History of Hanwell Lodge

The formation of the Hanwell Lodge was first discussed at a meeting held at The Park Hotel, Church Road, Hanwell called by Bro. J. J. Lynch on 2nd. January 1924, attended by a number of local Freemasons. At the second meeting of the proposed founders on 6th. January, 1924, it was recommended that the Lodge, if formed, should qualify to become a Hall Stone Lodge, which was in fact subsequently carried into effect.

As early as the 1st. February the names of 10 gentlemen who were desirous of becoming Initiates of the proposed Lodge were received. Since the Consecration there have been 224 Initiates and 37 Joining members. The Petition to Grand Lodge was signed on 22nd. February, 1924 and was sponsored by the Horsa Dun Lodge No. 3123, duly presented and the Warrant of the Most Worshipful Grand Master H.R.H The Duke of Connaught and Strathearn, K.G., was granted.

Much of the Lodge furniture was presented, the most interesting of which was the Master’s chair which was formerly used by the Chairman of the Hanwell Urban District Council before it’s absorption into the Borough of Ealing who presented it. The Wardens chairs were given by Mrs. Toley in memory of her late husband, W. Bro. A. Toley, the first Treasurer of the Lodge. These chairs continued to be used until the management of The Park Hotel provided a Master’s and two Wardens’ chairs in 1949. It was then decided to present the Masters chair suitably inscribed to W. Bro. J. J. Lynch.   Following the death of W. Bro. J. J. Lynch, the chair was handed back to the Lodge.

Other gifts to the Lodge include a set of three oak gavels made from the old Gospel Oak which grew near Boston Manor Station. These were presented by W. Bro. J. J. Lynch.  A Heavy Maul The Park Hotel, Church Road, W7       was presented by W. Bro. C. K. W. Neale and a box of Working tools were presented by                                                                                 W. Bro. R. H. Byford.

In the early years the December and February, meetings were non-dining but were sometimes followed by light refreshments at a cost of five shillings, (25p) per head.  It is interesting to note that the February meeting in 1926 which tyled at 5pm. was followed by a Ladies Festival at 7pm. Tickets were priced at one pound for dinner, concert and dancing.

The Hanwell Chapter, No. 4676, was Consecrated on 22nd. April, 1932, at Freemasons Hall. W. Bro. F. W. J. Sheath, who was the first Master of the Lodge, was invested as the first M. E. Z. of the Chapter.

The Meetings of Hanwell Lodge were held at the Park Hotel from 1925 until March, 1969 when due to future uncertain reservation dates, the Lodge moved to the Park Royal Hotel, W5, on the Western Avenue. During this period the Park Hotel was demolished and the meetings of the Hanwell Lodge of Instruction moved to The Viaduct Inn, Uxbridge Road, Hanwell

After the closure of the King Edward Memorial Hospital, Mattock Lane, W13, a number of buildings once belonging to the hospital became available. One of those buildings in Churchfield Road was considered for use as a Masonic Centre.  Hanwell Lodge became one of the Founder Lodges. The West London Masonic Centre was dedicated by R. W. Bro. The Rt. Hon. Lord Farnham, Assistant Grand Master on 8th. September 1983.

No. 1 Room	Entrance

West London Masonic Centre, Churchfield Road, Ealing, London W13

Hanwell’s connection with other Lodges

The design on the Lodge badge is similar to the pattern on the Past Masters Jewels of the Horsa Dun Lodge depicting the Saxon brooches found buried in ancient graves at Hanwell.

The Lodge supported the Petition of the West Twyford Coronation Lodge No. 5674 which was Consecrated on 11th. October 1937.  After a meeting at the Park Hotel, it was agreed that W. Bro. T. W. Acton would be Founding Director of Ceremonies of The West Twyford Coronation Lodge.

A Petition supporting the Phoenix Lodge of Hanwell No. 7317 was signed on 13th. November, 1953.  The Phoenix Lodge of Hanwell had five founder members from Hanwell Lodge :-  W. Bros. H. J. Bolton, C. W. K. Neale, W. T. Harding, F. W. Newton and Bro. R. A. Joyce.  In addition, there were also three Past Masters :-W. T. Harding, 1978, H. J. Bolton,  1983 & 1984 and E. J. Plunkett, 1979.

The Alperton Lodge, No. 5548 (now Province of Middlesex), founded 25th. October 1935, had W. Bro. F. Marks as Master Designate, Bro. P. G. Hunt as S. W. Designate and W. Bro. F. Toley as Acting I. P. M.

HANWELL'S GOSPEL OAK (Extract from Middlesex County Times)

Not far from Boston Manor District Railway Station, just within the boundary of the Parish of Hanwell, there stands an old and withered oak.

Today it bears no foliage:

Apparently it is dead but for centuries it has stood there, a convenient landmark between the boundaries of the parishes of Hanwell and Brentford. It is, however something more than a boundary mark; it is one of the two Gospel Oaks in Greater London whose identity survived until the present time. The other is at Gospel Oak, Hampstead. In olden times there was a Gospel Oak in many, if not all, the parishes, for beneath these trees was carried out one of those customs which the Christian Church inherited and adapted from pagan times. At the festival of Amborvallia the Romans would make a procession of their fields and invoke the blessing of Ceres, the Goddess of Corn, on their crops. Quite early in the Christian era this custom was adapted by the Church, and on one of the Rogation days. In latter times on Rogation Sunday, the Sunday before Ascension Day, the clergy and people of the parish would make a round of the parish for the dual purpose of calling upon the Divine blessing for the crops and to "preserve in all classes of the community a correct knowledge of due respect for the bounds of the parochial and private property."  Beneath a suitable oak tree on the bounds of the parish the procession would halt and the rector or curate, would hold a short service of thanksgiving,  invocation and blessing.

The fields in which the Gospel Oak stood at Hanwell and those adjoining it, fell out of cultivation several years before the war but were turned into allotments during the war.  In 1917, the custom of holding a service beneath the Gospel Oak was revived with most of the clergy and ministers of the Hanwell churches taking part in the service and procession in that year.  In the following year the Rev. J. Brown Logie conducted a service beneath the oak on Rogation Sunday but since then the custom again been allowed to lapse.  In view of the fact that these fields will probably be built over in the course of few years the Ealing Town Council has agreed to affix a plaque to the railings which border the road, to commemorate the fact that this was the spot at which the old custom, was carried out.

Reprinted from " The Middlesex County Times May 5th 1928

Home page        Members        Family Ties        Meetings