Members’ Jewels

Members’ Jewels under the English Constitution*

A number of lodges have unique members’ jewels that can be worn by suitably qualified brethren. These are broadly divided into four categories: Royal Jewels, Grand Master’s Jewels, Special Medals and Special Jewels.

Royal Jewels

Three lodges have ‘Royal Jewels‘ or medals^[1], so named in honour of those that bestowed them upon their lodges: The Lodge of Antiquity No 2, Royal Alpha Lodge No 16, and the Prince of Wales’s Lodge No 259.

The Lodge of Antiquity No 2	Royal Alpha Lodge No 16	the Prince of Wales’s Lodge No 259

Antiquity’s jewel was the gift of the Duke of Sussex, the first Royal Grand Master. 259’s jewel descends from the Prince Regent, later George IV, whose lodge it was. Royal Alpha’s jewel is distinguished by being a collar jewel rather than a breast jewel, as in normally appended to upper part of the front of the collar where is meets in a ‘V’ as can be seen here.

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Grand Masters Jewels

The second category comprises those bestowed by various Grand Masters over the years. A Grand Master’s Jewel is typically awarded to those lodges closely associated with men that have been or become Grand Master. The OW Lodge’s Connaught Jewel (right) is believed to be one of only six, four of which commemorate the Grand Master HRH Duke of Connaught & Strathearn:

Aldershot Army & Navy Lodge No 1971 has a jewel granted by the Duke of Connaught to mark his 44 years as Perpetual Worshipful Master.

The Irish Rifles Lodge No 2312 has a Master Mason’s jewel to commemorate the Duke of Connaught’s role as the founding WM, an office he would hold for 53 years.

Unlike the OW Lodge only Master Masons are permitted to wear these jewels, but like the OW Connaught Jewel they may wear it at any and all Masonic occasions.

This honour is shared by the brethren of our Mother Lodge, Household Brigade Lodge No 2614, who have a members jewel, also from the Duke of Connaught who was their permanent Master, and who are similarly entitled to wear it on all masonic occasions.

Aldershot Army & Navy Lodge No 1971	Irish Rifles Lodge No 2312	Household Brigade Lodge No 2614	Old Wellingtonian Lodge No 3404

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Special Jewels (that are Royal or Grand Master’s but not called that!)

Mention here should be made of the jewel worn by members of the OW Lodge’s illustrious grandmother lodge, Jerusalem Lodge No 197. The Prince of Wales (later Edward VII) granted that lodge a ‘distinctive’ jewel, also to be worn on all Masonic occasions, in 1871 when he visited the lodge. This could therefore be both a Royal and Grand Master’s jewel, but by his own request is known as a ‘distinctive’ jewel and who are we to argue. His Royal Highness made a similar arrangement for Chancery Bar Lodge, whose jewel combines the arms of the four Inns of Court. It is referred to as a Special Jewel on his instruction so probably should be included below.

Jerusalem Lodge No 197	Chancery Bar Lodge

Lambton Lodge No 375 has a Special Members’ Jewel bestowed by Augustus Frederick, the Duke of Sussex who visited Durham in 1822. He was both a member of the Royal Family and Grand Master. It is sometimes called the Sussex Medal and can be seen in some of the photographs on the Province of Durham’s website.

The Duke of Sussex was the first Royal Grand Master and bestowed jewels on No 2, No IV and No 375; the first is denoted  a ‘Royal’ and the second ‘Special’.

Royal Somerset House & Inverness Lodge No IV‘s Special Medal¹ from the Duke of Sussex was granted in 1858 and bears the arms of Scotland with a reference to the King’s son. This is surmounted by the Coronet of a Prince of the Blood Royal borne by the Duke of Sussex. On the reverse side the inscription appears, “Immemorial Constitution. United with the Old Horn Lodge, No. 2, January 10, 1774.” On the rim the following is engraved: “Royal Inverness Lodge, No. 648. The First Lodge consecrated under the United Grand Lodge by Right Worshipful His Royal Highness the Duke of Sussex, 1814”.

Royal Somerset House & Inverness Lodge No IV	Lambton Lodge No 375

Grand Master’s Lodge No 1 have their own unique members jewels as well, denoted as a Special Medal¹.

Grand Masters Lodge No 1

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Special Lodge Jewels

The last, and largest category members’ jewels are Special Lodge Jewels that were not bestowed prefixally by members of the Royal Family or Grand Masters.

These belong predominantly to lodges with a strong founding link to an institution or another country, which is often the creative source for the design. With the fouled anchor that forms the centrepiece its jewel, Navy Lodge No 2613 is a good example of the former, whilst Der Pilger Lodge No 238 (Pilgrim Lodge) offers an excellent example of the latter, having a jewel design common among German lodges but not seen in the UK, entirely appropriate for the only English Lodge to work in German.

Navy Lodge No 2613	Der Pilger Lodge No 238

There are a small number of older (typically 18^th century) lodges that have special pattern centenary (and bi-centenary) jewels that date from before the standardisation of the current pattern, and whilst they are not technically members’ jewels, they in effect serve both as centenary and members’ jewels.

The total number of lodges with members’ jewels is not thought to exceed 70, whilst approximately 50 lodges are thought to have special pattern centenary jewels.

There are of course a great many wonderful founders, past masters, charity and other jewels in masonry.

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A good but imperfect guide is that many of the jewels shown above have a coronet or crown associated with the heraldic status of the benefactor. A jewel with such a detail is likely to be interesting.

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For more information try:

The Library and Museum of Freemasonry

Lanes Masonic Records

Masonic Medals

Jewels of the Craft

Irish Masonic Jewels

There is also a piece on the Chapter of Felicity No 58 website about interesting RA Members’ Jewels that aficionados may appreciate.