The following address was compiled by W.Bro. Peter Dack and presented by Bro. John Hastie on the occasion of the 80th Anniversary of Mercury Lodge.
Worshipful Master, Brother Wardens and Brethren All.
The 17th September 2003 marked the 80th anniversary of the date of issue of our warrant and it is my honour to celebrate that milestone by giving a brief overview of the early years of the formation of Mercury Lodge.
Material for this paper has been obtained from the ‘History of the First Fifty Years’ by W.Bro’s. Mettam and Strain, both Past Masters of this Lodge; this has also been supported by material obtained from the archives of the Library at Great Queen Street.
The post war years of the early 1920’s had seen a number of advances in both aeroplane and aero-engine design and manufacture; the structure of the armed forces and civil servant departments also changed to support these advances.
The department of Military Aeronautics, the War Office and the Admiralty Air Department were amalgamated to form the Air Ministry in London. The Royal Flying Corps and the Royal Naval Air Services joined to form the Royal Air Force; and the Royal Aircraft Factory at Farnborough was renamed the Royal Aircraft Establishment, know affectionately to the majority of us as the RAE.
A department set up by the War Office in 1913 and based at Farnborough, but not part of the then Factory, was the Aeronautical Inspection Department, later to become a Directorate. This organisation is of particular interest to Mercury Lodge as one of our foremost founders V.W.Bro. Brigadier General Bagnall-Wild CBE became its Director, and in 1921 he became the Director of Research at the Air Ministry in London. It was the foresight of V.W.Bro. Bagnall-Wild that envisaged a lodge at Farnborough that could bring together the particular ‘factions’ of the Aeronautical design and manufacturing bases at London and Farnborough.
V.W.Bro. Bagnall-Wild was a London Mason, initiated into Middlesex Lodge No.143 in 1912. In 1914 he became a joining member of Aldershot Army and Navy Lodge No.1971. In 1917 he was elected Deputy Master of that Lodge due to the fact that HRH the Duke of Connaught and Strathearn, the then Grand Master was ‘Master of that Lodge’, therefore a deputy was appointed.
In 1917 V.W.Bro. Bagnall-Wild signed as WM, together with the Senior Warden and Junior Warden of Aldershot Army and Navy Lodge the petition for formation of Ad Astra Lodge No.3808 in London, which V.W.Bro. Bagnall-Wild served as Master for two years.
Spurred on by the success of Ad Astra, V.W.Bro. Bagnall-Wild initiated the formation of another lodge, this time at Farnborough to, as we have already mentioned, bring together the London and Farnborough elements of the aeronautical industry.
V.W.Bro. Major Bulman CBE, another of our Founders, describes this coming together as quite unique, he informs us that:
"Masonic Lodges are usually created by a number of Brethren anxious to cement their existing association in a common interest or profession".
He continues that (and I quote):
"Mercury Lodge must be almost, if not entirely, unique in that it was intended deliberately to cope with a feud between two important sections of Scientific and Engineering personnel respectively at the Royal Aircraft Establishment at Farnborough and the Air Ministry in London linked for a common purpose, the Research and Development of Aircraft for the Royal Air Force and Civil use".
At this time, the early 1920’s, the prime lodge at Farnborough was Farnborough and North Camp N0.2203, and this lodge, it was believed, was becoming too large to cope with its ever-growing membership.
These various reasons collimated in the petition for warrant of a new lodge, which was signed by 22 brethren, a 23rd signature was withdraw from the petition with no reason given. Of the 22 petitioners 7 were subscribing members of Ad Astra Lodge and 5 of Farnborough and North Camp Lodge. 7 of the brethren had been initiated by Farnborough and North Camp. Of the 22, 2 were reigning Masters of Ad Astra and Middlesex Lodge. There were also two Past Masters of Ad Astra Lodge plus three other Past Masters. The petition was signed in open lodge on the 16th May 1923 by the Master and Wardens of Farnborough and North Camp Lodge.
