Letchworth Lodge 3503

The early part of the 20th Century had seen a great increase in military Brethren on the Rock mostly due to the recent Boar War but also to counter Germany’s Imperialistic ambitions in North and East Africa. With a significant rise in the military population, there was a demand for a Lodge to cater to this demographic.

Thus, on the 7th of January 1911, a group of Masonic brethren in Gibraltar, predominantly from Royal Lodge of Friendship No. 278, held a meeting at the Mediterranean Club to propose the formation of a new lodge.

Lt. Col. F.G. Edyvean, having been voted to the Chair, gave a brief account of the reasons for convening the meeting. The Letchworth Lodge was to be established to include:

1. Commissioned officers of the Navy and Army.
2. Principal and superior officers of the directing staff of Naval establishments at Gibraltar.
3. Members of the Eastern Telegraph Company (later to become Cable & Wireless).
4. Others of a similar social status (that of Officers who had entered the Services by direct Commission).

A petition was subsequently submitted to Grand Lodge for approval, and on 22nd March 1911, the District Grand Master of Gibraltar at the time, RW Bro Major T. F. Cooper, presided over the consecration of Letchworth Lodge No. 3503. The Consecration ceremony was held at the Assembly Rooms, Alameda Grand Parade, followed by a banquet in the evening at the Hotel Reina Cristina in Algeciras, Spain.

Selective Membership

Given the military activity of the time, the Gibraltar Naval Dockyard was expanded, and the Atlantic Fleet became permanently based on the Rock, causing the number of military officers stationed in Gibraltar to grow even further. Given the strict criteria for candidates of Letchworth Lodge No.3503 on which the Lodge was founded, certain measures were implemented to ensure only those deemed as sufficiently eligible could be admitted.

From the outset, therefore, the founders of the Lodge strived for this highly selective membership: aside from their agreement to only propose candidates meeting their criteria, they also adapted their by-laws so that each candidate for initiation was to be balloted separately. Additionally, only one black ball in the ballot was required to exclude, rather than the two black balls usually required to exclude in the other Lodges under the English Constitution.

Bright Beginnings

Letchworth Lodge No.3503 is steeped in history, even beginning with its name. This was adopted in honour of Bro. Letchworth, who served as Grand Secretary of the United Grand Lodge of England for many years prior to his death in 1910. Following the Consecration Ceremony, Bro. Major A. E. C. Keble R.A.M.C. was installed as First Worshipful Master of the Lodge.

In its early days, Letchworth Lodge became very popular with employees of the Eastern Telegraph Company based on Mount Pleasant. The early Lodge Minutes reveal a steady stream of initiates and joining members from the Eastern Telegraph Company that provided a permanent backbone of members to an otherwise fluid Military Lodge, especially during the First World War. Throughout the period encompassing the two World Wars Letchworth Lodge grew ever popular with Army Officers of the three Services and boasted a considerable membership. However, because of the short duration of service on the Rock, much of this membership consisted of non-resident members, as was the case with many Lodges in Gibraltar at the time.