PRINCE OF WALES'S LODGE No 259



Some History....

In 1789, HRH the Duke of York joined the Lodge, one month after his duel with Lieut.-Col Lennox, as well as HRH the Duke of Clarence.
In 1792 His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, then Grand Master, was pleased to appoint Colonel Hulse (afterwards Field-Marshall Sir Samuel Hulse), Deputy Master, and their Royal Highnesses the Dukes of York and Clarence, Wardens of the Lodge, so that at this period and for many years afterwards, the three Chairs were filled by three of the most illustrious members of the Royal Family.
On his accession to Throne, His Majesty King George the Fourth gave his permission to the Lodge to continue to act under the Royal Patronage but passed over his Mastership to his Brother HRH the Duke of York who was installed into the Chair by HRH the Duke of Sussex, MW Grand Master on 22nd March 1823. On his death in 1827 HRH the Duke of Clarence took the Chair again installed by the MW Grand Master. On his accession to the Throne, in 1830, His Majesty King William IV expressed his wish that MW the Grand Master should preside over the Lodge and was duly installed on 21st January 1831 and continued WM until his death in May 1843.
The Earl of Zetland, who succeeded the Duke of Sussex as Grand Master took the Chair in 1837.
In the year 1871, the relations formerly existing between the Royal Family and the Lodge were happily renewed when HRH Albert Edward, Prince of Wales, MW Grand Master, was elected a member in November 1871 and became Master in January 1874. In March the same year HRH Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn was initiated into the Lodge by HRH the Prince of Wales and became Master in 1903 on His Majesty King Edward VII's accession to the Throne.
In January 1932 their Royal Highness's the Prince of Wales and Duke of York both joined the Lodge and remained members until their respective accessions to the Throne. In 1935 HRH the Duke of Kent joined the Lodge proposed by his brothers just mentioned. He was sadly killed on active service in 1942 just after he had become Master. HRH Prince Michael of Kent joined the Lodge in October 1975 and was installed as Master at the bicentenary meeting in March 1987.

Among the many other noteworthy Brethren who at different periods became members of the Lodge may be mentioned:
The Chevalier Bartholomew Ruspini (1787)Sir John Scott Lillie (1823)
Rev W Peters RA (1787)Dr Augustus Bozzi Granville (1825)
Lord Lake (1787)Sir David Pollock (1826)
Thomas Dunckerly (1788)Godfrey Higgins (1827)
Major General St Leger (1789) cousin of the famous Lady Freemason, the Hon Miss Elizabeth St. LegerColonel C S Fagan CB (1829)
General Bowles (1791) "Chief of the Creek Nation"The Earl of Zetland (1830) Grand Master 1843-70
General Sir John Doyle (1791)Paul Hardwick (1831) RA FRS
General Paoli (1800) "the Corsican Patriot"Lord Monson (1822)
Waller Rodwell Wright (1801)Charles Matthews (1833), the younger
The Earl of Zetland (1803) afterwards Pro Grand MasterRobert Vernon (1836)
The Duke of Roxburgh (1804)Earl of Yarborough (1837) Dep Grand Master
The Prince of Moliterno (1807)E H Baily RA (1845)
Sir William Beechey RA (1807)The Duke of Beaufort (1845)
Charles Matthews (1808), the elderLord Rendlesham (1847)
William H White (1809), Grand SecretaryLord Calthorpe (1848)
George Canning (1810), Prime Minister in 1827The Maharajah Deleep Singh (1863)
Sir Frederick Gustavus Fowke (1813)Douglas Fairbanks (1984)