Ingrebourne Masonic Lodge – About Us

Early in 1908 a Freemason, who was at that time the Master of another Masonic Lodge, found that there was not a Masonic Lodge in Upminster. He knew other Freemasons in the area and approached one of them, who was a member of one of the first Lodges to be formed in the County, to discuss the setting up of a Lodge.
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The meeting was held in the Rectory of St. Laurence Church in Upminster where it was attended by a number of local Masons. They formed a committee which decided to petition The United Grand Lodge of England to grant them a Charter or Warrant for a new Masonic Lodge which they named the Ingrebourne Lodge, after the river which ran through the area. They proposed to hold their meetings at the Old Roman Catholic Chapel which then came to be known as the Masonic Hall. Their petition was granted and the Lodge was consecrated at the Great Eastern hotel in Liverpool Street London on 25th February 1909 by the Provincial Grand Master for Essex. The first meeting was held at the Old Chapel on the 15th March 1909 when five new members were initiated into Freemasonry.
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The First World War began five years after the Lodge was formed and not much is known as far as meetings and the work of the Lodge is concerned. The same is indeed true of the Second World War years, 1939-1945. We do know that many of the members were members of the military services whilst those who remained behind served in Civil Defence, the Home Guard, Special Police or Fire Service. During this time the Lodge met at the Masonic Hall in Billet Lane, Hornchurch but only for the formal meetings.
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After the Second World War, it returned to St. Laurence Church Hall where it had met for some time and continued to meet there. In 1948 it met in the Old School house at the bottom of Deyncourt Gardens in Upminster. It moved to the present Masonic Hall in 1956.
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The lodge celebrated its Golden Jubilee in February 1959 when a booklet of the history was produced.
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The Lodge continued to thrive through the second half of the 20th Century and celebrated its centenary in 2009 when it received a Centenary Warrant from the United Grand Lodge of England. Members and their guests celebrated the centenary with a special meeting which was attended by over 130 Freemasons. We also enjoyed a dinner cruise on the River Thames which, again, was well attended by members and guests.

We also celebrate those of our members who have enjoyed membership of our Masonic Lodge for many years. Recently we celebrated one member’s sixty years of membership and three members fifty years in Freemasonry.