History of the Province

The Dispensation for the opening of the Aylesbury and District Examining Council was issued on the 13th December 1921 (10 days before the Dispensation for the opening of the PGL was signed) The meetings where originally held on the 2nd Monday of each month, at The Red Lion Hotel, Kingsbury Square, Aylesbury, although the first meeting (Inauguration) of the Examining Council was held on Sunday 1st January 1922. The 1st President was Primo Ashdown, the 1st Vice President was Primo C. Moorecroft, the 1st Secretary was Primo T. Yates. These days Examining Council is held in January & November, after PGL meetings.

The issuing of the Dispensation for the opening of The Aylesbury and District Provincial Grand Lodge was approved at the December 1921 meeting of Grand Lodge in Bradford and was signed on Friday 23rd December 1921. A duplicate was issued on the 20th March 1964. The first meeting of The Aylesbury and District Provincial Grand Lodge took place in January 1922, with the 1st PGP being W. Hawkins, ROH, the 1st DPGP being H. Davis, ROH and the 1st PG Secretary being J. Francombe CP

The Dispensation for the opening of The Aylesbury Knights Chapter No 209 was issued on Wednesday 30th May 1934, a duplicate was issued on the 16th November 1987. The first meeting of the Aylesbury Knights Chapter No 209 was on Saturday 16th June 1934. At one stage the Aylesbury and District Province had two Knights Chapter. The Aylesbury Knights Chapter and The Claydons Knights Chapter. The Claydons Knights Chapter was formed by members of The Province who lived to the North and West of the Aylesbury and District Province who could not get into Aylesbury due to the lack of their own and or public transport. Their meetings where held in Buckingham

The Dispensation for the opening of the Triumph Lodge No 7207 was signed on Saturday 20th January 1934. The founder members of the Triumph Lodge were Brothers, T. Turner, CP, S. K. Hutchings, CP, B. Cross, CP and C. Henley, CP.

The Dispensation for the opening of the Conformity Lodge No 7546 was signed on Thursday 20th March 1941. Unfortunately the Inauguration date has worn off of the Warrant, this would have been on either the 13th or 20th April 1941. The name Conformity was chosen as the lodge was opened to conform to the hours worked by the people in the utility services who where exempt from war duty so that they could go to a lodge either before starting or after finishing work on a Sunday. The founder members of the Conformity Lodge were Brothers: C. W. J. Poulton, CP, H. J. Burchell, CP, A. Williamson, CP and J. Goss, KOM. The longest serving member of the Conformity Lodge was V. I. Clarke, ROH, who joined the Order on Sunday 21st September 1947 at the age of 21, & passed away in October 2008

The Dispensation for the opening of the RAF Halton Lodge No 7622 was signed on Thursday 22nd July 1943. The Inauguration of the Lodge took place on Monday 9th August 1943. The Founding members of the RAF Halton Lodge were Brothers: J. D. Paley, CP, J. H. McKeone, KOM, W. L. Shears, ROH, and W. Moore, ROH.

The Dispensation for the opening of the Waddesdon Lodge No 8012 was signed on Wednesday 22nd September 1948. The Lodge was Inaugurated on Friday 8th October 1948. The Founder members of The Waddesdon Lodge were Brothers: W. Hollaway, CP, J. Truman, CP, J. E. Carter, CP and C. W. J. Poulton, ROH. The Lodge was named after Waddesdon Village a few miles West of Aylesbury on the A41.

The Dispensation for the opening of the Oving Lodge No 8022 was signed on Thursday 7th October 1948. The Lodge was Inaugurated on Saturday 13th November 1948. The Founder members of The Oving Lodge were Brothers: W. G. R. McAndrew, ROH, G. C. Peters, KOM, A. G. Dobbs, CP and B. J. H. Fowler, CP. The first home of The Oving Lodge was The Thistle PH in Whitchurch a small village a few miles West of Aylesbury on the A413. The Oving Lodge was named after OVING Village an even smaller village than Whitchurch.

The Province Boundary changed in March 1959 when Wing Village was transferred from The North Bucks Province.

The Victor Lacey Lodge No 8867 was named after The Victor Bomber and a Village called Lacey Green not far from Princes Risborough where the Lodge had its first home.

The Dispensation for the opening of the Hearts of Oak Lodge No 9729 was signed on Wednesday 18th March 1970. The Lodge was inaugurated on Wednesday 22nd April 1970. The Founder members of the Hearts of Oak Lodge were Brothers: G. J. Wright, ROH, C. R. Heydon, CP, R. B. Guinard, KOM and R. Day, CP.

The Vale Lodge No 7032 Closed at the end of 1970.

J. A. Hicks, ROH (who was a serving member of the RAF) during the three years (1973/4/5) he held the offices of D.P.G.P., P.G.P. and I.P.P.G.P., was stationed near Hereford, he came back to Aylesbury for Minor Lodge meetings, PGL meetings and Degree Raisings then returned to Hereford the same night, he never missed a meeting or raising in that time.

