Provincial Grand Lodge of Suffolk

The exact date of the first Masonic meeting in Suffolk is unclear, but what is known is that in 1771 the Suffolk Lodges were brought under the jurisdiction of a Provincial Grand Master, primarily to facilitate communication with the Grand Lodge in London. Following the formation of the United Grand Lodge of England in 1813, the fourteen Suffolk Lodges were governed by the Provincial Grand Lodge of Suffolk.

During the ensuing years the Province appears to have been run on an ad-hoc basis until 1838, when some semblance of order was established.

The number of Lodges grew steadily and by 1885 numbered twenty-one. Following the First World War, the number of Freemasons rose dramatically, with many Lodges having over one hundred members and long waiting lists, the belief being that the men discharged from the services sought the company of like-minded men. To accommodate this demand additional Lodges were formed, a practice which continues to the present day with the sixty-eighth lodge, The Sportsman’s Lodge of Suffolk, being Consecrated in 2016.

The Province of Suffolk is made up of almost 3000 Masons from 68 Lodges based at 20 locations spread over the county. There are even some that meet just across the border in Norfolk. So, there should be a Lodge somewhere near you in the main towns of Suffolk.

Provincial Grand Master

Right Worshipful Brother Ian John Yeldham

Installed by Right Worshipful Brother Jonathan Spence Deputy Grand Master at The Trinity Rooms, Suffolk Showground, Ipswich, Suffolk on Thursday 11th July 2013.

Deputy Provincial Grand Master

Worshipful Brother Timothy John McCormick, PProvSGW

Assistant Provincial Grand Master

Worshipful Brother Robert Michael Lee, PAGStdB Eng

Other Provincial Officers 2022 – 2023

* re-appointment