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> Contents The Early Years
> The War Years - 1939 to 1945
> From 1945 to the Golden Jubillee in 1979
> 1980 to the 75th Anniversary in 2004
> Concluding Comments
The Early Years - 1929 to 1939
In the late 1920’s, several Brethren expressed an interest in forming a new Lodge in St Annes. The first recorded meeting to discuss this topic was held in the Clifton Rooms, Fairhaven Hotel on 1st March 1928. Ten Brethren attended, of which nine went on to be founders. At the meeting, W Bro W H Schofield was elected chairman and a sub committee consisting of W Bros Omerod, Prestwich, Jones and Schofield was formed and instructed to approach and obtain assistance from the Provincial Deputy Grand Master, the Provincial Grand Secretary and the Fylde Group Committee.
On the 20th March 1928, the sub committee attended the Provincial Grand Secretary’s office in Liverpool to learn specifically what tasks needed to be carried out before permission to form a Lodge would be granted. The next minuted meeting was held on 22nd March 1928 at the Fairhaven Hotel, when a résumé of action taken to date was discussed. Sixteen brethren were in attendance, fifteen of whom were founders. It was decided that the list of Founders should now be closed and W Bro Scott Earnshaw was elected to the sub committee.
By this time, the sub committee had approached Semper Fidelis Lodge for use of the Masonic Temple at the Hotel Majestic, St Annes and Ansdell Lodge, which provided four of the founders, and the Lodge of Triumph had sponsored our petition. The following is an extract from the minutes of Ansdell Lodge, dated September 19th 1928: ‘A Petition for a new Lodge to be called The Fairhaven Lodge was submitted to the Brethren by W Bro W Schofield, who explained that Sixteen Brethren are prepared to act as Founders, eight of whom are not members of any Lodge locally. W Bro Schofield then read the resolution which he wished the WM and his Wardens to sign. After discussions, W Bro Ralph Taylor Proposed and Bro R M Whitehead, JW seconded that the Petition be signed by the WM and his Wardens. This proposal was carried.’ It was unanimously resolved by Founders that the new Lodge be called The Fairhaven Lodge.
The reason behind the choice of the name is not disclosed but the following may have had an influence. (a) Several of the Founders were members of Fairhaven Golf Club and our first Worshipful Master, W Bro J R Jones, gave his address as the ‘Fairhaven Golf Club’. Past Masters’ meetings may also have been held at the Golf Club. (b) Early meetings to form the Lodge were held at the Fairhaven Hotel. (c) Fairhaven is the third part of the Parish. The St Annes Lodge and Ansdell Lodge had been already in existence since 1892 and 1912 respectively.
The Lodge Crest was left to the sub committee and was approved by Grand Lodge in July 1929.
It had been resolved unanimously to contribute to the Masonic Peace Million Memorial Fund the sum necessary to become a Hall Stone Lodge. This was applied for on 15th February 1929. The cost was 10 guineas per Lodge member, about £430 in today’s money - the average weekly wage being about 2 guineas per week (£90). It is noted that all members of the Lodge were asked to contribute 5 guineas to the Memorial Fund and the remaining balance should be paid by the Lodge by adding 5 guineas to the Fees for each initiate or joining member until the balance had been repaid. There are no more minutes on this point other than that is was recorded that several founders contributed 15 guineas, so I assume the full amount was raised.
Consequently we are one of only 1,321 Hall Stone Lodges in the world and the Lodge name and number is inscribed on the wall near to the Memorial at Freemasons’ Hall. Our Worshipful Master has the honour of wearing the jewel at all Craft functions.
The use of the Temple at the Hotel Majestic was secured for the third Friday of the month, from September to April inclusive at an annual rental of £20 payable to Semper Fidelis Lodge. This £20 was to include use of the Temple for a practice night and use of all Lodge furnishings except officers’ collars and gauntlets, a bible, a bible cushion, hoodwink and slippers, all of which the Lodge had to provide itself. Dining arrangements had to be agreed directly with the hotel management.
