Froda Lodge No 4942

Consecrated 19 May 1927

The Lodge originally met in the School Room in Overton.

The Lodge now meets seven times a year in the Frodsham Conservative Club, Main Street, Frodsham, on the first Thursday in October, November, December (Installation), January, February, March & April.

FREEMASONRY IN FRODSHAM

Freemasonry in Frodsham goes back to the 18th Century when from 1770 to around 1794 Freemasons met in The Lodge at the Bear’s Paw No. 184. This Lodge stayed on “The Ancients” books until the Union of Ancient and Modern Grand Lodges in 1813 but never appeared on the lists of United Grand Lodge.
There then followed a period with no trace of freemasons meeting in Frodsham until 27th August 1881 when The Cholmondeley Lodge No. 1908 was consecrated at the Commercial Hotel, Main Street, although during that period there are records of Frodsham residents joining the Craft in Chester. It is interesting to note that Ellesmere Lodge No.758, which in 1927 sponsored Froda Lodge No. 4942, was the sponsor of The Cholmondeley Lodge.

The Lodge moved from the Commercial Hotel to the Masonic Rooms in Frodsham Conservative Club in 1893 and seemed to prosper until the early years of the 20th Century when membership declined to around a dozen. Following an intervention by the then Provincial Grand Master, an influx of new members, mostly from the Birkenhead area, doubled the membership but the local link continued to weaken and the Lodge moved to Birkenhead in October 1908 where it continues to meet to this day. Apparently, not all members were in favour of the move and the then secretary refused to deliver up the Minute Books and these remain lost.

There is also a connection to Mark Masonry. In October 1888, the De Tabley Mark Lodge No. 396 was consecrated at Frodsham Town Hall and met in the Masonic Rooms, Main Street, Frodsham.
Sadly this Lodge followed the same pattern as The Cholmondeley Lodge and moved to Birkenhead at around the same time (1908) where it continues to this day.

FRODA LODGE No. 4942

Froda Lodge was sponsored by Ellesmere Lodge and consecrated on Saturday 3rd December 1927 at the Frodsham Endowed Boys School, Overton, Frodsham. It was consecrated by the Provincial Grand Master, R.W.Bro. Cuthbert Leicester-Warren assisted by the Provincial Senior Grand Warden, W.Bro. George William Dolman, the Provincial Junior Grand Warden W.Bro. Frederick Brindley, 37 other Grand and Provincial Officers and 79 Past Masters and Brethren. The first Master of Froda was W.Bro. the Rev. Miles Weight Myers, the then Vicar of Frodsham. The lodge was named after the first known Saxon settler in the area, Froda, who also gave his name to the village – “Froda’s Hamlet” becoming “Frodsham”.

Following its consecration, Froda Lodge has met at the Masonic Rooms, Frodsham Conservative Club, 74 Main Street Frodsham with the odd foray to Runcorn Masonic Hall for special meetings where additional space was needed. The Lodge has regularly held well attended meetings since its consecration, though there were a couple of occasions during the war when the blackout, fog and bad weather when things got a bit difficult.
For many years, the Festive Board was held on narrow trestles fixed round the Snooker Table in the Conservative Club and the Lodge Stewards had to act as such, assisting in the serving of meals and fetching drinks from the bar downstairs.

Habits and practice moves on and thereafter we dined at a number of commercial venues. For many years now we have held our Festive Board at the Old Hall Hotel opposite the Lodge Room.
We take pride in being an open, welcoming Lodge, always glad to see visitors with a modest but enjoyable social programme matched to the wishes of the members. Our rehearsals are regularly held, seriously intended but well seasoned with fellowship and banter. In common with virtually all Masonic Lodges, we are keen to support our younger members to progress through the Lodge and to introduce their friends.
Froda Lodge meets on the first Thursday of the month from October through to April. We start at 7.00pm, except for our Installation in December which starts at 5.00pm.