The new Liverpool Groups, which were formed in 1998, were named after well-known docks in the Port of Liverpool. The Sandon Group was named after the Sandon Dock, which was opened in 1851 and was notable for no less than six graving docks that opened off from its north side. Following improvements in 1902, which included increasing the depth to 6’ 6”, the dock was able to accommodate the giants of the North Atlantic.

Lord Sandon, after whom the dock was named, was the courtesy title for the heir to the Earldom of Harrowby. The particular Lord Sandon after whom this dock was named was Dudley Ryder, who was born on 23 May 1798 and died on 19 November 1882. He became a Member of Parliament for Liverpool in 1831 until his father’s death rendered him ineligible. He occupied a number of important posts including Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal; he was also President of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

The Liverpool Sandon Group currently comprises 18 Craft Lodges and 6 Royal Arch Chapters.

The Sandon Crest

In February 2002, W.Bro. D. Anderton the then secretary of the group contacted the Earl of Harrowby (7th Earl) who lives at Sandon Hall in Staffordshire and he kindly given permission for his family crest to be used as the emblem for the Liverpool Sandon Group of Lodges and Chapters to further identify its association with the dock and the Sandon family. In his letter dated 8 February 2002 the Earl of Harrowby wrote:



Dear Mr. Anderton,
We would be perfectly happy for you to use our crest. It is nice to underline yet further the link between our family and the Liverpool docks. For your part we are proud of this connection.
Yours sincerely

Harrowby


There are two inscriptions on the crest: ‘Servata Fides Cineri’ and ‘Ut Crescunti Lucens’ which mean, respectively ‘A promise to the ashes (dead ancestors) has been fulfilled’ and ‘The more they grow, the more they shine’.

FREEMASONRY IN THE CITY OF LIVERPOOL

The four central Liverpool Masonic Groups, namely Gladstone, Sandon, Trafalgar and Wellington are, contrary to first appearance, actually named after four of the more famous Liverpool docks. The vast majority of the lodges meet at the Masonic Hall in Hope Street (the administrative centre of Freemasonry in the Province of West Lancashire) which was originally built in 1858 as a permanent home. It is a listed building. But about half of those in the Gladstone Group and a small number in the Sandon and Wellington Groups meet at such diverse venues as the Britannia Adelphi Hotel, the Liverpool Racquet Club and Staff House at the University of Liverpool Between them, these Liverpool Groups comprise a cosmopolitan array of different lodges with much fascinating heritage, reflecting the history and development of the city. Some lodges are very old; there are several over two hundred years of age and one approaching two hundred and fifty, but many were founded since the second world war, the most recent in 1979. Most lodges meet in the evening during the week but there is one lodge which meets at lunch time and a few meet on Saturdays.

Some lodges hold many social events, including Ladies' Nights, Old English Nights, Barbecues and various fund-raising activities, both for Masonic and non-Masonic charities. Charity is one of the great driving forces of Freemasonry and every member is encouraged to contribute regularly to this worthy cause. The sums raised enable the Freemasons' Grand Charity to donate considerable amounts to nearly all the major National Charities and it is one of the major sources of charitable giving in the country. In addition the Brethren also support local charities as well as the Masonic charities in the Province of West Lancashire.

There are some lodges where membership is encouraged from particular groups of people such as those who work in similar trades or professions, those associated with particular schools or the university, or ex-servicemen. The size of lodges varies considerably. One has over three hundred members whereas most have between thirty and sixty members. Each lodge is presided over by a Master and two Wardens. All lodges are connected by a regulatory body for the Province of West Lancashire and are held under the auspices of the United Grand Lodge of England.

Young people should not feel out of place in Liverpool Masonry. The lower age limit for membership is twenty one and there are many members in their twenties and early thirties. At the other end of the scale there are many members these days that, because of work or other commitments, do not join until retirement.

As will be seen, the scope for Freemasonry in Liverpool is very great. While space prevents a detailed analysis there is a variety of lodges in which any upright and honourable man, from whatever quarter in life, can feel at home, where he can make many firm and long-lasting friendships and where he can feel he is making a contribution not just to his particular lodge but to the good of society as a whole.

History Timeline Of Freemasonry

The Origins of Freemasonry in England

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
The first documented making of an English Freemason, Elias Ashmole, at Warrington in 1646.

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.

1723
By this time the new Grand Lodge had published its first rule book - The Book of Constitutions of Masonry - and was meeting quarterly and recording its meetings. It had extended its authority outside London.

1725
The Grand Lodge of Ireland was established.

1736
The Grand Lodge of Scotland was established.

The three Home Grand Lodges began to take Freemasonry overseas and the development of Freemasonry abroad mirrors the 18th and 19th century development of the British Empire.

1751
A rival Grand Lodge appeared in London. Its original members were Irish Masons who claimed that the original Grand Lodge had made innovations.

They dubbed the first Grand Lodge the Moderns and called themselves the Antients.

The two existed side by side - both at home and abroad - for nearly 63 years, neither recognising each other as regular.

1813
After four years of negotiation, the two Grand Lodges in England united on 27 December 1813 to form the United Grand Lodge of England.

This union led to a great deal of standardisation of ritual, procedures and regalia.

