CHAPTER 1
ALBION LODGE - BEFORE AND AFTER 1790
This publication sets out to give a history of the Albion Lodge No. 196 E.R. working under the United Grand Lodge of England and under the District Grand Lodge of Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean. However, to start on the 6th December, 1790, and just go forward would leave a gap in the building up of Freemasonry in Barbados and of Albion Lodge in particular; so to breach this gap I will start on 12th January, 1740.
On that day Alexander Irvine, who was resident here, started the first Lodge in Barbados. This he called St. Michaels, which was warranted under the "Moderns" as No. 186. Later that same year saw the warranting of the Provincial Grand Lodge of Barbados with jurisdiction over "all other islands to Windward of Guadeloupe".
The District Grand Lodge of Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean is the eleventh oldest in order of Provincial/District Grand Lodges under the United Grand Lodge of England, in order of seniority:
The Provincial Grand Lodge of Cheshire 1725
" " " " " S. Wales 1726
" " " " " N. Wales 1727
" " " " " Warwickshire 1728
" District " " " Bengal 1728
" Provincial " " " Shropshire 1732
" " " " " Durham 1734
" " " " " Lancashire 1734
" " " " " Northumberland 1734
" " " " " Yorkshire 1739
" District " " " Barbados 1740
The first Provincial Grand Master appointed in 1740 was Thomas Baxter. He was followed by:
1755 William Maynard
1764 John Stone
1770 Hon. Samuel Rouse
1783 Hon. Benjamin Gittens
1791 Ron. William Bishop
1796 James Cummins
1801 Col. John Straker
1803 Francis Lord Seaforth
1907 Brig. General Charles Shipley
1917 Ron. John Alleyne Beckles
1941 Sir Robert Boucher Clarke
1851 to
1890 A long interregnum
1869 Master of Albion Lodge granted discretionary Power by M. W. Grand Master the Earl of Zetland, but a report must be made to Grand Lodge of any such use of power by the Master.
1990 Col. John Elliott
1995 John Locke
1904 Robert Baynes
1906 John Pedro D'Albuguerque
1930 Lt. Col. William Bowring
1941 Rev. Arthur Evelyn Armstrong
1957 Lindsay E. R. Gill
1973 Maj. Arthur S. Warren
1980 Or. William E. Cooper
1996 Brian Douglas Parsons
There was also an Irish Provincial Grand Lodge in Barbados from 1804 to 1828 but this collapsed when it was unable to carry out an edict issued to it in 1823 with reference to colour prejudice in Freemasonry.
No records exist in Barbados about this Irish Provincial Grand Lodge and therefore the Provincial Grand Masters cannot be listed.
In order to show the flourishing state of early Freemasonry in Barbados I will set out below the Lodges which have been warranted here:
Lodges warranted under the Grand Lodge of England (Moderns) between 1740 and 1791.
1740 – St. Michael's, Warranted 7th January, 1741 as No.187 renumbered 118/94/78/71/132/104, erased 1862.
1752 – St. John's No.260, Warranted 23rd April, 1752 renumbered 152/121/98/99/91, erased in 1813.
1752 – St. Peter's No.261, Warranted 16th December 1752, renumbered 159/125/102/103/94, erased 1813.
1754 – St. Paul's No.262 (Speightstown), Warranted 31st January, 1754, renumbered 174 erased 1760.
1758 – St. James No.238, warranted 20th March 1758, renumbered 191/155/156 erased 1792.
1772 – St. Luke's No.434 (Speightstown) renumbered 341/342/281 erased 1813.
1791 – Lodge of Love and Harmony No.585 constituted a Stewards' Lodge, renumbered 494, erased 1813.
Lodges warranted under the Grand Lodge of Athol (Ancients) between 1790 and 1804
1790 – Albion No. 263, warranted 6th December, 1790, renumbered 333/232/196.
1794 – Union No. 286, Warranted 3rd October, 1794, renumbered 362, erased 1828.
1797 – Concord No.308 (Oistins), warranted 27th September, 1797, renumbered 391, erased 1829.
1804 – Mount Horeb No. 331, warranted 9th February, 1804, renumbered 422, erased 1829.
1766 – A Lodge warranted by the English Provincial Grand Lodge at Boston - no information available.
Lodges warranted under the United Grand Lodge of England
1829 – United Seaforth No.848/577.
1842 – Lodge Amity No. 713 charter returned 1848.
1874 – Star of Hope NO· 1499 (Speightstown) charter returned 1875. (Never opened).
1887 – Victoria No. 2196.
1888 – St. Michaels No. 2253.
1957 – Union No. 7551.
Masonic Tombstone described overleaf. The beautifully inscribed Masonic Tombstone in the Military Cemetery, Gravesend, Bridgetown. Badly worn by weather, most is still decipherable.
S A C R E D TO THE MEMORY OF **C 0 **ASS**E***OK ··*****WITH ****** WHO SERVED IN THAT CORPS FOR 25 YEARS WITH GREAT CREDIT TO THIS SERVICE AND HIMSELF AND DIED DEEPLY LAMENTED BY ALL WHO KNEW HIM PARTICULARLY SO BY HIS BROTHER MASONS OF WHICH HE WAS MASTER LODGE 25 AGED 40 1856
1983 – Research Lodge of Amity No. 9073.
2000 – Preceptors Memorial Lodge No. 9714
There were two Military Lodges:
1791 – No. 354 I. R. held by 49th Regiment of Foot.
1827 – No. 36 attached to St. Ann's Garrison.
Lodges warranted under the Grand Lodge of Ireland
1783 – Hibernian No. 622 dropped 1853.
1802 – Seaforth No.653 (became English in 1829).
1822 – Leinster No. 222 dropped 1847.
1822 – Integrity No. 259 dropped 1830.
1822 – Amity No. 277 dropped 1842.
1842 – Shamrock No. 282 dropped 1845.
Lodges warranted under the Grand Lodge of Scotland
1799 – Scotia No.267/201/205/206 became dormant in 1831.
1844 – Scotia No.411/340.
1906 – Thistle No. 1014.
1909 – St. John No. 1062.
1956 – St....