The Early History of St.Thomas Lodge No.6574

Compiled by Bro. Pete Lockyer MA

In the year 1938 our ‘Mother Lodge’, the Lodge of Hope No.2153 (see Family Tree) was the second largest Lodge in the Province of Hampshire and Isle of Wight. The Lodge was founded by Masonic members of that celebrated Corps, the Royal Marines, as long ago as 1886 and the members now numbered around four hundred. (The Lodge of Hope No.2153 has had a number of moves over the years but now meets at Horndean).

With so many members it followed that there was a large number of potential ‘Sponsors into Freemasonry’ in the Lodge. In other words, a large number of Proposers and Seconders, and therefore a large number of Candidates. Such was the position in the Lodge of Hope. Faced with a very long list of suitable candidates the Lodge was forced to work three degrees per Lodge meeting and call frequent Emergency Meetings in between!

Because of that condition a number of members led by the Director of ceremonies, W.Bro. William Thompson, PM, felt that there was an urgent need for a new Lodge. W. Bro. Thompson’s first attempt at forming one was made just before the outbreak of the Second World War. With the Declaration of War on the third of September 1939 all plans in this direction were abandoned and the Brethren of the Lodge of Hope in common with every man, woman, and child of this country, became, in one way or another, involved in the war for the next six years.

With the end of hostilities and after various victory celebrations the Brethren of the Lodge of Hope gradually returned to their Lodge. Sadly, there were some vacant chairs.

In 1946 W.Bro. Thompson renewed his efforts to establish a new Lodge. He decided that provided there were five or six Past Masters among the Founder Members, able to work the Degrees, then Twenty Five Founders would be sufficient. Planning along these lines the following Brethren were invited to become Founders.

The Founders formed themselves into a Committee and it was agreed to meet regularly at the Masonic Hall, Highbury Street, Old Portsmouth, an historic old building which has since been demolished, but of which numerous masons have so many fond and happy memories. The Committee elected W.Bro. Thompson as Secretary, and Bro. W.G.D. Manns Treasurer of the Committee. It then discussed suitable names for the new Lodge and after careful consideration it was finally decided to call it ‘St.Thomas Lodge’ after the Portsmouth Anglican Cathedral which stands a short distance from the site of the former Masonic Hall, in which the Founders were initiated into the Lodge of Hope No.2153.

It may be interesting to note that the Cathedral was formerly the Parish Church of St. Thomas a’ Becket and as such dates back to 1185. The Cupola at the top of the clock tower was once the station of the ‘Look out Man’ whose duty it was to signal the approach of ships to the harbour. The weather vane is a copper gilt fully rigged ship exceeding six feet in length.

The Committee agreed to reproduce the image of the Cathedral’s Clock Tower with the addition of the motto, ‘Omnia ad Dei Glorium’, meaning ‘All to the Glory of God’. And also the emblem of the Square and Compass on the Lodge agenda and stationery. It was pointed out that in order to do this it would be necessary to obtain permission from the Bishop or his representative. This was subsequently obtained with some enthusiasm from the Cathedral Authorities.

Now that the Lodge had a name the Treasurer Bro. Manns opened a Lodge Account at Lloyds Bank Ltd, North End Branch, Portsmouth. The bank manager at the time advised that until the Lodge had an official number in the English Constitution the account should be known as, ‘The St. Thomas Masonic Lodge.’

More to come later............