The Masonic Del Boy Masonic Del Boy - Although often accused of behaving badly Francis Columbine Daniel was certainly not a bad man; he actively supported many charities, and designed an award winning life-jacket. He was born in 1765 in King’s Lynn, and at 14 was apprenticed to a surgeon and apothecary at Wapping in London’s docklands; where in 1788 […]

1st Degree Charge in action 1st Degree Charge in action - At our Initiations we were charged never to lose sight of the allegiance due to our native land, and to always remember that nature has implanted in our breasts ‘a sacred and indissoluble attachment’ to the country of our ‘birth and infant nurture’. When […]

Helping a Brother - Crimea Helping a Brother - During the Crimean War (1853-56) the Russian held city of Sevastopol was besieged by British and French forces. On the 8th September 1855 the British forces made an assault on the Great Redan, a key part of the city’s fortifications; despite heavy casualties they did capture […]

The First Aprons reference - when and where? The First Aprons - the first reference to clothing in the Volume of the Sacred Law is found in Genesis, chapter 3, paragraph 7. It reads: ‘And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, […]

'I Am Norwell Roberts' is now available to buy at Freemasons' Hall. As you may know Norwell Roberts QPM was London's first black police officer, symbol of acceptance, of a diverse police force, of a changing Britain, and is today a proud Freemason, but did you know that Norwell Roberts is a Past Master of […]

Military Musicians in Masonry Military Musicians - Music and singing has always been popular at Masonic meetings and events; and military Brethren would sometimes make use of their unit’s bandsmen to provide that music. The Colonel of the Edinburgh Castle Garrison had bandsmen from the Royal Scots Fusiliers Initiated, Passed & Raised so that they could play at his Installation ceremony; and in 1872 at the first festive board of the Sandeman Lodge No.1374 in Bengal […]

Punka not pucka Punka or Punkah - The Sandeman Lodge No.1374, first met in March 1871 at Dum Dum in Bengal. Many of its members were locally stationed military men; it was at the military ordnance factory in Dum Dum that the expanding bullet of that name was first developed. The lodge met in a […]

Keep Calm and Carry On Keep Calm and Carry On - In 1940 the Kaisar-I-Hind (Empress of India) Lodge No.1274 were holding their meetings at Pagani’s restaurant in London. The lodge stored its fine set of table silver at the restaurant; but sadly on the 4th October the restaurant was destroyed in an air raid. […]

Calling Off Possibly the longest ever ‘Calling Off’’ took place at the Artillery Lodge No.148 in Gibraltar. This lodge was meeting in 1779 when the Spanish army fired the first shots in the Great Siege of Gibraltar; most of the lodge members were artillery men so the lodge was quickly ‘Called Off’ so they could […]