Lodge of St Michael

• 1962 ~ 1987
• 1987 ~ 2012
•  2012 ~
•  Lodge Family Tree
•  Masters of the Lodge
• Chapter Principals

The Lodge of

St. Michael No. 7833 

 

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LoI Meetings resume on 3rd April: Installation rehearsal.

 

Next Craft meeting Thursday 27th April 2023  

Business meeting and a presentation by the Charity Steward

 Note 6:30 Start

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Next Chapter Meeting

20th April 2023

Exaltation Ceremony

Note 6:15 Start

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David Thomas Whittall PPGSuptWks

Read about our Lodge Almoner on the Charity page submenu

 

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Terry Lynn PPJGW

Read about our Lodge vocalist on the Brethren Page.

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Leslie Thornett

Read about our Junior Warden on the Brethren Page.

 Read about the Chapter Installation in the Chapter Blog

John Burton, MEZ

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www.mcf.org.uk

 

 1962 ~ 1987

 W. Bro. W. E. Branton at the organ console of St Michael's church. 

(Photograph courtesy of W. Bro. G. Branton.)

 

A précis of the history of the first twenty-five years of the Lodge of St. Michael 7833 (1962-1987) from the notes of W. Bro. W.E. Branton PPJGW delivered at the Silver Jubilee of the Lodge in September 1987.

"May our labours thus begun in order be conducted in peace and closed in harmony."

 

 

The Lodge of St. Michael was the brain-child of the late W. Bro. Rev. John Frederick Eric Borne PPGChap. He and I first met at an Installation meeting at Park Street Masonic Hall in 1958. He was at that time curate-in-charge of St. Paul's Church, Sculcoates. In 1959 he accepted the living of the Parish Church of St. Michael and All Angels, Sutton Ings, and was instituted and inducted in October of that year. I was organist there.

He and I worked together at St. Michael's Church for quite some time, when one day he asked me if I thought there was room for another Lodge in Hull, more particularly in the east side of the city. I replied that it would require a deal of thought, and whilst agreeing with me, he kept mentioning the matter from time to time. Rumours began to circulate in our local Masonic circles, and early in 1961 he broached the subject again, suggesting we might have a serious talk with my father, the late W. Bro. Tom Branton, PAGDC of the Holderness Lodge 3563. This took place on Whit Monday morning 1961, when a very full, frank and fruitful discussion ensued.

A number of potentially interested Brethren in local lodges were sounded out. Informal meetings were held at St. Michael's Church hall, and ultimately the decision was taken to go ahead. Thirty-two Brethren expressed a willingness to become founder members of the new Lodge. (Bro. C. C. Wilkinson was recognised as a 'joining founder member', but as he was a Scottish Constitutional Brother, he was not eligible to be counted in.)

An informal approach was made to Provincial Grand Lodge, who suggested that the proposed new Lodge should not use the local Humber working, but Emulation, pointing out that this might prove attractive to Brethren from other parts of the country who, for business or other reasons, were coming to live in the Hull area. These last twenty-five years have shown this to be a good judgement.

Meanwhile the Brethren of the Brough Lodge 5464, had been busy purchasing and refurbishing the redundant Primitive Methodist Chapel in Sutton as a Masonic Hall. Those founding members who belonged to 5464 suggested that the new Lodge might meet there. This submission was unanimously accepted. This added impetus to the project: the Brough Lodge Brethren agreed to act as the sponsoring authority. A petition was accordingly presented to the Brough Lodge at Dagger Lane, at their meeting in December 1961. This petition was sent to Provincial Grand Lodge, and ultimately arrived at Great Queen Street, London.

One Sunday morning before service at St. Michael's Church during the early part of 1962, Bro John Borne asked me to look up the tune to hymn No. 7833, and ascertain if it was well known. I was of course baffled by this rather silly question on his part, when the grin on his face gave the game away; it dawned on me that he had received the warrant number for the new Lodge.

Things began to move apace now, and after much activity in many directions by all concerned, all was at last ready by September 1962.

St. Michael's day or Michaelmas Day, September 29^th was a Saturday, a beautiful golden Autumn day with warm unbroken sunshine prevailing throughout. By 3.45 pm a great gathering of Brethren had assembled in the Elizabethan Hall at Greatfield High School to witness the dignified and beautiful ceremony of consecration of a new Masonic Lodge.

