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Cranbrook Lodge no. 4609 was consecrated in the Grand Temple at Freemasons Hall on Tuesday 19th March 1924. (see below for a list of consecrating officers).
The majority of original members lived in the vacinity and a lot of them were connected with St. Andrews Church and the Cranbrook Castle Lawn Tennis Club.  A picture on the Lodge jewel and badge depicts a cottage behind a gravel drive with some water alongside. This shows the entrance lodge of the historic Cranbrook House and the Cran-brook which flowed nearby.                       This lodge house stood at the start of "The Drive" where it diverges from Cranbrook Road. The old Cranbrook House was pulled down in 1900 but the entrance lodge remained until about 1930, when it was demolished to make way for the Valentine Telephone Exchange. On 30th June 1925 Cranbrook Lodge became a Founding Lodge to the Royal Masonic Hospital and in the same year, became a Hall Stone Lodge. 

A lodge of instruction was founded in 1926.

At the start of the war in 1939, meetings were temporarily cancelled and the meeting venue, Loughton Masonic Hall, was used as an emergency rest centre for people bombed out of their homes. From then until the end of hostilities, meetings were held at The Kings Head, Chigwell.                                 Membership of the Lodge grew rapidly in the early years but for a period from 1937 to 1944, times were leaner. There were no initiates and very few joining members. The largest recorded meetings were during 1966 when there were 69 dining and non-dining members.                                                        Although the Lodge continued to meet regularly during the war, proceedings were often disrupted by members being away on National Service, work in the meetings suffered during this spell and Masters were called upon to serve for two years but a regular flow of candidates was resumed after the war.              After war-time, meetings were held again at the Loughton Masonic Centre although until 1939, installation meetings were conducted at Freemasons Hall in London, where dinner jackets and champagne were the order of the day. The early 1950's was another difficult time as many of the initiates did not take office, this was coupled with the death or retirement of many of the Founders and their replacement by a series of 'permanent officers'.                             The 1960's saw these 'permanent officers' of the Lodge being appointed from the brethren who had been initiated during and since the war.                   Cranbrook Lodge has always supported the charities and our Masters collar is adorned with the '250th Anniversary Commemorative Jewel'.                       1974 was our jubilee year and the consecration of the Lodge banner took place at the regular meeting on the 21st October 1975.                                     Much pride has been taken by the Lodge for its charitable contributions and in 1976 the Lodge became a Patron to the Royal Masonic institute for Girls.  

In the spirit of openness, the Lodge hosted a special meeting on 31st May 1997 at which time the members of Cranbrook Lodge, in full regalia, entertained their Ladies at the centre.

The 75th anniversary of the Lodge was celebrated at the regular meeting on 16th March 1999 at The Loughton Masonic Centre.

Cranbrook Lodge remains an open and happy lodge and looks forward to receiving its friends, guests and visitors for many years to come!


Consecration

A Lodge meeting was opened in the Grand Temple at Freemasons Hall, London, on Tuesday, the 19th day of March, 1924, by a group of Senior Masons from the Provincial Grand Lodge of Essex (Opening Officers).

Opening Officers

Worshipful Master

W.Bro. T. J. Ralling, PGD, ProvGSec

I.P.M.

W.Bro. W. Thirske, LGR

Senior Warden

W.Bro. B. Henderson, PPGW

Junior Warden

W.Bro. C. Coster, PPGD

Inner GuardW.Bro. G. A. Dutfield

The Right Worshipful Provincial Grand Master, Col. the Rt. Hon. Lord Lambourne, P.C. (G.C.V.O.) was then admitted and, with the assistance of a team of his officers from the Provincial Grand Lodge of Essex, Cranbrook Lodge No. 4609 was Consecrated.

Consecrating Officers

Worshipful Master

Col. The Right Hon. LORD LAMBOURNE, RWProv. Grand Master.

Senior Warden

W.Bro. Maj. J. Faulks, ProvSGW

Junior Warden

W.Bro. W. Chopping, ProvJGW

Chaplains

Bro. Rev. W. A. Limbrick, ProvGChap.

Bro. Rev. R. F. Rendell, ProvGChap.

Secretary

W.Bro. T. J. Ralling, PGD, ProvGSec.

Director of Ceremonies

W.Bro. R. H. Ives, PGStdB, PPGW.

Assistant Director of Ceremonies

W.Bro. B. S. J. Pitt, PPAGDC.

Inner Guard:

W.Bro. A. Stokes, ProvAGDC.

Sword Bearer

W.Bro. F. P. Banbury, ProvGSwdB.

Tyler

Bro. F. J. Slade, ProvGTyler.


The Ceremony of Installation of the Master Designate was conducted by W.Bro. John Henry Salter, Past Grand Deacon, Deputy Provincial Grand Master, ably assisted by the rest of the Consecration team listed above.

Following the ceremonies, the members of the Provincial teams were made Honorary Members of Cranbrook Lodge and were each presented with a commemorative “Consecrating Officers” jewel. One of which was the distinguished Essex mason W.Bro. T. J. Ralling, PGD, Provincial Grand Secretary for 47 years (1877 - 1924) who died less than three weeks after the ceremony.