Our Lodge History
Our History
The Muswell Hill Lodge was founded on the 29th July 1898, and later consecrated in on the 14th December 1898.
Our first Summons is shown for the Meeting on the 14th December 1898, at the Frascati Restaurant, Oxford Street,
to Consecrate the Lodge and install the Worshipful Master.
Founding Master
W. Bro. Henry Parker, AGStB (Eng)
Consecrating Officer
Sir Edward Letchworth,
Grand Secretary
Our Geography
The original Founders were an drawn from within a three-mile radius of Crouch End, living in North London villages and suburbs such as Hornsey, Upper Holloway. Highbury. Finsbury Park and Highgate.
The original motive of the Founders was to have a Lodge close to their the homes, but the inability Of Green Man at Muswell Hill to accommodate them saw the Lodge meeting in Oxford Street.
This was probably the reason why Founders did not stay the course, but it also opened-up the membership catchment area to include South and East London.
Where our founders had originally planned to meet - The Green Man at Muswell Hill. (Photo)
The Petitioners and Founders
The petition to Grand Lodge to form the Muswell Hill Lodge, is kept at Freemasons' Hall.
It was signed on July 29th, 1898 by the Master and Senior Wardens of Finsbury Park Lodge, No 1288 and by 27 petitioners, including:
- W. Bro. W. J. Batho, a resident of Hornsey Lane and a member of Westbourne Lodge No. 733.
- W. Bro. W. Bean, an accountant residing in Upper Holloway and a member of Burgoyne Lodge No. 902.
- Bro. Beckett, a resident of Highgate and a member of Sir Hugh Myddleton Lodge No. 1602. He did not go on to be a founder member.
- Bro. Bird, a schoolmaster of Crouch End and a member New Finsbury Park Lodge No. 1695. He did not go to be a founder member.
- Bro. G. Butterworth, a schoolmaster of Crouch End and a member of New Finsbury Park Lodge No. 1695.
- Bro. Herbert Culburgh, a nurseryman of Highgate and a member of Hortus Lodge. No. 2469. He did not go on to be a founder member.
- Bro. A. Gifkins, an electrical engineer resident in Crouch End and a member of the Sir Hugh Myddleton Lodge No. 1602.
- Bro. S. A. Gladdage, a wine merchant and a member of Plucknett Lodge No. 1708.
- Bro. G. T. Harrup. Consultant Engineer from Highbury and a member of Finsbury Park Lodge No. 1288.
- Bro. G. G. Honour, a manufacturer residing in Muswell Hill and a member of the Suffolk based Prince Of Wales Lodge No. 959.
- W. Bro. C. L. Hrauda. a gentleman living in Crouch End. In 1898 he was the Master of Finsbury Park Lodge No. 1288 and as such, a key signatory to original petition.
- Bro. D. Y. Lorimer, a commercial traveller living in Hendon and a member of Kent based Lewises Lodge No. 1209.
- Bro, W, Digby Ovens, an accountant living in Hornsey and a member Of the Montefiore Lodge No. 1017.
- Bro, W. Pane. a butcher from Stroud Green and a member of the Henry Levander Lodge, No. 2048.
- W. Bro, Henry W. Parker, a building manager, living in WCI. A Middlesex provincial Grand Standard Bearer, he was a member of both the Henry Levander Lodge No. 2048 and the Wood Green Lodge No. 2426.
- W, Bro. F. Partington. a solicitor's clerk of Finsbury Park, and a member of Finsbury Park Lodge No. 1288.
- W, Bro. W. H. Pocklington. a commercial traveller from Holloway and a member of the Finsbury Park Lodge No. 1288.
- W. Bro. J. Purton, a commercial traveller living in North London, a member of the Alexandra Palace Lodge No. 1541.
- Bro. Ed. Richardson, a Crouch End stockbroker and a member of Ionic Lodge No. 227.
- Bro. E. Robins, a solicitor living in Hornsey and a member of Hampden Lodge No. 2427. He was the Master 1908 and made the presentation of the Lodge Banner.
- Bro. G. Rogers, a cook and confectioner resident in Highgate and a member of the Royal Arthur Lodge No. 1360.
- Bro. J. W. Ryder, a Crouch End grocer and member of the Henry Levander Lodge No. 2048.
- W. Bro W. Syckelmoore, an accountant living in Finsbury Park and a member of Finsbury Park Lodge No. 1288.
- Bro. Alfred L. Sargood, a Highgate tailor's outfitter and a member of the Royal Arthur No. 1360.
- Bro. P. C, Walker, a Crouch End railway official and a member of Essex based Tilbury Lodge No. 2006.
- Bro. James H. Wilson, a Crouch End draper and a member of the Henry Levander Lodge No. 2048.
