History of

The Sir Joshua Reynolds Lodge No 4782

The history of the Lodge, presented here, is based upon the account of the events leading up to the formation of the Lodge as recorded in the first Minute Book.  Though unsigned, this account was probably written by W.Bro. Dr. Alfred Turner, the Founding Master.  Further history of the Lodge was obtained from the subsequent meeting minutes as recorded.

The formation of a new Masonic Lodge in Plympton was mooted some years previously to 1925 but it was in that year that the project was started.  It was felt that it was impossible any longer to resist the formation of a new Lodge that would promote the interests of Freemasonry in Plympton

A meeting of enthusiastic Freemasons took place at the Old Grammar School on 26^th of June 1925.  W.Bro. Alfred Turner, P.Pr.G.W. was voted to the Chair and the reasons that lead up to the meeting were explained.  It was unanimously resolved that a new lodge should be formed.  It was felt to be appropriate, since the meeting of the Founders was taking place in the school where one of Plympton’s most famous sons was educated, and near where he was born, that the new Lodge should be called the Sir Joshua Reynolds Lodge.

One of the more fundamental ideas of the proposed founders was that not more than one degree should be worked at the meeting and that candidates should preferably have some direct association with Plympton by birth, residence or in some other definite way. 

A committee was formed of W.Bros Dr Alfred Turner, F. Underhill, J.C. Revell, L. Nicholls-Silverlock, E. Birch. and Bro. Rev. E.H. Smith.  W.Bro. Ernest Howard was appointed acting secretary.

A further meeting of the proposed Founders was held on 6^th July1925 when W.Bros Dr Alfred Turner, Ernest Howard and Stephen Baldwin were respectively nominated as the first Worshipful Master, Senior Warden and Junior Warden.  Other business details were discussed and settled at this meeting and some of those present promised to attend the next meeting of Lodge St Maurice No. 1855 on the 8^th day of July 1925 with a view to asking that Lodge to recommend the Petition. 

W.Bro. F. Underhill put the position before Lodge St. Maurice very ably and tactfully and the members unanimously resolved to recommend the petition. 

The proposal received sympathetic and favourable consideration from the Provincial Grand Master, his advisors and other influential Brethren who gave valuable help, with the result that the Most Worshipful the Grand Master granted the necessary warrant for the Lodge on 2^nd September 1925

Several other meetings were held to settle the various details, particulars of which can be gleaned from a perusal of the bye-laws, the programme in connection with the Consecration and the list of Officers printed on the back of the banquet menu.

The Consecration took place on Tuesday 24^th day of November 1925 at 4.30 p.m. at the Mount Edgecumbe Masonic Hall, East Stonehouse, Plymouth to meet the convenience of the Consecrating Officers and also because the hall could accommodate more than the Plympton Masonic Hall.

After the consecration meeting 65 brethren dined at the Duke of Cornwall Hotel to celebrate the historic occasion.  The consecration banquet consisted of a nine course meal which included, hors d’oeurves, oysters, two soups, turbot, pheasant, roast lamb, two puddings, two sweets, dessert and coffee.  Different wines, including 1917 Bollinger vintage champagne, were served with each course.  The cost was 1 guinea (£1.05) per person.  This meal formed the basis of all installation dinners until the outbreak of the Second World War when the Festive Board was suspended with the exception of a supper being served after the Installation meetings.

At the second meeting of the Sir Joshua Reynolds Lodge, held on 16^th January 1926, Mr Harry William Hale, Resident Headmaster of the Plympton Grammar School, was balloted for and initiated as the lodge’s first new member.  It seems particularly fitting that Mr. Hale was the first candidate as Plympton Grammar School was where the young Joshua Reynolds was educated and where his own father was headmaster.  This association with Plympton Grammar School has continued throughout the existence of the Lodge.

In 1926 and 1927 the Founding Wardens, W.Bro. Ernest Howard and W.Bro. Stephen Baldwin were duly elected to the Master’s Chair. However, when the Founding Senior Deacon, Bro. J.R.F. Bradford, was installed in October 1928 the Lodge was in mourning following the death of the Provincial Grand Master, R.W.Bro. Major G. C. Davie, who had consecrated the Lodge.

In total, 6 more of the Founder Members passed through the Chair of King Solomon in the subsequent years.

At the time of the Consecration the Initiation fee was set at Twelve Guineas, the joining fee was Five Guineas and the re-joining fee was set at one guinea.  The annual subscription was three guineas and the visitor’s fee for attending the installation banquet was one guinea.  At today’s values, the Initiation fee was £326; the joining fee would have been £135.87 and the annual subscription, £81.

At the third meeting of the Lodge on 23^rd February 1926, Cyril Henry Crews, of 6 Boringdon Villas, Plympton, aged 40, a Managing Director of a Malting Company, was proposed as an initiate by W.Bro. C.C. Davie PPGW.  This was seconded by the Worshipful Master, W.Bro. Dr.A. Turner PPGW.  The ballot proved in favour and Mr. Cyril Henry Crews was initiated the same evening.  It was at this meeting that the first record of a collection for charity is made in the minutes when the Brethren donated the sum of 13s-10½d.  This is equivalent to £18 at today’s monetary value.

