At the consecration on Tuesday 9th November 1921, there were 88 persons present at the Grand Hotel in Broadstairs. After the Chapter was opened the Grand Superintendent, E Comp Col. Fiennes Stanley Wykeham Cornwallis CBE, DL, JP occupied the First Principal’s chair. E Comp John White PAGS, Prov. G H occupied the second Principal’s chair and E Comp Lt Col. John Gibson Fleming Prov.G J occupied the Third Principal’s chair. Also in attendance were E Comp Maurice E Balston Prov. G Scr. E, E Comp James Edgar Prov. Scr. N and Alfred Ernest Hobbs JP PAGDC Prov.GDC. There followed an address from The Grand Superintendent and then the ceremony of consecration proceeded. E Comp John White installed the Principals of the Bradstow Chapter as follows: -E Comp Thomas Smith Setterefield as Z, E Comp Frederick William George Weeks as H and E Comp Albert Henry Hale as J. It was resolved that the Consecrating officers be elected Honorary members of the Chapter and the First Principal asked the Grand Superintendent to accept a replica of the Founders jewel which he graciously accepted.
After the Consecration membership grew rapidly. Meetings were held on Tuesdays in February, April, June and November (I) and dining took place at the Wilmot Hotel, which was situated near Morelli’s and where the second Principal was the Managing Director. Records show that at the first meeting after the consecration, there were two Exaltee's, both from the Bradstow Lodge and four Joining members mostly from the Thanet Chapter No 429. In fact, an emergency meeting was called in March and October 1922 to Exalt 3 further Bradstow Lodge members. After the first meeting the Chapter did not have a permanent Janitor, so they Exalted the Tyler of the Bradstow Lodge. Many of the Exaltee's were local shopkeepers. Five years later in November 1926, there had been an incredible 35 Exaltees and 7 joining members. With the loss of only one Founder the Chapter had reached a membership of 57. However as sometimes happens, in February 1927 it is recorded that 3 Founders resigned after the Installation meeting. One can only speculate on why that might be. By now dinner was served in the ante room. The Founder who departed this world was Companion F E Jarrett and at the next meeting the summons was printed in black rather than the usual red and the Companions requested to wear black ties, three black rosettes on their aprons and one on their sash. This was repeated for the other Founders who had passed to the Grand Lodge Above.
In 1928, the Chapter erected their own honours board as the one they were using was required by the Bradstow Lodge. A Chapter honours board was designed by Comp Ernest Barber who gave his services free of charge and made by Bro A W Martin of Ramsgate for £41/10/0. It was later recently extended thanks to E Comp Trevor Murcell again at no cost to the Chapter.
By 1932 of the original founders only E Comps Weeks as DC, Bing, Marsh as Treasurer, Rigden as First Principal and White, were still active members and continued to contribute for a number of years.
On 13th February 1934 it was resolved that the Chapter should meet on the second Wednesdays of January, March, May and November(I). it was also resolved that any member residing outside the Isle of Thanet could become a Country Member with a membership fee of 1 guinea. In 1938 Albert T Tucker one of the most notable of Bradstow Lodge brethren in more recent times became a member of the Chapter. At the start of the second world war Harry Rigden was the only Founder still active although the first Exaltee Frank Carey and the Janitor Archibald Bishop were still prominent members.
During the years of the second world war Alfred Thomas Gifford was First Principal 3 times. He had been Exalted into the Chapter in 1930. He is the uncle of our very own Dick Gifford. Unfortunately, the minute book for this period is lost, but the signing in book tells us that the meetings continued with as few as six or seven members present. In 1955 E Comp Gifford was the DC and the Reverend Ronald D’Esterre Meredith BD was the First Principal. He is well known to local more senior masons and would later become a craft and chapter Grand Officer and Provincial 3rd Principal. His photograph is in the bar pictured with another double Grand Officer Marco Trefoni Victor de Lucovich. He was known as “Luco” and was Exalted on 11th January 1956 and later had his SGC certificate presented by E Comp Percy Still. Broadstairs resident E Comp Percy Still PGScN was an honorary member but a regular attendee throughout the fifties and most of the sixties until he passed away in 1968. He was a founder of the Royal Masonic Hospital and I am reliably informed that when he was there later in his life he was so concerned about waste, he went around turning the lights off. In 1922 he was made joint Honorary Secretary, a position he held for 35 years. A new wing named after him opened in 1976.
In 1956 there were 47 members, none of whom were Founders, as Harry Rigden the last founder passed away in 1951. However, the first Exaltee Comp Francis George Carey was the longest serving member. Scribe E was Alfred Treasurer who has a connection with today’s Scribe E in that he was also a President of Thanet Wanderers Rugby Club. The following year he became Treasurer – strange that.
