St. Hilda Lodge No. 240
Meeting Dates:
7pm on the second Monday of every month. Lodge instruction last Friday of month. Practice Sunday before a regular meeting. Installation December.
Installation Month: December
Consecrated: 1780 (246 years ago)
Annual Subscription: £130
Dining Fee: £12
Contact: st.hildano240@gmail.com
Links: https://durhamfreemasons.org/
Master: C Raven
Who are we?
Mother Lodge for South Shields Lodges.
Originally a ‘Sea Farers Lodge’.
What we do
Many brothers have connection to the sea and the river.
Why join us?
Meetings every month: 12 per year.
History and Background
Establishment and Early Locations: The lodge was consecrated in March 1780, likely at The Golden Lion Inn on King Street, where it met until October 1822.
Relocations: Due to a dispute with the landlord regarding candle payments in 1822, the lodge moved to the Crown and Anchor on Commercial Street, returning to The Golden Lion in 1827, where it remained until May 1861.
Masonic Hall: In May 1861, the lodge moved to the Central Hall on Chapter Row, and in March 1863, it moved to the new Freemasons' Hall in Fowler Street.
Background: The lodge has historically been associated with "Sea Farers". It has undergone various numbering changes, including being listed as number 521 in 1770, 426 in 1780, and eventually 240 in 1863.
Records: A 1794 report in the Freemason's Magazine indicated the lodge was active for a few years but declined, with a temporary cessation of meetings in March 1785.
Meeting Places:
Golden Lion Hotel, King Street, South Shields, Durham, England1780
Freemasons' Arms, Market Place, South Shields, Durham, England1794
Hope Tavern, Bank Top, South Shields, Durham, England1822
Crown and Anchor, Commerce Street, South Shields, Durham, England1823
Crown and Anchor, Commerce Street, South Shields, Durham, England1823
Golden Lion Hotel, King Street, South Shields, Durham, England1827
Central Hall, Chapter Row, South Shields, Durham, England1861
Freemasons' Hall, Fowler Street, South Shields, Durham, England1863
Freemasons' Hall, Ingham Street, South Shields, Durham, England1884 to date
