or District Grand Lodge, or of a private Lodge or any other Masonic meeting and that such Brethren be and they are hereby requested by Grand Lodge to abstain from such attendance....".

The war was only halfway through when, on April 8th 1916, the Lodge celebrated its Jubilee at the Cafe Monico in London. It was also the Installation Meeting and an attendance of just under 50 was, in the circumstances, highly creditable. Nothing unusual or eventful happened at this meeting and, indeed, it is not surprising. The war was not going well; The failure of the Galipoli campaign was still a bitter memory; and victory seemed far away. There could have been little incentive for other than the most formal proceedings.

The booklet issued for this occasion contains many interesting items, and records in the first year's return to Grand Lodge, that 12 Brethren were Initiated, that the second year's return was eight and that during the 50 years of the Lodge's existence the various Masters had Initiated, Passed and Raised no fewer than 200 Brethren out of a total membership during that period of 258. Two years passed before there was any further mention of the war. Then, on April 13th 1918, the Lodge, on the suggestion of Grand Lodge, made a grant to a fund promoted in aid of Masons interned in Germany. The Summons for the next meeting, on July 13th, contained a Roll of Honour commemorating the death in action of one Brother and the names of seven other Brethren on active service. It was natural that the Lodge should have been asked, during the war, to Pass or Raise Brethren whose own Lodges were not meeting at convenient dates or who, for war reasons, were living away from their home towns. The Cornwallis Lodge was always ready to comply with requests of this sort.

A significant date in the history of the Lodge is April 12th 1919, when it was able, once more, to meet at the Bromley Masonic Hall. Few could have thought that, in another twenty years or so the Lodge would again be compulsorily moved because of another war. The Hall company had written, inviting contributions to the cost of redecorating and the Lodge agreed to open a list of applications for shares in the company.

Between September 14th 1918 and April 10th 1920 Lodge Summonses ceased to be inserted in the Minute Book and occasionally, even after this practice was resumed, there were similar lapses. In 1920 was started the million pound fund for the building of the Masonic Temple in Great Queen Street, London, as a memorial to the many Brethren who fell in the war. The Lodge responded handsomely to the appeal.

Two "Lewises" were initiated at the meeting on April 10th 1920. Each was proposed by his father and, as each father was a Past Master, the wisdom of Solomon must have been invoked to decide which parent should have the honour of working the ceremony. One of the Lewises was only 18 years old, so a dispensation had to be obtained from Provincial Grand Lodge. It was probably not too difficult to decide that the father of the younger candidate should be offered the privilege of doing the Initiation, and as the father of the other candidate had the pleasure of delivering the Charge, it may be agreed that the honours were equally shared. One wonders who proposed the toast of "The Initiates" - an indivisible oration - at the subsequent dinner.

Having regard to the cost of meals nowadays, Treasurers will read, no doubt with envy, that the cost of the supper at an Emergency meeting of the Lodge on March 12th 1921 was only 4/- (20p).

Relations of Grand Lodge with foreign jurisdictions, and "the association of women in Freemasonry" were the subjects of a communication read at the meeting on June 11th 1921. Unfortunately no further details are given. (According to a report in The Times in 1964, the Order of Women Freemasons was established in 1908 and in 1964 nearly 3,000 members attended the enthronement at the Albert Hall, London, of their new "Grand Master".)

One of the red-letter days in the life of the Lodge was the visit of Colonel F. S. W. Cornwallis, the Provincial Grand Master, accompanied by his Deputy, W.Bro. John White, on April 10th 1926. The Provincial Grand Master took the opportunity, not only of investing the I.P.M. with the Past Master's collar and jewel voted by the Lodge, but also to give a x' short address in support of the Masonic Million Memorial Fund.

The General Strike of 1926 caused the abandonment of the meeting which should have been held on May 8th. Transport difficulties were almost insurmountable. At the next meeting, on June 7th, the Lodge had the pleasure of passing a resolution expressing "delight and satisfaction" at the appointment as Deputy Grand Master of England of their own Provincial Grand Master. Nine months later there was cause for further congratulation, for Colonel Cornwallis was raised to the Peerage, "restoring", as the Provincial Grand Secretary wrote in his annual report, the title so long associated with the county.

The Provincial Grand Secretary's report for 1932, attached to the Minutes of the meeting of September 10th, contains this interesting statement:

One wonders what the reason was for this arrangement, whether it is still in force and why the Metropolitan Police were not affected.

The year 1935 was one of great loss to Freemasonry. Lord Ampthill, the Pro Grand Master (or Acting), died in September and a month later the Lodge was also in mourning for Lord Cornwallis.

Earlier, in May, the Lodge agreed to support the petition for the consecration of "the proposed Duke of Kent Lodge". There is no further reference to this, so it might be supposed the petition failed. The fact is that the proposed Duke of Kent Lodge became the Heritage Lodge, No. 5572, the daughter Lodge of Cornwallis. An explanation of the change of name is given in "Our Heritage", the history of the first 21 years of 5572, written by the author of the present history. It was decided by the Founders "if possible, to name the Lodge after the Duke of Kent. Permission for this, however, was not forthcoming. No reason is given in the Founders' meetings, but it may be that the name was being held in reserve for a Lodge in Wiltshire, of which H.R.H. was Provincial Grand Master. However, in 1939 he gave up that office on assuming the dignity of Grand Master, and it is interesting to note that a Lodge known as the Duke of Kent Lodge, No. 5818, was founded at Maidstone in the same year".

The daughter seems to have been left to her own devices. Four members of Cornwallis were present at the Consecration ceremony, but the Minutes do not mention this fact or anything in relation to the progress of the Lodge. However, a living link persists, in that the W.Master of the Cornwallis Lodge is an honorary member of Heritage, that honour having been conferred when it was constitutionally possible to do so.

