Easterford Lodge ✦ Kelvedon, Essex
Easterford Masonic Foundations
In 1889 an enthusiastic group of Masons met at the Angel Inn who felt that a new lodge was needed in the area as others were some miles away, at that time by horseback, and that Kelvedon would be an ideal place. This led to the Consecration of Easterford Lodge in 1890, which today is one of the most vibrant and welcoming lodges in Essex. It was not until 1979 that the Easterford Chapter was consecrated followed in 1997 by the Easterford Mark Lodge.
Craft Lodge
The origins of Easterford began in 1889 when a number of masons felt that a new Lodge was needed and that Kelvedon was ideally situated as being in the centre of a triangle formed by the nearest other lodges: being ten miles to the East, eight miles to the South and twelve miles to the West. The Angel Inn, on the ‘S’ bend at the western end of Kelvedon had, since Roman times, been a staging post on the main route from London to Colchester and it was felt that this would be an appropriate venue. The Innkeeper was a Bro. John Turner, a member of Blackwater Lodge No. 1977, our supporting Lodge. It had been sponsored by United Lodge 697, which was sponsored by Angel Lodge 51. Ten of the founders signed a promissory note to borrow £100 from Mills & Bawtree’s Bank, Colchester to purchase furniture, most of which was especially made.
Easterford Lodge was consecrated on Wednesday, 9th March 1890 by V.W. Bro. Frederick Adolphus Philbrick, Q.C., Recorder of Colchester, Grand Registrar, Dep. P.G.M., acting on behalf of The R.W. Provincial Grand Master, The Right Hon Lord Brooke, who was prevented from attending by illness. The First Master was W. Bro. Rev. Thomas Lloyd, Rector of Easthorpe. A most detailed record of the event was included in the Essex County Standard newspaper in which the speeches were reported almost verbatim as well as the name, rank and Lodge of every person present.
The Founders of this Lodge were:
The following month the first regular meeting was held and Easterford got down to work. Unfortunately, the first joining member was unable to be present as Her Majesty Queen Victoria had appointed W. Bro. Richard Beale Colvin as High Sheriff for Essex and he was on official duties. A further joining member and four initiates were proposed and seconded at that meeting.
The creation of Easterford proved very popular and by the end of 1890 it had 44 members, including many distinguished masons as honorary members including The Earl of Warwick (Deputy Grand Master under the Grand Master, the Prince of Wales, later Edward VII), who lived in Dunmow, and other Grand Officers who had been made honorary members or assisted in the consecration ceremony.
As it was a popular lodge, it met every month but the August and September meetings were dropped in 1919 to assist with harvests and the ten other meetings have continued to this day which is highly unusual for most lodges. Apart from 1919 and 1941 due to the war and 2020 due to Covid there has been only one other year in the history of the lodge where there has not been at least one initiation. Initiations were particularly strong in the years after the first world war.
Chapter
While several senior members of the lodge were members of the Royal Arch there was not a sufficient number to form an Easterford Royal Arch Chapter. Under the terms of the Trust deed only members of the Easterford Lodge could become Companions of the Chapter. Therefore, a number of craft masons were ‘recruited’ to join local chapters and once the required number of 13 was reached it was possible to petition for an Easterford Chapter. On 21st June 1979 they became the Founders of the Easterford Chapter which was consecrated by the Provincial Grand Superintendent Frederick Leistikow. The Founders and first officers of the Chapter were distinguished members of Royal Arch including Col. Kiggins, Deputy Grand Superintendent, John Deal, Ray Eggleton, the Rev. M.S. Bayliss and Roger Browning-Smith. The first exaltee was A.J. Barber in 1981 but he never progressed in the order.
E. Comp. Paul H. King elaborated further at a special Convocation Dinner to mark the 100th meeting in 2014:
“The first principals looked good, having tremendous knowledge and ability. In the words of Ray Eggleton, who found himself directed to Scribe E chair, a Companion of only two convocations experience, struggling to decipher the unfamiliar terms and phrases and ritual of a mysteriously bewildering degree.
“E. Comp Col. Bert Kiggins steered the development of the Chapter with firm control akin to that of a regimental Sergeant Major and the sympathetic understanding of an Infant School Teacher; the qualities found over the years in all successful Easterford Director of Ceremonies and Preceptors. From day one, it was a superbly happy and united association of Brethren, now Companions with the M.E.Z. dispensing new rules and guidelines especially surrounding ‘Visiting Companions’ when he declared, with good humour at the first Convocation Dinner, ‘a Companion may reply to the toast of The Guests if they so wish, but, we shall not ask them again.’ Thus, in kindness, he released future guests from the obligation of a formal response. Indeed, no speeches are given in Easterford Chapter, not even by a new exaltee. E. Comp Col Bert Kiggins wanted a Chapter where all could relax and did away with as much formality as possible. Only the 1st Principal says a few words.