- Bro. E. White. a builder living in Highgate and a member of the Chiswick Lodge No. 2012. He did not go on to become a founder member.
Our Lodge Genealogy
As can be seen from the lineage chart opposite Muswell Hill Lodge
traces its ancestry back to St Mary's L'odge No. 63, which was formed in 1757.
A
fifth generation Lodge, its direct family tree is connected to St Mary's through is immediate sponsor, Finsbury Park Lodge No. 1288 (1869) via Ethical Lodge No. 753
(1858) and Camden Lodge No. 704 (1857).
Altogether St Mary's Lodge has 11 generations of successors and is the fount of 66
lodges in all. Muswell Hill has two daughter lodges of its own. both of which have strong Muswell Hill connections. It is still. however, to become a grandmother.
The first is Queen Alexandra Lodge No. 2932, founded in 1902 and the second, WellfieId Lodge No. 4271, which was formed in 1921. The minutes also show that
Muswell Hill had an 'Auntie' lodge and almost gave birth to a third Daughter Lodge, which would have been called Hornsey Priory.
The Muswell Hill Lodge family tree (Photo)
Curiosities in the history of Muswell Hill
Our Meeting Venues ...
Although Muswell Hill Lodge has never met Muswell Hill. and nearly four-fifths of its life has been a Central London Lodge. Its membership has consistently shown
a bias towards the North locality of its Founders, even more since settling
at the Southgate Masonic Centre 1977.
In the 1930's for instance seven initiates could claim residence in Muswell Hill, two
in Highgate, three in Hornsey and others in nearby Crouch End, Wood Green.
Finchley, Palmers Green, Southgate and Hampstead.
Candidates were also drawn from much further afield including Dagenham. Stoke
Newington, Harold Wood, Romford and Chingford and also from the South of the River
With homes in Brixton, Sutton. Kingston-upon-Thames, Tolworth, Surbiton, and West Wickham, Kent.
The remainder came from the northern-most communities of London including Enfield, Winchmore Hill, Barnet. Watford, Bushey and Potters Bar..
Today, a glance at the summons reveals a North London bias, but also a wide range of addresses including those in Kent. Essex and Hertfordshire. However. only three of
present members can claim to have lived in Muswell Hill.
Strength In Diversity ...
The diversity of the occupations of the Founders reflects the true nature of
Freemasonry as one Of disinterested fraternal friendship. Three of the Founders were
accountants and three were commercial travellers. Learning was represented by two
schoolmasters, practical application by two engineers and two builders, and the legal
profession was included in the form of a solicitor and a solicitor's clerk.
Retailers included a draper, a grocer, a butcher, a wine merchant, a tailor and a cook
as well as a stockbroker. Additionally, there was a nurseryman. a railway official and
a manufacturer. One, apparently a man of independent means. described himself as "a gentleman".
This diversity has continued. In the 1930s. for instance. Candidates included a
schoolmaster, a manager of a coats manufacturers. a commercial traveller. a hotel
manager, an insurance official, a company director, an insurance clerk, a salesman, an Electricity Board accessor, an accountant, a local government officer, a public
baths superintendent. a medical practitioner, a mechanical engineer, an electrical engineer and a police officer.
A Decade of Founder Masters ...
Of twenty three Founders. ten went on to become Masters Of the Lodge in the succeeding decade. For a number of them. including James Wilson, it meant they went through the chair more quickly, than if they waited their turn their Mother Lodge.
Although the Lodge went from strength to strength in those early years most Founders
did not stay the course, and by 1910 only six were still active.
However. the popularity of the Lodge from the outset is shown that in is first year there
were no fewer than 10 Candidates for Initiation and three Joining Members. This was
a typical level of growth right up until the 1920's. The peak number for Initiates in a
year was reached in 1920 when 16 Candidates were made Freemasons. The Other
high points were in 1918 and 1921 which both saw 11 initiations.
Muswell Hill has only failed to record Initiates in five years of its history - in 1930, 1940.
1990, 1991 and 1996. The first year can be ascribed to the ending of the secretary-
ship Of Digby Ovens and the to the outbreak of the Second World War.
Muswell Hill Crests
Around the time of the presentation of the Lodge banner in 1908 the lodge crest was
modified. Its first crest was circular in design and did not include the motto or the knight's head.
Our motto "Industria et Labore" translates to "Diligence and Work".
The transition is shown by the above crests which
appeared summonses for the May 1907, November 1907, and May 1908 meeting.
Hallstone Jewel
A "Hallstone Jewel" is a commemorative Masonic jewel awarded to Masters of Lodges that contributed significantly to the "Masonic Million Memorial Fund," established after World War I to fund the construction of Freemasons' Hall in London.
The jewel is passed down from Master to Master within the Lodge.
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