Cornwallis was unable to reciprocate. In 1938 the W.Master gave notice (at the meeting on February 12th) that he would move at the next meeting that the W.Master of Heritage should be elected an honorary member of Cornwallis. Unfortunately, he discovered from the by-laws that it was impracticable to elect honorary members other than those who had "rendered conspicuous work for the Lodge". He thus, regretfully, but quite properly, had to withdraw his notice of motion.

On September 26th 1935, the Lodge unanimously agreed to sponsor a Lodge of Instruction to meet at Lewisham. The original Lodge Of Instruction, started soon after the Lodge was formed, does not seem to have met with much success. The attendance book shows a meagre membership and the Lodge of Instruction ultimately ceased to function.

Devoted service has been given to the Lodge by its administrative officers and the singling out of one for special mention must not be taken as denigrating the value of the work of others. On October 9th 1937, the Lodge was informed that W.Bro. A. I. Pidduck, P.P.G.Reg., had resigned the Secretaryship after 32 years. The Lodge passed a resolution expressing the high appreciation of the members of his services and voted him an honorarium of £50.

The Lodge played its part in the arrangements for the 1938 Provincial Festival, which was held in Bromley, and in the same year it cordially supported the petition for the formation of the West Kent Masters' Lodge.

Again the shadow of war loomed. A note attached to the Summons for the meeting of December 9th 1939, read:

The Minutes say that "The W.Master referred to the fact that since the meeting in May, the country had again become involved in war with Germany and that Grand Lodge had issued an order temporarily suspending meetings. Subsequently, permission was given to resume meetings under specified conditions, among which were the following: Meetings should be arranged to take place as early in the day as possible and after the proceedings, when held, should be brief and simple.

The Standing Committee had considered the question and recommended the suspension of the after proceedings, thus making the Lodge a non-dining body, with an appropriate reduction in the annual subscriptions, but this was not agreed to when put to the meeting of February 10th 1940. A letter was read from the Provincial Grand Secretary stating that the Provincial Grand Master requested that the attention of Masters, Treasurers and Secretaries should be called to the necessity of safeguarding the Lodge archives, particularly the Warrant, Minute Book and account books. The Lodge kept in touch with Brethren on active service and "comforts" were sent to them from time to time.

The Lodge was meeting sometimes as early as 1:30 p.m.. On November 27th 1940, the Brethren were told of a communication from Grand Lodge about surrendering Masonic jewels as a contribution towards the country's needs. The decision was left to Masons individually, and it known that precious metals of a substantial value - some of the older types of jewel contained gold - accrued to the nation through the sacrifice of cherished Masonic emblems.

A further series of moves was now imposed on the Lodge. A letter came from the Secretary of the Bromley Masonic Hall Company notifying the requisition of their premises for war purposes and regretfully requesting Lodges to remove all their property from the Hall. This placed the Lodges meeting there in a temporary quandary, for other suitable accommodation was hard to come by. However, arrangements were made to transfer to the Greyhound Hotel, High Street, Bromley, and the first meeting there took place on September 13th 1941. At this gathering a letter was read out from the Provincial Grand Secretary offering to provide a photographic copy of the Warrant for use in the Lodge during the war period. The offer was accepted and the original Warrant was placed in a bank for safe custody.

This led to what must have been an unusual happening, even in wartime. At the meeting on October 11th it was reported that, owing to delay in obtaining special paper for the photographic copy of the Warrant, this would not be ready in time and in the circumstances the Provincial Grand Master had sanctioned the holding of the Lodge without a Warrant. There can have been few instances of this sort in the history of modern Freemasonry. A photostat copy of the Warrant was ready for the Installation meeting in the following year. The Minutes record the Lodge's appreciation of the services for nearly 40 years of its late Treasurer and Charity Representative, W.Bro. Ernest Pidduck, P.P.G.D.C. Those who lived through this period, when the "phoney" war was followed by bombing raids of growing intensity, will recall the difficulties and gloom of the "blackout" which often made night life a nightmare. It was arranged that the meetings of the Lodge should be held in April, May, June, July and September. "History repeats itself", commented the Secretary in a note to members, "and we are a Summer Lodge once again."

In common with the rest of the Craft, the Lodge went into mourning for six months at the death of H.R.H. the Duke of Connaught and Strathearn. The Summons for the meeting on February 28th 1942, at which the sad news was announced, contained the names of Brethren serving with H.M. Forces and the meeting was also noteworthy from the fact that a paper dealing with W.Bro. Henry Muggeridge, who consecrated the Lodge, was read by the Secretary.

Yet another meeting place had soon to be found for the Lodge, for on July 11th the Brethren learned that after that date they would be unable to be accommodated at the Greyhound. Other Bromley Lodges were in a similar predicament and it was realised that something must be done to provide a regular and, as far as could be envisaged, permanent place of meeting. Accordingly, representatives of the Lodges affected met and it was decided to approach Bromley Council for the hire of rooms at the Public Library in the High Street.

Fortunately, the application was sympathetically received and a number of Lodges, including Cornwallis, transferred there, willingly sharing the cost of providing black-out curtains for the windows. The Lodge had, for some time previously, been dining at the White Hart Hotel and continued to do so.

When the Brethren assembled for their first meeting in the Library, on September 12th 1942, they were told formally of the untimely death of H.R.H. the Duke of Kent; once more the Craft had been cruelly deprived of its head. Two years later the Lodge suffered its own bereavement by the death, while in office, of the I.P.M.

The end of the war came in 1945, Germany surrendering unconditionally on May 7th and Japan on August 14th. The Lodge took the earliest opportunity of reverting to peace-time meeting dates and a resolution effecting this was passed on June 9th. At the following meeting a Ladies' Night was fixed for October 27th; the Lodge was rapidly getting back to normal. A "Victory" meeting was held on September 8th, but no record of other than Masonic business appears in the Minute Book. This is one of those occasions when speeches at the dinner may have been of more than ordinary interest.

