Socrates Lodge No 373
The petition to found Socrates Lodge is dated 5th August 1823 and as Huntingdon at that time was part of the Province of Cambridgeshire, it was assumed that some classical brethren from the University were responsible for the founding of the Lodge and for it’s name. However it would appear that these were wrong assumptions because the petition contains the names of 16 petitioners, only nine of them becoming actual founders. And they were of various occupations, none of them being apparent academics. Four of
The petition to found Socrates Lodge is dated 5th August 1823 and as Huntingdon at that time was part of the Province of Cambridgeshire, it was assumed that some classical brethren from the University were responsible for the founding of the Lodge and for it’s name. However it would appear that these were wrong assumptions because the petition contains the names of 16 petitioners, only nine of them becoming actual founders. And they were of various occupations, none of them being apparent academics. Four of
them were from Huntingdon, two from St Ives, two from Somersham and one from Fenstanton; they included two Surgeons, two Innkeepers a Banker, a Tailor, a Nurseryman and a merchant. Their Lodges were just as widely spread, covering Newark, Stamford, Gibraltar, Plymouth, London and Cambridge. It is from the latter that we may have a clue as to how the name was derived because two of the founders were members of the Lodge of Plato, No 549. Plato was influenced by Socrates and he took over his philosophical School when he died and although there is no written evidence, to substantiate the origin of the name, this is the only connection that we could find. It is interesting to note that while the petition recommended Bro Robert Fox to be the first master, Bro Henry Manning to be Senior Warden. And Bro Hillyard to be Junior Warden, the Warrant names Bro Phillip Gardener as Master, Bro R Fox as Senior Warden and Bro Manning as Junior Warden. As Bro Gardener was a Past Junior Grand Warden at the time it would appear the Grand Lodge was asserting it’s authority and quite rightly so because it later transpired the Bro Fox was not a Past Master at that time.
Socrates Lodge which had been allocated number 779 had it’s first meeting on 2nd Oct 1823 at the Fountains Inn, Huntingdon which was an inauguration not a Consecration as this latter ceremony was not adopted until the 1850’s. This inaugural Meeting was opened by Bro. Peter Gilkes a member of the Board of General Purpose and Finance. He Installed Bro Phillip Gardner as Master in the presence of only two past Masters, Bros. Harradine and Hillyard. The brethren were re admitted , the first officers appointed and invested, following which the Master initiated four candidates; a good evenings work! However, this was surpassed on 8th July 1826 and the records state that Bro Gilkes (By now V W Bro) visited the Lodge as Worshipful Master of Blackfriars Bridge Lodge No 266 (Now Cadogan Lodge No 162) and on that occasion gave the explanation of the three Tracing Boards, the orders of architecture, part of the first lecture and the Obligation in the Third Degree; obviously a man well versed in Masonic ritual.
There is also evidence of rapid promotion. Bro George Bushby White the third Worshipful Master, was initiated on the 14th October 1823, passed and raised in the November and December, appointed senior Warden in January 1824 and installed as Worshipful Master on 28th December 1824.
A notable joining member of the Lodge was Bro Charles Gordon, recorded in the minutes thus “Bro Charles Gordon, commonly called Lord Strathavon, aged 38 of Aboyne Lodge, Charleston, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, having been proposed as a joining brother, was balloted for and unanimously elected a member. Lord Strathavon, later to become Charles, 10th Marquess of Huntley, became Worshipful Master in 1832 and 1833 and in 1840 he became Provincial Grand Master of the combined province of Northamptonshire and Huntingdonshire. A post he held until his death in 1863. The Lodge was originally numbered 779. This was altered to No 511 in January 1833 and subsequently to 373 in July 1863.
It was not until 20th March 1934, that the Lodge members met in their own premises. Prior to that date it was in rooms in the local Hotels, the Fountain, the Crown and the George, apart from a few meetings at the Institute, now, The Commemoration Hall and the Court Hall (the Town Hall). Apart from a period of three years during the last war when the premises were occupied by the military, the Lodge has remained at The Priory to the present day.
For any further information contact the secretary;
Mr B E Bennett
Orchard End
King St
Wimblington
March
Cambs, PE15 0QF