South Africa Freemason Johannesburg Lodge
in the District of South Africa North
Freemasons: Johannesburg Lodge No. 2313
P.O. Box 573
Ferndale
District Johannesburg
Consecrated: 1890
Meetings: 2nd Wednesday Jan, Mar, May, Jun, Sep, Nov
Meeting place:Freemasons' Hall 8 Park Lane, Parktown
Johannesburg
One of the twelve lodges constituting the District
in 1895.
The difficulties experienced by the petitioners in
obtaining a charter delayed its consecration until
26 March 1890. Shortly afterwards the lodge acquired
a proprietary interest in its meeting place, the
masonic hall at the corner of Main and Rissik
Streets, and this led to a partnership arrangement
between the lodge and Golden Thistle (SC) and Star
of the Rand (NC) Lodges, and the joint development
of a new masonic hall in Plein Street. This was
completed in 1897, and in addition to being the home
of the three lodges, served the District Grand Lodge
as a meeting place for many years.
The lodge had a strong founder base of 28 past
masters and in earlier years met several times a
month, resulting in a high membership within a very
short time. In retrospect this makes it surprising
that the lodge was so strongly opposed to the
formation of a second lodge in Johannesburg,
especially as two of its members (John Green, a
founder and George Richards, from 1891) were among
the strongest promoters of Freemasonry in the
Transvaal. However, the lodge eventually changed its
mind and supported the petition for Gold Fields
Lodge, which was consecrated in 1893.
With Richards and Green as members, it was natural
for the lodge to play a leading role in the movement
for th formation of a District Grand Lodge and it
takes pride in the fact that the first four District
Grand Masters were all members of the lodge. The
lodge went into recess during the South African war
but otherwise has maintained steady progress over
the years, and has made its contribution to wider
masonic service, with seven of its Past Masters
attaining Grand rank.
The lodge eventually moved to Freemasons' Hall in
Parktown and celebrated its own centenary there on
26th March 1990, exactly 100 years after its
consecration.
Exsequi Lodge meets at Park
Lane in Johannesburg, South Africa on the fourth Monday of
February (Election Meeting), April (Installation Meeting),
June, August, October and November. Exsequi is a Freemasons
Dining Lodge and masonic guests are most welcome.
Freemasonry a web site for and about Freemasons - South African
Lodges