The Summons for June 5th 1946 contains this note:

- There is no further explanation; in fact only 27 Brethren were present and it must be somewhat exceptional for a Lodge to meet without visitors.

The time was approaching when the Lodge could return to the Bromley Hall. The first post-war meeting there was held on April 12th 1947, and the Minutes record:

A good deal of renovating and redecoration was necessary before the premises could be used. Lodges were invited to ask their members to offer their services to make the rooms sufficiently comfortable for meetings to be held. The response was gratifying. In old clothes or overalls, the volunteer workmen swept the ceilings, dismantled the timber and breeze-block constructions in the Temple and the dining room, and cleaned and distempered the several rooms. Brethren from different Bromley Lodges had seen to it that there were sufficient builders' plant in the shape of ladders, hammers, chisels, shovels, barrows and brushes and pails to enable this labour of love to be carried out.

Memories of the war are fading and it may be well to remind the younger Brethren of the hardships and discomforts which their elders had to share for so many years. The dangers of bombings, the miseries of the black-out, the inconvenience of rationing were real barriers to the continuance of Masonic activities, but it is to the credit of Freemasonry that the majority of Lodges managed to carry on.

At the outbreak of war an Order as issued by Grand Lodge, dated September 4th 1939, suspending all Masonic meetings in view of the national emergency. Later in the month the Grand Secretary sent out a notification that it was not contemplated that the Order need be more than a temporary measure to remain in operation while consideration could be given to the manner in which Lodges could meet in these abnormal times. The letter added:

Special directions governing the resumption of Lodge meetings were given. Each master was instructed that he must regard the Lodge as being in his special care and that he must act, with proper regard to the national emergency, in the best interests of the Lodge and those of Freemasonry as a whole, bearing in mind the general convenience of the members and, where possible, to consult them.

The directions laid down, among other things, that meetings might not be held on Sundays, that they should be arranged as early in the day as possible, that the after-proceedings, where held, should be brief and simple.

In 1946 a circular was issued by Grand Lodge expressing appreciation of the manner in which the directions had generally been observed. The Board of General Purposes was satisfied that these directions provided means to overcome the difficulties of the situation which suddenly arose and enabled Lodges in practically every instance to continue their meetings and thereby to make available the opportunities of fraternal intercourse which had always been such a valuable feature of Freemasonry. The communication added:

The conditions were now modified. Lodges were asked to continue to observe the injunction that members should meet in morning dress or uniform - insistence on wearing evening dress might keep Brethren from attending and deprive them of their privileges as members. White gloves should not be worn. Lodges must continue to pay particular attention to the qualifications of candidates for Initiation and in all cases must be satisfied that they would have been accepted in circumstances which existed before the war.

The observation about evening dress and white gloves must be read in the light of the clothes rationing of those days. Few Brethren could afford to use their coupons for other than strictly utilitarian purposes. Those who had a well stocked wardrobe were indeed fortunate. Patched clothes, darned and re-darned and re-footed socks, overcoats "turned" - these were not necessarily signs of poverty; they were more often those of patriotism.

The embargo on the wearing of white gloves was lifted by Grand Lodge in 1951.

The war was over, but emergencies remained. A letter came to Lodge Secretaries from the Provincial Grand Secretary drawing attention to the Order issued by the Minister of Food that from September 14th 1947 no "luncheon, dinner, supper or any similar service of food" should be supplied "to a party of persons exceeding 100 in number". This is a reminder of the straits to which the country had been reduced with regard to food supplies by the German submarine campaign and of the subsequent economic stress. The Provincial Grand Master expressed the hope that all Lodges in the Province would exercise every reasonable economy within the spirit of the Order and conform to its provisions. There is every reason to believe that this injunction was loyally observed.

Early in 1948 the Provincial Grand Master was married. So far as could be traced, there was no precedent for such an event in a Provincial Grand Master's year of office. There was a general desire throughout the Province that Lodges and Chapters should commemorate this happy occasion. W.Bro. Noble, the then Deputy Provincial Grand Master, consulted Lord Cornwallis on the form a wedding present should take and learned that a special contribution to his personal list for the 1950 Festival of the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution would please him most. It was suggested that each Lodge member should give one shilling (5p) to this special fund and the Brethren of the Cornwallis Lodge unanimously adopted this proposal.

For the 1950 Festival the Lodges and Chapters of the Province, assisted by the other Orders in Freemasonry, sent up a sum of £185,121, an amount very much higher than any previous contribution from the Province of Kent to any Masonic Festival. Cornwallis Lodge subscribed £530. The average from each Lodge in the Province was £940, but it must be remembered that, unlike many Lodges in the Province, The Cornwallis Lodge takes up a list every year for one of the Masonic Institutions or the Hospital. It is only within three or four years of the Festival that the Masters "merge" their lists.

In October 1950, news was received of the retirement of W.Bro. F.S J. Bryan from the position of Provincial Grand Secretary. He wrote to all the Secretaries of the Lodges in Kent expressing his sincere appreciation of the help extended to him over so many years. He added:

On April 14th 1951, the Lodge went into mourning for the M.W. the Grand Master, the Duke of Devonshire.

At this meeting a letter was read from the Provincial Grand Secretary stating that the practice of placing the Initiate on the immediate right of the W.Master was an innovation and was not approved; and that the placing of the Initiate immediately after the Wardens in the recession from the Lodge was "quite unauthorised". The difference of wording may, of course, have no significance, but it might be reasoned that if a Lodge for a long period of years had placed the Initiate in the positions indicated this could hardly be described as an "innovation".

The loss to Masonry in Kent, and indeed in a wider field, by the death of R.W.Bro. W. F. Blay, Deputy Provincial Grand Master from 1927 to 1946, cast a shadow over the closing months of 1951. When Bro. Blay retired, on medical advice, Lodges in Kent presented him with a gold cigarette case and Mrs. Blay with a brooch. Bro. Blay was a frequent visitor to Bromley Lodges and he took a close and personal interest in their well being. He died on June 4th 1951.

