On Monday the 30th of September, 2024, AProvGM. W.Bro. Robert. G Payne along with his Provincial team, led the Celebrations at Llanfair Lodge No. 7353, marking 70 years since the Lodge’s consecration. The event was attended by nearly 80 Brethren, including an array of Grand Lodge Officers & members of the Past Executive.
The evening began with the raising of Bro. Huw Lewis, which was preformed to the very highest of standards.
During the festive board, Lodge member W.Bro. Geoffrey William Thomas PAProvGM, delivered a fascinating historical talk concerning the Lodge thus far.
Early in 1954, a number of Freemasons, all of whom were Members of the Glamorgan Wanderers Rugby Club, decided to form a new Lodge for Brethren who had a common interest in Rugby. At that time, the Club’s headquarters were in the Wyndham Arcade, St Mary Street, Cardiff.
Initially, it had been hoped to incorporate the Rugby Club’s name in the name of the new Lodge, but this was not permitted by United Grand Lodge.
The Club, being situated in the Wyndam Arcade, was in the ancient parish of St Mary. Consequently, the name ‘Llanfair Lodge’ was chosen, ‘Llanfair’ being Welsh for ‘The Church of St Mary’.
It was decided that the Llanfair Lodge Logo should contain a sketch of St Mary’s Church. A student from the Cardiff College of Art was commissioned to produce a drawing, for which he was paid the princely sum of £2. 2s. Od (£2.10p). The Motto in Welsh, which surrounds the picture of the Church is ‘Heb Dduw – Heb Ddim’ which means ‘Without God there is Nothing’.
The Lodge which Sponsored the Petition for the new Lodge was Harlequins Lodge No.5793. While the Worshipful Master and Wardens of Harlequin Lodge must have signed the Petition, only one Member, Bro. E J Joseph Evans, appears in the list of Founder Members.
Twenty-nine Brethren are listed as Founder Members, six of whom were from Glamorgan Lodge, with Dinam Lodge No.4521 providing four Founder Members. Prince Llewellyn Lodge No.2570 provided two Founder Members, one of whom was Bro Geoffrey Malin Ashe. There were two Founder Members from both Llangattock Lodge No.2547 and Trisant Lodge No.1992.
WBro Trevor Phillips, PM Caerdydd Lodge No.3959 was the Founder Primus Master and he became the first Member of the Lodge to become a Grand Officer (PAGDC).
Llanfair Lodge was Consecrated at the Masonic Temple, Cardiff, on Tuesday, 28 September 1954, by the Provincial Grand Master, R.W.Bro. RP St John Charles, among those assisting were W.Bro. Harold Wilson, AProvGM, 1960-1980, ProvGDC, W.Bro. Vivien Care, ADC, W.Bro. Lance Bailey, ProvGOrg.
Immediately following the Consecration Ceremony, the new Worhsipful Master, Trevor Phillips was Installed by R.W.Bro. Edgar J Rutter, DepProvGM. Later, Edgar Rutter presented the Lodge with the Volume of the Sacred Law, which is still in use today. The person appointed to act as IPM was W.Bro. David Phillips Rees, PPrSGD, a Solicitor in Cardiff who had been Installed Worshipful Master of Glamorgan Lodge in 1945. Sadly, David died 6 months later, on 15 March 1955 at 66 years of age.
The first Senior Warden was W.Bro. Percy Cousins, Past Master of St Mildred Lodge No.5078, and the first Junior Warden was Bro. Cecil Blockley Boughton of Glamorgan Lodge. Cecil was the Manager of the Wanderers Club in the Wyndham Arcade. Originally from Abbey Lodge No.33, Nice, he had joined Glamorgan Lodge in December 1951. He became Worshipful Master of Abbey Lodge in 1964 and he was also a Member of Port of Hercules Lodge No.4626, Monte Carlo. He became the third WM of Llanfair Lodge in 1956 and was in due course appointed PPrSGW in the Province of South Wales – Eastern Division.