The first Masonic activity in Hertfordshire was in the eighteenth century. A Lodge was warranted at St. Albans in 1739, to meet at the Red Rampant Lyon but erased in 1755; again at St. Albans in 1767 the Lodge of St. Amphibalus was warranted, but erased in 1777 and at Baldock in 1776, the Lodge of Harmony was formed but erased in 1787.
The Province came into existence in 1797 with the appointment of William Forssteen by Patent dated 24th March 1797 as Provincial Grand Master for Hertfordshire. His six year rule saw no Lodges consecrated so his appointment proved a sinecure.
His successor was his friend George Daniel Harvey, appointed by Patent dated 11th May 1803, the day William Forssteen resigned. His twenty-eight year rule embraced the birth of the Province, as it is now known, 1829 being the year. On 8th September Hertford Lodge was consecrated and on 13th November, Bamborough Lodge (to be re-named Watford Lodge in 1833). Just over a year later on 26th November 1830, Harvey held his first and only, and the Province’s first, Provincial Grand Lodge in the Assembly Rooms at Watford. He resigned his office in 1831 and died on 5th March 1833.
By Patent dated July 1831 James Gascoyne-Cecil, Second Marquess of Salisbury was appointed to succeed Harvey and was installed on 12th November 1833 at the Shire Hall, Hertford. He ruled for nearly thirteen years during which five Lodges were consecrated, two of which continue in Hertfordshire; Stortford Lodge, now 409, the Lodge of Friendship at Hockerill whose warrant was returned in 1851, Salisbury Lodge, now 435, meeting in London, Cecil, now 449, at Hitchin, and St. Albans, erased on 1st June 1853 but not before it had sponsored St. John the Baptist Lodge, now 475, the senior Bedfordshire Lodge. All these Lodges sprang from Hertford Lodge. In early January 1844 Lord Salisbury resigned from the whole of Freemasonry, a resignation announced in Grand Lodge on 6th March of that year.
His deputy, William Stuart, was appointed to succeed him by Patent dated January 1844. At this point Watford Lodge comes into the picture by sponsoring Berkhampstead Lodge No. 504, and also, to fill the gap left by the departure of Salisbury Lodge, Gresham Lodge No. 869 at Waltham Cross.
A London Lodge, Capper Lodge No. 1076 of West Ham sponsored King Harold Lodge No. 1327 at Waltham New Town, and Hertford Lodge sponsored Gladsmuir Lodge No. 1385 at Barnet. Thus at the end of Stuart’s rule in 1873, Masonry was in Hertford, Waltham Cross, and Barnet. There were still no lodges at St. Albans and no Halseys.
Both omissions were soon to be remedied. Thomas Frederick Halsey was appointed Provincial Grand Master by Patent dated 25th November 1873 and was installed on 22nd April 1874. Seven days later he consecrated Halsey Lodge No. 1479 at the Town Hall, St. Albans. At the end of 1923 Sir Frederick Halsey, Bt., M.P., resigned on completion of fifty years in office. Fifty years during which thirty-three Lodges were consecrated in Hertfordshire, thirty-one by him. Masonry spread to Hemel Hempstead, Stevenage, Rickmansworth, Elstree, Bushey, Broxbourne, Cheshunt, Ware, Hatfield, Welwyn, Chorleywood, Hertingfordbury, Royston and Harpenden; in short, throughout the Province.
His ‘dynasty’, comprising his two sons, Admiral Sir Lionel Halsey and Canon Frederick Halsey and his grandson Guy Marsden Halsey were all to be Provincial Grand Masters, so that at the retirement of Guy, the family had provided a ruler for eighty-three out of one hundred and eleven years. During their rule one hundred and two Lodges were consecrated and, by coincidence, one hundred and two Lodges were consecrated by Halseys
Charles Edward Keyser, his Deputy, who was installed on 19th May 1924 and consecrated twelve of the seventeen Lodges formed under his rule, succeeded Sir Frederick. Admiral Sir Lionel Halsey was installed on 7th April 1931 and consecrated twenty-two of the thirty-five Lodges formed under his rule, his brother Canon Frederick Halsey, his Deputy, consecrating the other thirteen and when he succeeded, being installed on 19th January 1950, consecrated seven of the nine lodges formed during his short rule. His successor, his deputy, The Rev. Dr. Joseph Moffett, installed on 1st July 1952, consecrated all sixteen lodges formed during his rule.
The next Provincial Grand Master, Colonel Alexander Woods was installed on 21st January 1963 and he consecrated fifteen of the twenty-one Lodges founded under his rule.
His successor was Guy Marsden Halsey, installed almost precisely twelve years later on 27th January 1975. His was the first rule to see Lodges join Hertfordshire from elsewhere, the first being Union Lodge No. 767 from Pakistan which on 1st January 1978 became the hundred and fifty-first Lodge in the Province. Twelve more were to follow, the Asylums Board Lodge No. 2842, becoming the hundred and ninety-fifth on 1st June 1993. Guy Halsey consecrated twenty-six of the thirty Lodges formed during his rule and in addition four Lodges joined the Province.
Godfrey Kent, installed on 30th May 1985, consecrated twelve Lodges during his time as Provincial Grand Master and, in addition, eight Lodges joined the Province.
He was succeeded by Michael Batham Jones, installed on 21st September 1992. Ten lodges were consecrated during the eleven years that followed, including the two hundredth, Veritatem Sequere No. 9615, and a number of Lodges joined the Province from London during that period.
Colin Frank Harris succeeded him as Provincial Grand Master on 24 September 2003. Four Lodges were consecrated during his time, including the new Lodge of the Red Rampant Lyon.
In September 2013 Paul Gower was installed as Hertfordshire’s 15th Provincial Grand Master.
With improved communications the Province has gravitated to ten main centres, with the great majority of our Lodges meeting at them. Apart from area backgrounds, Lodges are linked with Regiments, Schools, Past Masters, Scouts, Provincial Stewards, Golf Clubs, particular workings, the Round Table, Scotland and Masonic research. Others have moved from elsewhere, Pakistan, India, Middlesex and, above all, London. All now form a Province with extensive geographical and interest cover – in short, Happy Hertfordshire!
