This page is dedicated to the history of the Province of Essex as it approaches it's 125th year.
We hope you find the page interesting and informative.
We hope you find the page interesting and informative.
Dr. John Henry Salter JP, DL, FRSM
1841-1932
First Provincial Grand Treasurer
In 1899, Dr John Henry Salter was the first Provincial Grand Treasurer of the Mark Province of Essex, an office he would hold for a record 30 years, until his death in 1932. He was the Provincial Grand Senior Warden in 1912 and 1913 being the only 2 years he was not Elected during this time.
Born in Fittleworth in Sussex in 1841 John Henry Salter would study at Kings College School before beginning his studies in Medicine at Kings College Hospital in 1860. He was studying to become a surgeon but owing to a fight at Derby Day on the 4th of June 1862, he received an injury to his right eye which would end in blindness, the need for a glass eye and end to his career as a surgeon.
He instead chose a path as a GP and through fortune alone moved to Tolleshunt D’ Arcy in 1922, where his connection to Essex really began. He was a member of a number of Craft Lodges and Royal Arch Chapters and in 1905 was Installed as the Deputy Provincial Grand Master for the Craft Province of Essex, an office he would hold for 27 years, the longest serving DPGM to date.
He was Advanced into the Constantine Mark Lodge on 8th of March 1892 becoming Master in 1897. In 1899 at the Constitution of the new Essex Mark Province, he was Elected as Treasurer to sit beside Thomas Ralling as the Provincial Secretary.
What makes Dr Salter such an important character in the history of the Mark Province of Essex is his diary. In 1849 at the age of 8, he began writing a diary and it would be at the age of 91 in 1932 that he died having completed volumes of diary notes throughout his life in rich detail. These were compiled by his friend J. O. Thompson OBE and published in 1933 titled ‘Dr. Salter of Tolleshunt D’ Arcy in the County of Essex, Medical Man, Freemason, Sportsman, Sporting Dog Breeder and Horticulturalist; His Diary and Reminiscences’.
This diary forms the only contemporary source of information for Masonry in Essex and the Mark Province in particular, aside from the Minutes of Lodges that are in existence. He was a committed Freemason and took part in many orders across Essex, Sussex and London.
Written in his diary is information supported by some Lodge minutes on the formation of the Mark Province of Essex, he writes on the 17th of December 1898 “Dinner at G. E Hotel as to splitting up the Province of East Anglia and Creating Essex Province”. The Consecration of the Province is mentioned in an entry as “Lord Warwick installed at Colchester as the first Provincial Grand Master of Essex, a thing which I am responsible for, having worked the severance of the Province from that of East Anglia against great odds and almost alone. They made me Grand Treasurer; Col. Lockwood Deputy Grand Master”.
His diary not only helps to shed light on some of the work undertaken outside of Lodge Minute books but also shows that as a man, he achieved more in one lifetime that most could only hope to achieve in many. In the forthcoming Provincial History to celebrate the 125th Anniversary of the Mark Province of Essex is a biography of Dr Salter that will dive a great deal deeper into his rather remarkable life.
W. Bro. Geoff Waddoups, ProvAGDC, Essex, April 2021.
Born in Fittleworth in Sussex in 1841 John Henry Salter would study at Kings College School before beginning his studies in Medicine at Kings College Hospital in 1860. He was studying to become a surgeon but owing to a fight at Derby Day on the 4th of June 1862, he received an injury to his right eye which would end in blindness, the need for a glass eye and end to his career as a surgeon.
He instead chose a path as a GP and through fortune alone moved to Tolleshunt D’ Arcy in 1922, where his connection to Essex really began. He was a member of a number of Craft Lodges and Royal Arch Chapters and in 1905 was Installed as the Deputy Provincial Grand Master for the Craft Province of Essex, an office he would hold for 27 years, the longest serving DPGM to date.
He was Advanced into the Constantine Mark Lodge on 8th of March 1892 becoming Master in 1897. In 1899 at the Constitution of the new Essex Mark Province, he was Elected as Treasurer to sit beside Thomas Ralling as the Provincial Secretary.
What makes Dr Salter such an important character in the history of the Mark Province of Essex is his diary. In 1849 at the age of 8, he began writing a diary and it would be at the age of 91 in 1932 that he died having completed volumes of diary notes throughout his life in rich detail. These were compiled by his friend J. O. Thompson OBE and published in 1933 titled ‘Dr. Salter of Tolleshunt D’ Arcy in the County of Essex, Medical Man, Freemason, Sportsman, Sporting Dog Breeder and Horticulturalist; His Diary and Reminiscences’.
This diary forms the only contemporary source of information for Masonry in Essex and the Mark Province in particular, aside from the Minutes of Lodges that are in existence. He was a committed Freemason and took part in many orders across Essex, Sussex and London.
Written in his diary is information supported by some Lodge minutes on the formation of the Mark Province of Essex, he writes on the 17th of December 1898 “Dinner at G. E Hotel as to splitting up the Province of East Anglia and Creating Essex Province”. The Consecration of the Province is mentioned in an entry as “Lord Warwick installed at Colchester as the first Provincial Grand Master of Essex, a thing which I am responsible for, having worked the severance of the Province from that of East Anglia against great odds and almost alone. They made me Grand Treasurer; Col. Lockwood Deputy Grand Master”.
His diary not only helps to shed light on some of the work undertaken outside of Lodge Minute books but also shows that as a man, he achieved more in one lifetime that most could only hope to achieve in many. In the forthcoming Provincial History to celebrate the 125th Anniversary of the Mark Province of Essex is a biography of Dr Salter that will dive a great deal deeper into his rather remarkable life.
