Est. 11 November 1925

One Hundred Years
of Trinity Lodge

Founded on Armistice Day 1925 by Great War veterans, Trinity Lodge No. 4751 has met at Freemasons' Hall, Darlington for a century - bound by the motto Fides, Spes et Caritas: Faith, Hope, and Charity.

1925
Founded
16
Founders
100
Years in 2025
4751
Lodge Number

How Trinity
came to be

In the years following the Great War, interest in Freemasonry surged across Britain. Brotherhood forged in the trenches translated naturally into the lodge room, and between 1920 and 1929 five new lodges were consecrated in Darlington alone. Trinity was one of them.

The story began on 22 January 1923, when W. Bro. G. D. Wright of St Cuthbert Lodge No. 3417 circulated a letter inviting brethren to meet at 26 Pierremont Crescent - the home of W. Bro. Arthur Henry Betts - to settle three questions: who would be Master Designate, who would be Wardens Designate, and what the new lodge should be called.

Two and a half years later, the answer to all three was settled. The Charter was granted by the United Grand Lodge of England on 9 June 1925. The lodge was numbered 4751.

Consecration took place on Wednesday, 11 November 1925 - Armistice Day. Whether this was deliberate or a remarkable coincidence, the documents do not say. With 15 founders, 40 Provincial Officers, and 100 visiting brethren in attendance, Trinity Lodge held its first meeting at 3:00 pm at Freemasons' Hall, Archer Street, and closed at 5:15 pm. It was the seventh Craft Lodge to meet in that building.

Original Consecration booklet, 11 November 1925
Consecration booklet cover, 1925
Consecration programme listing officers
Officers listed in the programme

Why "Trinity"?

Most founders came from St Cuthbert Lodge No. 3417, named after Darlington's oldest parish church (circa 1180). In 1836, Trinity Church was built on Woodlands Road as the "daughter church" to St Cuthbert's. It was therefore natural that the daughter lodge of St Cuthbert Lodge should be named Trinity. Freemasons' Hall on Archer Street also falls within the parish of Holy Trinity Church.

Lodge Motto

Fides, Spes et Caritas

Faith, Hope, and Charity - the theological virtues, displayed on the Lodge Jewel to this day and chosen deliberately for their connection to Trinity's name and founding purpose.

The First Regular Meeting

On 25 November 1925, Trinity held its first regular meeting. The minutes record a charitable collection of £1 6s 8d (approximately £63 today). The brethren stood in silence for the recently-deceased Queen Alexandra. Six weeks later, on 23 December 1925, the lodge's first initiation took place: Mr Claude Frederick Betts - a solicitor, and the only son of the first Worshipful Master.

Officers at Consecration

11 November 1925

Deputy Provincial Grand Master, Durham Province, 1925
Consecrating Officer
Deputy Provincial Grand Master
Durham Province, 1925
Worshipful Master
W. Bro. Arthur H. Betts
Senior Warden
W. Bro. J. D. Hinks
Junior Warden
W. Bro. J. Archer Vann
Treasurer
W. Bro. A. E. Williams
Secretary
W. Bro. A. F. Creek
Director of Ceremonies
W. Bro. G. Dobson Wright
Senior Deacon
Bro. A. H. Earnshaw
Junior Deacon
Bro. S. H. Muscroft
Organist
Bro. T. W. Tow
Inner Guard
Bro. J. W. Newton
Tyler
Bro. G. Bennett
Immediate Past Master
W. Bro. J. W. L. Littlefair

Stories from
a hundred years

11 November 1925

Consecrated on Armistice Day

Trinity was consecrated on Remembrance Day itself. Many of its founders were Great War veterans. Whether the date was a deliberate act of remembrance or a remarkable coincidence, the lodge's founding documents do not say - but the symbolism has never been lost on its members.

1925 & 1934

Father Initiates Son; Son Becomes Master

Arthur Henry Betts, the first Worshipful Master, initiated his only son Claude as the lodge's very first candidate on 23 December 1925. Nine years later, Claude became Worshipful Master himself in 1934. To mark the unique occasion, Arthur presented a silk-embroidered Roll of Masters Banner at the 1935 Provincial visit - 21 Provincial Officers in attendance.