We move on to 1958, when again the hand of death fell heavily on the Craft. At the meeting of April 12th 1958, the death of the Grand Secretary, Sir Sydney White, was announced, and also the death of W.Bro Wing-Commander B. W. Noble, for several years Deputy Provincial Grand Master and known personally to many members of the Lodge. Fitting tribute was paid to these outstanding Freemasons. The appointment of W.Bro. J. W. Stubbs to the office of Grand Secretary was notified.

There is an interesting entry in the Minutes of the meeting held on December 13th 1958. Bro. E.P.S. Mardell read correspondence he had had with the Provincial Grand Master relating to the family association with ships of the Royal Navy which have borne the name "Cornwallis" and he presented to the W.Master a gavel and block from timber from H.M.S. Cornwallis, then being broken up.

The old wooden-wall Cornwallis was launched at Bombay in 1813. She was a 74-gun three-decker of 1,810 tons, named after Lord Cornwallis, a Governor-General of India, and commissioned in 1814 as a flagship of the Commander-in-Chief, East India. Readers may be reminded that there is a Cornwallis Lodge in Bombay, The only other Lodge sharing the name with No. 1107.

The Cornwallis took part in several naval engagements. In 1815 she encountered two American vessels in the Atlantic, but both escaped. She saw service in the first China war. In 1854 she was converted to steam, fitted with a screw and became a 60-gun ship. In 1855 she sailed for the Baltic to fight in the campaign against the Russians, took part in the bombardment of Sveaborg and was engaged at Sabdhamm. Afterwards she undertook duties on the West Indies station and was later the first of the warships commissioned for the Coast Guard Service when it was reorganised under the Admiralty.

Cornwallis sailed into Sheerness in 1865 and it was in the following year that the Cornwallis Lodge was founded. During the First World War she was re-commissioned as H.M.S. Wildfire but later, dismasted, cleared down to her main jetty at Sheerness Dockyard. When the time came for her to be broken up, her stout timbers, after nearly a century, put up a strong resistance to the efforts of the ship breakers.

An event occurred in 1958 which provided a direct link with the first Master of the Lodge. His Past Master's jewel was presented to Grand Lodge Museum by Mr. T. E. Sutton. It is not known what precise relationship existed between the two, but Mr. Sutton was approached by W.Bro. Basing with the request that he would ask Grand Lodge to transfer the jewel to Cornwallis Lodge, where it would be highly valued. Nothing came of this. Grand Lodge Museum also possesses the Past Master's jewel of W.Bro. Walker, dated 1888-89, this having been presented by his daughter.

The years passed eventfully for the lodge, but with no outstanding incidents until 1960 when, at the meeting of April 9th there was read a letter from the Grand Secretary recording the resignation of the Earl of Derby from his position of Deputy Grand Master and the appointment of Earl Cadogan in his place.

When the Lodge met on October 8th, a letter of thanks was read from the Provincial Grand Master for the part the Lodge had played in contributing to the record sum raised for the 1960 Festival for the R.M.I.G. It was notified that the 1960 jewel could be worn as a; permanent jewel by the Stewards of the Festival.

The centenary of the Lodge was drawing ever nearer and on May 13th 1961, the W.Master announced that a general meeting of the Lodge would be called to form a committee to deal with the centenary meeting arrangements. On December 9th, the Secretary reported that the Lodge had been requested by the Provincial Grand Secretary to undertake the arrangements for the Autumn Charity Meeting to be held in Bromley in 1963. The Lodge willingly undertook the task.

Continuing its record of support for the Bromley Hall, the Lodge, at its meeting on May 12th, voted unanimously in favour of a proposition to invest £150 in the company's shares. There is little more to report in bringing the history down to the end of 1964, but reference may be made to the interesting account of Freemasonry in California, which W.Bro. Thirkell gave to the Lodge at its meeting on December 12th. W.Bro. Thirkell spent several years in California and took an active part in Masonry there, without neglecting his long association with Cornwallis Lodge.

The question of the permissive amendment to the terms of the obligation came up for discussion at the meeting held on May 8th 1965. By ballot it was decided not to make any alteration - the voting being 19 for and 25 against. The decision was effective for a minimum of five years.

The record of a hundred years of the Lodge's existence closes on a note of sadness. In November 1965 the last Summons under the name of W.Bro. W. H. Bossom, the Secretary, was issued; on December 4th he died, at the age of 73, only a week before the Lodge was due to meet. Bro. Bossom occupied the Chair of the Lodge in 1953 and from 1959 until his death he was both Secretary of the Lodge and a Director of the Bromley West Kent Masonic Hall Company. In 1963 he was appointed P.P.S.G.D. by the Provincial Grand Master. Tributes were paid to his work on behalf of Masonry and to his personal qualities at the December meeting.

W.Bro. F. W. Rush, the Assistant Secretary, was appointed to succeed Bro. Bossom, and was invested at the meeting just referred to. Here may be remarked an interesting innovation in the Minutes. Before the Lodge is raised to a superior Degree appear the words "The Lodge was proved". Everything that is essential to know is contained in this expressive phrase - new, at any rate to the author, who has had the privilege of visiting Lodges in America, Sweden, Australia and South Africa, as well as, of course, many Lodges in this country.

Here the history of the first hundred years of Cornwallis Lodge comes to a close. The Lodge had 10 Founders and 8 Joining members. During those one hundred years 391 Brethren were Initiated, Passed and Raised. There were 67 joining members and one re-joining member.

