The Original Coat of Arms

In February 1875, a petition in prescribed form was signed by 29 Masons and was presented to the Most Worshipful Grand Master, His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales for a Warrant of Constitution for a new Lodge to be Named the “Alexandra Palace Lodge” to meet at the Alexandra Palace, Muswell Hill, London N. This petition was recommended by the Master and Wardens of the Royal Somerset House and Inverness Lodge No. 4 and was approved on the 16th April 1875. The Lodge was Consecrated with fitting ceremonial at the Alexandra Palace on the 17th July 1875 by W. Bro John Hervey, Grand Secretary and other Grand Lodge brethren. Bro. J.C. Parkinson was the first Master. The lodge continued to meet at Alexandra Palace for some years but on September 20th 1882 an application was made to the Grand Master that, in future, the Lodge be allowed to meet in the city of London. On the 12th April the next year permission was granted to meet at the Imperial Hotel, Holborn Viaduct in the City of London. Subsequently the meetings were held at the Gaiety Restaurant and remained there until 1911. Other venues followed including the Abercorn Rooms of the Great Eastern Hotel, the Café Monico where they met until 1940. Later still the Lodge met at the Charing Cross Hotel in the Strand and the Café Royal; Colonial House, Mincing Lane; The National Liberal Club and until the end of 2014 at The Worshipful Company of Butchers. From January 2015 we met at The Information Technologists Hall 39, Bartholomew Close, just round the corner from Butchers' Hall. However, facilities to meet there changed and from October 2016 we are meeting at Mark Masons' Hall 86, St James's Street, London.

A very significant Freemason of this Lodge was Charles Drummond who was Secretary between 1905 and 1929. Not only was he the Secretary of Alexandra Palace Lodge but two other London Lodges during this period. In order to recognise his stalwart work for the three Lodges the three, Alexandra Palace, Saint Bride(*) and Horus agreed a reciprocal resolution that the Worshipful Master for the time being becomes an honoured guest of the other two. This has been maintained ongoing.
(*) On the 27th January  2007 the St. Bride Lodge was formally Amalgamated with this Lodge and the Warrant of the former Lodge transferred into the safe keeping of Alexandra Palace Lodge.

The Lodge became a Hall Stone Lodge in January 1929 having raised £808.10s towards the building of Freemasons’ Hall, which is a memorial to the thousands of gallant Brethren who sacrificed their lives during the first world war.

The first Bible was presented to the Lodge at its Consecration on which Obligations were taken until 1946 when it was replaced by the exquisite Volume produced and presented by the late Bro. George Marshall.

A Banner was presented to the Lodge in 1907 but was superseded by a Memorial Banner which was the gift of five First World War Masters.

The Tyler’s Sword was presented to the Lodge in 1955 (through W. Bro. Len Brown) by Major General A. Snelling CB; CBE. It was the surrender sword he received from the Japanese Commander when the 19th Allied Infantry Division crossed the Irrawaddy River at Kyank Myaung, Burma, in 1945. He made this one stipulation, that “the blade of this sword should never be cleaned as it is stained by the blood of British Soldiers”. This stipulation forms part of the ceremony on every occasion of the Tyler being invested at the Installation meeting.

The Lodge celebrated its Centenary on Thursday the 17th July 1975 with a dispensation of the Most Worshipful Grand Master for a meeting at Freemason’s Hall Great Queen Street, the guest of honour being Very Worshipful Bother John Bradburn, Grand Registrar and other Grand Officers. The Centenary four course Banquet afterwards for 123 brethren was held at the Connaught Rooms.

At its consecration the Lodge had 29 members and in the centenary year could boast 66, 4 of which were Joining Members.

A fuller version of the history is available HERE.