11/06/2026
The History of English Constitution Lodges in Trinidad and Tobago:
1835 - THE PHILANTHROPIC LODGE 856
The Philanthropic Lodge, then No. 856, was erected and consecrated in Trinidad in 1835 some twenty two years after the UGLE was formed. The Philanthropic Lodge was in dormancy for the period 1842 to 1850 and came out of that experience in time to be renumbered in 1863 from 856 to 405 and had the term Royal added to its name in 1859. The Royal Philanthropic Lodge 405 EC is the oldest English Lodge in the island state of Trinidad and Tobago and indeed is one of the oldest Lodges in the English Constitution. The Lodge affiliated a Scottish Mason Bro. Daniel Hart in 1837 who went to the chair in 1850 and went on to become one of the driving forces in the Lodge and later in English Freemasonry. In 1859 Daniel Hart was formally installed as the Provincial Grand Master of the Southern Caribbean, excluding Tobago but including St Thomas in the Virgin Isles. Hart’s province was small by most standards and his first attempt at correcting this took place in 1861.
1850 - LODGE TRINITY
On 2nd February 1850 Lodge Trinity was warranted by the UGLE with only two English Masons as founders. Apparently the Lodge started working without being consecrated and had great difficulty in functioning until Daniel Hart intervened in the year of his Installation as WM of RPL. He later intervened some nine years later when as Provincial Grand Master he suspended the Lodge for some three months. In 1864 the Lodge Temple – constructed in 1856 – was burnt together with the warrant. The latter was replaced by the UGLE that same year but the Lodge became dormant some two decades after, returning its warrant in 1890 and was erased on the 3rd June, 1908.
1868 - PRINCE of WALES LODGE 868
The Provincial Grand Master V. Wor. Bro. Daniel Hart, having only one active English Lodge working (Trinity Lodge 837), forwarded the application dated 18th April 1861 with the utmost despatch and with a prayer to constitute a new Lodge in the name of "The Prince of Wales Lodge" to England. The application was signed by seven Brethren, six were members of Philanthropic Lodge. Grand Lodge dealt with the application with equal despatch granting a warrant dated 17th May 1861 to the Prince of Wales Lodge to be held at Royal Philanthropic Lodge room. On Thursday 20th August 1861, the Prince of Wales Lodge 1169 EC was erected and consecrated. Like the Philanthropic Lodge, the Prince of Wales Lodge was renumbered in 1863 from 1169 to 867 and had the term Royal added to its name in 1862. Once the Royal Philanthropic Lodge had spawned the Royal Prince of Wales Lodge the latter started an expansion program over time that led to the formation of all but one of the other existing English Lodges.Unfortunately all the early records of both the Philanthropic Lodge and the Prince of Wales Lodge were lost when the building they occupied was destroyed by fire on the Carnival Monday night of 24th February 1868
1862 - PHOENIX LODGE 1213
By the year following the er****on and consecration of the Prince of Wales Lodge, Daniel Hart the Provincial Grand Master erected Phoenix Lodge 1213 E. C. This Lodge was consecrated on 30th April 1862. During its short life span it attracted a number of Spanish members. For some unknown reason the Lodge became dormant during the period 1876 to 1879 and was erased on the 5th March 1889.
1877 - HERVEY LODGE was founded by the then Deputy D.G. Master, the W.M. and W.M. elect of Royal Philanthropic Lodge who virtually closed down the latter Lodge for 12 years. All the founders were from Philanthropic. The Deputy D.G.M. issued an irregular Provisional Charter on the 2 January 1877 and the United Grand Lodge of England refused to confirm it. On the presentation of a proper petition to Grand Lodge the Charter was granted on 15 November 1878. The Lodge was erected and consecrated by the Deputy D.G.M. on 8 March 1879. After the revival of working at Royal Philanthropic in 1888, Hervey Lodge languished and went dormant and was erased by United Grand Lodge on 7 August 1898.
1909 - CONNAUGHT LODGE 3266
Several Brethren of Royal Prince of Wales Lodge No. 867 EC led by Wor. Bro. (later Sir) George F. Huggins conceived the idea of forming a third English Lodge in Trinidad in order to qualify for a District Grand Lodge. As a consequence, the Connaught Lodge 3266 EC was warranted on Tuesday 5th November 1907 and erected and consecrated on Saturday 1st May 1909. This Lodge drew most of its membership from expatriates working in this former colony. With Independence the membership of the Lodge declined but it is now stabilising itself. This Lodge had the term Royal added to its name in 1910.
1920 - ST. ANDREW LODGE 3963 EC was erected and consecrated on the 31 May 1920. It is the older of the two English Lodges still operating in San Fernando. After a mere eight years of existence the Brethren in the Lodge saw the importance of having their own home and by 1928 a site for their Temple Mount Horeb was purchased for $360.00 and a tender for the er****on of the building for $10,850 was accepted. The consecration of the building was performed on the 11 August 1930. In 1947 a piece of land to the west of the Lodge was purchased for $862.00 and a portion to the East sold in 1953 for $3,466.40 so that today the Temple occupies a central position on the three parcels with room for expansion.
1944 - St AUGUSTINE LODGE though warranted by the UGLE was never erected and consecrated for reasons unknown and the warrant was returned to UGLE in 1947.
1952 - NAPARIMA LODGE 7108 EC was erected and consecrated on Saturday 26 January 1952 at the Masonic Temple, Les Efforts, San Fernando by the then Grand Inspector V.W. Bro. G.O.M. O'Reilly. The petition for the Lodge was supported in the main by Brethren from St Andrew’s Lodge and it became and still is the second English Lodge operating in San Fernando.
1966 - TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO MASTERS LODGE 8057 was erected and consecrated on Wednesday 23rd February 1966 by the M.W. Pro. Grand Master, MW Bro. Rt Hon. The Earl Cadogan, MC DL at Mt Zion, (the Philanthropic Temple). The main purpose for the er****on of the Lodge was to be the first in this jurisdiction dedicated to research, where papers could be read for enlightenment and Past Masters could develop some additional interests. At the beginning of its life the membership of the Lodge was limited to Past and Ruling Masters but that has since changed allowing Master Masons among its membership. Since the establishment of the District Grand Lodge, two other Lodges have been erected and consecrated.
1968, the District Grand Lodge of Trinidad and Tobago was formed when Brethren from the Royal Philanthropic Lodge No. 405 EC and five other active English Constitution lodges in the country at the time—unified to inaugurate the DGLTT to gain structured regional autonomy.
1982 - DANIEL HART LODGE 9028 EC was named in honour of the Rt Wor. Bro. Daniel Hart (Snr.) P.M. Royal Philanthropic Lodge 405 EC, Royal Prince of Wales Lodge 867EC and the first Provincial Grand Master in Trinidad. It was erected and consecrated on Wednesday 28 April 1982 at the R.P.W. Lodge Temple in St Clair and in the first instance attracted a number of the younger Brethren from The Royal Prince of Wales Lodge. That profile has since changed and its growth has become independent of its ‘mother’ Lodge.
2001 - ARTHUR EMLYN LODGE 9742 EC was named in honour of the Rt Wor. Bro. Arthur Emlyn, the last Grand inspector and first District Grand Master of the present English District Grand Lodge. It was erected and consecrated on Wednesday 11th May 2001 at the Royal Prince of Wales Temple in St Clair by the then Pro Grand Master Lord Northampton.
United Grand Lodge of England - Supreme Grand Chapter - Mark Masons' Hall - Caribbean Freemasons. - Freemasons - The Freemasons' Community
