FREEMASONRY in Northwich

TRADE AND NAVIGATION LODGE

The Trade and Navigation Lodge was warranted by Grand Lodge on 5th September, 1786 as No. 501 to meet at the New Eagle and Child, High Street, Northwich.

At the renumbering in 1792 it became No. 410 and at the merger in 1813 No. 491. Grand Lodge registers record details of 88 members and candidates from 1786 to 1797. From 1797-1814 no returns were made to Grand Lodge.

At a quarterly communication of Grand Lodge held at Freemason's Hall London in November 1797, the Lodge of Trade and Navigation No. 410 is listed as donating £3-3-0 (£3.30) to Charity and £2-15-0 (£2.75) towards the hall fund. Incidentally, Noah’s Ark Lodge No. 508 which met in Middlewich is listed as donating 10/6 (52 ½ p) to charity.

An attempt to revive the lodge was made in 1823 and correspondence between Peter Maddock, Master of the Lodge, survives in the Grand Lodge archives. The effort failed probably due to Grand Lodge insistence that all arrears and fees due in respect of masons made in the lodge from 1798-1823 must be paid before the lodge could be reinstated. The Lodge was formally erased in March 1828.

LODGE OF SINCERITY No. 428

The Lodge of Sincerity was consecrated on 15th September 1836 and numbered as 620 in the Register of Grand Lodge.The Lodge sponsor was Cestrian Lodge No. 425 from Chester.

There were clearly connections with the Trade and Navigation Lodge as six of the founders of the Lodge of Sincerity were originally members of that Lodge.The Lodge was renumbered in 1863 and became No 428.

Lodge meetings were originally held at the Angel Hotel in Northwich. The last meeting held there was in January 1909. It then moved to the Victoria Club in John Street, Northwich and then to Hartford Golf Club in 2012.

SINCERITY HOLY ROYAL ARCH CHAPTER No. 428

The consecration of the Sincerity Royal Arch Chapter No. 428 took place in Northwich at the Angel Hotel in August, 1884.This Chapter, which now meets at Altrincham, celebrated one hundred years unbroken activity in 2005.

SEMPER FIDELIS LODGE No. 3453

Semper Fidelis Lodge No. 3453 initially named Brandrith Lodge was consecrated at the Castle School of Music in Northwich August 20th 1910. John Brunner Lodge No. 2799 sponsored the Lodge. The founder members were Northwich businessmen who were either members of John Brunner or Wolseley Lodge No. 1993. The latter lodge meeting in Manchester.

Resulting from an unfortunate matter concerning charity records the Lodge name was changed in 1920 from Brandrith to Semper Fidelis, the number 3453 being retained.