A SHORT HISTORY OF THE SOUTH CAROLINA LODGE, No. 390 I.C.
1928-1978
Kingston Jamaica

by

V. W. Bro. Edward G. Groves

Preface by W. Bro. Ian M. D. Murphy, W.M. 1978

INTRODUCTION

V.S.L. Presented to the Lodge in 1906

A SHORT HISTORY OF THE SOUTH CAROLINA LODGE, N0.390 I.C.

At this stage in its history the Ist Battalion alternated between duty on the then-called Gold Coast and duty in Jamaica, approximately two to three years at a time being spent in any one place. This would mean that those interested in forming a Lodge would have to decide whether to apply for a Permanent Warrant (which would mean that the Warrant and, therefore, the Lodge would have to remain in one place although the Battalion travelled) or for a Travelling Warrant (which would mean that the Warrant and, therefore, the Lodge would be able to go whereever the Lodge went). Like many military Brethren before and since, who have decided that their Lodge must be able to move with the Regiment, the Brethren concerned decided to apply for a Travelling Warrant. The Irish being the only Grand Lodge to permit the Warrant to move with the Lodge, the new Lodge was formed under the Irish Constitution.

The Warrant of the Lodge was granted on 27th. October, 1905, to Brothers Sydney C. Thompson, Herbert W. Coneybeare and John A.McCleod as the first W.M. and Wardens. The name given to the Lodge was "The South Carolina Lodge, Ist. West India Regiment, No. 390 I.C." Why "South Carolina"? The Lodge has no definite proof but the answer must surely be connected with the history of the West India Regiment.

During the American War of Independence, a British Expeditionary Force from New York captured the State of Georgia. As a result, Loyalists flocked to the British camp where they were formed into a number of Corps, the South Carolina Corps being one of them. This Corps took an active part in the war, became a Cavalry Regiment in 1780 and, at the end of the war, moved to Jamaica. The new South Carolina Regi- ment had a short life as such, however, for in 1795 it was amalgamated with another Regiment to form Whyt's Regiment of Foot, a title which was changed shortly afterwards to The West India Regiment. The link with the original corps was perpetuated by the formation within the Ist. Battalion of the new Regiment of a "South Carolina Company." It is not known whether the Founders of the Lodge were members of the Company or whether they were merely Brethren with a nice sense of history.

South Carolina Lodge, 1909

The Lodge, to quote from the 1913 By-Laws, was "erected and consecrated at Sierra Leone on 27th. February, 1906." Unfortunately, little is known of those early days for all the Minute Books covering the period prior to 1938 are lost. Presumably, however, the Lodge moved with the Battalion between the Gold Coast and Jamaica until the First World War and the chances are that it went to France when the Batta- lion served there during the war. We know that there were a Royal Arch Chapter No. 390 West India Regiment and a Lodge of Mark Masons belonging to the Chapter operative in 1914.

After the war the Battalion moved into permanent quarters in Jamaica and this had a profound effect on the type of membership of the Lodge. Instead of membership being confined to serving members of the Battalion, as was the case until then, the following were made eligible to join (to quote from the 1925 By-Laws):

This change of membership is reflected in a new name for the Lodge which, by 1925, had become "The South Carolina Lodge (West India Regiment and Associated Garrison) No. 390 I.C." Fees for Initiation etc. were L6.6.0d. by 1925 and the Dues were 24/- per annum.although this amount was reduced to 18/- if the Brother was a subscribing member of either the Sussex (354 E. C. ), Moore-Keys (2519 E. C.) or Imperial Service (987 S. C. ) Lodges. The Service Lodges apparently saw a lot of each other -- in 1912, forexample, Moore-Keys Lodge entertained the Brethren of South Carolina Lodge with a concert (at a cost of L10) on the occasion of the West India Regiment leaving Jamaica on another tour of duty abroad.

In 1927 the West India Regiment was disbanded and the Warrant of the Lodge was surrendered to Grand Lodge. Later that year a group of civilians, mostly Police and Prison Staff, who had been connected with the Lodge applied for the reinstatement of the Lodge under the name of "The South Carolina Lodge, No. 390 I.C."

The Consecration of the Lodae took place at 80 Hanover Street, Kingston, on the 3rd April 1928. The Following Brethren were appointed by the Grand Master to represent the Grand Lodge of Ireland:-

The following Brethren were installed as the first Officers of the re-formed Lodge:-

W.M. W. Bro. Inspector W. H. F. Sidley
S.W. W. Bro. Hen. J. P. O'Leary Bradbury
J .W. Bro. J. Y. Horner
Secy/Treasurer Bro. J. M. O'Connor
D. of C. Bro. J. Higgins
S.D Bro. Inspector M. W. Harrell

The names of the J.D. and I.G. are not recorded as, being away from Jamaica, they were not invested. It is interesting to note that at least two of the first Officers were connected with the Police. Again, nothing is known of the re-formed Lodge until the Minute Books take up the story again in 1938.

