Our History

Metropolitan Grand Lodge

Mandate Lodge is a founder member of the Metropolitan Grand Lodge of London

On 1 October 2003, Metropolitan Grand Lodge was formed as an independent administrative body under a Metropolitan Grand Master to support Freemasonry in London in a similar way that the various Provincial Grand Lodges support Lodges elsewhere in England and Wales. Metropolitan Grand Lodge has over 1,400 constituent Lodges comprising nearly 40,000 members; the offices are situated in Freemasons’ Hall, Great Queen Street, London which is also the of the United Grand Lodge of England.

Hall Stone Jewel

Mandate Lodge is know as a Hall Stone Lodge in recognition of the contribution its members made towards the cost of a Peace Memorial, which is Freemasons Hall.

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At a special meeting of Grand Lodge in June 1919, the Grand Master, the Duke of Connaught, expressed a wish that a memorial be established to commemorate those brethren who had made the supreme sacrifice in the 1914 - 1918 war. It was agreed that this memorial should be a building of a central for Freemasonry on a site to be selected in London. The Masonic Million Memorial Fund was launched in September that year and brethren at and overseas were invited to contribute to raise the £1m needed to finance the work. Contributions from individuals and Lodges were recognised by the reward of a commemorative Hall Stone Jewel.

The Hall Stones medals were produced in three sizes. The smallest was a breast jewel suspended on a dark blue ribbon. 10 guineas or more purchased a silver one, 100 guineas or more purchased a gold one. A combined total of 53,244 such medals were issued to individuals.

The jewels awarded to lodges were of gilt finished silver appended to a light blue collaret and are worn by masters of lodges that contributed an average of 10 guineas per member. Such lodges are known as ‘Hall Stone Lodges’ and of 1321 that originally qualified, 88 were overseas. These lodges have their names and numbers inscribed on the marble wall panels in the Vestibule at Freemasons’ Hall

The largest Hall Stone Jewel is of 18 ct. gold and coloured enamels. Only 3 were ever awarded. Two Districts, Japan and Burma, and one Province, Buckinghamshire, qualified by contributing an average of 500 guineas per lodge. In further recognition of their achievement, rooms 11, 12 & 17 in Freemasons’ Hall were named after them.

A Hall Stone Jewel was conferred on Mandate Lodge by the most Worshipful Grand Master and presented to the Lodge on 25 May 1925 by V.W.Bro. B Glanville Grand Director of Ceremonies. in recognition of the donation made by Mandate Lodge of 100 guineas. The form of the jewel is symbolic for the side squares are inscribed the dates 1914-1918: four years of supreme sacrifice. In The centre is a winged figure, supporting a Temple, representing Peace. The jewel is suspended by the square and compasses, two of the great though Emblematic Lights in Freemasonry and is attached to a ribbon which is worn around the neck of the Worshipful Master as part of his Masonic clothing. The wearing of the Jewel by the Master of a Lodge fulfils a double purpose. First it provides visible evidence that the Lodge has faithfully and conscientiously discharged its obligations to the Fraternity; secondly, it should ever provide the inspiration to every Brother to put service before self.