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Sandwell Lodge No. 4673 West Bromwich |
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Brief History
After the first World War, brethren of Dartmouth Lodge No. 662 felt that their large membership severely restricted the chances of attaining office, and accordingly, it was felt that a further Lodge in the town of West Bromwich was justified.
A number of senior members of Dartmouth Lodge were the prime movers in the formation of the new Lodge, subsequently to be called ‘Sandwell’. The choice of the name ‘Sandwell’ was to preserve the link with the name ‘Dartmouth’, Sandwell Park being the former home of the ‘Dartmouth’ family.
It appears that ‘Sandwell’ took its name from ‘Sancta Fons’ or The Holy Well about a mile S.E. of the church, and situated in a beautiful and secluded valley, well suited to the religious purposes of a hermitage or priory. “William, sone of Guy de Ophene, in the latter end of the reign of King Henry the Second, founded a Benedictine prior in the hermitage of West Bromwich near the well called ‘Sandwell,’ and endowed it with several lands lying about the same.”
It is recorded that in 1361 Brother Henry de Kydderminster, a monk who found himself all alone in Sandwell Priory, asked his bishop to elect a prior. “Elect yourself”, was the bishop’s reply, and presumably that was what he did.
The centre part of the Lodge Jewel, or logo, (top left) is meant to depict a monk sitting on the edge of the ‘Sancta Fons’ whilst the emblem under the square and compasses is taken from the banner of Dartmouth Lodge to show the connection between the two Lodges.
A strong friendship having been cemented in the rigours of the West Bromwich Cycling Club between C. B. Adams, F. J. Hall and A. A. Millichip, they, together with Clement Keys, a Grand Lodge officer, his son, Geoffrey, T. Foley Bache, Rev. W. Solly and S. Lamb formed the nucleus of the 14 founders, eight of whom became Master of the Lodge. Their object was to form a Lodge, not too large, which would appeal to business and professional men who lived and worked in West Bromwich. Formal approval was given by the members of Dartmouth Lodge No. 662 at a regular meeting held on 21st May, 1924, and the petition to the M.W. The Grand Master was signed at that meeting.
Sandwell Lodge No 4673 was subsequently consecrated by The Right Worshipful Provincial Grand Master The Right Honourable The Earl of Dartmouth, GCVO. TD, DL, PGW on Monday 3rd November 1924
The Lodge has continued to meet, with only minor interruption during the Second World War, until the present day and is looking forward to celebrating its Centenary in 2024. |