L. H. POWELL

Foreword

I must place on record my grateful thanks to the Lodge Secretaries during my period of researches, W.Bro. Frank Rush and W.Bro. Eric Youlton, for their full and detailed Minutes, without which my task would have been much harder and certainly much less interesting. The Minutes researched by my predecessor, W.Bro. L.H.Powell, were extremely sketchy and incomplete; I know W.Bro. Rush did a lot of the spade-work for him on the first 100 years. Most of these Minutes, from their very nature of repetitive wording and descriptions, are extremely boring, but I have endeavoured to extract the interesting parts, but no account, however detailed, can possibly describe the contentment and joy we receive from attendance to our meetings.

The fortunes of the Lodge, obviously, have waxed and waned over the years. At one time we had at least 3 Police Officers among our members, and I can recall many a Festive Board when they filled a whole sprig with their friends and brother Officers, greatly enjoying our company, as we also enjoyed theirs. Alas, the undeserved bad press and media "witch-hunt" we suffered from in the 70's and 80's forced them to form their own Lodges and resign from ours.

I hope you, the reader, will find the following update to our history interesting, as it is a true account of the past 25 years of the Lodge as far as I can glean from the records.

W.J.BOURNE

Initiates - R.R.Crump and H.G.Prior

The cost of the Centenary meal, last June, was £2.7s.6d each., there were 52 members and 127 guests present. W.Bro L.H.Powell was presented with a carriage clock for his excellent work in compiling and writing "Looking Back", the history of the first 100 years of our Lodge. A copy was presented to all members.

The Bromley and West Kent Study Group meeting on 3rd January 1968 would demonstrate, in period costume, a Lodge Night 1759. Proceeds to go to the 1970 Festival for the Royal Masonic Institute for Boys.

Initiate - F.L.Storer

A Mrs. D.Cook was sent £10 from the Benevolent Fund and Provincial Grand Lodge had sent a notification that she was being forwarded £125, which would be honoured in the proceeding 14 months at regular periods.

A letter from Carfax Lodge No.7189 was received, requesting assistance in getting R.W.Vearney, who had been seriously ill, into the Royal Masonic Hospital Convalescent Home and subsequently into the Royal Masonic Benevolent Convalescent Home for proper care and attention. He had, unfortunately, resigned from Carfax Lodge, but they requested our help and assistance to initiate the necessary formalities.

At the May meeting it was revealed that there was a deficit of £5.8s.11d. expenses over income. After the tea break the Brethren donated £8.10s., the balance going into the Charity Box.

Initiates - D.R.Sharp and R.A.French

It was proposed and agreed to invite 2 Brethren from the Prince George Duke of Kent Home as our guests at the May meeting. It was agreed to institute a small-change collection at the Festive Boards to form the basis of a cash voucher to be sent to each of the widows of our late Brethren at Christmas.

Bro. Reg Verney, who had wished to be admitted as a resident to the Royal Masonic Home at Scarborough Court which the Cornwallis Lodge had supported, unfortunately died 2 hours after admission. (See 1968 ref. Carfax)

Following the death in October of the R.Hon. Earl of Scarborough K.G.GSCT. GCJE. GCVO. TD. Most Worshipful Grand Master 1951-1967, all Lodges were placed in Masonic mourning for 6 months. The Summons was printed in black on white paper with black edging.

A Bro. D.Sharp, on being raised to the degree of a M. Mason, was presented with a Masonic Bible by the W.Master. This practice continued, for a few years before dying out.

W.Bro Mardell was responsible for compiling and providing the material for each of the Brethren to receive a 6 page history headed "Kings and Ships" with photographs of the first Cornwallis dated 1777. The W.Master congratulated him on his excellent work.

Initiate - A.J.Simmons

W.Bro Basing retired after 19 years as Treasurer and 53 years in the Craft.

W.Bro. C.H.Kingston accepted the nomination and was duly elected by the Brethren.

Initiate - D.Justham

25 widows of our late Brethren received a £2 voucher at Christmas.

Initiates - J.J.Penn and D.E.Lelean

At the December meeting it was decided to open a Capital Account for the Lodge.

The design of the Summons was discussed, being regarded by some, as not being very modern. It was pointed out that it was not expected to be modern for such an old Lodge - the design used being from a plate donated by W.Bro. Frank Rush taken from the design of the Summons from 1899.

Insurance cover for the Lodge artefacts was updated to 1972 prices:- Lodge Banner - £125 Master's Collar - £80 Working Tools - £55. With the other items the total cover was set for £660.

Initiate - J.V.Barden

21 Brethren attended a West Kent Masters Lodge meeting at the Yorkshire Grey Hotel on 31st January 1973. Lord Cornwallis gave an Oration of his story from Initiation in 1935 to his Investiture as Provincial Grand Master. 450 Brethren were present and a cheque from the proceedings was sent to the Royal Masonic Hospital.

The Grand Master's letter to 285 Lodges and 92 Chapters stated it had been decided to split the Province of Kent into 2 Provinces - East and West Kent.

The Cornwallis Lodge Benevolent Association or Fund was supported by the following means:-30/- from each Annual Subscription 10/- from each Joining Fee 50/- from each Initiation Fee. Together with such funds as may be voted by the Lodge and with the proceeds of the Charity Box not otherwise earmarked at the time of collection.

The decision to form a Capital Account from 1st April 1973 would provide working capital and monies transferred into the existing Benevolent Fund if and when required, and the benefit of interest thereon would help greatly.

Initiates - H.E.M.Watson and M.Illingworth

Initiates - D.Thompson and G.W.Wareham

A letter from Lord Cornwallis, dated 31st December 1974, addressed every Brother in the Province of Kent.

"May the Great Architect Bless you all"

Thank you from my heart.

Yours as always

Cornwallis

P.G.M.

The Cornwallis Lodge was then the 6th senior Lodge in the Province of West Kent, and the 26th senior in both East and West Kent.

It was discussed about implementing the Bagnall Report of the Grand Master's Committee, that the Charity Steward should be an Officer of the Lodge and be placed immediately after the Junior Deacon and followed by the Almoner. His job is to collect funds for Masonic Charities and the Almoner's job is directed toward welfare work.