In 1967 it was agreed under “Luco” as MEZ that the office of Scribe N should be progressive as far as possible Being really radical, it was also proposed that meetings be moved to the fourth Saturday. Indeed, as the byelaws hadn’t been changed by the Installation meeting in November a dispensation had to be obtained to meet on a Saturday. New Principal’s robes were proposed and were made by the wife of Bro Anthony Clarke, who was rewarded in 1970 by becoming Companion Clarke. In 1968 the Chapter were dining following Installations at the Clarendon Hotel in the High St but agreed to remove the fish course to keep the cost down. In 1969 there was a hiatus as Supreme Grand Chapter stated it was not possible to install Comp Heath as J because at the time of his election, he was not an installed master, so a former MEZ became J. All was resolved the following year.
At a meeting in May 1971 the late lamented E Comp Robert Thomas Dew joined the Chapter and was soon promoted to ADC. The Chapter was booming with 64 members. In November 1975, decimalisation was evident as the subscription increased to £3.50, largely due to an increased rent. In 1974 the May meeting moved to April as the May meeting invariably clashed with the bank holiday. These meeting dates are still in effect. A quotation was obtained for PZ breast jewels at £17 each and four were purchased. Much of this information was gleaned from the minutes of the Lodge Committee meeting, which at that time were included in the minute book. By 1976 it was agreed that the PZ act as toastmaster at the Festive Board. In 1977 there were 66 members but only 25 attended the Installation meeting. The annual subscription had reached £5. In 1978 Richard Harold Smith, the designer of our banner was Exalted into the Chapter. In 1980 the Treasurer reported that 17 members had not paid their subscription and 7 were overdue for 2 years. Due to the efforts of the Treasurer, most paid up but 2 resigned and 3 were excluded. In 1981, E Comp Balderson presented the Chapter with a magnificent First Principal’s jewel for successive MEZs to wear during their year of office. In 1982 the yearly subscription was increased to £7.50. The membership had recovered to 59. There was a further hiatus for the Installation meeting in 1984 H & J were not installed as H Elect had decided not to go on and J had suffered a heart attack. At a subsequent meeting two members came off the subs bench and were Installed. In 1985 “Luco” had been appointed PGStB and was offered congratulations. In view of his long service in 1988 E Comp Ron Meredith by now a PAGSoj was made an Honorary Member. In 1989 W Bro Leslie Robinson became a Companion. He was well known for providing masonic information nationally for the blind on CDs. In 1990 annual subs were £15 and yet only 20 members were present at the Installation meeting. Five resignations and one death were reported. In 1991 due to a rent increase the subscription became £22. In 1993 Luco had been promoted to PAGSoj and Dick Smith was MEZ for a second time. E Comp Ron Meredith celebrated 5o years since his exaltation. Also, that year E Comp Ken Goulding explained that the future management of the Temple would be by a new “Leasehold agreement and Constitution” and he was elected to serve on the Temple management committee. E Comp Peter Boulton was elected as our first Trustee. E Comp Ken also produced his own “It is found” moment. Since 1987 the original Charter had been lost and a Charter of Confirmation had been issued by SGC as a replacement. By “providential means” E Comp Ken had been delivered of a parcel of old books which also contained the original charter, which is on display today. At the Installation meeting in 1998, E Comp Ron Meredith paid tribute to his fellow Chapter Grand Officer “Luco” who had passed away. E Comp Ron also passed away in 2004 after 61 years of Chapter membership.
The Chapter continued without real incident but in 2005 there were mandatory and permitted changes to the ritual. Most of these were accepted but reference to the Chapter not being part of the third degree was found to be unacceptable to a majority of companions. In 2006 E Comp Dick Smith was promoted to ProvGScrN. The First Principal’s jewel had been lost for some years, but E Comp Fred Shutler had an “It is found” moment in 2008 from a contact in Manston. In 2009 E Comp Keith Elgar visited the Chapter as the ProvDC escorting the Grand Superintendent. He so enjoyed the meeting he joined the Chapter and so began items of ritual now known as the “Elgar variations”. In 2011, E Comp Andrew Noble passed to the Grand Chapter above at a relatively young age. He had been our Scribe E for 16 years.
The Chapter like other masonic organisations has reduced in numbers over the last few years and currently stands at 35, but we have welcomed two joining members today and with three Exaltees in the pipeline the future looks bright.
Due to the untimely death of our Scribe E, E Comp Michael Henry Dunn in 2018 the minute book from 2013 onwards was lost. We are hoping for another “It I found” moment, but I would like to pay tribute to my predecessor for all the hard work he put into the early preparations for this event and for making my retirement an interesting one.
Peter Dickinson, Scribe E September 2021.