On 23^rd March 1926 both Bro. Crews and Bro. Harry Hale were passed to the Second Degree. Also on this evening it was announced that W.Bro. C.C. Davie, the Lodge Director of Ceremonies and the son of the Provincial Grand Master had been promoted to the rank of Past Grand Deacon.

At an emergency meeting held on 11^th May Bro. Cyril Henry Crews was raised to the Degree of a Master Mason.

At the meeting of 22^nd February, 1927 The Charity Circle was formed with an annual subscription of £1-1s-0d (approximately £27).  A draw would be held annually to determine the disbursement of the collected monies between the three local charities:  Devon Aged Widows, Fortescue Annuity and Devon Educational Fund.  The winner of the draw made the choice.

At the meeting of 28^th June 1927 W.Bro. C.C. Davie, PGD, proposed and Bro. Cyril Crews seconded, that a Lodge of Instruction be founded.  The proposed subscription was to be 5 shillings per year (approximately £6) and that a minimum of 12 Brethren was required to initiate it.  The proposal was carried.

The first set of accounts was published on October 18^th 1927 when it showed that the Lodge receipts and expenditures balanced at £207–16s–11d (equivalent to £5380). Of interest to note is that the Tyler was paid three guineas per year, (now £81) charitable donations of  £21–10s–0d (£556) were made and £25 (£647) was paid to the Sir Joshua Reynolds Chapter.  The bill for the 1926 installation banquet, including wine and champagne, was £51–7s–6d (£1330), which provided for 55 brethren who attended the banquet.

At the Installation Meeting held on 22^nd October 1929 Bro. Cyril Henry Crews was appointed Steward and became Almoner in 1931 and at the meeting of 24th October 1933 he became Junior Deacon, having apparently missed the post of Inner Guard.

At the installation held on 23^rd October 1934 W.Bro. Harry Hale, the Lodge’s first initiate was installed as its 10^th Master.

Ten years after the formation of the Lodge the accounts showed a healthy balance of £95-7s-8d.  The Subscription was still 3 guineas as was the Tyler’s annual salary.  The collection at the 1935 installation meeting amounted to £1-14s-10d.

The outbreak of the second world war had no immediate effect upon the brethren though Grand Lodge invited all Brethren to surrender their Masonic Jewels to assist the war effort and the Lodge resolved to change the time of their meetings from 8.00 p.m. to 6.00 p.m.  The war also meant that the numbers of brethren attending Lodge were severely depleted as so many of the younger members were called up or volunteered.  In addition, W.Bros. Underhill and Hussell lost their business premises as the result of enemy action.

At the meeting held on 26^th March 1946 it was resolved that the sum of £48-16s-9d be paid for the chairs to be occupied by the Master and the Wardens. Of this sum, St Maurice Lodge No. 1855 would pay £22-10s-0d and the sum of £3-16s-9d would be paid by the Sir Joshua Reynolds Chapter.  The balance would be paid by the Lodge.  These chairs would be a memorial to W.Bro. Ernest Howard, the Lodge Director of Ceremonies and Founding Senior Warden, who had passed away on 10^th April 1944.

Under rule 173 of the Book of constitutions, an Army Officer, who had been initiated into Freemasonry in Palestine, where he joined Lydda Lodge No. 4613, was passed to the degree of a Fellow Craft at an Emergency meeting held on 10^th December 1946.  He was passed to the Degree of Master Mason at the February meeting of the following year and to mark the occasion, and his appreciation of the Lodge, he presented the Lodge with a replica of a heavy setting maul that was made from stone quarried from King Solomon’s Mines.  At the meeting held in March 1948 he was admitted to the Lodge as a joining member.  He is now our most senior serving Past Master.  His younger brother was also initiated into the Lodge in 1947.  At the Installation meeting held on 22nd October 2002 the Assistant Provincial Grand Master presented our Senior Past Master with a Certificate to commemorate his 56 years of continuous service to Masonry and, on behalf of the Brethren of the Lodge, the Worshipful Master presented him with a cut-glass carafe to mark the occasion.

Throughout the 75 years there has been a close association with Plympton Grammar School with many of our members either being educated there, teaching at the school or serving on the Board of Governors.  There is also a close association between the Lodge and St. Mary’s Parish Church where our senior serving Past Master was Church Warden for many years and where several of the Sidemen and worshippers are members of the Lodge.

At the Provincial Grand Lodge meeting held in the Town Hall, Torquay on 10^th June 1950 W.Bro. Cyril Henry Crews was appointed and invested as Senior Grand Warden for the Province of Devonshire, and in May 1953 he attained Grand Lodge Rank.