W. Bro. Geoff Waddoups, ProvAGDC, Essex, April 2021.
On this Day 24th of May 1899
A New Province is Born
"Provincial Grand Lodge of Essex"
The 24th of May in 2021 is a Monday, no doubt bringing the start to a well- deserved summer, having suffered through an unusually inconsistent April.
The 24th of May in 1899 was a Wednesday, a dry sunny day following some unusually cold storms, not so far removed as the passing of time might suggest. This date is important to the Mark degree in Essex as it signifies its independence from the Province of East Anglia, within which the first 7 Mark Lodges resident in the County of Essex had subscribed.
On this date, the new Mark Province of Essex was formally Constituted in the New Board room of the Colchester Corn Exchange by the Right Honourable the Earl of Euston, the Pro Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Mark Master Masons of England and Wales and the Colonies and Dependencies of the British Crown who presided to Constitute the Province and Install the 5th Earl of Warwick and Brooke as its 1st Provincial Grand Master.
From its first 7 Mark Lodges in 1899 has the Province flourished to welcome its 50th Lodge at the end of the year.
But what would this week have looked like? The few days prior to the Constitution would have been a whirlwind of preparation and practice, of paperwork and footwork, train timetables and carriage storage with the Provincial officers designate in a ready state of challenge and excitement. Flags, flowers and food for the festive board were strung up, arranged and cooked on the Monday and Tuesday preceding the meeting, the Wardens and Overseers in place to support the Secretary in the final preparation of the day.
Anyone walking through the High Street in Colchester on these days would have seen a number of men, deep in thought and walking with purpose between the Corn Exchange and the Three Cups Hotel, paperwork and plans at the ready.
What made this day even more special was that only 5 months prior on the 17th of December 1898 at the Great Eastern Hotel in London, had the paperwork been signed and sealed and ready for delivery to Mark Grand Lodge.
In January of 1899, the Earl of Warwick as Provincial Grand Master designate and Thomas Ralling as the organising Secretary were made aware that the Constitution of the Essex Province could go ahead but also that Essex would be the host Province of the MBF Festival to hold its Festival dinner on the 12th of July. If a May deadline wasn’t bad enough the addition of a Festival year to culminate 2 months later, added real spice to the challenge.
As it was, both were a success and the Secretariat led by Thomas Ralling and his Deputy, R. Haward Ives were to be congratulated. In fact, Thomas Ralling would be presented with the undress clothing and jewel of a Past Grand Deacon of England at the festive board held at the Three Cups Hotel.
Written in the Freemasons Chronicle on the 3rd of June 1899 is the following “About 50 Brethren afterwards dined together at the Cups Hotel, under the presidency of the Earl of Warwick, as excellent repast being well served by Mr. and Mrs. Woodward. During dinner the string band of the Royal Warwickshire Regiment performed a selection of choice music, which was much appreciated”.
The liberal supply of flags for the decoration of the Lodge room, as seen in the photograph taken of the festive board, were lent by Bro. Fieldgate of Brightlingsea, while Mr. Lewis, of East Hill House gardens, supplied some handsome plants which added greatly to the adornment of the room.
The 24th of May in 1899 was a Wednesday, a dry sunny day following some unusually cold storms, not so far removed as the passing of time might suggest. This date is important to the Mark degree in Essex as it signifies its independence from the Province of East Anglia, within which the first 7 Mark Lodges resident in the County of Essex had subscribed.
On this date, the new Mark Province of Essex was formally Constituted in the New Board room of the Colchester Corn Exchange by the Right Honourable the Earl of Euston, the Pro Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Mark Master Masons of England and Wales and the Colonies and Dependencies of the British Crown who presided to Constitute the Province and Install the 5th Earl of Warwick and Brooke as its 1st Provincial Grand Master.
From its first 7 Mark Lodges in 1899 has the Province flourished to welcome its 50th Lodge at the end of the year.
But what would this week have looked like? The few days prior to the Constitution would have been a whirlwind of preparation and practice, of paperwork and footwork, train timetables and carriage storage with the Provincial officers designate in a ready state of challenge and excitement. Flags, flowers and food for the festive board were strung up, arranged and cooked on the Monday and Tuesday preceding the meeting, the Wardens and Overseers in place to support the Secretary in the final preparation of the day.
Anyone walking through the High Street in Colchester on these days would have seen a number of men, deep in thought and walking with purpose between the Corn Exchange and the Three Cups Hotel, paperwork and plans at the ready.
What made this day even more special was that only 5 months prior on the 17th of December 1898 at the Great Eastern Hotel in London, had the paperwork been signed and sealed and ready for delivery to Mark Grand Lodge.
In January of 1899, the Earl of Warwick as Provincial Grand Master designate and Thomas Ralling as the organising Secretary were made aware that the Constitution of the Essex Province could go ahead but also that Essex would be the host Province of the MBF Festival to hold its Festival dinner on the 12th of July. If a May deadline wasn’t bad enough the addition of a Festival year to culminate 2 months later, added real spice to the challenge.
As it was, both were a success and the Secretariat led by Thomas Ralling and his Deputy, R. Haward Ives were to be congratulated. In fact, Thomas Ralling would be presented with the undress clothing and jewel of a Past Grand Deacon of England at the festive board held at the Three Cups Hotel.
Written in the Freemasons Chronicle on the 3rd of June 1899 is the following “About 50 Brethren afterwards dined together at the Cups Hotel, under the presidency of the Earl of Warwick, as excellent repast being well served by Mr. and Mrs. Woodward. During dinner the string band of the Royal Warwickshire Regiment performed a selection of choice music, which was much appreciated”.
The liberal supply of flags for the decoration of the Lodge room, as seen in the photograph taken of the festive board, were lent by Bro. Fieldgate of Brightlingsea, while Mr. Lewis, of East Hill House gardens, supplied some handsome plants which added greatly to the adornment of the room.
