Our History

The Old Chelmsfordian Lodge was the idea of W Bro G W Baker, who, in 1934, was the acting Head of King Edward VI Grammar School, Chelmsford. He wrote to a number of Old Boys, suggesting that a lodge be founded whose membership should be restricted to Old Chelmsfordians, staff and governors of the School. There was a good response, and so a petition was presented to Grand Lodge, sponsored by the Lodge of Good Fellowship No 276.

The Lodge was duly consecrated on 13 October 1934. The first Master was W Bro H G Cobb.

On 26 September 1937 all the Old Boys’ Lodges in Essex met, in the presence of the then Provincial Grand Master, to receive a lecture on Freemasonry in the Holy Land, from W Bro C W Cowell. This was the inaugural meeting of the Federation of Essex Old Boys’ Lodges, of which The Old Chelmsfordian Lodge has been an active member ever since.

During WWII the Lodge carried on, though touched by tragedy when a bomb struck the home of W Bro J O Thompson, the then Mayor of Chelmsford, and who had been Master in 1936. He and several members of his family were killed.

In 1958 W Bro Gordon Couzens became Secretary and held that Office for twenty six years. In 1984, in celebration of our 50th anniversary he presented the Lodge with our banner, which was designed and made by his wife, Mary.

By 1990 it was realised that there was no longer a steady stream of candidates coming forward, and it was reluctantly decided to “open” the Lodge to members with no connection to the School. This proved the right move, and the Lodge is prospering. However, it should be said that although it is now an open Lodge, a goodly number of those who have joined since 1990 are Old Chelmsfordians, and the Lodge retains its ties with the other Essex Old Boys Lodges.

The Old Chelmsfordian Lodge was one of the fourteen lodges which founded the Federation of School Lodges in 1947 and was represented at the Consecration of the newest Old School Lodge, The Bradfordians Lodge No 9886, in 2013.

The Old Chelmsfordian Lodge meets at Freemasons’ Hall, Rainsford Road, Chelmsford on the second Saturday of February, March, May, October (Installation) and December.

The Masonic Hall adjoins the County Hotel, and we dine at the County after our meetings. There is parking in the County’s car park.