Ellesmere Lodge is one of those cosy lodges that meets in a Masonic Hall, nestled deep in suburbia, a lodge from the Victorian era that still retains a historical feel. Meeting in Runcorn Masonic Hall, the lodge room is full of historical items, and it was my pleasure to give a talk to the lodge yesterday evening surrounded by what can only be described as Masonic aesthetic.

My talk was on the Liverpool Masonic Rebellion which was a fitting topic as Runcorn is situated on the River Mersey just a few miles from Liverpool. The talk was followed by a book signing and a great Christmas themed meal during the festive board. Ellesmere Lodge is a very historical lodge, consecrated in 1859 and the Hall itself dates to the 1930s. The lodge first met in a local school room. However, the lodge grew quickly, drawing candidates from as far away as Birmingham and Sheffield, and from across the river in Widnes, St. Helens and Liverpool. It wasn’t long before a purpose built residence was needed, and the lodge moved into the Freemason’s Hall above the Masonic Hotel, Runcorn, in 1863. The lodge stayed there until 1932. The lodge’s reputation also grew, attracting the likes of the Rt. Hon. Lord de Tabley who visited in 1867, and who was the Provincial Grand Master of Cheshire, and other local dignitaries such as Major George Cornwall Leigh M.P. and the Rt. Hon. Wilbraham Egerton M.P, the latter later becoming Provincial Grand Master.