The Swan Lodge Closed on the 31st December 1974 and amalgamated with the Wingrave Lodge

The Pride of Bicester Lodge of the Oxford and District Province amalgamated with The Hearts of Oak Lodge No 9729 in September 1977. The Lodge name was changed to The Proud Hearts of Oak Lodge No 9729 at the same time. The Proud Hearts of Oak Lodge transferred to the control of the Oxford and District Province during the early 1990's

The Chiltern Hills Lodge No 9532 Closed end of 1981

The Tiny Poulton Lodge amalgamated with the Myrabel Lodge on the 1st April 1982 to become the Myrabel Poulton Lodge No 9811

The Winslow Lodge No 7913 Closed in 1982

The Claydon Lodge Closed in 1983

The Myrabel Poulton Lodge No 9811 Closed in 1986

The Dispensation for the opening of The Aylesbury and District Roll of Honour Assembly was signed on Thursday 8th May 1986. The first meeting of the Aylesbury ROH Assembly No 163 was held on the 18th July 1986. The 1st President was R. W. Fosh, ROH, 1st Vice President D. E. Wareham, ROH, 1st Secretary S. L. Allan, ROH. The members agreed at the first meeting that R. W. Fosh, ROH, would also be the President for 1987 When the Aylesbury ROH Assembly No 163 was setup it was decided by the then members that the meeting would only be a business meeting that would be followed by a meal. The meals after the meeting have since stopped. The members now hold 4 functions at different times of the year, these include B-B-Q's and Boat Trips. A Duplicate Dispensation was issued on Friday 22nd March 1996

The Northchurch Lodge amalgamated with the Aston Clinton Lodge on the 19th August 1987 to become The Aston Clinton with Northchurch No 5480

The Ideal Lodge amalgamated with the Chesham Lodge to become The Chesham with Ideal Lodge No 7838 on the 25th March 1988

The New Chiltern Lodge No 7320 Closed in 1988

The Haddenham Lodge No 10213 Closed in 1989

The Dispensation for the opening of The Claydons II Lodge No 10501 was signed on the 21st November 1990. The Lodge was inaugurated on the 7th January 1991. The Founder members were Brothers, J. McCormack, CP, R. W. Fosh, ROH, C. Piper, ROH and G. Stevens, ROH. The original meeting place of The Claydons II Lodge was in The Crooked Billet, Public House, Kingswood a small village on the A41 about halfway between Aylesbury and Bicester. The Brothers who where originally involved with the opening the Lodge wanted the Lodge Name to be "THE SCREW and CROSSROADS LODGE" because many of the members who said they would join the Lodge where Prison Officers and The Crooked Billet was very near to a Cross-roads. This name was turned down by Grand Lodge Management due to Prison Officers being called Screws. The Claydons II Lodge transferred to the control of The Oxford and District Province on the 1st April 2002. In its eleven (11) years in the Aylesbury and District Province the Claydons II Lodge had six (6) members of the Lodge who became P.G.P. (1993/4/5/6/99/2001), six (6) who became President of Examining Council (1992/4/6/7/ 2000/02) they also won four (4) Certificates of Merit for being the Lodge that Donated the most to Grand Lodge Benevolent Fund from The Aylesbury and District Province (1992/3/4/5) narrowly missing out in 1997, 1998 and 1999 after the Lodge members decided to put more money into other charitable causes. Three members of the Lodge still attend Lodges within the Aylesbury and District Province. The Claydons II Lodge amalgamated with The Proud Hearts of Oak Lodge in July 2005 due to lack of numbers.

The Kings Manor Lodge amalgamated with The RAF Halton Lodge on the 1st January 1997

The youngest P.G.P., PG Secretary, P.K.C., P.E.C. the Aylesbury and District Province has had up to the end of 2003 all been the same Brother, Timothy John Henshaw, ROH (born 1972). He is not the first Brother in the Aylesbury and District Province to hold the offices of PG Secretary and Knights Chapter Secretary at the same time that goes to F. E. Carruthers, ROH, who took over the office as PG Secretary in 1973 whist he was Secretary of Knights Chapter, holding both offices until he became very ill at the end of 1981, he died shortly after in 1982. Timothy John Henshaw, ROH, is however the first to hold the offices of PG Secretary, Knights Chapter Secretary, Minor Lodge Secretary, Assistant Secretary ROH Assembly and I.P.P.G.P. at the same time in the Aylesbury and District Province.

As of 31st January 2004 Bro E. E. James, ROH will have been the secretary of the Chesham Ideal Lodge for 30 years. Brother Eric is also a member of The High Wycombe Province where he has been The PG Secretary for over ten years, he has also been P.G.P. of that province twice.

2005 has seen the closure of The Chesham Ideal Lodge on 31st March. the resignation of three PGL officers. (1 trustee & 2 PGL chamberlains) and no nominations for Provincial Grand Primo for 2006.

The Conformity Lodge 7546 amalgamated with the Oving Lodge No.8022 1st January 2009.

In 2010, Bro Timothy John Henshaw ROH became Grand Alderman of Juniper, R.A.O.B. G.L.E.

Webmaster

Provincial Grand Secretary

Bro Timothy J Henshaw ROH GAJ2010

Telephone No. 01296 330659 [M] 07752135266

email to: timothy.henshaw@aylesbury-pgl.org.uk

This site was last updated on

02 February 2012 13:10:31