Scrabo Masonic Lodge No 714

The Grand Lodge of Ireland issued Warrant No. 714 to the 1st Battalion 68th (Durham) Regiment of Foot, later known as the Durham Light Infantry, on April 1, 1790. The regiment, formed in 1758 and named after Colonel John Lambton, was stationed in Dublin in 1763 and Gibraltar from 1785 to 1794. The warrant was given to Bros. J Coleman, J Fitzgerald, and H.C. Sirr to establish a lodge.

In 1794, the Regiment was sent to the West Indies to support British forces. They fought against runaway slaves and the French in Martinique, St Lucia, and Grenada. By 1796, only 61 men remained due to Yellow Fever and combat losses. The Regiment returned to Ireland in 1797 to recruit and rebuild.

In early 1812, they were deployed to the Peninsular Wars in Portugal under General Arthur Wellesley. They engaged in battles at Salamanca, Vitoria, Pyrenees, Nivelle, and Orthez until Napoleon's abdication in 1814, after which they returned to Ireland.

During the Crimean War, the Regiment grew to 1240 soldiers and fought in the Battles of Alma, Sevastopol, and Inkerman. At Inkerman, Pte. John Byrne received the first VC awarded during the campaign.

The Grand Lodge of Ireland records indicate that the Warrant was cancelled on 6th July 1815. A new Warrant was issued, and The Scrabo Lodge No.714 in Newtownards was constituted on 16th August 1947.

 Constitution and Dedication

A special meeting of the Provincial Grand Lodge of Down took place at the Masonic Hall, Hartford Place, Newtownards on Saturday, 16th August 1947 at 3:00pm. The purpose was to establish and dedicate The Scrabo Masonic Lodge, No.714. Rt Wor. Bro. Sir William Robinson, Deputy Provincial Grand Master, conducted the ceremony under the direction of W Bro. G Kiley, Provincial Grand Director of Ceremonies. The Provincial Grand Wardens declared The Scrabo Masonic Lodge officially operational, and the Lodge received its first formal recognition.

 Foundation Members and Officers

• James F Jardine: Worshipful Master
• Adam H Jardine: Senior Warden
• Robert Houston: Junior Warden
• A Gunning Maxwell: Treasurer
• Hugh McDonald: Secretary
• Robert Orr: Director of Ceremonies
• Hugh R Warnock: Chaplain
• Thomas W Orr: Senior Deacon
• William M McClements: Junior Deacon
• William I McGorman: Inner Guard

 The Lodge had 25 foundation members and met at the Masonic Hall in Hartford Place, Newtownards. Regular meetings were held on the fourth Friday from January to May and September to December. The first meeting took place on September 26, 1947.

While at Hartford Place, the Lodge rented space from Union Star Masonic Lodge No.198, initially paying £1 per meeting plus 5 shillings for a Tyler. By 1980, the rent rose to £12.50 per meeting. In 1981, they began paying a levy for a new hall in Regent Street. The final meeting at Hartford Place was on May 28, 1982, after which they relocated to the Regent Street Masonic Hall.

 Membership

The Lodge has grown from 25 foundation members to a peak of 73 in 1970, decreased to 58 in 1997 for the 50th Anniversary, and had 35 members in January 2022 for the 75th Anniversary. Despite fluctuations, the Lodge has operated continuously for over 76 years.

Family membership has been a strong tradition, with founding families like Jardine, McDonald, Orr, McClements, and McKeag. In the late 1990s, there were five separate father-son families active in the Lodge.

 Notable Member

Harry Thomas BEM

WBro. Harry Thomas (18/9/1921 - 5/8/2017) was one of the inaugural members of the newly established Scrabo Masonic Lodge. A native of Wales, Mr. Thomas served with Bomber Command during the Second World War. Following the war, he chose to marry a local woman from Newtownards and settle in the town. He was initiated into the Lodge in March 1948 and sadly passed away on August 5th, 2017, just six months short of his 70th Anniversary with the Lodge.

Mr. Thomas worked for many years as a field engineer for Shorts Brothers' Missile Division. In 1969, Shorts encountered technical difficulties with a Ground to Air Missile system known as Tigercat (the land-based variant of the Shorts Seacat Missile). A team of seven engineers and technicians were dispatched to Amman, Jordan, to rectify the issue before a demonstration for King Hussein of Jordan. During this period, Jordan was experiencing political unrest due to incursions by the Palestine Liberation Army. Amid escalating tensions, the PLO took control of Mr. Thomas's hotel in Amman and held the Shorts team hostage. The situation lasted for several days, but fortunately, no one was harmed. The team successfully resolved the technical issues and proceeded to demonstrate Tigercat to the King.

In recognition of their services, Harry Thomas and the team were awarded The Order of Istiqal by King Hussein. Additionally, Mr. Thomas was awarded the British Empire Medal (BEM) by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II for his contributions to Industry.

The Lodge installed WBro. Wesley Francis as its new Master in January 2020. In March 2020, the Covid-19 pandemic halted all masonic activities, leading to virtual meetings via Skype and later Zoom until September 2021. Despite challenges, the Lodge has grown post-pandemic. It celebrated 75 years in 2022, welcoming new members, including Bro. Andrew McKeag, a fourth-generation member. On November 5, 2022, the Lodge held an Extraordinary Meeting in Grand Lodge, Dublin.