1814
Some 647 Lodges were in existence. The 19th century saw a great expansion of Freemasonry - both at home and abroad.

1900
2,800 Lodges had been established despite losses when independent Grand Lodges were formed in Canada and Australia in the later part of the century.

World Wars
The two World Wars both had a great effect on English Freemasonry.

In the three years after the First World War over 350 new Lodges were set up, and in the three years after the Second World War nearly 600 new Lodges came into being.

In many cases the founders were servicemen who wanted to continue the camaraderie they had built up during their war service, and were looking for a calm centre in a greatly changed and changing world.

1967
On 14 June 1967 the 250th anniversary of Grand Lodge was celebrated at the Royal Albert Hall. Centrepiece of the celebrations was the installation as Grand Master of HRH The Duke of Kent, who still holds that office today.

1992
On 10 June 1992 over 12,500 Freemasons and guests gathered at Earls Court in West London to celebrate the 275th anniversary of Grand Lodge.

For the first time press and television were present at a meeting of Grand Lodge and the event featured on television newscasts around the world.

2017
Preparations are now beginning to celebrate the tercentenary of Grand Lodge in June 2017.

Famous English Freemasons

Monarchs
King George IV (1762 - 1830)
King William IV (1765 - 1837)
King Edward VII (1841 - 1910)
King Edward VIII (1894 - 1972)
King George VI (1895 - 1952)

Statesmen
Edmund Burke (1729 - 1797)
George Canning (1770 - 1827)
Lord Randolph Churchill (1849 - 1895)
Cecil Rhodes (1852 - 1903)
Sir Winston Churchill (1874 - 1965)
Leopold S. Amery (1873 - 1955)

Religion
Geoffrey Fisher, Archbishop of Canterbury (1887 - 1972)
Sir Israel Brodie (1895 - 1979)

Scientists
Sir Joseph Banks (1744 - 1820)
Dr Edward Jenner (1749 - 1823)
Sir Alexander Fleming (1881 - 1955)
Sir Bernard Spilsbury (1877 - 1947)

Explorers
Sir Richard Burton (1821 - 1890)
Capt Robert Falcon Scott, RN (1868 - 1912)
Sir Ernest Shackleton (1874 - 1922)

Charity
Dr T. J. Barnardo (1845 - 1905)
1st Viscount Leverhulme (1851 - 1925)
Sir William “Billy” Butlin (1899 - 1980)

Actors
David Garrick (1717 - 1779)
Edmund Kean (1787 - 1833)
Sir Henry Irving (1838 - 1905 )
Sir Donald Wolfitt (1902 - 1968)
Peter Sellers (1925 - 1980)

Writers
Alexander Pope (1688 - 1744)
Edward Gibbon (1734 - 1794)
Richard Brinsley Sheridan (1751 - 1816)
Robbie Burns (1759 - 1796)
Sir Walter Scott (1771 - 1832)
Anthony Trollope (1815 - 1882)
Sir William S. Gilbert (1836 - 1911)
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (1859 - 1930)
Rudyard Kipling (1865 - 1936)

Artists
Sir James Thornhill (1676 - 1734)
William Hogarth (1697 - 1764)
John Zoffany (1733 - 1810)
Sir John Soane (1753 - 1837)

Music
Thomas Arne (1710 - 1778) Rule Britannia
Samuel Wesley (1766 - 1837)
Sir Henry Bishop (1786 - 1855) Home Sweet Home
Sir Arthur Sullivan (1842 - 1900)

Entertainers
Sir Harry Lauder
David Nixon
Cyril Fletcher
Geraldo
Nat Jackley
Alfred Marks
Jim Davidson
Edmundo Ross
Cyril Stapleton
Tommy Trinder
Jimmy Wheeler
Roger de Courcey

Sportsmen
Harold Abrahams
Jackie Milburn
Sir Donald Campbell
Malcolm Campbell
Sir Leonard Hutton
Jock Stein
Sir Alec Rose
Sir Clive Lloyd
Jim Peters
Sir Arthur Gold
Trevor Simpson
Len Shackleton
Joe Wade
Leslie Compton
Herbert Sutcliffe
Bill Bowes
Sir Thomas Lipton
William ‘Jack’ Dempsey
Arnold Palmer
Tony Allcock
Peter Ebdon
Mark Wildman

Army
General Sir John Moore (1761 - 1809)
Field Marshal 1st Duke of Wellington (1769 - 1852)
Field Marshal Earl Roberts of Kandahar (1832 - 1914)
Field Marshal Earl Kitchener of Khartoum (1850 - 1916)
Field Marshal Sir John French, Earl of Ypres (1852 - 1925)
Field Marshal Earl Haig (1861 - 1928)
General Sir Francis Wingate (1861 - 1953)
Field Marshal Garnett, 1st Viscount Wolseley (1883 - 1913)
Field Marshal Sir Claude Auchinleck (1884 - 1981)
Field Marshal Earl Alexander of Tunis (1891 - 1969)

Navy
Admiral Sir Sidney Smith (1764 - 1840)
Admiral Lord Charles Beresford (1841 - 1919)
Admiral Earl Jellicoe (1859 - 1935)

Royal Air Force
Marshal of the RAF, Lord Newall (1886 - 1963)