Guy Marsden Halsey

27 September, 2016

1974 – 1985

Guy Marsden Halsey was born in 1909, the son of the Reverend Canon Frederick Halsey (Provincial Grand Master 1950 to 1952), the grandson of Sir Frederick Halsey (Provincial Grand Master 1874 to 1924), and the nephew of Sir Lionel Halsey (Provincial Grand Master 1931 to 1949). He himself was to be Provincial Grand Master 1975 to 1985. On his retirement, the family had provided a Provincial Grand Master for Hertfordshire for eighty-three of the last one hundred and eleven years. One hundred and two Lodges were consecrated whilst a Halsey was Provincial Grand Master and, by coincidence, one hundred and two Lodges were consecrated by Halseys.

As is mentioned in Chapter Nine, Guy Halsey was initiated on 6th May 1938 in Watford Lodge No. 404, proposed by his father, who performed the ceremony, and seconded by his uncle who gave the address to the Initiate.

On 23rd September 1939 Mary Juliet Gough Arbuthnott, daughter of the late Captain Robert W.M. Arbuthnott MC of Kimpton Grange, Herts, and Guy Halsey were married by his father, assisted by the Bishop of St. Albans, the Rt. Rev. Michael Furze, at Hatfield Church.

That month his Masonic interests were abruptly terminated as the young Master Mason, being an officer in the Hertfordshire Regiment (TA) was whisked off to active service. He spent the greater part of the war years in the Middle East and Greece. His progress through Watford Lodge No. 404 was resumed after the War, when he returned as a Lieutenant Colonel having been mentioned in despatches. He was invested as Senior Warden on 6th June 1948 and the following year was installed in the Chair by his father, then Deputy Provincial Grand Master.

Due to business commitments Guy Halsey and his family moved to Somerset in 1952 and his Hertfordshire activities were curtailed. At the Provincial Meeting on 28th September 1955, however, he was invested as Past Provincial Junior Grand Deacon.

In 1970 the family returned to The Golden Parsonage, Great Gaddesden. That ever vigilant “guide, philosopher and friend” of the Province VW Bro Arnold Simon, the Deputy Provincial Grand Master, immediately spotted this and, having quickly renewed his old association with “the Halseys of Hertfordshire”, he relinquished his Provincial Office and personally invested Bro Guy Halsey as Deputy Provisional Grand Master at the Annual Provincial Meeting on 27th September 1972. Bro Halsey had been appointed Past Junior Grand Deacon in Grand Lodge earlier that year.

Colonel Woods’ ill health saw Guy Halsey consecrating four Lodges as Deputy Provincial Grand Master, the first, Redbourn Lodge No. 8484 on 10th May 1973 and the fourth, Stuart Lodge No. 8578 on 27th June 1974. Just before that last consecration, in April 1974, he was promoted to Past Grand Sword Bearer in Grand Lodge thus entitling him to the prefix Very Worshipful. As such he deputised for the Provincial Grand Master at the Royal Masonic Institution for Boys Festival on 5th June 1974, Colonel Woods’ and Donald Forrester’s excellent work being celebrated at the Connaught Rooms, Great Queen Street, London.

On 18th September 1974, Guy Halsey, as Provincial Grand Master designate, attended the Centenary Meeting of Halsey Lodge No. 1479, a Lodge consecrated by his grandfather. The Halsey Loving Cup presented to his grandfather in 1902 was handed back to the Lodge.

Guy Halsey was installed as Provincial Grand Master by MW Bro The Earl Cadogan, the Pro Grand Master, at a Special Meeting of Provincial Grand Lodge held at Freemasons’ Hall, London attended by some 1,200 Brethren representing every Lodge in the Province.

The Halsey Family Standard, originally presented to Watford Lodge No. 404, had served the previous members of the family as Provincial Grand Masters to such a degree that it deserved a rest. A suitable exhibition panel was therefore constructed at the Halsey Masonic Hall, Watford, to display and preserve it for posterity (together with the Grand Lodge Standard presented by Hertford Lodge No. 403 to Sir Frederick Halsey when he was both Deputy Grand Master and Provincial Grand Master and the personal Standard of Colonel Alexander Woods). In a race against time to have it available for the day of Bro Halsey’s installation, a new Standard, worked in hand-embroidery by Phyllis, wife of W. Bro W.T. Whinnett, was produced after many hours of painstaking skill, and presented by all the Lodges in the Province.

Immediately after Guy Halsey’s installation, his new personal Standard was introduced into Provincial Grand Lodge, borne by W. Bro Whinnett and escorted by two Standard Bearers. The Standard has the Family Arms on a royal blue background with the family motto ‘nescit vox missa reverti’ literally ‘the spoken word cannot be recalled’, but loosely, ‘my word is my bond’.

During his rule, RW Bro Guy Halsey consecrated twenty-six Lodges, W. Bro Donald Forrester, two, as Deputy Provincial Grand Master, and W. Bro George Davies, one, as Assistant Provincial Grand Master in charge. In addition White Star Lodge No. 8727 was consecrated by James Stubbs, the Grand Secretary, and Union Lodge No. 767, Edmonton Latymer Lodge No. 5026, Bombay Lodge No. 3651 and High Stone Lodge No. 4498 joined the Province. Thus, the Province grew by thirty-four Lodges in about ten years.

Guy Halsey retired at the beginning of 1985. On 29th May 1990, his successor, RW Bro Godfrey Kent consecrated the Guy Marsden Halsey Lodge No. 9369. Bro Halsey himself was present and delivered the address to the Brethren. He also presented to the Lodge his personal Standard, referred to previously, and it occupies pride of place at all Lodge meetings. He died just five months later on 28th October 1990. The Memorial Service at the Cathedral and Abbey Church of St. Alban on 22nd February 1991 was attended by a great many Brethren, a testament to the respect and affection in which he was held.

Back | Next