Bro. Jim Donovan won the Heritage Cup Golf Competition, the Final resulting in the net proceeds of £160 was credited to the Provincial Grand Master's List for the 1980 Royal Benevolent Institution Festival.

Initiate - A.D.Macfadyan

The Masonic Hall Company considered a proposal to move to Oakley House, Bromley Common; which would provide greater facilities, robing rooms, LOI rooms, Temples, kitchen accommodation, Provincial Offices, car parking, Ladies' Festival hall, etc. It would cost £150,000 to buy and a further £150,000 for the necessary alterations. A deposit of £15,000 on signing the contract was necessary, Courage Brewery provided this by way of a £10,000 loan and a gift of £5,000. Provisional planning permission was agreed by the Greater London Council and the Borough of Bromley. An offer of £300,00 was under consideration for the sale of Cromwell Avenue. It was suggested that the £10,000 loan should be repaid by the Brethren and Lodges meeting at Cromwell Avenue on short term loans and shares. W.Bro. Frank Rush had obviously put in a tremendous amount of time and work, on our behalf, to this project and was encouraged to report that the Cornwallis Lodge would support this venture fully, especially as we are one of the senior Lodges of West Kent.

W.Bro. W.J.Basing (Uncle Bill) was congratulated on attaining 60 years loyal and faithful service to Freemasonry and to the Cornwallis Lodge in particular.

Initiates - S.M.Banks and N.J.Bourne.

Bro. Peter Povey provided all the raffle prizes which funded the Widows' Christmas Fund, plus the small-change collection.

It was decided to increase the donation to the Master's List to £100 annually and to increase the value of the widows' voucher to £6.50.

Brethren bought a brick for £1 for the new wing extension for the infirm at the Prince George Duke of Kent Chiselhurst Home.

Initiate - R.E.C.Williams.

W.Bro. W.J.Basing P.A.G.D.C., P.P G.Reg., Uncle Bill to us all, died aged 88 years - a perfect Mason, his Masonic career extending over 61 years -

Initiated - 1916 - United Service Lodge 2735 - Madras Bangalore.

1922 - Joined Cornwallis Lodge 1107 to follow his father.

1933 - Worshipful Master Cornwallis Lodge 1107.

1945 - Promoted Provincial Junior Grand Deacon.

1946 - Treasurer of LOI and Secretary to date.

1951-1970 - Treasurer 1107.

1956 - Charity Representative to date - and has reported on meetings held in various parts of Kent.

1956-1963 - Treasurer of W.Kent Masters Lodge, Appointed W.M. in 1963.

1963 - Promoted Past Provincial Grand Registrar.

1966 - Promoted Grand Lodge Honours P.A.G.D.C.P

1971 - Founder member of the Temple Manor Lodge and their Acting W.M.

Since joining Cornwallis Lodge, has held every Office except that of Inner Guard and Organist.

17 Brethren, plus many of other Lodges and Chapters, bade farewell to Uncle Bill. Many letters of condolence from Grand Lodge, Provincial Grand Lodge and Brethren from all over the country were received.

We were told by Provincial Grand Lodge to be wary of a certain James Gardener, who purported to be a member of the Craft. He was in possession of regalia and a Scottish Certificate issued by St Thomas Lodge No.306 in the name of his bed-ridden father. Admission should be refused and referred to Provincial Office.

W.Bro. Frank Rush reported that the new Temple at Oakley House will be named "Twallin" after the recently deceased Provincial Grand Master. This was decided on the casting vote of the Chairman, after long discussion. The Cornwallis Door, from Cromwell Avenue, will be re-hung at the opening of the new Temple. The second Temple was to be called "Founders' Temple" and the Lodge Crests of Cornwallis 1107, Acacia 1314, Harvey 1692 and Cray Valley 2174 were to be placed above the door. The smaller Temple was to be called "Turner-Smith". The V.J.P.room, at the entrance, was to be called "Cornwallis". The Cornwallis Lodge was the senior Lodge at Bromley and in 1908 had had the foresight to become the Founder Member at Cromwell Avenue. Obviously, the Lodge was very disappointed at the naming of the Main Temple.

Initiates - G.A.Osman and B.R.Morris.

W.Bro Tom Winup became Treasurer in place of W.Bro C.H.Kinston, who had held this Office since 1970 - a long stint.

At the April meeting - Installation - our Senior Steward, W.Bro. Bill Stephenson, had a heart attack just prior to the Festive Board and, sadly, passed away. W.Bro Eric Youlton, who had just been installed, was prevailed upon to proceed as normal; but as we were all so upset it was, naturally, a low key affair.

Initiate - R.F.Turner.

Our Senior Warden, Bro. S.G.Davis, died on 1st June 1979 and we had to ask our Junior Warden, Bro. Peter Povey, to step into the breach and become our Worshipful Master. The new Treasurer, W.Bro. Tom Winup, produced figures of excess expenditure over income of £5.28 per member.

Cornwallis Lodge had to pay £2,340 to the Bromley and West Kent Masonic Hall Company to meet their rebuilding costs at Oakley House. After a long discussion it was decided to charge each member £30.

Bro. Ray Crump suggested an illuminated Christmas tree to be planted outside, but in view of the bar. This was well received and Bro. Jack Barden offered to collect the tree from Uckfield and to plant the 12-footer. Bro. Ray Crump supplied the lights and it was set up before the December meeting to our delight during the festive season.

Initiate - R.C.Marsh.

Assistant Secretary, Bro. W.F.Coles, died whilst on holiday, swimming in the sea. This was a particular tragedy as he was quite young, in his early fifties, and was a very active member of the Lodge. We seemed to have had more than our fair share of deaths recently, and this was another sad loss.

Initiate - V.E.Parsons.

The Senior Warden, Bro. Harry Robertson, elected not to proceed to the Master's Chair and W.Bro. Jack Riches took over as W.Master at the April meeting.

