During the period when the Londesborough Chapter was meeting at Driffield (1880-1893),
it was decided to found a Mark Degree. Five Master Masons, four from the Sykes Craft
Lodge, signed the petition. The warrant is dated 30th September, 1881. The Lodge
was called "The Drifelt Mark Lodge". The Provincial Lodge of North and East Yorkshire
had been constituted on the 22nd September, 1881. Drifelt was the first Mark Lodge
in the Province to be consecrated by our first Provincial Grand Master, The Right
Worshipful Brother J. W. Woodall, at Driffield, on 18th October, 1881.
Drifelt Lodge suffered many vicissitudes in the decade following its consecration
and, on the 5th December, 1894, it was decided to transfer the Lodge to Bridlington.
In a letter dated March 5th, 1895, the Provincial Grand Secretary informed the Master
and Wardens that they had the Grand Master's sanction to remove the Lodge, furniture,
jewels and other property of the Drifelt Lodge to Bridlington, whither the Londesborough
Chapter had preceded the Mark in 1893.
The first meeting at Bridlington was held on April 3rd, 1895. On the 9th day of June,
1897, it was decided to present a petition to Grand Mark Lodge "praying that the
name of the Lodge be altered from 'Drifelt' to 'Londesborough'". On November 4th,
1897, Grand Lodge agreed to the alteration and on the 9th February, 1898, the first
meeting of the Londesborough Lodge of Mark Master Masons was held.
From 1902 the Lodge went from strength to strength. There were some useful candidates.
First, Bro. Hugh Batchelor and next Bro. A. E. Matthewman, both of whom were Masters
and stalwarts of the Lodge. After this date the Lodge proceeded smoothly on an even
keel. In 1919, after the installation, 11 candidates and one joining member were
proposed. During this year there were 11 meetings and the membership of the Lodge
rose to 62. There was some talk of forming a Royal Ark Mariners' Lodge in Bridlington,
but nothing seems to have come of it.
