History of the Lodge
Origins of Bretwalda Lodge
King Egbert
It all started with the Past Masters of King Egbert Lodge No 4288 in their meetings of the 21st March 1949 and 11th April. At that time, they were concerned with the situation of having 92 members with a “number of enthusiastic brethren” with “little chance of holding important, or any, office for many years”.
A meeting was therefore convened on Tuesday 26th April 1949 at the Masonic Hall Dore where 11 Past Masters and 16 Brethren met “to consider the desirability of forming a new lodge”.
W Bro. E S Graham chaired this and subsequent meetings as the Senior Past Master.
15 of those present expressed their desire to become Founders (at £25-00 each) –the meeting having unanimously agreed “that permission be sought for a new lodge to be formed, the Founders to be members of King Egbert Lodge”.
Preparation for Application
A Formation Committee of 4 P.M. and three Brothers was appointed to deal with details and make recommendations to the meetings of the Founders.
This committee met on May 16th 1949 and reported to the first Founders committee meeting with:
1 A proposed list of officers.
2 Four possible Lodge Names - Montgomery, Bretwalda, Ruskin and Quintenwell.
The committee accepted the list of officers and selected Bretwalda as the first choice name.
Communication had been held with the Provincial Grand Secretary before the end of April 1949 but the first official communication was made on 11th June 1949.
On 20th June 1949 the Prov.Grand Sec. advised that he “had heard from higher authority and thought that there would not be any objection to the name Bretwalda” he also gave directions “as to the Notice of Motion and Proposition in King Egbert Lodge for the sanction of the formation of Bretwalda Lodge and the preparation of the Form of Petition"
In addition, it was advised that if the Petition was approved the RW PGM Bro Brig.Gen.E.C.W.D. Walthall would be pleased to present a Volume of the Sacred Law, which had been in his family for sometime but was in new condition.
Finally, one of the proposed Officers had written expressing displeasure at the office allocated to him. The next Founders meeting at the beginning of July “freely discussed” this letter and decided that the proposed recipient should accept the office offered to him “in a spirit of harmony”. It would appear that he did.
It was also decided that the Notice of Motion would be given at the September 1949 meeting of King Egbert Lodge.
The next meeting held 5 months later on 9th January 1950 and learnt that the MW the Grand Master in November 1949 had “been pleased to accede to the prayer of the petition…for Bretwalda Lodge” and that its number would be 6930.
After approval-plans for the Consecration
The same meeting learnt that the Prov. Grand Sec. advised that the PGM had expressed the wish that the Consecration Ceremony should take place in a larger room than Dore, referred to a room at the Palace Hotel Buxton and enquired if Saturday the 25th March would be suitable.
The Chairman and Secretary visited the Palace Hotel and interviewed the manager to ascertain that:
A room was available to seat 160, the hotel possessed a “harmonium type organ” and the furniture of the Buxton Lodge was stored in the hotel. Room hire would be £5-5-0 (£5-25) and the dinner cost from 15/- to 25/- (75p to £1-25).
A lodge badge had been designed by Messrs. Spencer and Co but was not considered suitable.
Designs for a badge and banner prepared by Bro. C J Stanley based on research by him and W Bro. F J Horner Secretary were considered and the full length figure were approved for recommendation to the Founders.
The next day the Chairman had a meeting with the Prov. G. Sec. at Derby followed by a meeting of the Founders Committee in the evening!
That meeting determined
1 The PGM the Deputy and Asst. PGMs and Prov G Sec be invited to become Honorary members
2 Future Installations be held on 3rd Monday in October
3 Dinner Jackets would not be worn at the Consecration as Prov G L considered it inconvenient to be so dressed for so long.
4 Founders to pay for and present to the Lodge their collars and Jewels.
5 The opening of a bank account.
6 The subscription to be the same as King Egbert
7 The working of Bretwalda Lodge to be the same as King Egbert Lodge.
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The charge for tickets for the consecration Festive Board would be two guineas (£2-20) with the cost of the dinner not exceeding 21/- (£1-10) including wines!
The subsequent meeting 15 days later revised the charge for tickets and the cost of the meal to 15/- (75p) and 42/- (£2-20) respectively. Transport was included in coaches hired from Beauchief Motors. It was also agreed to write to Chantrey Lodge asking for the use of their Lodge furniture at Lodge meetings.
The proposed Organist was unable to act as Lodge Organist so W Bro. H E Marriott P M of Hope Valley Lodge had agreed to become visiting Organist and be pianist at the Consecration. A task he was to perform for the next 33 years!
An organ was borrowed from the Lodge of Phoenix St Anne
Apart from visitors from GL and PGL guests of the Lodge were to be W M’s of Lodges within the Dore Group and the WMs both of Buxton Lodge and High Peak Lodge.
Consecration Programme
12-50 p.m. for 1-00 p.m. Lunch for Founders only Buckingham Hotel Buxton.
2-15 p.m. prompt. Rehearsal (no Masonic Dress)
3-15 p.m. Tea and Biscuits for Consecrating Officers and Founders only
3-45pm Brethren to be seated in Lodge-room
4-00 p.m. Procession enters Lodge –room
5-00 p.m. Call Off
5-15 p.m. Call on and Installation
6-35 p.m. Retiring procession
7-00 p.m. approx. Dinner