Our long serving Secretary. W.Bro Frank Rush, retired from his business and moved down to Bournemouth for a well earned rest. He had done his job for so long and so well that we seemed to lose a main support from the Lodge. We certainly missed him for a long time, but W.Bro. Eric Youlton took over this onerous task and we overcame another difficulty - life goes on.

Initiates - P.J.Bull and D.H.Fisher.

Our Junior Warden, Bro. A.J.Simmons, after a long spell of illness, could not proceed to the Chair and so the Brethren elected W.Bro Reg Potter as W.Master. All these interruptions of the flow of candidates have affected the Lodge for many years afterwards.

W.Bro. Frank Pallant took over from W.Bro. Reg Potter as Director of Ceremonies and Preceptor of the Lodge of Instruction. We were, indeed, fortunate with our Officers, especially over the last few years, as we had many dedicated Brethren who, when pitch-forked into jobs, did what was required of them extremely well.

Anthony Bourne, son of Bro. Norman Bourne and grandson of Bro. Jack Bourne, had had leukaemia for a number of years and had run out of the Chemo-therapy treatment. His only hope for recovery was the latest treatment - a bone-marrow transplant. It so happened that his younger brother was an almost perfect match, but the cost of the treatment was to be £15,000. The Elimination of Leukaemia Fund (E.L.F.) advanced this sum and the Cornwallis Lodge, under the auspices of W.Bro Peter Povey, raised £936 towards this and the Provincial Grand Charity £250. I am pleased to report that he is still in good health at the time of writing this in 1991.

Initiate - D.G.Scofield.

Our W.Master, W.Bro. Reg Potter, died suddenly, aged 74 years. He had been Assistant Director of Ceremonies and Deputy Preceptor for 15 years and did a great deal for the Lodge and LOI. We were all very sad at this loss, Reg being one of the most well-liked Brethren in the Lodge. We were fortunate in having W.Bro. R.A.French to take over as I.P.M.

W.Bro. Tom Winup retired as Treasurer, having done his bit and Bro. H.E.M.Watson (Monty) exercised his expertise to look after our finances.

We had all missed W.Bro Frank Rush's presence after his 18 years of loyal service to the Lodge. At the April meeting he put in one of his, sadly, rare appearances and W.Bro. Jack Riches presented him with a carriage clock in token of appreciation of all his services to the Lodge. W.Bro. Frank then turned the tables on W.Bro. Jack by escorting him onto the floor of the Lodge and, addressing him through the W.Master, regaled him with pleasant memories of the past, and as a token of the Lodge's appreciation for all W.Bro. Jack had done for the Lodge, as Director of Ceremonies, Preceptor of LOI for almost 30 years and of being W.Master for a second time at 82 years of age, presented him with a French Carriage clock. W.Bro. Jack responded in his characteristic straightforward manner, thanking the Brethren. Thus were appreciated two stalwarts of the Lodge. It is the calibre of such Brethren that have kept the Lodge alive in the past and which, we hope, will support us in the future.

Initiate F.G.Goswell.

Mrs. Hazel Youlton, daughter of the late W.Bro. W.J.Basing, wrote to say her father had donated £15 to the Lodge for a Masonic Bible to be bought for an initiate.

At the April meeting, the Deputy Provincial Grand Master Dr. Caernarvon-Brown M.B. M.R.C.S. P.J.D.C. demanded admission, accompanied by W.Bro. D.L.Bearman P.P.D.G.D.C.. He afterwards wrote an appreciative letter of congratulation to the Installing Master, W.Bro. J.J.Penn, and the new Master, W.Bro. J.V.Barden.

Initiates - D.W.Hanscombe and T.I.Copeman.

W.Bro. Peter Povey read out a letter from the Bromley and District Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus Society expressing their thanks to the Lodge for financial backing of their children's' Christmas party of £300.

W.Bro Peter died later that year and it was decided to continue his fund, calling it The Peter Povey Memorial Children's' Fund, as a tribute to his memory.

Our Junior Warden, Bro. N.J.Bourne, presented a new banner to the Lodge and the dedication took place at the February meeting with the following distinguished guests: Rt. Worshipful Provincial Grand Master Rev. Canon Peter Churton Collins B.D. Provincial Grand Director of Ceremonies Gordon William Sinclair Davie P.A.G.D.C. Provincial Assistant Grand Chaplain W.Bro. the Rev Walter Richard Stanley Payne.

The Rev. W.R.S.Payne P.D.B.Sc.F.R.S.C.

Provincial Assistant Grand Chaplain

The above was delivered during a very lovely service of dedication.

Initiate - S.Pallant

Bro. George Whitehead was awarded Provincial Grand Lodge Honours for 22 years service at the organ in the Lodge.

W.Bro. Gordon Sinclair Davie P.A.G.D.C. Pro.D.C. and Provincial Deputy Grand Master Designate addressed W.Bro John Dix (Jack) Riches P.P.J.G.W. on the occasion of his completing 50 years continuous membership in the Craft and in this Lodge in Particular,

Later this year W.Bro. Riches died.

The W.Master, W.Bro. W.J.Bourne, reported to the Brethren that he had had the honour to form one of the escort of the 6 senior Lodges of West Kent at the Installation of the new Provincial Grand Master, the Rt.W.Bro. Simon Francis Norman Waley M.A. at the Grand Temple in London on July 14th 1987.

The cost of the Honours Board to be placed in the Founder's Temple was £550. The Standing Committee decided this could be met by charging a levy on each member.

Initiate - R.D.Worrell.

Our old Treasurer, W.Bro. Charlie Kingston, had a stroke and was admitted to a nursing home in Guildford, costing £300 a week. The Almoner, W.Bro. Jack Barden, reported that the Lodge had collected £1,020 and that this was sent to wife. Provincial Grand Charity sent a further £300 later. It is sad to relate that W.Bro. Charlie's wife passed away later that year, and, as I write this in 1991, Charlie has just recently died in May of this year having never emerged from his coma in hospital.

