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Our constitution
United Grand Lodge of England
Frankley Beeches Lodge No. 5846 is a Craft lodge warranted by the United Grand Lodge of England. UGLE describes itself as the home of Freemasonry in England, Wales, the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man and a number of Districts overseas. It is led by the Grand Master. Its headquarters are Freemasons’ Hall, 60 Great Queen Street, London WC2B 5AZ.
A short history
The first Grand Lodge, and the union of 1813
On St John’s Day, 24 June 1717, four London lodges met at the Goose and Gridiron Tavern in St Paul’s Churchyard, declared themselves a Grand Lodge and elected Anthony Sayer as their first Grand Master. The United Grand Lodge of England records this as the first Grand Lodge in the world, and as the origin of the present United Grand Lodge.
A rival Grand Lodge appeared in London in 1751. The two united on 27 December 1813 to form the United Grand Lodge of England. English Freemasonry’s home has been on Great Queen Street since 1775.
UGLE says its guiding principles are Integrity, Friendship, Respect and Service, and that membership is open to men over 18 from all backgrounds. How that works at this lodge is on the joining page.
The building
Freemasons’ Hall, London
Freemasons’ Hall stands at 60 Great Queen Street, London WC2B 5AZ, near Holborn and Covent Garden. The site has been used for Masonic meetings since 1775. The present building, the third on the site, was constructed between 1927 and 1933 as a memorial to members who died in the First World War, and was for many years called the Masonic Peace Memorial. UGLE describes it as an Art Deco building and as the headquarters of the United Grand Lodge of England.
The hall is open to visitors. Times are published by UGLE and do change, so check the visit page before travelling. The address and telephone published by UGLE are Freemasons’ Hall, 60 Great Queen Street, London WC2B 5AZ, and 020 7831 9811.
Principal officers
Who leads Grand Lodge
These are the Grand Master, the Pro Grand Master, the Deputy Grand Master and the Assistant Grand Masters, as named on UGLE’s governance page. The Pro Grand Master acts for the Grand Master when Royal duties supervene. Other rulers, including the President of the Board of General Purposes and the Grand Secretary, are on that same page. This site does not use the United Grand Lodge’s logo.
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HRH The Duke of Kent KG, GCMG, GCVO, ADC
Grand Master
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Jonathan Spence, DL
Pro Grand Master
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Sir Michael Snyder
Deputy Grand Master
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Steven Varley
Assistant Grand Master
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John Paul Thompson
Assistant Grand Master
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Charles Hopkinson-Woolley
Assistant Grand Master
Names and titles are taken from UGLE Governance.
United Grand Lodge of England · Current Grand Officers and rulers
Sources
- ugle.org.uk, including where UGLE works and who may join.
- History of Freemasonry, for 1717, 1751, 1775, 1813 and the hall.
- Freemasons’ Hall, for 60 Great Queen Street, London WC2B 5AZ.
- Get in touch, for the published telephone.
- UGLE Governance, for the principal officers.
A lodge in that constitution
Frankley Beeches meets in Kings Heath, in the Province of Worcestershire. If you would like to know about joining this lodge, start with a conversation.