Friendly Lodge with International flavour. Lots of socials with a formal meeting on a Saturday in Jan, Apr, May and Oct at Surbiton.
MIDDLE AGES
​
The questions of when, how, why and where Freemasonry originated are still the subject of intense speculation. The general consensus amongst Masonic scholars is that it descends directly or indirectly from the organisation of operative stone masons who built the great cathedrals and castles of the middle ages.
1646
​
Elias Ashmole recorded his initiation with these words:
'October 16, 4.30pm - I was made a freemason at Warrington in Lancashire with Colonel Henry Mainwaring [a Roundhead parliamentarian friend related to his father-in-law] of Karincham in Cheshire. The names of those that were then at the Lodge, Mr Richard Penket Worden, Mr James Collier, Mr Richard Sankey, Henry Littler, John Ellam, Richard Ellam and Hugh Brewer.'
This is the first evidence of the initiation of an English speculative mason - notwithstanding the fact that those present and listed would have certainly been initiated at an earlier date.
1660
From the 1660s more evidence exists of gentlemen being made Masons in non-operative Lodges.
​
1717
On 24 June 1717 four London Lodges, which had existed for some time, came together at the Goose and Gridiron Tavern in St Paul’s Churchyard, declared themselves a Grand Lodge and elected Anthony Sayer as their Grand Master. This was the first Grand Lodge in the world.
a