Initiate - G.Barden.

Our Junior Deacon, Bro. D.W.Hanscombe, died suddenly from a heart attack. He was sadly missed by all, being a stalwart of the LOI, and for his friendliness and wonderful humour. The Lodge raised £361 for a de-fibrulator machine at a local medical centre in memorial to Bro. Dave, this project being one of his own pet projects.

Initiates - J.S.Chandsure, A.J.Hanscombe and J.P.Maxted.

After some years of a low rate of initiate intake, the Lodge was presented with a most pleasant problem, how to deal with the sudden influx of willing Initiates without too much delay being caused to either party. The answer was, for the first time in many years, to work more than one Degree at each meeting. These were performed by both the W.Master, W.Bro. Roger Turner, and the I.P.M., W.Bro. Philip Bull.

It was particularly pleasing to all in the Lodge to welcome A.J.Hanscombe, the son of our late Bro.Dave Hanscombe, into the Lodge as one of this year's Initiates.

With the advent of our 125th Anniversary coming in 1991, a sub-committee was appointed to deal with this important meeting. It was decided to invite the West Kent Study Group to put on a demonstration of a 1759 Masonic Meeting, and to invite the Provincial Grand Master, Deputy Provincial Grand Master, Assistant Provincial Grand Master and the Provincial Grand Director of Ceremonies.

Initiate - M.J.Wheeler.

A heavy snowfall caused the February meeting to be cancelled and a special dispensation was granted by the Province to hold it in March when the weather had cleared and travel was once again possible.

Due to rising costs, the annual subscriptions were increased to £100 for full members and £46 for country members.

On Friday 31st May an Emergency Meeting was held to celebrate our 125th Anniversary. W.Bro. D.H.Fisher presided and was supported by the following officers:-

Bro. D.G.SCOFIELD Senior Warden

Bro. T.I.COPEMAN Junior Warden

W.Bro. F.N.WEBSTER,P.P.J.G.D. Chaplain

Bro. H.E.M.WATSON,P.P.A.G.St.Bearer Treasurer

W.Bro. E.V.J.YOULTON,P.P.S.G.D. Secretary

W.Bro. F.PALLANT,P.P.A.G.Reg. Director of Ceremonies

Bro. S.PALLANT Senior Deacon

W.Bro. A.D.MACFADYAN Junior Deacon

W.Bro. J.V.BARDEN Asst. Dir. of Ceremonies

W.Bro. W.J.BOURNE Almoner

Bro. G.WHITEHEAD,P.P.A.G.St.Bearer Organist

W.Bro. P.J.BULL Asst. Secretary

W.Bro. W.J.BOURNE Inner Guard

W.Bro. F.RAYMENT,P.P.A.G.Reg. Senior Steward

Bro. G.BARDEN Steward

Bro. J.S.CHANDSURE Steward

Bro. A.HANSCOMB Steward

W.Bro. F.B.VINTEN,L.G.R. Tyler

The Organist was W.Bro C.H.Gaddes P.G.S.B. of Mountsfield Lodge No. 6548. A guest of the Lodge.

Past Masters:-

W.Bro. T.C.H.Winup, W.Bro. A.H.C.Goodale, W.Bro. J.P.Paige W.Bro. G.Pallant and W.Bro. J.L.Davies.

Members:-

Bro. J.P.Maxted, Bro. L.J.Collett and Bro. H.L.Perkins.

This was well attended by 104 Brethren:-

26 Members,

17 Guests of the Lodge

The Lodge was honoured by the presence of the Provincial Grand Master, Rt.Wor.Bro. Simon Francis Norman Waley, accompanied by the Deputy Provincial Grand Master, V.Wor.Bro. Michael Harry Hadler Cash, the Assistant Provincial Grand Master, W.Bro. Gordon William Sinclair Davie and the Provincial Grand Director of Ceremonies, W.Bro Derek Bearman.

The Provincial Grand Master was formally received according to his rank. The offer of the gavel by our W.Master was declined, as the Provincial Grand Master thought it was in very good hands for the Meeting. The Minutes of the Centenary Meeting of 1st June 1966 were read by the Secretary. The W.Master then had the pleasant duty of presenting a cheque from the Lodge for £125 to the Provincial Grand Master for a charity of his choice. The Provincial Grand Master thanked him and the Brethren of the Lodge for their generosity and stated that he would donate the money to a special project at the new Bostal Heath Hospice.

The Lodge was then called off and a most excellent and enjoyable demonstration of a "Lodge Night 1759" was performed by the Bromley and West Kent Study Group. The roots of Freemasonry could clearly be seen and it was thoroughly enjoyed by all those privileged to be present.

After calling on, the Charity Box was circulated and raised £162 for the Provincial Grand Master's 2003 Festival. When the Lodge was closed, we retired for our meal, which was enjoyed by all those present. The customary Masonic toasts were honoured. The Provincial Grand Master proposed the toast to the Cornwallis Lodge and expressed his good wishes for the future of the Lodge. W.Bro Tom Winup, the senior Past Master of the Lodge present had the honour to reply on behalf of the Lodge. The toast to the visitors was proposed by W.Bro Philip Bull and was replied to by W.Bro. Bob Bennie of West Wickham Lodge - one of the Lodge's longest and most enthusiastic visitors. A raffle was held and raised £229 which the W.Master donated to the Peter Povey Memorial Fund for a Christmas party for spina bifida children - a charity begun by W.Bro. Peter Povey some years earlier which underwrites the cost of a party for these children each year.

For the reference and interest of future historians the menu was as follows:-

oooOooo

oooOooo

oooOooo

It is interesting to note the cost of the Centenary Meeting in 1966 was £2/7/6 (£2.37½) each, including wine and cigars; the cost for the 125th Anniversary Meeting was £25, including wine.