Laindon Lodge - History

The conception of the Lodge took place at a meeting in the Laindon Hotel on February 1st 1930 with ten of the founders, Worshipful Brother Osborne and Brothers Miller, Herepath, Jerram, Childs, Cass, Chappell, Shaw, Hutchens and Bebington in attendance. At this meeting three additional founders were proposed but consequently only two of them, Brothers Holman and Russell became founders. The following motions were carried:-

Worshipful Brother Osborne be the first Worshipful Master
Brother Miller be the first Senior Warden
Brother Chappell be the first Junior Warden

The Lodge being called the Laindon Lodge to meet on the second Tuesday in March, June, October and December. (Lodge meetings were later amended to the second Tuesday in February, May, October & December (installation). )
 The insignia of the jewel to incorporate a picture of St. Nicholas Church.

The founders fee:      10 guineas
The initiation fee:      10 guineas
The joining fee:         10 guineas

By the third meeting held on the 17th February three further founders, Worshipful Brother Holland and Brothers Sceats and Patrick were added and the Lodge motto “Dante Qui Je Puis” (As much as I can I will) was adopted. This motto has been well practised by the Lodge to the present day. At the fourth meeting in October members were informed that the warrant had been granted and the number would be 5230. and that the consecration was to be held at the Hutton Masonic Temple on November 29th. At the last meeting held on November 10th there were still fifteen founders but before the consecration Brother Hutchens was apparently ineligible and the final number became fourteen, however, Brother Hutchens became a joining member at the first regular meeting held.
    
The Consecration ceremony took place on November 29th at Hutton. The Right Worshipful Provincial Grand Master Brigadier General R. B. Colvin C.B., The Lord Lieutenant of Essex, assisted by the rest of the consecrating officers, performed the ceremony and 14 founders, 14 consecrating officers and 71 guests attended the meeting.

The Occupations of the founders were as follows;-

Timber Merchant, Chemist, Insurance Officer,Wharf Manager,Civil Servant,Supervising Collector, Estate Agent, Clerk , Builders  (Four Number ) ,Licensed Victualler, and Builders Merchant.

The first initiate in December 1930 was Brother W. J. Jerram, the son of one of the founders.
At the December meeting a proposal was carried granting a warrant for a lodge of instruction to meet at the Laindon Hotel on Thursday evenings. This Lodge of instruction now meets at Orsett Masonic Temple on Wednesday evenings. There does appear to have been a break from 1940 to 1948.
The lodge has had twelve ‘Lewis’ members during its seventy five years .

In February 1931 a Mr. A. Palmer was initiated.  Later Worshipful Brother Alf Palmer was well known to a majority of the members for his extensive work as Almoner.

Work seemed rather brisk in those early days and a number of emergency meetings were called. At one of these meetings held in July 1931 the meeting commenced at 5p.m., dinner was at 7.30 p.m., and including a calling on and off, double ceremonies of the 1st, 2nd and 3rd were performed. Indeed within the first year there were nine initiation ceremonies, five passing and three raising as well as eight joining members.

At the February 1932 meeting, Worshipful Brother L. A. M. Stubbs and his father became joining members and including the consecration, Worshipful Brother Len Stubbs missed only one regular meeting of the Lodge between that date and the Golden Jubilee meeting in 1980, a record which he could be justly proud of.
In 1933 a special dispensation allowed Brother R. Holman to become Steward of the Lodge, this was necessary as he was landlord of the Laindon Hotel which was the meeting place of the Lodge. In the same year another name well known to some members of the Lodge appeared on the summons. Brother A. C. Henbest, father of Worshipful Brother A. A. Henbest was initiated.

Work carried on normally up to the war years when a direction from Grand Lodge gave the Master powers to cancel any meetings if it seemed prudent in the state of emergency so to do, with the added instruction to meet as early as possible and to be as brief as possible. In consequence, the meetings then commenced at 2.30 p.m. with effect from 1939. At the December installation meeting, Worshipful brother W. J. Jerram was installed. He was the first initiate of the Lodge and the son of the founder Brother H. E. Jerram. At this meeting Worshipful Brother A. J. North, our secretary for many years, started on the ladder as Inner Guard, odd little things then started appearing on the summons, like informing about the number of meals “owing to food control”. A few meetings were held without ceremonies but on the whole work was fairly normal.

In 1942 our well respected Worshipful Brother F. Carter was initiated.
The father of L. Stubbs became Master and had the pleasure of installing his son in December 1943. During 1944, with Worshipful Brother Len Stubbs in the chair, the summons carried the ominous signs of the war giving the notice forbidding movement in the restricted areas, ( Laindon was listed at the time as a restricted area). That year a joint Ladies Festival was held by Worshipful Len Stubbs  & his Father. Another well known name to appear during this period was Brother R. Hooper who for many years was Secretary. Brother Hooper was initiated in 1945, just before the emergency powers given to the Master by Grand Lodge were rescinded in December 1945.
In February 1948, Worshipful Brother L. Stubbs initiated his grandson Brother K. Stubbs, and the ancient charge was given by the father, Worshipful Brother Len Stubbs.

