St. MARY'S LODGE No. 1763 and FREEMASONRY IN THAME
During the Napoleonic wars many prisoners were taken and Thame was one of the towns where Naval Officers and Privateer Captains were held as prisoners of war on parole.
According to Brown and Guest in their history of Thame, prisoners were billeted in the town during the period 1805-1817, and being on parole, had a certain amount of freedom to hold meetings and socialise with the local inhabitants.
Some of these prisoners were brethren of Lodges under the constitution of the Grand Orient of France and came together to form a Lodge in captivity. Where they held their meetings is open to speculation but it is fair to assume that it was most probably the Birdcage Inn in the Cornmarket as prisoners were being held in the cellars of the Inn and also across the road at the Mansion House, later to become the Girls Grammar School, and today a supermarket.
A copy of a certificate dated 1806 confirms that about twenty prisoners had formed a lodge under the Grand Orient of France to be named the Lodge of Peace of Thame.
Some seventy years later on 29th May 1878, following a petition by eight founders, recommended to Grand Lodge by the Master and Wardens of Alfred Lodge No. 340 in Oxford, a warrant was granted by the United Grand Lodge of England for the foundation of a new lodge in Thame to be known as St. Mary's Lodge No.1763.
On the 5th of December in the same year in the Old Town Hall (demolished and replaced by the present building in 1887), the new Lodge was consecrated by Reginald Bird, Deputy Provincial Grand Master for Oxfordshire. The Provincial Grand Master at that time was His Royal Highness Prince Leopold, The Duke of Albany. Henry Birch, a solicitor in the town, was installed as the first Master.
Being located on the Bucks/Oxon border there was also a strong cross Province connection with Lodges in Aylesbury and High Wycombe which still exists today, resulting in two Buckinghamshire Lodges meeting in our present building.
Following the imminent demolition of the Old Town Hall a new venue was needed and a lease was signed with Mr Henry Newitt a Furniture dealer who owned the old Congregational Chapel at No.14 High Street, for part use of the premises. The first meeting was held there in May 1881. The building was purchased from Mr Newitt in 1926, thus apart from 1939/45 the premises have been in continuous use for Masonic meetings, for some 115 years.
Masonry continued to grow and in 1922 a Royal Arch Chapter attached to St. Mary's Lodge was consecrated.
During the war years of 1939145 the premises were occupied by the the War Department and meetings were held in a variety of buildings including the Wesleyan school room, the Methodist school room, the Town Hall, Lloyds Bank House and various pubs.
September 1946 saw the consecration in the Town Hall of Hampden Lodge No.6290 by The Rev T.T.Blockley the Provincial Grand Master for Oxfordshire, the Founder Master was Percy Hester.
The War Department having relinquished the building at the end of hostilities, meetings were resumed at No.14 but dining took place at the Spread Eagle Hotel and continued there for some years as cooking facilities were limited at the hall.
Icknield Way Lodge No.8292, who had been consecrated in 1969, moved their meetings from Watlington to Thame in 1976 due to difficulty with dining arrangements at Watlington.
Princes Risborough Lodge No.5203 from over the border, also moved their meetings to Thame having lost their existing venue in Risborough.
In November 1978 the Provincial Grand Master for Oxfordshire, The Lord Rathcreedan consecrated the Lodge of Peace No.8850 at Thame Masonic Hall, the Founder Master was N.R.H. Howland
This was followed in 1981 by the the consecration at Aylesbury by the Provincial Grand Master for Buckingham the Rt Hon Lord Burnham, of Haddenham Lodge No. 8944 with dispensation to meet at Thame, and in the same year the consecration of Princes Risborough Royal Arch Chapter at Thame by the Grand Superintendent for Buckinghamshire Sir Ralph Verney.
From its humble beginnings nearly 125 years ago, Freemasonry in Thame has gradually expanded to the present day when six Craft lodges, two Chapters, and four side degrees (two Mark, one Royal Ark Mariners and one Royal and Select Masters), meet at the Thame Masonic Centre.
