A Short History of Ulster Lodge No. 2972

On the 13th November 1903, in the Hotel Cecil in the Strand, the Ulster Masonic Lodge, London, No. 2972 was consecrated under the governance of the United Grand Lodge of England.

The hot summer days by the river brought respite from smog, and it was on just such a day that a party of Ulstermen were enjoying an excursion on the Thames when the notion of the Ulster Lodge was first mooted.

The excursion took place under the auspices of the Ulster Association (founded 1896), and, according to the late W. Bro. Tom Dunwoody, who was the only member of that original boating trip to enjoy the 50th Jubilee of the Lodge, the idea was suggested by the late W. Bro. John B. Crowe.

Nobody present could possibly have imagined the success the project was to enjoy; that the Ulster Lodge would thrive and flourish as a large and influential unit in the English Constitution, and become an important link between English and Irish masonry. Nor would they have dared dream that it might enjoy such longevity that it would be still thriving today, and celebrating more than a century of good works.

The concept met with a favourable response, and was the subject of much conversation among the membership of the Association throughout the rest of the year. In fact, so much interest was expressed in the notion, together with promises of support from the Ulster people that the promoters decided to turn the idea into reality.

The usual procedure for establishing a Lodge was followed, and on November 13th, 1903 the Ulster Masonic Lodge, No. 2972, sponsored by the Commercial Travellers Lodge, No. 2795, and the Lodge of Erin, No. 2895, was consecrated in the Hotel Cecil, on the Strand, in the presence of a large gathering. The impressive ceremony was conducted by the Grand Secretary, V.W. Bro. Sir Edward Letchworh, F.S.A.

Amongst others, letters of regret were received from: Most W. Grand Master, H.R.H. the Duke of Connaught, K.G., R,W, Bro, His Grace, the Duke of Abercorn, K.P., Prov. G.M. of Derry and Donegal. The Earl Roberts, the Earl of Donoughmore, Lord George Hamilton, W.R. McConnell, K.C.

By all accounts, V.W. Bro. Rev. Canon Brownrigg P.G.C. gave an uplifting ovation.

By the original constitution, membership was open to men of Ulster birth, decent, ‘or connection’. This last stipulation qualified a few Englishmen who had business or family ties with Ulster, and these English brethren reportedly rendered useful service to the Lodge, particularly in its formative years.

As the Lodge grew, however, it was decided to take steps to ensure the distinctive Ulster character of the Lodge (one idea said to be in the minds of the founders was to preserve the Ulster dialect – and given the robust and thriving nature of that distinctive and lyrical brogue, this particular ambition has enjoyed outstanding success) and, with the approval of the Grand Lodge, the phrase ‘or residence’ was substituted for ‘or connection’. For some time following, membership was thus rigidly restricted to Ulstermen.

In 1993, however, a codicil was added to the by-laws, allowing that members not so qualified may be admitted, ‘if of Irish connection, or in some other manner favourably disposed toward the Province’.

The motives of the founders were pithily expressed by one, now unknown W.M on his installation:

‘It was their aim to make this Lodge a credit to English Masonry, and likewise a credit to our native province. For they never forgot that they were Ulstermen, and nor do we. They taught us by precept and example to carry the uplifting principles of our Order into all phases of our daily life, so that those who come into contact with us would be able to say: “We know these Ulstermen. We have communicated with them Masonically. They are good and worthy Masons. We have met them in every day affairs. They are upright and honourable citizens. They are worthy of our respect.” These are the ideals we strive to fulfil.’

And how far were those ideals realised? At the Lodge’s twenty-fifth anniversary, its semi-jubilee celebration, which was, incidentally, conducted under the mastership of W. Bro. Henry Lowry Spratt, a cousin of the principal founder, W. Bro. John B. Crowe, and represented the largest assemblage of Masons ever held under the auspices of the Lodge, the Grand Lodge itself offered the following observation, in the person of the late Rt. Hon, Lord Ampthill, G.C.I.E., G.C.S.I., M.A., D.L., Pro Grand Master:

‘The name Ulster appeals to me: it is synonymous with loyalty and patriotism. I have always regarded Ulster as representing everything that was good in manhood, honour and courage. The Ulster Lodge has been the means of bringing Ulstermen in London closer to their friends in Ulster. The founders have every reason to be pleased with its success. I do not hesitate to say that the English Constitution, cosmopolitan as it is, would not be complete without the Ulster Lodge.’

