Huntcliff Lodge Centenary
NORTH YORKSHIRE SEASIDE LODGE CELEBRATES CENTENARY in STYLE
Huntcliff Lodge No. 4539, which meets in the Victorian seaside resort of Saltburn by the Sea, started their Centenary year in style with a Gala Meeting attended by the Provincial Grand Master of Yorkshire North & East Ridings, Right Worshipful Brother Dr David Chambers.
A MAGNET for VISITORS The Lodge meets nine times a year on the first Thursday of the month from October to June. The town of Saltburn, and the prominent location of the Masonic Hall facing due north on Marine Parade, make Huntcliff a popular Lodge for visitors from around the Province and beyond. In the lighter evenings after a fine Festive Board it is possible step out, cross the road to the cliff top and get an elevated view of the Victorian Pier and the award winning Victorian Cliff Tramway.
The Saltburn Cliff Tramway, opened in 1884, is the oldest water balanced funicular still in operation in Great Britain. It links the Victorian town with the only remaining pleasure pier on the whole North East Yorkshire coast. Down below, visitors will also see Huntcliff, after which the Lodge is named, dominating the coastline a mile to the east of Saltburn. Huntcliff is a vertical sea cliff standing some 365ft above sea level and is a site familiar to all visitors to the town.
ORIGINS of THE LODGE
Back in 1922 there was only one Masonic Lodge in Saltburn. This was Handyside Lodge No. 1618 which at the time had a membership of around 110 brethren with a long waiting list of prospective candidates. Now that’s a problem which many lodges wished they had today! The waiting list was causing ongoing issues to the members of Handyside Lodge, due to the size of the room at the Parochial Hall where they originally held their meetings. This resulted in one member exclaiming: “Eligible gentlemen of Saltburn were, as a consequence, having to look elsewhere for a Lodge to join, or not join one at all”.
Huntcliff Lodge No. 4539 was consecrated on Thursday 18th October 1923. There were 24 Founding Members, of which a third were Handyside members. The first Master was Worshipful Brother Henry Phillip Monk, who lived in Saltburn and was a senior partner in a law firm in Middlesbrough.
The present day Masonic Hall in Saltburn was erected in 1872 on a building plot owned by Henry Pease. He was the visionary industrialist who founded the town. Amongst other enterprises he owned were the brickworks that provided the white firebricks used extensively on the first buildings erected in the town. He also brought the railway to the town which served to make it a popular resort with visitors from all over the country. Saltburn is still one of the finest early Victorian seaside towns surviving almost completely in its original form.
THE CENTENARY YEAR WORSHIPFUL MASTER
Ted Law was delighted to be chosen as Centenary Year Worshipful Master for Huntcliff Lodge. “When I was proposed as the candidate for the position of Centenary Year Worshipful Master I was absolutely overjoyed that the brethren had chosen me to be placed in the Chair of King Solomon for such a momentous year. For someone who has had a relatively short masonic career, initiated in 2015, passed in 2015 and raised in 2017, it will make my year in the Chair extra special. I am also a member of Huntcliff Chapter and Saltburn Mark Master Masons so I am working hard on my daily Masonic knowledge commitment”. Ted has been married to Julie for 43 years. Together they have 3 daughters, Jennifer, Sarah and Hannah, who Ted is delighted to say, is married to his Junior Warden, Jack Carney. They also have 3 grandchildren, Emily 4, and Henry and Charlie who are both 8 months.
SEAFARING TRADITION
Saltburn by the Sea has always had a strong bond with seafarers – ranging from local fishermen to deep sea vessels. In days gone by, it even had a history of unscrupulous individuals involved in smuggling. Ted spent 42 years at sea working on oil rigs, barges and vessels. His current Junior Warden Jack Carney was in the Merchant Navy as an Electro-Technical Officer and his Senior Warden Alex Williams was a member of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution crew at Staithes / Runswick Bay station. Huntcliff Lodge have supported this worthy charity through events and donations.
At the end of every Lodge meeting we give a poignant ‘Absent and Seafaring Brethren Toast’ where we ring a ships bell four times (2×2) to indicate 10:00pm during the evening ‘Watch’ at sea and to raise a glass to “All poor and distressed seafaring brethren wherever they may be, wishing them a safe return to their own country should they so desire”.
THE CENTENARY WARRANT PRESENTATION EVENING
Centenary Year Worshipful Master, Ted Law, was delighted to receive confirmation that the presentation of the Centenary Warrant would be carried out by the Right Worshipful Dr David Chambers, the Provincial Grand Master of Yorkshire North and East Ridings. As Ted observed, “December 7th 2023 will be a date forever engraved into our memories, when we welcomed the Provincial Grand Master along with 12 active officers to carry out the ceremony. There were also nine Grand Lodge officers plus another 40 visitors, as well as our own members”.
It was great to see extra chairs being brought in to accommodate so many people. The Festive Board was an incredible sight with such a large number of people in attendance. Most striking was the level of noise coming from people talking, laughing and generally enjoying themselves. The event went on until late in the evening. Indeed, no one really wanted to leave as they were having such a thoroughly good time, even though many had quite a distance to travel.
THE CENTENARY YEAR AHEAD
Centenary Year Worshipful Master Ted Law appreciates the weight of history resting on his shoulders. “I would challenge anyone who sits in a Lodge room looking at the Past Masters boards around them not to be thinking about those individuals who have gone through the chair before”.
For this reason Ted will make 2023 / 24 extra special by paying homage to those who started Huntcliff Lodge and have kept it going over the past 100 years. “I have worked over the past year collating information on our Lodge history, founding members and the lodge building itself. This information has gone into a booklet, a copy of which will be given to every member as a memento of this special year”.
Ted Law has always considered himself a team player and, with a strong team and him at the helm, hopes Huntcliff Lodge will have a successful and enjoyable centenary year ahead.
He has commissioned cufflinks and a firing glass to mark this special occasion – proceeds from which will go towards charity. “Throughout the year I will be continuing my charitable work mainly towards the Masonic Teddies for Loving Care and Great North Air Ambulance charities. Another commitment I have made is to call 2023 / 24 ‘Double Two’ as I am determined to bring in 2 new members for initiation and have 2 social events to ensure that having fun remains top of our agenda. In that way, together with our new members, we will keep the Huntcliff story going for the next hundred years”.
CONGRATULATIONS from THE PROVINCIAL GRAND MASTER
Provincial Grand Master Right Worshipful Dr David Chambers congratulated the members of Huntcliff Lodge for such a well-orchestrated evening. “Given our long history, our regular meetings, and events, we have a tradition of coming together as Freemasons, family, and friends all of which bring us pleasure. There is one event, however, which stands out amongst the many we are involved in and that of course is a Lodge Centenary”.
“To be able to look back over one hundred years of a Lodge’s existence, reflect on what it has done, the characters who brought it into being, saw it through different periods of its development and maintain it today, is a comfort just knowing that things can and do endure.
We can only hope that the others who come after us will look back from what, no doubt, will be a vastly different world, and reflect on the legacy we have left them – as we celebrate the legacy of those who have gone before. One hundred years is a legacy to be proud of. The Lodge is proud of its history and the Province is proud of the part it has played over the years and will continue to do so in the future.
AND FINALLY
Our ritual tells us that no light shines from the North in our lodges. But visitors and members leaving Huntcliff Lodge in the winter months may be lucky enough to see the Aurora Borealis – Northern Lights – lighting up the sea and the pier in a most glorious fashion. A perfect opportunity to reflect upon the longevity of Freemasonry in Huntcliff Lodge’s Centenary year. Authors: Ted Law & Trevor Sherman Photos: John Rees.