During 1938 the idea of forming a Royal Arch Chapter was mooted. In February 1939 R.W. Bro. Thompson, a Grand Lodge Officer, visited Jamaica and the matter was discussed with him. It was decided that, as the English ritual used in Jamaica was so different from that of the Irish, a Chapter under the Irish Constitution could not be established successfully unless someone well versed in the Irish Ritual was available to pass on his knowledge and to supervise the work for some time. It was decided to leave the matter in abeyance.

The Lodge met on 5th September, 1939, but there is no comment in the Minutes concerning the start of the war except to include an apology from the W.M. who was absent because he had been "mobilised for duty during the present crisis." At the next Communication, however, the W.M. was back in the Chair. The effect of the war was not felt until 1941; between then and 1945 there were 15 Initiations, 11 affiliations and 9 Resignations. At the October, 1939, Communication a special welcome was extended to visiting Brethren from H.M. Australian Ship "Perch".

By 1942 war-time restrictions were making themselves felt, especially in the use of cars, with the result that the Brethren were having to use public transportation in order to attend Lodge. This led to a directive from the W.M. that in future the wearing of evening dress would be optional.

On the 8th June, 1946, members of the Lodge attended a Thanks-giving Service at the Temple to mark the successful conclusion of the war. At the Installation Meeting in January, 1948, the Lodge was honoured by the presence of R.W. Bro. Sir Ernest Cooper, President of the Board of General Purposes of the Grand Lodge of England. At the November Communication the death was announced of M.W. Bro. the Earl of Donoughmore, the Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Ireland. At the December Communication R.W. Bro. J. J. Mills, recently appointed D.G.M. of the District Grand Lodge of Scotland in Jamaica, was welcomed to the Lodge as an Honorary Member. At the same Communication the Lodge's Chaplain, .Bro. P. L. Abraham, was congratulated on his appointment as D.G.M. of the District Grand Lodge of England in Jamaica.

In December, 1949, a General Election was held in Jamaica. In a pre-election speech, a member of one of the Parties accused the Secretary of the Lodge of attaching political articles to the December notices before sending them out. An investigation was carried out by the I.P.M. of the Lodge and the allegation was refuted.

In August, 1951,a hurricane hit Jamaica and much damage was done. The Lodge did not hold its September Communication as conditions were still unsettled. At the October Communication a cable of condolence from the Deputy Grand Master was read.

1953 was an historic year for the Lodge.

At the April Communication the Lodge celebrated the 25th anniversary of the re-forming of the Lodge. Both D.G.M's were present, as were several of the Brethren who had assisted at the Consecration Ceremony. The Minutes of the Communication were signed by the Deputy Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Ireland.

At the May Communication the Lodge was honoured by the presence of R.W. Bro. Frank A. Lowe, Deputy Grand Master, who took the Chair for a time. After the evening's work, the Deputy G.M., by invitation, assessed what he had seen. After pointing out certain minor differences in the Ritual as worked in Ireland, R.W. Bro. Lowe congratulated the Lodge on the high standard of work. He said that, considering the fact that it was many years since an Irish Brother had been present to check on the work of the Lodge, it was amazing how few "heresies" had crept into the ritual as worked in Jamaica. At a subsequent meeting with the senior Officers of the Lodge the Deputy G.M. recommended certain minor changes in the ritual of the Lodge. One other change made was in the form of the Loyal Toast which had formerly been "The King and the Craft." It was pointed out by the Deputy G.M. that Irish Masonry was based on Southern Ireland and, therefore, a toast coupling the Monarch with Freemasonry was not acceptable; he hastened to add that there was nothing to stop the W.M. from proposing a loyal toast to the Monarch, followed by a toast to the Craft or to the Grand Lodges.

As a result of the visit of the Deputy G.M., the Lodge received two honours later in the year: firstly, the Lodge was granted the privilege of it's Master being able to reply on behalf of Grand Lodge at Installation Meetings of Sister Lodges, Secondly, The Honorary Rank of Past Senior Grand Deacon was bestowed on three of the senior Past Masters of the Lodge; W. Bro. H. F. Endersby (the Secretary), W. Bro. A. O. Scoggin (the Director of Ceremonies) and W. Bro. R. S. Grant. These Brethren were the first members of the Lodge to receive Grand Lodge Honours.

Extract from the Deputy G.M.'s report to Grand Lodge at the St. John's Day Meeting, 1953; "in both these places (Bermuda and Jamaica) was impressed by the working of our ceremonies and the freedom from borrowed ritual. One should remember how difficult the maintainance of the purity of our distinctive ritual must be when the more numerous Lodges of other Constitutions are meeting in the area and visits to such Lodges are a welcome part of Masonic Life." Extract from the Report of the Grand Secretary at the same meeting: "The working of this Lodge (South Carolina) is most impressive. It is carried out, particularly in conferring a Degree, with a dignity and precision which reflect the enthusiasm of its Officers and Members."

