The Founding of Albert Edward Lodge — No. 1560
The history of the Albert Edward Lodge No. 1560, in the Province of Leicestershire and Rutland, needs to be considered with respect to the development of Freemasonry in the Province. The period begins in the later part of the eighteenth century, when there was but one Lodge in Leicester, St. John’s No. 279, to the time preceding the granting of a Warrant of Constitution to the Albert Edward Lodge on the 23rd July 1875, and its Consecration on the 9th November 1875. Between the years 1790, when St. John’s Lodge was consecrated and 1872, when the Commercial Lodge was formed, expansion of Freemasonry consisted of the Consecration of but one other “City” Lodge, John of Gaunt Lodge, No. 523, in 1846. Prior to 1846 Freemasonry had been somewhat in the doldrums. In the surrounding country districts of Leicestershire, seven new Lodges were formed between 1836 and 1870 but only five survive today. From 1873 Freemasonry developed and spread in the Town and its vicinity and these new Lodges satisfied an obvious need, for their membership grew rapidly.
The Founder Members of the Albert Edward Lodge came from at least seven Lodges with several Masons coming from the St. John’s Lodge and the John of Gaunt Lodge. The latter Lodge supported the application for a “new Lodge to be named ‘Albert Edward’ and is the Mother Lodge”. Mention is made in the Annual Festival Minutes of the Albert Edward Lodge, in the 1920’s, of votes of thanks to the “Worshipful Master and Officers and Brethren of the John of Gaunt Lodge for the continued use of their most valuable furniture”. This history is incomplete because two of the Lodge Minute Books are missing.
The first reference to the Albert Edward Lodge appears in the Minutes of the John of Gaunt Lodge, No. 523 of the summer of 1875. This was an emergency meeting held on July 19th 1875 and during the meeting it was explained that the Lodge had been called to support an application for a new Lodge to be named “Albert Edward” which, if sanctioned by the Grand Lodge of England, would be held at Freemasons’ Hall upon the same footing as existing Lodges. The petition to set up the Lodge was signed by the Rt.W.Bro. W. Kelly, P.P.G.M., Rt.W.Bro. The Rt. Hon. the Earl Ferrers, Prov.G.M., and others of the proposed Founders. The main argument for creating a new Lodge in Leicester was that the population of the town was such that there was a need for a forth.
The P.P.G.M. Bro. Kelly in supporting the Petition said he had pleasure in being one of the founders of this Lodge, and explained it was not in any way intended to be an exclusive Lodge, not even as to Banquets — thus was started the reputation of Albert Edward for its Festive Boards which continues today. Events moved swiftly for the Warrant of Constitution was granted and signed on 23rd July 1875. With great efficiency and most expeditely the first Warrant was produced and is dated only four days after the Emergency Meeting was held.
On the reverse of the Warrant is written the following inscription which is also found with identical wording at the front of the original book of By-Laws of the Lodge.
On the Ninth day of November 1875, being the 34th Birthday of H.R.H. Albert Edward Prince of Wales, Most Worshipful Grand Master, (who on the preceding day landed in India) the Albert Edward Lodge, No. 1560, was in ancient form duly Constituted and Dedicated, and the Right Hon. the Earl Ferrers, Provincial Grand Master, regularly installed as its first Worshipful Master in the presence of upwards of eighty provincial Grand Officers, Past Masters, and Members the private Lodges in the Province, by the undersigned. William Kelly, Past Prov. Grand Master.
The creation of the Albert Edward Loge was due to the hard work of Right Hon. Sewallis Edward Shirley, tenth Earl Ferrers of Staunton Harold, who was installed as as Provincial Grand Master on the 18th April 1873. Two and half years after the Earl Ferrers installation as Provincial Grand Master and six years after his initiation into Masonry, The Albert Edward Lodge was consecrated, the first of ten Lodges to be added to the Province during, his Lordship’s long administration which lasted from 1872 until his rather sudden death on 26th July 1912, from “an internal malady”. For twenty-two of his thirty-nine years as P.G.M. he had the valuable assistance of W.Bro. S. S. Partridge who was his D.P.G.M.
Interesting read.
Grand Master Albert Edward (1841 - 1910)
Albert Edward, most famously known as King Edward VII, is to date the only person to have been both Grand Master of the United Grand Lodge of England and King of the United Kingdom. His Grandson, King George VI, was an avid Freemason and probably would have been Grand Master himself but was propelled onto the throne by the abdication of his older brother Edward VIII (King George VI did however go on to install three Masters of UGLE during his reign).
Albert Edward was Grand Master of UGLE from 1874 until the start of his reign in 1901 when he had to step away from Masonry
Grand Mastership would eventually return to his lineage, with Prince George, Duke of Kent, his grandson and the father to our current Grand Master, Prince Edward, Duke of Kent. Between Albert Edward and George, there has been only one Grand Master: The Duke of Connaught, who laid the first stone of what we know as Freemason's Hall.