Dr William John Hammond
Dr William John Hammond, whose sword has been in Trinity's Tyler's hand since 1925
In Use Since 1925

The Tyler's Sword

At the first meeting, the lodge received a sword for the Tyler - a gift from Bro. J. Yorke of Lennox Lodge. It had belonged to Dr. William John Hammond, a Freemason of 53 years who held Grand Rank in nine orders and was the first full-time Librarian of UGLE. His brother was a Victoria Cross winner. That same sword has been in Trinity's Tyler's hand at every meeting for one hundred years.

April 1943

A Stone from Solomon's Temple

During the Second World War, Bro. Major F. W. Jackson - a member of lodges in Egypt and Palestine - presented to the Lodge a "Perfect Ashlar": a piece of marble said to come from near the site of King Solomon's Temple, along with a framed history of the artefact. It remains one of the Lodge's most treasured possessions.

The hardy band who braved the Beast from the East, February 2018
The hardy band who made it through the snow, 28 February 2018
28 February 2018

The Snowbound Meeting

When the "Beast from the East" blizzard struck Darlington, most members were warned away. A hardy band led by W. Bro. Baz Porritt trudged through snowdrifts to open the Lodge and meet constitutional obligations. Dressed in mufti, they filled unfamiliar offices, received a visiting Brother who had inexplicably braved the storm, and held the Festive Board in a local pub on the way home.

26 November 2025

One Hundred Years

Trinity Lodge celebrated its Centenary on 26 November 2025 at Freemasons' Hall, Darlington - the same building it has met in since the day of its consecration. A dedicated history booklet was placed at each Brother's seat at the Festive Board. The Lodge reflected on 100 years of friendship, ceremony, and charitable service - and looked forward to the next hundred.

Notable Members

W. Bro. Arthur Henry Betts
First Worshipful Master · 1925

Company Secretary of R. T. Snaith & Son, one of Darlington's leading builders. A founding member of St Cuthbert Lodge 3417 in 1909, Betts brought the lodge to life through sheer determination - and had the rare honour of initiating his own son as the lodge's first candidate. He served Trinity until 1932 and passed to Grand Lodge Above in 1945.

W. Bro. Harry Evans Jennings
"Mr Trinity Lodge" · Initiated 1931

Initiated in 1931, Jennings went on to become Worshipful Master in 1944, Lodge Secretary for nearly 25 years, and ultimately a Grand Lodge Officer. The minutes describe him as personifying everything good in Freemasonry: "a courtesy of the heart which he extended to everyone." Still referenced in the Centenary speech as the defining embodiment of the lodge's values.

W. Bro. Harry Easby
Honorary Member · 59 Years' Service

Initiated in 1940, Worshipful Master in 1957, and Honorary Member from 1990 in recognition of 50 years' service. Remembered throughout the lodge for his mastery of Masonic ritual, Easby continued as an active member until his death in September 1999, aged 93 - having given the lodge nearly six decades of his life.

Bro. Ray Wallace Thompson
The Thompson Charitable Trust

Architect and longstanding member, Thompson died in October 2010 aged 93, leaving a significant legacy to the Lodge for charitable purposes. The Ray Wallace Thompson Charitable Trust was formally registered in 2015, with eight trustees from among Trinity's members. Its first award was a £3,000 university bursary to architecture student Grant Hewitt - a fitting tribute to Thompson's own profession.

Key Milestones

1923

The Founding Letter

W. Bro. G. D. Wright circulates a letter from 26 Pierremont Crescent, inviting brethren to form a new lodge. A meeting is called at the home of W. Bro. Arthur Henry Betts.

1925

Charter Granted & Lodge Consecrated

The United Grand Lodge of England grants the Charter on 9 June 1925, numbering the lodge 4751. Trinity is consecrated on 11 November 1925 - Armistice Day.

1925

First Initiation

Mr Claude Frederick Betts - son of the first Worshipful Master - is initiated on 23 December 1925, becoming the lodge's first candidate.

1926

First Provincial Honours

Three members receive their first Provincial Honours. The first Worshipful Master presents the silver Master's Chain and Collar Jewel.

1930

W. Bro. Hinks becomes Mayor

W. Bro. J. D. Hinks, Senior Warden at consecration and second Worshipful Master, is elected Mayor of the County Borough of Darlington.