Due to the passing of the Provincial Grand Master, R.W.Bro. Sir Augustus F Webster earlier in the year, the petition was approved and signed by the Deputy Provincial Grand Master of Hampshire and Isle of Wight, W.Bro. Giles on the 7thSeptember 1923.
Mercury Lodge was consecrated on 17th December 1923 at the Tumble Down Dick Hotel, Farnborough. The significance of our consecration date (17th December 1923) can now be revealed. It was exactly 20 years to the day that the first powered flight by the Wright Brothers had taken place. The date chosen for a lodge with such aeronautical connections was most apt, however it appears to have been purely coincidental.
A letter discovered in the archives of Grand
Lodge gives an in-sight into Mercury’s formation, it is written by the then
‘Acting Secretary to the Founders’ Bro. Cedric Howarth, who was to become our
first Secretary…I hope you agree with me it is worthwhile reading. The
letter is dated 23rd May 1923, and is from Bro Cedric Howarth to R.W.Bro. Sir Augustus F. Webster Provincial Grand Master
Hampshire and Isle of Wight.
Dear Sir and R.Wor. Brother. The question of, the need of
the support likely to be obtained and the future life of the lodge, was
thoroughly discussed by the Founders and responsible members of the Air
Ministry for at least six months, before applying for forms of petition and
another six months have been spent in forming same, during which time the brethren
in the district have been sounded and we are of the opinion, that if the
warrant is granted the Lodge will have a successful career. The transferring of staff of
the Directorate of Research to Farnborough, has separated the masons of that
staff from their lodges and now that the Royal Aircraft Establishment is being
placed on a post-war basis it is becoming more difficult to get time off to
attend masonic duties and a lodge which can meet at such time as not to
interfere with factory hours is very desirable. The lodge is primarily for
employees of the R.A.E. but to include also members of His Majesty’s Air
Ministry and Royal Air Force. There being only one Past
Master in the R.A.E. we have invited that worthy brother W.Bro. Eason to be the Worshipful Master Designate.Our other Past Masters are drawn from the
Head Quarters Staff, all of whom are in close touch with the factory and often
down here. There is a staff of at least
300 and a works of 800 in the factory alone, so there is ample people to keep
the Lodge working. The question of forming the
Lodge has been discussed by the Reference Committee of the local lodge the
Farnborough and North Camp Lodge No.2203 which committee I attend and placed
before them the views of the Founders, which views they support and several of
the Past Masters pointed out the question of the large size of the present
lodge(No.2203) and the lack of
accommodation for such numbers. At the meeting on Wednesday
16th May 1923 after open discussion, the petition was supported by a
unanimous vote. Among our Founders is
included the Reverent F.S.Hickin Past Master No.1174 Past Provincial Grand
Chaplain Kent. Our order being of such
a religious nature, we feel that the presence of a Chaplain is very necessary. I sincerely hope R. Wor. Sir
that you will give the petition your support and shall be pleased to supply any
further information you may desire. Believe me to be,
R.Wor. Sir. Yours faithfully and
fraternally. That petition was supported and dare I say the rest is history. Mercury
Lodge had the honour of itself sponsoring another Lodge. In the 1960’s
Masons from Boscombe Down joined forces with Mercury Lodge to form our Daughter
Lodge, Ariel Lodge No.8166. Arial hold
their regular meetings at the Masonic Temple Andover, and to this day Mercury
and Arial Lodges enjoy reciprocal visits. The
Member’s of Mercury Lodge owe a great debt of gratitude to our 22 Founding
Members, without their foresight and ingenuity we would not be here today. The names of our distinguished Founders and
Past Masters are too numerous to mention within the time we have tonight. I will however direct your attention to our honours board
in the south-west of the Lodge Room
Worshipful Master and Brethren thank you for your attention. © All Rights Reserved
Please find enclosed
petition for new Craft Lodge at Farnborough duly signed.
Cedric Howarth.
Acting Secretary to the Founders.
Mercury Lodge No.4581
2008