History of the Lodge

Significant dates in the history of Lodge St. George No. 200 G.R.S.

August 1796 Purchase of Composite Tracing Board and Lodge Bible

6th April, 1797 Petition to Grand Lodge of Scotland for Charter.

7th August, 1797 Date of Charter from the Grand Lodge of Scotland. First Master Wor. Bro. John Fisher.

31 August 1812 Grant of plot of land by His Excellency, Sir James Cockburn for the purpose of erecting a Masonic Temple thereon.

28th December 1812 Ceremony of laying the foundation stone on this plot conducted by R.W. Bro. John Van Norden who opened a Grand Lodge for the purpose and acted as Grand Master.

8th July 1816 The Old State House (also known as the Sessions House and Courts of Justice) granted to Lodge St. George No. 266 by a Deed executed by (sic) His Excellency Sir James Cockburn, Bart., Governor and Commander-in-Chief.

7th August 1897 Celebration of the One Hundredth Anniversary of the granting of the Charter of the Lodge, in the Diamond Jubilee Year of Her Majesty Queen Victoria’s reign. A comemorative tablet was erected in the Lodge.

5th July 1916 Celebration of the One Hundreth Anniversary of the granting of the Lodge Building for Masonic purposes. The accrued rental of one hundred peppercorns was paid to the Governor and a souvenir pin, with a gold replica of a peppercorn mounted in it, was presented to him by a deputation of the Lodge.

June 1933 Visit of the Most Worshipful Grand Master Mason of Scotland, the Rt. Hon. The Lord Belhaven and Stenton, and the Right Worshipful Grand Secretary. He atended a meeting of the lodge and witnessed an exemplification of the Third Degree. A banquet was held at the St. George Hotel in honour of these distinguished visitors under the auspices of Lodge St. George, No. 00 and Lodge Civil & Military no. 726. It was attended by representatives of all Lodges in Bermuda.

24th August 1946 Visit by Bro. Harry S. Truman, 33rd degree Past Grand Master, State of Missouri, President of the United States of America.

7th August 1947 Celebration of the 15th Anniversary of the Grantin of the Charter.

24th November 1953 Visit of Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II and her Consort, Prince Philip, Duke of Deinburgh, to the Islands of Bermuda, on which the occasion the Royal Visitors signed the front piece of the Lodge Bible.

3rd march 1958 Visit of the Most Worshipful Grand Master of Scotland the Lord Bruce, and Grand Secretary, Bro.. A. F. Buchan.

10th December 1963 Visit of Lord Galloway, First Grand Principal of the Supreme Grand Royal Arch Chapter of Scotland.

10th November 1965 The Right Worshipful Grand Master Mason of Pennsylvania, Bro. Earl Herold, and Grand Lodge Officers of the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania made an official visit to Lodge St. George. It was the first occasion the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania made an official visit outside their own jurisdiction.

8th February 1966 and 21st February 1966 Visit to the Regular Meeting of Lodge St. George No. 200 by H.E. the Governor, Most Worshipful Brother, Lord Martonmere, P.G. Treasurer of the Grand Lodge of England. This was the first time a serving Governor of Bermuda had visited Lodge in over 150 years.

11th February 1968 Visit of the Most Worshipful Grand Master Mason of Scotland, Sir Roland Orr-Ewing, and Grand Secretary, Brother A. F. Buchan. The Grand Master presided over a Special Meeting of Lodge St. George No. 200 being “his oldest Lodge outside Scotland.”

21st October 1970 H.R.H. The Prince of Wales, Prince Charles, unveiled the plaque commemorating the 350th Anniversary of Bermuda and the restoration of the exterior of the Old State House. H.R.H. visited the Lodge Room, the first he had been in, commenting on the portrait of his great-grandfather, King Edward VII who was, at the time of the portrait, H.R.H. Prince of Wales and Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of England. Prince Charles also the Lodge Bible as had H. m. the queen and H.R.H. Prince Philip.

April 1971 At the last occasion on which He.E. the Governor Lord Martonmere demanded the Peppercorn Rent in St. George’s, the Lodge presented him with a silver trowel to mark the event.

13th May 1971 Visit of Bro. Lord Elgin & Kincardine, the MOst Worshipful Grand Master of Scotland and Bro. T. MacFarlane, Grand Secretary.

25th March 1974 Visit of the Most Worshipful Grand Master Mason of Scotland Bro. David Liddell-Grainer of Ayton, and Grand Secretary, Bro. E. Stuart Falconer.

June 1974 The Deeds to the new annex of the Lodge presented by the National Trust.

21st October 1981 Visit of Margaret Thatcher, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.

4th March 1986 Visit of Grand Master, Bro. Marcus Humphrey, to Bermuda to commemorate the Hundredth Anniversary of Lodge Civil & Military No. 726

8th May 1986 Visit of Lord Cornwallis, Pro-Grand Master of the United Grand Lodge of England.

10th April 1988 Visit of Bro.. Donald Reid, Depute First Grand Principal and Bro. T. McFarlane, ME Scribe E of the Supreme Grand Royal Arch Chapter of Scotland.

25th October 1989 Visit of Lord Gregor MacGregor of McGregor, Most Worshipful Grand Master and Bro. Arthur Hazel, Grand Secretary of the Grand Lodge of Scotland.

1st February 1990 Visit of Lord Donegal, Grand Master and Bro. Michael Walker, Grand Secretary of the Grand Lodge of Ireland.

16th March 1991 Visit by John Major, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.

7th October 1992 Visit of Bro. edgar W. Darling, Grand Master, and a deputation from the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts.

30th November 1996 Installation of Colin MacKenzie Curtis marked with parade of Masons from the Grand Lodges of Scotland, England, Ireland and new Jersey..

20th April 2016 Celebration of the two Hundredth Anniversary of the granting of the Lodge Building for Masonic purposes. The Most Worshipful Grand Master Mason of Scotland Charles I. R. Wolridge Gordon of Esslemont and Grand Secretary David M. Begg, C.A. visited for the occasion.