“Informality from the outset was the dictate but all should attempt to maintain the highest standards of ritual, an Easterford tradition brought over from the Craft Lodge and maintained to this very day. The feeling in those very early days was the creation of something idiosyncratically Easterford ‘out of sight’ and ‘out of mind’.
“The first Three Principals, with their experience and sagacity, welded together a competent and reliable team and set the foundations and character of the Chapter which permeates to this day. The camaraderie was strong and the progress into the Principals Chairs was eagerly sought from the commencement. The original thirteen continued to grow over the years and the average membership has been maintained. This enthusiasm and commitment can only be maintained if every new member of Easterford Craft Lodge follows the example of the founding fathers and takes the next step in his Masonic development by completing his Master Masons degree and with Exaltation into the Chapter.”
E. Comp. Paul H. King — Special Convocation Dinner, 100th Meeting, 2014Members of the Lodge are encouraged to join the Chapter but not to pursue office until they have been through the Chair in the Craft.
Mark Lodge
Easterford has its own Mark Lodge due to the perseverance of two members, W. Bro. Peter Curtis and W. Bro. Tony Wood, although they were unaware at the time of the Mark symbols in the dining room that were undoubtedly due to Sir William Abdy and Dr. John Salter who were later discovered to have been Grand Officers of the Mark Degree.
In 1988 they both wished to further their interest in Freemasonry and W. Bro. John Deal directed them to Mark Masons where he was a Grand Officer but unknown to them at the time. Tony joined Dunmow Mark Lodge and Peter, Pymmes Park Mark Lodge and each of them regularly attended the meetings of the other’s Lodge to improve their knowledge.
They were both enthusiastic about forming an Easterford Mark Lodge and consulted with John Deal who expressed doubts that Grand Lodge would allow the formation of a closed Lodge, as under the terms of the trust deed members of the Mark Lodge would have to be members of Easterford Craft Lodge. He also pointed out that it needed 15 founders and Easterford only had four members who were Mark Masons.
Approaches were made to a number of members of the Craft Lodge as to whether they would be interested in Mark Masonry and this was received with considerable support as long as it led to the formation of an Easterford Mark Lodge. This meant a number of members joining other Mark Lodges in Essex to qualify as Founders. In 1992 John Deal was appointed Provincial Grand Master by the Mark Masons Province of Essex, further enhancing the credentials for a new lodge.
The foundation of any lodge requires a great deal of documentation and this was undertaken by Peter. This entailed the production of by-laws, various agendas and minutes of meetings leading up to the formation; confirmation that all Founders held Grand Lodge certificates, that all offices had been filled and that it had the approval of the Easterford Lodge Trustees. Additionally all furniture for the degree would need to be provided. Peter produced a detailed ritual book which incorporated a number of traditions of the Craft Lodge emphasising the unique nature of the proposed Lodge. Finally, it needed a sponsor Lodge and Dunmow, as the oldest Mark Lodge in Essex, agreed to this.
Once all this documentation was assembled the Founders had to meet with the Provincial Secretary. He was decidedly lukewarm on learning that it was to be a closed Lodge which gave the impression of being elitist. Grand Lodge insisted that the clauses in the by-laws be removed. This led to a stalemate but was overcome when it was pointed out that there were other closed Mark Lodges, that the trust deed clearly stated the criteria for membership and this had been confirmed at the time of the foundation of the Chapter. While the names on the documentation was ‘The Easterford Lodge of Mark Master Masons’ the Founders preferred ‘The Easterford Mark Lodge’ but did not challenge this.
In November 1996 Peter received a letter stating that if the Founders agreed the by-laws then the consecration would be approved by Grand Lodge. The last sentence of the letter was poignant: “I hope that the above has put some of your faith back into the Mark and we look forward to a happy and successful consecration.”
John Deal’s successor sadly died a few months after appointment and the Easterford Mark Lodge was consecrated by W. Bro. Alan Wright, the Deputy PGM in charge on 19th April 1997 with 13 Consecrating Officers, 15 Founders and 25 guests at Easterford Temple. Furthermore the ritual written by Peter was agreed by special dispensation to retain the traditions that Easterford had established over many years.
Easterford has been true to its founding principles and the Craft Lodge has provided a regular flow of new members. On its 20th anniversary it was appropriate that W. Bro. Peter Curtis, now in his 90s, was Master.
One of the Founder Members was V.W. Bro. Roger Wacey who was Master in 2009 and went on to serve in the Province eventually becoming Assistant Provincial Grand Master from 2013 to 2017.