The History of Ferrers and Ivanhoe Lodge

Consecrated 1859

The first Freemasons Lodges in Ashby-de-la-Zouch were set up by French prisoners- of-war who were living on parole in the town during the Napoleonic War. One is known to have been working in 1810 and another was in operation in 1814. There were English Freemasons in Ashby at that time as the records of the Tyrian Lodge 253, at Derby show that several residents of Ashby and Coleorton were initiated in that Lodge between 1796 and 1814.

However it was not until 1836 that the first Ashby Lodge, Ivanhoe 631, was formed, but this was short-lived, no meetings being held after 1841 and in 1851 it was erased from the roll of Lodges. A few years later strenuous efforts were made by Earl Howe, the Provincial Grand Master with the active support of the 9th Earl Ferrers and Edward Mammatt, who had been a keen member of the Ivanhoe Lodge, to revive Freemasonry in Ashby, and in February 1859 a warrant was granted by Grand Lodge. The new Lodge was to be named Ferrers and Ivanhoe No.1081 and was to meet in the Town Hall on the Monday on or after the full moon of every month. Earl Ferrers was designated as Worshipful Master but he died before the consecration of the Lodge in October 1859. Edward Mammatt was installed as the first Worshipful Master but he too died only six months later. The Brethren were thus deprived of the guidance of two experienced masons at a very early stage, but under the watchful eye of the Deputy Provincial Grand Master, W.Bro. William Kelly the Lodge prospered and increased in numbers. In 1863 the number of the Lodge was changed to 779 and in the same year St Augustine's Chapter 779 commenced working in Ashby.

In 1879 when St Helens Church was undergoing restoration the Lodge presented a new pulpit to the Church and in 1897 a special meeting of the Lodge was held to lay, with Masonic honours, the Foundation Stone of the new Cottage Hospital in Leicester Road.

By the 1970s the Lodge membership had reached 100 and in 1975 a warrant was granted for a second Lodge, Hastings 8695 to be formed in Ashby. Both Lodges met in the Town Hall as 779 had continued to do for over 100 years but in 1978 premises suitable for conversion into a Masonic Hall were found in Lower Church Street and were brought into use in 1981.

As Ferrers and Ivanhoe Lodge moves into the 21st Century we look forward to further building on the foundations laid by our predecessors a century and a half ago.

Past Masters

1859 Edward Mammatt 1886 Edward Simpkin 1914 John Burnett 1940 John Brown
1860 Tilleman H Bobart 1887 Francis G Boden 1915 R G Fox Robinson 1941 Ralph H Head
1861 William Mason 1888 Edmun J Thompson 1916 Charles Dickinson 1942 Allan S Hulme
1862 Rev John Denton 1889 Chas R Williams 1917 Charles E Crane 1943 J Elverston Stott
1864 Geo Fowler Brown 1890 Thos Jesson 1918 Rev T Williams Fisher 1944 John P Cook
1865 Henry E Smith 1891 Hon Paulyn Hastings 1919 Thomas Robinson 1945 Gordon C Best
1866 Samuel Love 1892 Geo D Orchard 1920 Philip Beaumont 1946 Ernest Greaves
1867 Wm Carrick Crofts 1893 John Price 1921 John W Holdron 1947 Samuel Kay
1868 Samuel Smith DD 1894 John Turner 1922 Charles H Heath 1948 Eric M Darlow
1869 Edward F Mammatt 1895 J Colley S Burkitt 1923 Alfred Stimson 1949 John S Stokes
1870 Rt Hon 10th Earl Ferrers 1896 R Porter Keates 1924 Percy Ormand 1950 William J Lloyd
1871 John Henry Garnar 1897 Thomas Williscroft 1925 Charles H Heath 1951 Sydney Leadley
1872 Edward Ison 1898 George Farmer 1926 Andrew Harris 1952 Lawrence Insley
1873 Edwin Faulkner 1899 Rev L W Lloyd 1927 Reginal H Bird 1953 E Arthur Crane
1874 Henry Blood 1900 Wm Hy Quarrell 1928 Francis H Bramley 1954 Rev John Carr
1875 Saml E Johnson 1901 George Bullen 1929 John Robertson 1955 T A S Forster
1876 Walter S Allan 1902 George German 1930 John W Jackson 1956 Basil R Hewitt
1877 Richard Dalgliesh 1903 Charles J Lewis 1931 John Bullen 1957 W G Cooper
1878 Alfred Balmforth 1904 Sherard Joyce 1932 George J Scott 1958 S E Wilkinson
1879 George Dewes 1905 Rev Chas T Moore 1933 Roland E Mansfield 1959 Frederick H Chick
1880 Jacon Webb 1907 Harry S Hassall 1934 Paul M Webster 1960 Albert James
1881 Alfred Lewin 1908 Walter E Jennings 1935 J Arthur H Sutton 1961 Edward W L Hunt
1882 John Hassall 1909 Percy H Mellor 1936 Lionel B Webb 1962 Rev J S Savige
1883 Wm Alfred Musson 1911 Robert Lawton 1937 Frank Addison 1963 Donald A Hewes
1885 Ebenezer Bullen 1913 S Ernest Atkinson 1938 Charles B Dearden 1964 H J B Knowles

1965 Ronald W Loake 1978 Michael Chiswell 1991 Geoffrey W Clamp 2004 Brian Tegg
1966 William C Statham 1979 Edward E Hanford 1992 David J Coxon 2005 Mark D Meade
1967 George M Curtois 1980 George C Bryant 1993 Grahame G Blundy 2006 John Reynolds
1968 Kenneth G Michel 1981 David R L Hall 1994 John R Palmer 2007 Ian Silcock
1969 Cyril J Blundy 1982 Wilfred A Swift 1995 Leonard Hill 2008 Piers Bradbury
1970 Kenneth D Mackay 1983 W Robert Allen 1996 Kenneth A Hillier  
1971 William Neale 1984 Leonard W Warren 1997 Ernest Sharpe  
1972 Harold Hunter 1985 Peter Bond 1998 Ian E Pringle  
1973 Ernest E Fitchew 1986 Harry Roberts 1999 John P Springthorpe  
1974 Alfred I Shields 1987 Peter M Hewes 2000 John Starkey  
1975 Ronald Evans 1988 Harry T Gregory 2001 David G Butler  
1976 Charles H Marcer 1989 Rev Kenneth R Watson 2002 Keith Halliwell  
1977 Clifford E Jordan 1990 David J H Jackson 2003 Peter R Slawson  

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