White Rose - Masonic Province of Yorkshire, West Riding

300 years of Masons in Bradford
The year was 1713 and the first Masons
were admitted in Bradford....now 300
years on and a special re-enactment
has just been performed in front of 108
Bradford Masons.
Wearing dress appropriate to the era
including wigs, waistcoats and frock
coats 13 “actors” recreated the moment
the first Mason was admitted.
The scene was set in a simple pub
room with bread and cheese on the table
where chatter could be heard amongst
squires and local titled gentlemen about
the news of the day including slavery in
the Americas and the end of the Queen
Anne wars.
Characters were played by members
of several local lodges who spent six
months rehearsing and preparing for the
performance which was hosted by the
Lodge of Hope 302 at Spring Bank Place,
Bradford, to near capacity audience
including the Provincial Grand Master
the Right Worshipful Bro John K Clayton.
The 300 year old theme followed
through to the Festive Board where
traditional fare included mushroom soup,
steak pie and jelly for dessert.
Planning of the event has taken two
years and was the brainchild of W Bro
Keith Grandison of Prince of Wales
Lodge, who has given talks about
White Rose Masonic News Spring 2013
the history of Masonry in Bradford for
over 20 years.
Keith explained that according to the
minute book records for 1713, the first
Masonic meeting of York Grand Lodge of
All England, states ‘...when 18 gentlemen
of the first families of that neighbourhood
were made Masons.’
Although it is unclear exactly when a
full lodge was consecrated in Bradford,
Keith says there is evidence of lodges in
London in 1690 and in York in the 1500s
during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.
As this 300th anniversary moved
nearer Keith felt it was a perfect
opportunity to mark the occasion with
something special and so the idea of the
re-enactment came about.
“Although I had a great deal of historical
information I also took advice from the
very knowledgeable Rev Neville Barker
Cryer, the Very Worshipful Brother Past
Grand Chaplain, who was a huge help
to me. Even at 89 years of age he was
keen to travel from York to see what we
had put together on the night and was
very rather pleased with the way it went,”
said Keith.
“I also worked very closely with W Bro
Paul Tottle from Lodge of Charity who
was responsible for much of the script
for the re-enactment and the evening
went wonderfully well. So many people
made comment about how interesting it
was to see something so unusual. The
atmosphere was great and it made all
the planning worthwhile,” said Keith.
In fact two days later the thespians
were equally well received when they
performed a second re-enactment at the
lodge of St Peter & Harmony at Hoyle
Court, Baildon, attended by 60 Brethren
including Assistant Provincial Grand
Master W Bro Stuart Cummins.
And the travelling players might not be
hanging up their wigs just yet.
“There is even a whisper now that
further lodges around the Yorkshire area
would like to see it, so we may be to
performing again soon!” said Keith.
The Brethren who took part were: W
Bro John Stone, W Bro George Gothard
and W Bro Neil Johnson all of the Lodge
of Hope; W Bro Simon Buckingham,
Criterion Lodge; W Bro Edward Bairstow,
Lodge of Felicity; Bro David Thrippleton
and Bro Raymond Wilson both of Prince
of Wales Lodge; Bro Terry Stammers,
Lodge of Charity; W Bro Jason Moody,
King Edward VII Lodge; Bro Richard
Brown, Lodge of St Peter and Harmony;
W Bro Mark Sheldon, St John’s Lodge;
Bro Matthew Bass, Lodge Acacia and W
Bro Malcolm Jones, Corinthian Lodge.
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