First Artificer Lodge
No 3774

First Artificer Chapter is attached to First Artificer Lodge and shares its number in the register of Grand Lodge.

It also shares many members.

Why Join Royal Arch?

The Royal Arch is the culmination of “pure ancient masonry”. The Craft gives its members eminently practical rules by which they can live their lives in the service of both God, however they worship Him, and the community as a whole.

Man, however, is not simply a practical being but has an essential spiritual aspect to his nature. This is taken up in the Royal Arch, in which the candidate, without trespassing on the bounds of religion, is led to contemplate the nature of God and his personal relationship with Him.

Thus the Royal Arch leads the candidate from the practical to the spiritual and completes “pure ancient masonry”, a fascinating journey of self- knowledge and self – discovery beginning with the Entered Apprentice degree and culminating in the First Principal’s chair of the Chapter.

How to Join Royal Arch

The prime qualification for admission into the Royal Arch is to be a Master Mason, of at least four weeks standing, in a Lodge under the United Grand Lodge of England, or a Lodge under a Grand Lodge recognized by it.
As in all other Masonic Orders you will need a proposer and seconder who are members of the Chapter in which you seek to be exalted. If your Lodge does not have a Royal Arch Chapter attached to it it will probably have an arrangement with a local Chapter. Check your Lodge summons which may give details of either the Chapter attached to it, a Chapter to which it supplies candidates or a member of the Lodge who is a Royal Arch Mason who will assist members interested in joining the Royal Arch.

If there are no details on your Lodge summons you can usually identify the members of your Lodge who are Royal Arch Masons as they will normally wear the jewel of the Order with their Craft regalia. They will be delighted to be approached about membership.

If all that fails, in London you can contact the Metropolitan Grand Lodge office, in a Province or District the Provincial or District Office.

When founded a Royal Arch Chapter is attached to a Lodge whose members apply to the Grand Scribe E at Supreme Grand Chapter for a Chapter to be Warranted and subsequently Consecrated.

Thus, the first item recorded in the minute book of the First Artificer Chapter  is the report of a letter addressed to E.Comp. Harry Bladon from the Grand Scribe E, E.Comp P. Colville Smith dated 6th August, 1921, in which Supreme Grand Chapter acceded to the prayer for a proposed First Artificer Chapter.

The Chapter was consecrated on Monday 31st October, 1921 at Cafe Monico, W.1., by E.Comp. A.Burnett Brown, P.G.Sojr., as Fist Principal, E.Comp. J.F.Cleeves, P.A.G.Sojr., as Second Principal, E.Comp. The Rev. S.T.H.Saunders, P.G.S.N., as Third Principal, E.Comp..John Willkins, P.G.St.B., as Scribe N., E.Comp. A.D.Hansell, P.A.G.Sojr., as D.C., and E.Comp. F.C. Marsh as Janitor.  At this meeting the first Officers of the Chapter were installed and invested:

Seven Propositions for Exaltations were made at this meeting – Bros. Bloxham, Tuck, Ross, Freeman, Evershed, Redgrove and B.V. Blake.

Thus was born the First Artificer Chapter, and to celebrate the occasion, the Founders, Consecating Officers and guests dined amply on menu of Oysters, Soup, Sole, Saddle of Mutton, Roast Partridge, Dessert and Savoury.

At the next meeting of the Chapter on 23rd January, 1922, Bros. Bloxham, Ross, Freeman and B.V. Blake were regularly exalted into Royal Arch Masonry.  50 years later it was a very great source of pleasure to the members that the first exaltee, now E.Comp. B.V. Blake, P.A.G.D.C., is still an active member of the Chapter, and had only recently relinquished the office of Scribe E. which he held for 33 years.

In 1939, with the outbreak of war, it was decided to alter the day of meeting to a Saturday, suspend dining for the time being, and to hold the meetings in the early afternoon.  During the bombing of London, the Chapter, having been singled out for enemy attack, met at the Criterion, Holborn Restaurant, Freemasons’ Hall and Oddendinos, and dispensations and requests for change of venue were flying back and forth from the Scribe E. to the Grand Scribe E., until in desperation the Grand Scribe E. suggested to E.Comp. Blake that he should make the necessary arrangements for meetings and advise him later as to what had been done!  By 1943 the bombing had eased, Meetings were again held in the evening, and dining was resumed.

From the time of Consecration, membership of the Chapter had been restricted to members of the jewellery and allied crafts, but in 1944 it was unanimously agreed to open the doors and welcome candidates from other walks of life.

Meetings of the Chapter were held twice a year for 25 years, but in 1946 it was decided to add a third meeting, and this has continued until the present day. 

The Chapter having moved to various venues in London currently meets at the Furniture Makers Hall. City Livery Companies have some of the nicest places in London to meet with very good travel and transport links to the home counties.

The Companions in the Chapter are look forward to 2021 when they will celebrate the centenary of the Consecration in a special meeting.

In the meantime and as we prepare for that The First Artificer Chapter welcomes both Master Masons looking to be Exalted into the Royal Arch or existing Royal Arch masons who would like to join a City Chapter and share the fun that only Companions of this special Order of Freemasonry can enjoy together.

Please click on the link to receive more details of our membership.