Our Lodge was consecrated on Wednesday 6th February 1929 at the Hotel Majestic with eighty five Brethren in attendance. The Consecrating Officer was W Bro L C Bailey, Provincial Grand Master (Designate). The first Master of the Lodge was W Bro J R Jones who was installed by W Bro Col S T Stephenson. The first 'regular' meeting of the Lodge was held nine days later on Friday 15th February at 7.00 pm. Initiation fees were set at 15 Guineas and Annual Subscriptions at 5 Guineas. This equates to approximately £650 and £215 in today's purchasing power. Not cheap! The Lodge's first Initiate was Mr Charles B Sutcliffe, a 'stock and share' broker. The first 'regular' Installation was held on Friday 15th November 1929, when Bro H H Heys, Senior Warden, was Installed. In the 1930’s, technology and new channels of communication began gradually to make themselves felt in society - and in our Lodge. Telephone numbers, for example, were given for the first time in the summons for the meeting on 18th January 1935. For your reference, the Worshipful Master’s home number was ‘Lytham 166’. Further evidence of technical advances taking place around us can be found in the December 2000 minutes when the first mobile phone number was included and in December 2001, when the first e mail address was quoted with Officers’ contact details. Progress indeed! The Lodged thrived in its early years with a steady list of Initiates and Joining members. The Second World War had an effect on the Lodge and the Craft, but brought out the Order's fundamental strenths. The first impact was the change of dress code on the Summons, where 'Dinner Dress' was changed to 'Dark Morning Dress - or Uniform'. This code was not revised again until the Summons for the meeting on 17th March 1949 - some four years after VE Day. On 15th May 1940, the Lodge held its last meeting at the Hotel Majestic and moved to the Palace, where we still meet today. The War Years - 1939 to 1945 [back to the top] The numbers attending Lodge fell sharply during the War. There were hardly any guests at meetings. The lowest number of attendees was ten In January 1941. The Lodge resolved to commence a scheme on 21st March 1941 whereby Civil Servants and Ministry Officials would be allowed to visit the Lodge - but in numbers of no more than ten in any meeting! During the early stages of World War II, the RAF had established a massive camp spread over the Fylde in Wesham, Kirkham, Weeton, Freckleton, Warton, Lytham, Blackpool and Rossall. The American military were locally based in Warton. The hostilities provided Fairhaven Lodge with the opportunity to demonstrate that Freemasonry is a truly global fraternity. At the specific request of the Grand Lodge of Missouri, the Lodge passed Bro Private Carl D Gaither (EA), member of La Russell Lodge on 21st January 1944. On 23 June 1944, the Lodge initiated S/Sgt Ewing Arthur Lape, whom had been elected into Freemasonry by The Franklin Lodge No 4, under the Grand Lodge of Vermont. He had been transferred to the UK before his initiation. Bro Lape was passed (15th September 1944) and raised (20th October 1944) by the Lodge and was granted Honorary Membership on 15th December 1944. It is assumed that this was shortly before his return to the US, although the minutes do not elaborate. His name appears on the summons until 14th April 1960, but disappeared on the September summons that year. The minutes are silent as to why. We have subsequently written to the Secretary of Bro Lape’s Lodge in the USA, W Bro Gerald Morong and have received an email in response from him, confirming that Bro Lape had passed away in 1994. W Bro Morong subsequently sent some extracts from Franklin Lodge’s records Apparently, he had relocated to Torrington, Connecticut shortly after his return from World War II but remained a member of Franklin Lodge until his death. His widow wanted a Masonic Burial Service and W Bro Morong arranged this for her in Randolph, Vermont. W Bro Morong has passed my letter on to her and she wrote to us with further details of his life. Mrs Lape herself was born in Chorley, Lancashire and still has some family there today. The Lodge played host to Brethren from other constitutions during the war, including South Africa, South Dakota, Florida, Texas, New Zealand, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Fairhaven Lodge No 73 of the USA. We must have done a reasonable job as we received several notices of thanks, including a letter from Bro T Edgar Whitley, RAF Squadron Leader, who thanked the Lodge for its kindness to him during his time stationed in Blackpool. From 1945 to the Golden Jubilee in 1979 [back to the top]
The Lodge ‘came of age’ in 1949 when it held an ‘Unveiling and Dedication of a Lodge Banner’ ceremony. The Banner was presented by W Bro John Howarth and unveiled by W Bro Ashton Davies CVO, OBE, PGD, Assistant Provincial Grand Master. At this meeting the minutes of the Consecration read out by W Bro Schofield, the first Secretary of the Lodge. Those surviving founders who were present stood at this point.
The 19th February 1954 was the Lodge’s Silver Jubilee meeting. At this meeting, the Consecration minutes were read out and the Lodge was opened in the Three Degrees. The Charges and Working Tools for each Degree were given.
The Worshipful Master at this time was W Bro Colin Higginson, who was well known for his ladies’ clothing shop in Lytham. He reputedly had an excellent bass-baritone voice and regularly sang at our Festive Boards, often accompanied by W Bro J Murray.
We had the reputation at one time as a ‘singing lodge’. W Bro Murray was the organist and choir master at St Cuthbert’s, Lytham in addition to being the music master at Kirkham Grammar School. From this time and for many years afterwards, the choir of St Cuthbert’s sang carols at Fairhaven Lodge’s Christmas Festive Board.
