Freemasonry in
              Scarborough

 

 

Star-in-the-East Lodge No. 95

Consecrated on the 17th November 1866 at the Masonic Room in the coach yard of the Old Globe Inn. The Consecrating Officer was Very Worshipful Brother Frederick Binckes, Grand Secretary. 

Meet 4th Fri Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May and Oct.
Secretary
37A West Park Ave
Scarborough YO12 6HH

After 1791, when The Old Globe Lodge obtained a Warrant from the Grand Lodge of the Antients, there were references in their minute book and records to Royal Arch Masonry and to the Order of Knight Templars. There is, prior to the formation of the Star-in-the-East Lodge, only one direct reference to Mark Masonry in Scarborough. This is in a minute dated 24 February 1802.

The Star-in-the-East Lodge of Mark Master Mason No. 95 was consecrated on the 17 November 1866 at the Masonic Room in the coach yard of the Old Globe Inn. Despite the fact that only two of the five founders had been advanced in a regular Mark Lodge a Warrant of Constitution was granted to the five petitioners 15 November 1866. The Consecrating Officer, Very Worshipful Brother Frederick Binckes, Grand Secretary of the Order had travelled from London to perform the ceremony. He chose the remainder of his "Consecration Team" from the five founders and the three visitors present at the meeting. After the Consecration Ceremony the Grand Secretary installed the first Master, Bro. William Foster Rooke, the officers being appointed and invested as far as attendance would allow. The Star-in-the-East Lodge still preserves W.Bro. Rooke's certificate of advancement. 

At the second meeting held on the 28 November 1866 two candidates were advanced and a further eleven proposed. Nine of these were advanced at the third meeting on the 20 December 1866, including Bro. Harcourt Johnson who was later to inherit the title of Lord Derwent.

The By Laws provided for meetings to be held on the 4th Wednesday in the months of January, February, March, April, May, June, October and November and in December on one of the first three evenings after the third Wednesday. That an annual payment of ten shillings be paid to the Secretary, Registrar of Marks and the Organist and a payment of two shillings and sixpence per meeting to the Tyler. The advancement fee was fixed at one guinea and the annual subscription was ten shillings and sixpence. Provision was made for fines to be levied for unmasonic conduct, disturbing the peace and harmony of the meeting and for persistent offender's exclusion. At the May meeting in 1900 it was agreed that the lodge meet on the fourth Friday of the month instead of the fourth Monday, a day the lodge had apparently changed to after the formation of the Leopold Lodge. It had become customary at the May meeting each year to pass a resolution cancelling the June meeting, for which they were reprimanded by the Provincial Grand Secretary for not conforming to the By Laws. In 1922 the December meeting was dropped. The By Laws were revised in 1926 when the pattern of meetings which still appertain today was adopted. The present By Laws were adopted on the 26 May 1964. 

The second Master, installed 27 November 1867, was John Woodall Woodall a Past Master of the Old Globe Lodge and one of the most active Freemasons Scarborough has ever known. After the installation ceremony six candidates were advanced. At the meeting on the 14 November 1869 W.Bro. W. H. Smythe, the Deputy Provincial Grand Master (craft), and W.Bro. E. Luccock Provincial Senior Grand Warden, of the Province of Lincolnshire, were elected and advanced. W.Bro. Smythe was later promoted to Provincial Grand Master of Lincolnshire, a position he held until 1895.

In 1866 the Grand Mark Lodge had 94 Lodges on its roll, only four of which met in the County of Yorkshire. There was a Mark Lodge attached to the Union Lodge No. 504 (now York Lodge No. 236) which refused to own allegiance to the Grand Mark Lodge claiming that they were descended from a former Grand Lodge "The Grand Lodge of All England" at York a much older body than our present Grand Mark Lodge. They were eventually given the title "York T.I."

The minutes of October 1869 refer to the second master W.Bro John Woodall Woodall, as Grand Master Overseer, the first member of the Lodge to gain Grand Mark Lodge rank.

In March 1870, Bro. John Parker was expelled for having been convicted for the crime of forgery. In the minutes of the meeting of February 1871 there is the only record of a Candidate being blackballed. W.Bro G. Knight, Master of Old Globe in 1866, after a dispute with the lodge resigned and subsequently became a founder member of the Denison Lodge. At that time the Star-in-the-East was almost entirely composed of members of the Old Globe Lodge, and no doubt they took exception to his attempt to join Mark Masonry. John Wordsworth, Deputy Provincial Grand Master Mark Mason of the Province of Yorkshire West Riding visited the Lodge on the 22 October 1872. He was the father of Sir William Wordsworth who lived in Scalby. On Sir Williams death his executors gave John Wordsworth's Masonic Regalia and extensive collection of Masonic Charity Jewels and Rosettes to the Denison Lodge to be disposed of by sale or retained as Masonic Museum exhibits.

Mark Masonry in Scarborough dropped to its lowest ebb in 1874 with an average attendance at the ordinary meetings of ten. The Master for 1879, W.Bro. J. Middleton was more active and for the six years he was to remain in Scarborough the average built up to sixteen, in fact by 1885 the average attendance rose to eighteen. By this time the Masonic Bodies meeting in the Old Globe Inn, after a spell at the Londesborough Rooms, acquired the building, with club facilities, in which we now meet. That, together with the fact that the Mark Province of Yorkshire North and East Ridings was formed in 1881 with John Woodall Woodall, a member of Star-in-the-East, as Provincial Grand Master encouraged interest in Mark Masonry. In 1910 attendance's again began to decline falling to its lowest ebb during the 1914-1918 War. From 1921 interest in Mark Masonry gradually increased with a similar increase throughout the Province with several new lodges being consecrated. 

The first record of a ladies evening is contained in the minutes of 25 February 1921 when the question of wearing Masonic clothing at a Whist Drive and Dance at the Manor Hotel, now the St. Nicolas Hotel, was referred to the Provincial Grand Secretary for advice. A second ladies evening was held in February 1922. On this occasion a complaint was received from the Provincial Grand Secretary saying the Provincial Grand Master did not approve of the Whist Drive and Dance being advertised in the local press. It was not until 1946 that the practise of holding a regular Ladies Evening began.

The lodge attained its 50th anniversary in November 1916 the event passing unnoticed in the Lodge records. It was not until May 1932 that the members considered commemorating the event by wearing a "Jubilee Jewel". Permission was sought from Grand Mark Lodge and in May 1933 thirty-five Jewels were purchased at a cost of twelve shillings each.

Whilst the allocation of "Cypher Marks" given to candidates for advancement came into general use in 1934, there are a number of examples of this type of Mark in the lodge records dating back to 1890.

The minutes of 23 January 1948 record the receipt of a revised Mark Ritual, which the Worshipful Master proposed should be adopted by the Star-in-the-East lodge. On 27 February 1948 this proposition was carried. A copy of the old ritual is preserved in the lodge archives.

A meeting was held on 31 of October to discuss the subject of forming a second Mark lodge. Out of the 119 recorded members only twenty-five attended the meeting. Two Grand Mark lodge officers were also present. 

After a great deal of discussion, because of the low turn out, it was decided to hold a postal ballot of the membership. The result of this ballot was unfavourable and it was resolved that no further action would be taken. The centenary Celebrations of the lodge were held in the Grand Hotel on Thursday 17 November 1966. Forty-three members and thirty-two visiting brethren assembled in the Sea View Lounge for the ceremony. The Right Worshipful Provincial Grand Master, Sir William Crosthwaite presented the Centenary Warrant to the Worshipful Master. After closing the lodge seventy-one members assembled in the South Lounge for the Centenary Dinner.