Sarah,That was quite a find...a pile of Masonic regalia etc..and as you say the activities of lodges seem mainly for charitable and fellowship benefits. The ceremonies and mild strictures do seem to be a bit binding though..and cloaked in some secrecy. Forum readers aren't exactly falling over themselves to throw any light on local happingings are they?. Those items must have been worth a few bob Sarah as I understand members have to pay for all the kit and some of it must be rare and perhaps historic. Gloves and aprons and banners no doubt...(no not daggers and handcuffs!!)Some say that freemasonry holds the country ..and perhaps the world... together! Wow! Members are recruited from the shop floor and from all echelons of Society..even Royalty..although the current Royal family seem a bit cool on freemasonry so I read. Maybe I'm wrong!In 1782 the Duke of Cumberland, grandson of George II,became the first royal Grand Master of the UK branch.Monarchs King George IV, King William IV King Edward VII King Edward VIII and King George VI followed.In his book, "The Brotherhood", Stephen Knight, describes how George 6th (The Grand Master and a keen Mason and who died in 1952) didn't like the idea of his daughter Princess Elizabeth (HM The Queen)marrying someone who wasn't a Mason and who didn't want to become a Mason!! The Duke of Edinburgh relunctantly joined but has stayed on the lower rungs of the ladder...so I read. I gather that the Earl of Scarbourgh was Grand Master from 1952 to 1966.What is locally historic and newsworthy (perhaps!) is that in 1966 it was decided to approach the 30 year old Duke of Kent to become Grand Master. At the time he was serving as a Major in the Royal Scots Greys stationed at Hounslow Barracks!! Today, the Duke of Kent is still the top man in this organisation with 700,000 member in the UK. Surely there must by some in Brentford during this new age of transparency!
Jim Lawes ● 5518d