1935

A Unique Occasion Marked

With 21 Provincial Officers present, a silk-embroidered Roll of Masters Banner is presented to mark the unique event of a Founder-Master initiating his son, who then became Worshipful Master himself.

1943

The Perfect Ashlar

Bro. Major F. W. Jackson presents a piece of marble said to come from near the site of King Solomon's Temple, acquired during his wartime service in Egypt and Palestine.

1950

Silver Jubilee

25th anniversary celebrated with an official Provincial visit. The Masters' Board is unveiled and significant donations made to the Scholarship Fund and the 1959 Festival.

1970

Emulation Ritual Adopted

Trinity formally adopts the Emulation Ritual, following its first publication by the Emulation Lodge of Improvement.

1975

50th Anniversary

Golden Jubilee marked with a Provincial visit of 39 Officers and a £500 cheque for the 1979 RMBI Festival.

1985

60th Anniversary

Diamond Jubilee celebrated with a Provincial visit and a further £1,500 donation to the 1989 Festival.

2000

75th Anniversary

The Provincial Grand Master, RW Bro. Dr A. M. Davison, makes an official visit to mark three-quarters of a century.

2015

The Thompson Trust

The Ray Wallace Thompson Charitable Trust is formally registered with the Charity Commission, honouring the legacy of a longstanding member and architect.

2021

Festival Achievement

Trinity Lodge raises £40,513 for the Durham Province Festival - 160% of its target, achieving the highest possible Platinum Award recognition.

2025

The Centenary

Trinity Lodge No. 4751 celebrates one hundred years at Freemasons' Hall, Darlington - the same building, the same values, the same meeting night.

Roll of Worshipful Masters

Every man who has served as Worshipful Master of Trinity Lodge, from consecration in 1925 to 2000. The roll continues.

The silk Roll of Masters Banner presented by A. H. Betts in 1935

The silk-embroidered Roll of Masters Banner, presented by founding Worshipful Master A. H. Betts in 1935 to mark the unique occasion of father and son both serving as Master.

1925
A. H. Betts
1926
J. D. Hinks
1927
J. Archer Vann
1928
S. H. Muscroft
1929
J. W. Newton
1930
C. J. Smith
1931
J. Ainsley
1932
J. W. Longstaff
1933
T. W. Tow
1934
C. F. Betts
1935
D. O. Ormerod
1936
C. W. Jackson
1937
T. S. Bignell
1938
A. F. Creek
1939
G. Bainbridge
1940
R. Barlow
1941
C. E. Creek
1942
J. Neasham
1943
R. S. Forrest
1944
H. E. Jennings
1945
J. H. Raine
1946
R. J. Armour
1947
W. N. Smithson
1948
R. Hughes
1949
C. H. Leng
1950
W. Walker
1951
J. A. Hebdon
1952
J. R. Jackson
1953
G. M. Bainbridge
1954
G. Rutter
1955
L. E. Wade
1956
A. G. Brown
1957
T. H. Easby
1958
J. M. Banks
1959
F. J. Paulson
1960
R. C. Taylor
1961
F. H. Watson
1962
S. S. Appleton
1963
J. G. Firby
1964
N. F. Zissler
1966
R. W. Barber
1967
J. T. Harrison
1968
J. W. Gilroy
1969
J. O. Armes
1971
W. D. Walker
1972
J. A. Atkinson
1973
L. H. Anderson
1974
H. Horsley
1975
H. Owens
1976
C. Stoddart
1977
L. H. Gale
1978
A. Lea
1979
W. G. Bussey
1980
W. C. B. Robson
1981
G. M. Phillips
1982
J. T. Shuttleworth
1983
J. D. Smith
1984
D. E. D. Walker
1985
T. W. Whitfield
1986
E. A. Hogg
1987
P. J. Owens
1988
A. Dodd
1989
H. B. Stoddart
1990
A. Thompson
1991
G. Taylor
1992
R. Greener
1993
J. A. Moore
1994
T. G. Milner
1995
M. I. Whiley
1996
M. Grainge
1997
G. A. E. Wilcox
1998
J. Proctor
1999
B. H. Porritt
2000
P. H. Willers

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