In June 1955 notice was given that the Provincial Grand Master, R.W.Bro. Rt. Rev. Bishop F.W. Surtees was to retire and that W.Bro Cyril Crews had been nominated for the post of Assistant Provincial Grand Master to which he was duly appointed and invested at the meeting of Provincial Grand Lodge held in November.

By 1955 the Tyler’s remuneration had increased to five guineas and the Lodge accounts showed a balance in the bank of £224-12s-3d.  In 1955 a total of £28-5s-0d was donated to charity.  The exit collection at the Installation meeting amounted to £4-0s-0d.  (This was more than 3 times the average collection total)

On 26^th February 1957 the Lodge was informed of the death of their Director of Ceremonies, W.Bro. Harry Hale who had been the first Initiate of the Lodge.

In October 1957 Bro. Commander J.F. Crews R.N., son of the W.Bro. Cyril Crews, was installed as Master of the Lodge.  W.Bro. J.F. Crews was the holder of the George Medal, which has lead to some confusion as to which W.Bro. Crews was later appointed as Provincial Grand Master, as W.Bro. J.F. Crews has ‘GM’ after his name on the Lodge list of Past Masters.

On 15^th January 1961, the Provincial Grand Master, Sir Arthur Reed J.P., died and at the meeting in February 1961 it was announced that the Assistant Provincial Grand Master, W.Bro. Cyril Henry Crews, had been nominated as Provincial Grand Master Elect.  He was duly installed in Office at a meeting of Provincial Grand Lodge in Torquay, in June 1961.  R.W.Bro Crews held this high office until his death on 3^rd March 1970.  R.W.Bro. William Kneel succeeded him.

The first Ladies Festival of the Lodge was held on 21^st April 1961. It proved such a success that it became an annual event.

In September 1962 the Lodge was advised that in recognition of its subscription of £1122 by individual members and Lodge funds it had been designated a “Founding Patron” of the Royal Masonic Hospital Festival

On 15^th January 1963 our most senior active Past Master, when aged 32 years and a works Foreman, was balloted for, elected and duly initiated into Freemasonry.  He was passed on 23^rd April 1963 and Raised on 29^th May of the same year.   He now serves the lodge as Chaplain.

At the 381^st meeting of the Lodge, held on 23^rd April 1968, it was proposed and seconded, “That this Lodge agrees to sponsor the formation of a daughter Lodge in the Newton Ferrers and Noss Mayo area”.  This motion was carried unanimously and this subsequently led to the formation of our daughter Lodge: Yealm Lodge No. 8277.

On 25^th November 1975, to mark the 50^th Anniversary of the Lodge, a new Volume of the Sacred Law was dedicated by the Bishop of Plymouth, V.W.Bro. The Right Reverend Richard F. Cartwright, the Grand Chaplain.  At the same meeting the Provincial Grand Master, R.W.Bro. William Kneel unveiled the Lodge Name Board, which was then dedicated by the Grand Chaplain.  The celebration dinner for the 50^th Anniversary was held at the Continental Hotel at a cost of £3 per head.

The Sir Joshua Reynolds Lodge continues to practice Freemasonry in its finest form to the present day.  Over the years many Brethren attained both active and Past Provincial rank and some achieved Past Grand rank.  Of note, amongst our serving Past Masters, the following active Provincial Offices have been  awarded:  Provincial Grand Sword Bearer, Provincial Grand Senior Deacon, Provincial Grand Junior Deacon and Provincial Grand Steward.  In 2004 the Lodge Secretary was appointed Provincial Grand Secretary.

The 75th Anniversary celebration meeting was held at the Lodge on 12th December 2000.  Guest of honour was the Provincial Grand Master for the Province of Devonshire, accompanied by the three Assistant Provincial Grand Masters, the Senior and Junior Grand Wardens, the Provincial Grand Director of Ceremonies and a number of Grand Officers as well as many Present and Past Provincial Grand Officers.  

The Provincial Grand Master delivered an address focusing on the illustrious founders of the Lodge, the appropriateness of the Lodge name and exhorting the brethren to move forward with a positive and constructive way with pride in ourselves and our Lodge that we may be seen as valued pillars of society.

The Lodge Secretary read the Consecration meeting minutes from 24th November 1925 and one of the Assistant Provincial Grand Masters delivered an oration.  One of the Brethren read the history of the Lodge.

The Lodge Chaplain dedicated a beautiful new 'G' symbol that had been lovingly and skillfully fashioned from mahogany wood by one of the Lodge Past Masters.

After the meeting 84 Brethren dined at the Elfordleigh Golf and Country Club in Plympton

Finally, to mark the first 75 years of the Lodge and to mirror the new spirit of openness requested by the United Grand Lodge of England, the Sir Joshua Reynolds Lodge No. 4782 opened this web site on the Internet.  It is hoped many people will visit the web site over the coming years, some, being Masons will make a virtual link, but other, non-Masonic visitors will gain a little more insight into what Freemasonry really is all about.

Compiled by the Lodge Secretary, for the 75^th Anniversary Meeting.

December 2000

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