About Plucknett Lodge
George Plucknett Senior was the founder and the First Master of the Plucknett Lodge No: 1708. He was a surveyor by profession, residing in Gray’s Inn Road, North London and was initiated into Freemasonry on 28th March 1850 in the Royal Naval Lodge No: 70 (now No: 59). He was passed and raised in the same year and made a rapid advancement through the Lodge, being appointed Junior Warden in 1851, Senior Warden in 1852 and by 1853 he was installed as Worshipful Master. Following his resignation from the Royal Naval Lodge he became a joining member of the Prince of Wales Lodge No: 259 on the 26th November 1861. Serving as Worshipful Master for two consecutive years from 1872 to 1874, George Plucknett resigned from this Lodge in 1891.
1864 saw him appointed as Senior Grand Deacon of the United Grand Lodge of England acting as chairman of the Meeting of the Board of Benevolence, in his capacity as a Grand Officer, on Wednesday 19th October 1864. Taking into account his professional career as a surveyor, Grand Lodge appointed him a member of a special Committee in 1862, where he was to consider and implement plans to Enlarge Freemasons’ Hall. On the 14th April 1869, to consecrate the new building, a special meeting was held by Grand Lodge. The former president of the Board of General Purposes and Chairman of the Building committee, Worshipful Brother J. Havers, Past Grand Deacon (PGD) stated the following in the course of his report: “He should be sadly wanting in gratitude if he did not express his cordial thanks to his colleagues for the kind support they had at all times offered him, and especially to his esteemed Brother George Plucknett for his invaluable assistance.”
Grand Lodge, as a gesture of thanks, erected permanent memorials of the Committee members. This consisted of a bust of W. Havers, surrounded by plaques depicting the profile portraits of the remaining Committee members. The memorial was removed to storage during the construction of the present Freemasons’ Hall and finally re-erected near to the present Board Room. Several Brethren residing in the Parish of Finchley desired to form a new Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons, in order to hold meetings in their said Parish. George Plucknett Senior was nominated and recommended to be the first Master of the new Lodge and for it to bear his name. A Petition to form the new Lodge was submitted to which the following is a copy:
“To the Most Worshipful Grand Master of the United Fraternity of Ancient Free and Accepted Masons of England. We the undersigned being regular registered Masons of the Lodges mentioned against our respective names having the prosperity of the Craft at heart are anxious to exert our best endeavours to promote and diffuse the genuine principles of the Art, and for the convenience of our respective dwellings and other good reasons we are desirous of forming a new Lodge to be named Plucknett. In consequence of this desire we pray for a Warrant of Constitution empowering us to meet as a regular Lodge at the Railway Hotel, Ballards Lane Finchley, on the first Thursday in October, November, December, January, February and March, and there to discharge the duties of Masonry in a constitutional manner according to the forms of the Order and the Laws of the Grand Lodge, and we have nominated and do recommend Brother George Plucknett P.S.G.D. to be the first Master, Brother George Plucknett junior, to be the first Senior Warden and Brother Adolphus Byam Abbott to be the first Junior Warden of the said Lodge. The prayer of this petition being granted we promise strict obedience to the commands of the Grand Master and the laws and regulations of Grand Lodge.”
The prayer of Petition was presented to the Worshipful Grand Master at the time, HRH Albert Edward Prince of Wales, and by his hand and seal a Warrant of Constitution was granted. The ceremonies were fixed to commence at 4 o’clock on the 22nd day of September 1877, at the Railway Hotel, Ballards Lane, Finchley. Summonses were issued for Brethren to assemble on said date for the Consecration of The Plucknett Lodge No: 1708. The ceremony took place at the time and place arranged and was carried out by the then Grand Secretary Brother John Harvey. United Grand Lodge of England kindly lent golden consecrating vessels for the occasion and the musical and vocal part of the ceremony was carried out by a Masonic Quartet. Following the Consecration Brother George Plucknett Senior was installed as the first Worshipful Master. A couple of years later difficulties arose regarding the accommodation available at the Railway Tavern. There were a variety of possible places considered for future meetings and in September 1881, the Lodge removed to “The Bald Faced Stag” situated in East Finchley. Due to the move the Installation Meeting was deferred to the December in 1881, and in the next year to the January 1883. The Installation Meeting has been held in January ever since. Brother George Plucknett was elected to become an Honorary Member of the Lodge on 10th November 1892. It was in the December meeting that the Lodge would hold its first Ladies Night, a “Cinderella Ball” at the Cannon Street Hotel. It was proposed that full Masonic Regalia was to be worn and a special dispensation was issued. It reads as follows:
“To the Worshipful Master, Wardens and Brethren of the Plucknett Lodge No: 1708, London. You having represented to the M.W. The Grand Master that you are about to hold a Ball at the Cannon Street Hotel on the 15th inst., and the Brethren are desirous of wearing their Masonic Craft clothing and jewels, the M.W. Grand Master has considered your application and is pleased to grant this dispensation permitting the Brethren on the occasion in question to wear their Masonic Craft clothing and jewels on condition that the tickets are not sold to the public openly and indiscriminately and that none but the Craft clothing be worn charging you the Master and Wardens to take special care that the above conditions are strictly complied with and that none of the Brethren appear in such clothing out of the rooms in which the Ball is held. You will cause this dispensation to be recorded on your minutes. Given at Freemasons’ Hall London this 5th day of December A.L. 5892, A.D. 1892 by command of HRH The Prince of Wales K.G. etc., etc., M.W. Grand Master (Signed E. Letchworth G.S.) In February 1894 Brother, Charles Albert Batho was initiated at the age of 22. He was destined for high office, not only within the Craft but also within the outside world. He was eventually appointed the position of Grand Treasurer and elected as Lord Mayor of London in 1928. In the same year he was also made a Baronet. Also during 1894 further difficulties arose from the current accommodation at “The Bald Faced Stag” however, a hall had been erected as part of the Woodside Club in North Finchley. In October the Lodge removed to the location where it had access to a large or small hall to hold its meetings and dinners, its own wine cellar and food was supplied by an outside caterer which was re-heated on site. The Lodge remained there until 1908. Records show a variety of venues occupied by the Lodge to hold their meetings over the following years, even as far as South London, but it was on 10th January 1969 that a motion was given to meet at the Southgate Masonic Centre, which is still used to this present day. Apparently the first meeting held at Southgate was a memorable one, as the heating in the then great hall was broken. This hall is now occupied by the Grand Temple and two dining rooms. It is described that the 31 members and 44 visitors present were ‘heroes’ donning their overcoats for dinner, keeping warm with copious draughts of whiskey and large portions of haggis. Southgate was christened with the sound of bagpipes a wonderful rendition of Burns ‘Oration to the Haggis’ performed by a visitor. There are other interesting facts relating to Plucknett Lodge which are too complex for this website, but as you can see, the Lodge is full of Craft History. Also take a look at the History of The Plucknett Crest page. Special thanks should be mentioned to W. S.B. Davis P.G.St.B., L.G.R. P.P.G.D. for compiling ‘Plucknett Lodge History 1877-1977’ as without that this page would not be possible.
