Blue Plaque Unveiled at Syston Masonic Hall
Leicestershire and Rutland Freemasons marked the 300th Anniversary of the formation the first Grand Lodge of England, by unveiling a commemorative blue plaque marking the first activity of Freemasonry in the area at its Masonic Hall in Syston on the 15th July 2017.
On 24th June 1717, four lodges, which had existed for some time in London, formed the Grand Lodge of England which has since continued to administer lodges across the country including the 76 lodges and it’s 3,000 members in Leicestershire and Rutland.
The first Masonic Lodge in Syston was formed in 1901, East Goscote Lodge, was granted a Warrant to meet in the village hall. The Master of the Lodge, who owned an old school in Broad Street built a new single storey Masonic Hall which continues to be in use after several extensions over the years. A total of 7 lodges meet at the hall today which makes it one of the largest halls outside of Leicester.
The plaque was unveiled by the Provincial Grand Master of Leicestershire and Rutland, David Hagger and was supported by a large number of members, family and friends.
David Hagger said: “We are celebrating 300 years of Freemasonry and the foresight and courage of our forebears to perceive and enhance our society over the centuries. If we continue to pursue our ideals of integrity, fairness and honesty, Freemasonry will continue to flourish in Leicestershire and Rutland”
He added: “We’ll also be holding several public events throughout 2017 including opening the doors to our Masonic Halls during the Heritage Open Days for everyone to see inside and an exhibition at Newarke Houses Museum in Leicester on Freemasonry highlighting the contribution of Freemasons to our local communities. We hope this will lead to further interest and a better understanding of our historic fraternity.”