The First World War Years
Brother Fred Whitehouse was installed as Master in February 1914, the
occasion being marked by the presence of the Right Worshipful the Provincial
Grand Master Worshipful Brother Fiennes Stanley Wykeham Cornwallis,
accompanied by the Provincial Grand Treasurer. The customary
ceremony for receiving and saluting our distinguished visitors was duly
carried out.
This same year the Lodge mourned the loss of Worshipful Brother William
Wood Burkett who had rendered many valuable services to the Lodge during his
31 years of membership.
A cursory glance through the Lodge minutes for the years 1914-1918 would
incline one to say that we carried on as usual. We did continue
to initiate, pass and raise candidates; but we did much more.
Appeals for funds were numerous, local, provincial and national and it is
pleasing to record out ready response in all cases. Amounts seem
small; but we had not experienced serious inflation of the currency.
It was in 1914 that the establishment of a Masonic Nursing Home was
proposed, with the approval of Grand Lodge. This proposal was
eagerly accepted and led to our Fulham Road Nursing Home, soon to give place
to the Royal Masonic Hospital.
In April 1915 Grand Lodge notified amendments to the Book of
Constitutions which provided that no brother on active service should be
excluded because his subscriptions were in arrears.
During the following year Worshipful Brother Edward Wilfred Barclay left
Dover and the Lodge decided to mark their appreciation of his service to the
Lodge, particularly his contribution to music.
Meetings were often very late - 8 to 10.30 being
common. Suppers were rare, though occasionally Lodge was 'Called
Off' for refreshment. We did not grow appreciably during the war
years; resignations were mentioned at many meetings.
The Roll of Honour names four of our members, Brothers Joseph Bertie
Friend (Jnr), Stephen Thomas Godden, Edward Kelsey Richards and Arthur
Oswald Sherren and the minutes also record resolutions of sympathy with
parents whose sons made the supreme sacrifice.
The Brethren who occupied the Chair during the war years were
successively Worshipful Brothers Fred Whitehouse, Philip Theodore Hart,
Arthur James Worsfold, William John Peppin and Charles Wilson. It
is interesting to report that in spite of many appeals due to the war we
were able to send ten guineas to our local hospital. A
communication from Grand Lodge declared it necessary that Brethren of
German, Austrian, Hungarian or Turkish birth should refrain from attendance
at Lodge for the duration of the war. Wise perhaps, but rather
sad.
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