In November, 1953, H.M. Queen Elizabeth and Bro. H.R.H. the Duke of Edinburgh paid a visit to Jamaica. Along with the English and Scottish Constitutions, the Lodge presented an Illuminated Address to W. Bro. Sir Hugh Foot (governor of Jamaica) for transmission to Her Majesty.

In 1954 the By-Laws of the Lodge were revised: The in-coming Master's responsibilities for the Installation Banquet were limited to 10 and an Installation Banquet Fee of one guinea per attending member was introduced. The method of electing the three junior Officers of the Lodge was changed to the system of individual ballots -- formerly, one ballot had covered the three Offices, the Brother receiving the most votes becoming S.D., the next J.D. and the third I.G.

In March, 1958, the M.W. The Grand Master Mason and R.W. the Grand Secretary of the Grand Lodge of Scotland visited Jamaica and the W.M. and Officers of the Lodge were invited to attend a Communication held in their honour.

In April, 1959, the By-Laws of the Lodge were changed to permit Brethren living more than 25 miles from Kingston to become "Country Members," thus paying reduced fees.

In March, 1960, R.W. Bro. F. H. Bowen, the new D.G.M. of English Freemasonry in Jamaica was elected an Honorary Member of the Lodge. At the same Communication the Lodge received a visit from R.W. Bro. Sir John Cecil-Williams, a member of the Grand Lodge of England.

During 1961 the By-Laws of the Lodge were amended so as to limit the number of Candidates for Initiation to 3 and the number of Candidates for Affiliation to 5 in any period of 12 months from the previous installation. This decision was made because the Brethren felt that limitation of the size of the Lodge would encourage the formation of a second Irish Lodge in Kingston.

During 1962 the Honorary Rank of Past Grand Senior Deacon was bestowed on W. Bros. G. W. Woolner and E. G. Groves. This meant that, at the time, there were five members of the Lodge holding Past Grand Rank. During the year, also, it was agreed that in future Brethren of the Lodge would "meet with visiting Brethren downstairs for a few minutes before being seated at table." This proved a most popular innovation.

In 1963 the Lodge was represented at a Communication held to welcome R.W. Bro. Major General Sir Alan Adair, the Assistant Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of England and the Accredited Representative of the Grand Lodge of Ireland to the Grand Lodge of England. At the October Communication it was reported that Mrs. A. O. Scoggin, widow of V.W. Bro. Scoggin, had presented a Masonic Wine Bottle (dated 1855) to the Lodge in memory of her late husband. It was subsequently decided that the bottle should remain in the custody of the incumbent W.M. during his term of Office.

In 1964 the Dues of the Lodge were raised from four pounds to six pounds per annum, with Country Members paying two pounds. At the July Communication the Lodge paid the Last Sad Tribute of Respect to the memory of R. W Bro. Raymond F. Brooke, the Grand Master Mason. In November a member of the Lodge, R.W. Bro. Jackson McL. Wint, was installed as D.G.M. of Scottish Freemasonry in Jamaica.

In 1965 the Lodge appointed its first Steward of Charities. The Lodge also held its first Ladies Night that year; it took the form of a dinner at the Terra Nova Hotel.

Masonic Wine Bottle (dated 1855) presented to the Lodge in monory of V. W. Brother Scogin. Inscribed Dr. George Steel, Montrose 1855

The crockery of the Lodge having been replaced in 1968, it was decided to give pieces of the old crockery to the Masonic Museum in Hanover Street and to the Institute of Jamaica. That year the Lodge decided to resume the number of Regular Communications from ten to eight, Communications not being held in January, July, August and September, in future, Installations would be held in February.

In 1970 R.W. Bro. C. G. Grand, the new D.G.M. of the Scottish Constitution in Jamaica, was elected an Honorary Member of the Lodge.

In October, 1971, the Lodge moved to the Temple of the Scottish Constitution at 11 McGregor Square, thus ending its long association with the English Temple at 80, Hanover Street.

In 1972 W. Bro. Aubrey Jacobs, the new D.G.M. of Jamaica, English Constitution, was elected an Honorary Member of the Lodge. On departing from Jamaica later that year, V.W. Bro. R. S. Grant presented the Lodge with two volumes of a Masonic Encyclopedia; so that Freemasonry in general in Jamaica should benefit from the gift, it was decided to lend the volumes to the Masonic Library.

In May, 1973, it was decided to increase the dues to $20 per annum for "Members living in the Corporate Area and to $7 for all others not so resident."

In June, 1976, R.W. Bro. Lloyd Wong, D.G.M. of the District Grand Lodge of Jamaica and the Bahamas (S.C.) was elected an Honorary Member of the Lodge. In November it was reported that Grand Lodge had conferred the Honorary Rank of Past Grand Deacon on W. Bro. I. H. Gibbs.

List of Masters to 1978

Honorary Grand Lodge Rank in 1976

Interesting Notes from Lodge's Minute Book

Notes on Lodge Property

Bro. James Drayton, Sergeant, 1st West India Regiment

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