The Right Worshipful Provincial Grand Master and his Officers had the previous evening consecrated the new Masonic Temple at College Street, Sutton, and were therefore already in the area. Promptly at 4 pm we were called to order by the Provincial Grand D.C., and the consecrating officer, the Most Honourable The Marquess of Zetland, Right Worshipful Provincial Grand Master together with the Grand Officers and Provincial Grand Lodge Officers entered the Lodge in solemn procession. Those Brethren who were privileged to witness the occasion were profoundly moved by the beauty and solemnity of the ceremonial.

When the ceremony of consecration was ended, the chair was occupied by the Deputy Provincial Grand Master, W. Bro. Sir Charles Vernon Fitton, O.B.E., M.C. He installed W. Bro. Leonard Willingham as the first Master of the Lodge. The Working Tools of the three degrees were presented by the Provincial Grand DC and the Warrant of the new Lodge was delivered to the worshipful Master by the Provincial Grand Secretary. The Worshipful Master then appointed the first Officers of the Lodge. The address to the Worshipful Master was given by the Assistant Provincial Grand Master, W. Bro. Wilfred Arthur Gibson. The address to the Wardens was delivered by the Provincial Senior Grand Warden, W. Bro. J. Saville, and the address to the Brethren was given by the Provincial Junior Grand Warden, W. Bro T. H. Turner.

Certain distinguished Brethren were elected as honorary members; three Brethren were proposed as joining members. The first two candidates of the Lodge were proposed and seconded, and after customary greetings had been given, the Lodge was closed for the first time at 6.30 pm, and the Brethren retired for refreshment. A photograph of the Founders of the Lodge was taken at the Masonic Hall, Sutton, at a luncheon the following day. It may be seen at the head of the staircase at Dagger Lane.

 

Care and nurture are very necessary in order to encourage growth in anything. In our early days we had a steady supply of candidates, as might be expected in a newly formed Lodge, and on more than one occasion, two degrees were worked in one evening, in order to assist the steady flow of gentlemen seeking admission. However over the last 25 years conditions have changed and as I write (1987) our current membership is 59 (2006 = 68).

The 1960's were marked by intensive effort on the part of the Brethren to acquaint themselves with unfamiliar ritual; most of the Founders of St. Michael were members of Lodges using the Humber ritual or similar, and they had, as it were, to unlearn it. Tribute must be paid to the sterling efforts of W. Bro Jesse Stokes, the first Preceptor, who guided our faltering steps through unfamiliar ritual and ceremonial.

The first initiate of the Lodge to attain the chair of King Solomon was W. Bro. M. B. Osbourne, who was installed as Master in May 1970.

The Lodge moved to Dagger Lane in April 1984, and has happily settled. Our Lodge customs and practices and the ancient land marks of the Order have been carefully preserved and jealously guarded over the years.

Three constituent elements ~ the desire to conceive, the effort to bring life and the willingness to sustain growth, have been evident from the earliest days.

  "O Lord God, when thou givest to thy servants to endeavour any great matter, grant us also to know that it is not the beginning, but the continuing of the same unto the end, until it be thoroughly finished, which yieldeth the true glory."

Worshipful Brother William E. Branton, PPJGW was the organist and choirmaster at St Michael's Parish Church, Sutton Ings, Hull, 1953 - 1982. He was a PM of the Lodge of St Michael 7833, and PM & PZ of Hull Old Grammarians' Lodge 5129.

                                         Founders of The Lodge of St. Michael No. 7833                                                                                       

Back - Bro. C. C. Wilkinson, Bro. J. S. Train, Bro. P. Donaldson, Bro. G. E. Gray (Stwd), Bro. E.W. White, Bro. C. E. Mann, Bro. H. M. Campbell

Centre - Bro. D. A. R. Smith (SD), Bro. J. S. Stokes (Preceptor), Bro. R. Broughton (Stwd), Bro. G. S. Bowers (Inner Guard), Bro. A. Cole J. P (Tyler), Bro. W. E. Branton (ADC), Bro. N.C. Harrison (Chief Stwd), Bro. S. Taylor (Asst. Sec), Bro. W. C. Riley, Bro. W. Fletcher (JD)

Seated - Bro. N. H. Thompson (Orgnst), Bro. L.A. Palmer PJGD (Charity Rep), Bro. R. G. Smedley (DC), Bro. Rev. J. P. E. Borne (Sec.), Bro. R. Dawson (Treas), W. Bro. J. W. Jackson (JW), W. Bro. L. Willingham (WM), W. Bro. W. E. Jacketts (SW), W. Bro. D. W. Moxley (Acting IPM), W. Bro. G. R. Pike (Chaplain), W. Bro S.S. Anholm PPSGD, Bro. R. S. Noble (Almr), Bro. C. Stubbs PPGStwd.