At a special meeting held in November 1951, the Lodge celebrated their 21st Anniversary, and to commemorate this occasion the Lodge purchased a banner which was consecrated at this meeting.
The Secretary, Worshipful Brother Bebington, gave a short résumé of the first 21 years and referred to the unique ceremony of the Stubbs family, by pointing out there were then four generations of the Stubbs.
One year later, in 1952, Worshipful Brother Bebington completed another milestone, his 21st year as Secretary of the Lodge. He was presented with a travelling case.
During Worshipful Brother Frederick Carter’s year of office in 1955, he initiated his brother Walter Carter. At the same meeting Worshipful Brother Ted Smith, well known among our older members as a past Preceptor of the Lodge,  gave the First Tracing Board lecture. In the December of that year Worshipful Brother Carter installed Worshipful Brother Dick Hooper into the chair.
The following year Worshipful Brother Dick Hooper had the pleasure of initiating the Smith Brothers, Worshipful Brother Jack and his brother Charles, who served as Treasurer of the Lodge for many years and as joint Preceptor of the Lodge of Instruction.
In1957 the Lodge was honoured with a visit from the Right Worshipful Provincial Grand Master Canon Stafford Morris.
At the October meeting in 1959, it was agreed to change the venue to Hutton Masonic Temple and to alter the meetings to the first Tuesday in February, May, October and December (installation). Gone were the knocks from the bar below!
In 1973 the Lodge sponsored our daughter Lodge No.8477 which was consecrated at the Southend Temple, Six members of the Lodge were founders.
June 1976 saw the consecration of the Langdon Hills Chapter at Orsett in the blazing sunshine. Due to the excessive heat, the members were allowed to attend in shirt sleeves, a most unusual occurrence. Five members of the Lodge were founders. The Langdon Hills Rose Croix was consecrated at Upminster in 1978. Worshipful Brother A. R. J. Cook having the distinction of having been a founder of all three of the Lodge’s off-spring.
2nd December 1980 saw the celebration of fifty years of the Lodges existence and was celebrated with 103 members and guests in attendance inclusive of the Right Worshipful Provincial Grand Master, F. W. R. Leistikow, who bestowed a Stewards Collar on the Installing Master W.Bro M.B.Gibbons in honour of the occasion.

At the meeting held on 3rd February 1981 a proposal was passed & dispensation granted that the Lodge meet at Orsett Masonic Centre in the village of Orsett (where it remains) on the 1st Tuesday in February, April, May, October and December (installation)

Over the last 90 years the lodge has continued to flourish building upon the foundations of its founders .Over the years the Lodge has supported the Grand Charities (Grand Patrons of the Royal Masonic Hospital and patrons of the R.M.I. Girls, R.M.I. Boys, R.M.B.I. with the master being the proud wearer of the Hall Stone Jewel) and continues today in previously supporting the 2000 festival and will support the current festival.

On the 7th February 2012 the Lodge dedicated a new banner. The old banner was looking very much the worse for wear so a new banner was commisioned, somewhat similar to the old banner save that the central image better depicted St. Nicholas Church, the central theme of the banner.

The general decline in membership accross the whole of Freemasonry has meant in recent times several Lodges have struggled to survive. In 2016 our Daughter Lodge, Langdon Hills Lodge, sadly had to hand back their warrant, however, this sad occasion gave rise to seven members of Langdon Hills joining Laindon Lodge and it was a great pleasure to welcome them into our family.

Over the years the Lodge has seen the passing of a number of Brethren who were stalwarts of the Lodge, such as  W. Bro Charles Smith ( Grand Officer ) W. Bro Bob Cook.(Preceptor) and W.Bro R. Davies. The Lodge has reached where it is today due to their efforts .

Traditionally the secretaries of the Lodge have remained in the position for a number of years and currently  W. Bro Chas Ager has continued that tradition.

The Lodge  in its first fifty years, was very much a family lodge with twenty two families having been involved , and albeit not so much, it has continued for the next twenty five years with a further five families being involved. Indeed the following brothers were initiated into the Lodge as “Lewis’s”
Brother  David Ball  Feb  1967,  Bro Terry Jerome Feb 1968, Brother David Cowell  Feb 1982 ,  Brother David Evans Feb 1986, and Brother Robert Davies (Junior ) Feb 1988.

The Following Brethren have received awards for long service:-

60 years - Worshipful Brother Ron Williams(Honorary Member)
50 years - Worshipful Brother Roy Francis
50 years - Worshipful Brother David Ball
50 years - Worshipful Brother Terry Jerome(Honorary Member)
40 years - Worshipful Brother Gerry Hemsworth
40 years - Worshipful Brother Ricky Bender
40 years - Worshipful Brother Mike Sumner

In conclusion, the Laindon Lodge has always lived up to its motto, DANT QUI JE PUIS” which translates “As much as I can I will. Both the Lodge and the Lodge of instruction  meetings support many charities and with luck on our side, lets hope we continue to do so for the next ten years after which we will reach our next milestone, our Centenary, our 100th year.