‘Ulstermen have been brought up on the principles of patriotism, of charity, and of comradeship. Apply these principles to your Masonry in the future as in the past, so that the Lodge may become more and more a source of strength, a credit and an honour to the whole of English Masonry.’

It became something of a tradition for the Lodge to hold an annual ladies’ festival, where brethren and their better halves would meet for a banquet and a dance, entirely divorced from normal Lodge activities. Only the intervention of the occasional World War interfered with these arrangements, and, though the practice has fallen into disrepair of late, we are hoping for a somewhat scaled down version of this occasion at some point during the coming year.

For many years, the lodge meetings were held in the Hotel Cecil, on the Strand, which was subsequently demolished to make way for Shell Mex House. Shortly after the First World War, Grand Lodge launched a ‘Million Memorial Fund’ for the purpose of erecting a national peace building, in memory of Brethren who fell in the war. A Lodge contributing a sum of ten pounds per member over a period of five years, qualified as a Hall Stone Lodge: brethren being awarded a commemoration medal and the Master a Hall Stone Jewel as collatette which he was entitled to wear at all Masonic meetings during his year of office. The Ulster Lodge elected to contribute, and the, then rather princely sum of £777 was duly subscribed.

As the Peace Memorial Temple, or Freemason’s Hall as it came to be known, neared completion, it was decided that the Ulster Lodge should apply for accommodation in the magnificent building.

Since the same idea doubtless occurred to most of the fifteen hundred and forty-two other London Lodges, the privilege of being able to meet in the Temple was highly prized, but obviously, many would have to be disappointed.

The problem was solved for the Ulster Lodge by the astute legal brain of the late W. Bro. Sir Robert McCall, K.C., P.M., and a member of the Grand Lodge. On his advice, by changing the day and hour of meeting in 1929, they were able to move into the Old Freemason’s Hall in Great Queen Street, so that when the Peace Memorial Temple was opened in 1933, as existing tenants, they passed automatically into the new premises, securing their headquarters in what is still believed to this day to be the greatest Masonic building in the world. As a further mark of respect for the Lodge’s reputation, the managers of the Connaught Rooms adjoining the Temple designated one of its banqueting rooms: ‘The Ulster Room’.

A centenary jewel can only be granted a Lodge if it has run uninterrupted for one hundred years, and despite the disruption of the two wars, and despite the dangers, the Ulster Lodge never abandoned a meeting, even when the bombing was at its most intense.

When the Grand Lodge, at the height of the Blitz, disapproved of evening meetings in Freemason’s Hall, the Lodge met at 11 a.m., and transacted their business, often to the accompaniment of anti-aircraft guns. On one occasion, a doodlebug passed directly overhead at the precise moment W. Bro. A. W. Bently, the W.M., was administering the obligation to a candidate. The ceremony is said to have proceeded without interruption, though it’s hard to imagine there were not at least one or two silent supplications for architectural intervention, and the bomb was heard to explode a short distance away, wreaking much damage, though not a pane of glass was broken in Freemason’s Hall. Though there is no record of any damage it might have caused to the assembled brethren’s laundry bills.

It is no easy matter to chart the history of the Ulster Lodge over, since the first thirty-eight years of its records were lost when the building in which they were stored was destroyed during the great raid on the City of London on the tenth of May, 1941, and this account is, therefore, unavoidably incomplete. I am indebted to the excellent author of the Jubilee Pamphlet, from which most of the facts in this account were derived, and whose modesty had deprived us all of the knowledge of his name.

I cannot conclude, however, without some mention of the Red Hand, since it appears on our coat of arms twice: the Lodge’s motto is: ‘Lamh dearg aboo’ which in English means: ‘The Red Hand forever.’ I believe a brief history of its origins appears in the summons, so I won’t elaborate any further on that, save to add this to the discussion on whether the hand should be dexter, or right as it is, or sinistre, or left, as some doubters maintain.

The following is accredited to John Vinycomb, a foremost authority in his day on Heraldic devices, and a resident of Ulster for many years:

The Red Hand of Ulster’s a paradox quite.
To Baronets ’tis said to belong;
If they use the left hand, they’re sure to be right,
And to use the right hand would be wrong.
For the Province, a different custom applies,
And just the reverse is the rule;
If you use the right hand, you’ll be right, safe and wise,
If you use the left hand, you’re a fool.