On 19th March 2018 we were honoured by the presence of the Provincial
Grand Master, the RW Brother Geoffrey Gordon Dearing, who joined us to
celebrate our Sesquicentenary (150th Anniversary) at a unique
meeting.
Each Brother of the Lodge received a miniature
gavel crafted by the late Bro. Colin Smith.
After the usual opening procedures, officers in the Lodge regaled the
assembled brethren with short biographies of the original 1868 Lodge
officers. (See below for biographies)
Following this W.Bro. John Grumbridge presented an entertaining
description of the life and times of Worshipful Brother Henry Muggeridge,
the consecrating officer of the Lodge. You may view more
information about our Consecrating Officer here.
VW Bro. Peter Michael Brooshooft then rose to give a brief history of the
Lodge and described many of the landmarks since its Centenary meeting.
At the banquet following the meeting the members of the Lodge each
received commemorative miniature wooden gavels, expertly crafted by Bro.
Colin Smith.
Founding Officers biographies.
W.Bro. David Gavin's Introduction:
"Worshipful Master, Distinguished Brethren, Brethren all.
If I may I will give you a quick précis of the Petitioners of Corinthian
Lodge 1208 when it was founded in March 1868. There were ten
petitioners mainly from the Lodge of Peace and Harmony No.199 Dover.
The Petition was recommended by eight Members of the Royal Navy Lodge No:
429 Ramsgate.
There were only nine recognised offices at the Lodges inauguration; the
Worshipful Master; the two Wardens, Treasurer, Secretary, the two Deacons,
the Inner Guard and a Tyler.
Several Officers have been added since then and today there is a total of
seventeen the last being a Membership Officer, plus the Stewards. The
founding Officers will now relate a brief depiction from the Lodges
inauguration, starting with W.Bro. Adamson."
Worshipful Master:
"I represent W.Bro. George ADAMSON the Primus
Master of Corinthian Lodge No:1208, aged 57 years. I was born in
Cheswick, Middlesex in 1811. I was the proprietor of the Royal
Hotel, Clarence Street, in the pier district of Dover, now a customs HGV
marshalling yard. I married Mary who died in 1865: we had no
children. I remarried Ann before retiring to Middlesex in
1876.
I was initiated into the Lodge of Peace and Harmony No:199, of which I
became Worshipful Master in 1861 where I served as Lodge Treasurer and was
promoted to Past Provincial Assistant Grand Director of
Ceremonies. The Royal Hotel provided facilities to the Corinthian
Lodge and I was elected as Preceptor 1868 -1876. I maintained an
active role in both my Lodges and received promotion to Past Provincial
Senior Grand Warden in 1887. I continued to maintain my
membership in both Lodges until my death in Shepherds Bush, London, in July
1903, aged 92 years."
