Freemasonry in Suffolk dates back to 1772 when the Suffolk "Province" was founded. In 2008 the then Provincial Grand Master of Suffolk, Barry Ross, claimed they had 3,000 members organised in 66 lodges. They operate out of 21 centres. As of 2024 there are now 69 lodges in Suffolk. The Freemasons' Hall was built in Soane Street, Ipswich in 1897. It is a grade II listed building run by the Ipswich Masonic Hall Trust.
In accordance with the Suffolk Code, councillors in Suffolk are asked to declare whether they are a Freemason.
History Ipswich Royal Ark Masons There are claims that Royal Ark Masons started in Ipswich in 1772, but the documentary evidence only goes back as far as 1789, when Ebenezer Sibley and a Mr Wood arrived in Ipswich. The group is sometimes described as "irregular" or "quasi-masonic", as it was formed in order to have a political impact.
United Grand Lodge of England In 1886 Robert Adair, 1st Baron Waveney was the United Grand Lodge of England Provincial Grand Master of Suffolk until his death on 15 February. There were over 800 freemasons in Suffolk distributed in 22 craft lodges: Lodge No. Lodge nameLocationMembershipNotes 71 Unity Lowestoft 72 81 Doric Woodbridge 50 114 British Union Ipswich 47 225 St. Luke Ipswich 93 Some material archived at the Suffolk Record Office, Ipswich 305 Apollo Beccles 20 332 Virtue and Silence Hadleigh 27 Founded in 1811 at the Shoulder of Mutton. When the tenant of the pub died the lodge moved to the White Lion around 1824/5. 376 Perfect Friendship Ipswich 68 388 Prudence Halesworth 34 516 Phoenix Stowmarket 41 555 Fidelity Framlingham 35 929 Waveney Bungay 30 936 Adair Aldeburgh 22 959 Prince of Wales Ipswich * 1008 Royal St. Edmund Bury St. Edmunds 49 1224 Stour Valley Sudbury 61 1452 St. Margaret Lowestoft 25 1592 Abbey Bury St. Edmunds 31 1631 St. Andrew Gorleston 30 1663 Hertismere Eye 23 1823Royal Clarence Clare * 1983 Martyn Southwold 25 9194Court KnollBoxford 39* = No returns
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Masonic buildings in Suffolk
Location Building nameNotesImage Chequer Square, Bury St Edmunds Masonic Hall Six masonic lodges meet at this hall situated in Chequer Square, at the junction of Churchgate Street and Angel Hill.This is a Grade II listed building, formerly the Six Bells Inn. Soane Street, Ipswich Ipswich Masonic Hall Located at far end of photograph. This is a Grade II listed building. North Street, Sudbury Masonic Hall
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