The minutes for the ensuing years recorded the development of a thriving lodge. There was a good supply of initiates and joining members.
Whilst the Lodge was thriving, time was unfortunately taking its inexorable toll and one senses that another era for the Lodge was drawing to a close. In October 1960, the last remaining subscribing Founder, W Bro J Ratcliffe Airey, passed to the Grand Lodge above. In early 1961, the last remaining Founder, W Bro J N Garner, made the same final journey and in February 1964, W Bro C B Sutcliffe, the first initiate of the Lodge passed away. The close of the ‘Swinging Sixties’ saw Lodge subscriptions increased to £12.10s.00d at the December meeting in 1969, equivalent to £125 in today’s purchasing power – the same year Tony Jacklin won the British Open Championship at the Royal Lytham and St Annes. The 1970’s saw the third era of the Lodge draw to a close with an excellent and informative paper delivered to the Brethren on 16th February 1979, the Golden Jubilee, entitled ‘Commentary on the Minutes of the Lodge over the Past 50 Years’ by W Bro W Cowburn. 1980 to the 75th Anniversary in 2004 [back to the top] The Lodge minutes continue to chronicle the trends in the wider world. The early 1980’s was the era of high inflation, something which has become unfamiliar to us in recent years. In 1982, subscriptions were increased by a thumping 42% over the 1979 level, to £50. The RPI in 1979, 1980 and 1981 was 13.4%, 18% and 11.9% respectively. In March 1982, members were invited each to contribute £10 to help Lodge finances. The Lodge continues to be particularly successful at attracting a healthy list of Initiates and Joiners. There were thirteen initiates in the 1980’s and six joiners. In the years from 1990 to today, there have been seventeen initiates and sixteen joining members. Due to this, the business of the Lodge and therefore the minutes, have tended to reflect on the many progressive Degree ceremonies taking place. Statistically, for this latter period, there has been one ceremony for just over every two meetings, assuming 104 meetings and 51 degree ceremonies. Concluding Comments [back to the top] Since Consecration in 1929, Fairhaven Lodge has seen six Grand Masters, from HRH Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn to the current Grand Master, HRH Edward, Duke of Kent. It has initiated ninety six Brethren, admitted forty four joining members and elected sixty nine Past Masters. All of which is recorded in the minutes – in some detail. There are seven minute books in all – all of which are fairly thick and very heavy! Some of the earlier examples are in beautiful copperplate handwriting. The quality of the records is very good, complete and consistent.
There are some conclusions which can be drawn from the reading of these minutes.
Firstly, the Lodge minutes do reflect changes taking place around us, whether it is the encroachment of the telephone into our lives or the fact that they are now written on a home computer rather than with a fountain pen. Time, clearly, does not stand still. However, what does not change is the message and tenets of Freemasonry which have been delivered through the ritual in each of the c. 290 Degree ceremonies which the Lodge has performed since Consecration. They are as good and as relevant in 1929 as they are today. They will be so in 75 years time.
Secondly, the Lodge is nothing more than the Brethren who are its members. From reading the minutes it is clear to me that we have been fortunate to have had as members many ‘very worthy and distinguished Brethren’ who have contributed so much over the past seventy five years to the honour, dignity and welfare of the Lodge. They are a part of our traditions and history and have been a credit to the Lodge and the Craft in general.
We have also been blessed with people who can only be described as ‘characters’.
Thirdly, and on a slightly more sombre note, the inescapable issue of one's own mortality. Each of the seven minute books have their own sad tales. One reads how, for example, the regular announcements made in Lodge during the 1960's that one after another of the Founders had passed away to the Grand Lodge above.
Fourth, the reason we are all here is because we enjoy Freemasonry. The camaraderie and fellowship experienced from one’s Lodge – and visiting of course – are second to none.
Fifth, it is appropriate that we should look back and study the history of our Lodge and acknowledge those who have gone before and brought the Lodge successfully to its 75th Anniversary. We are the custodians of the Lodge today. It is therefore vitally important that we look to the future. We must ensure that our traditions continue and that our Lodge continues to prosper. We must ensure that the Brethren of the future are as proud of what we have achieved as we are with our predecessors.
But, Brethren we must also be able to adapt. Finally, it is hoped that these highlights and cameos of the first seventy five years give some insight and into the workings of a ‘happy Lodge’. Fairhaven Lodge is proud of its traditions, grateful to its predecessors and ready for the challenges ahead.
It has often been said that Fairhaven is a relaxed and genial Lodge. We take the work in the Lodge room seriously, but we enjoy ourselves. May we all continue to unite in the grand design of being happy and communicating happiness.
S.M.I.B. [back to the top]
Prepared by W Bro Mark St John Qualter and W Bro Peter RobinsonFebruary 2004
