Lodge History:

In 1923 the 22 founders of Certes Lodge No. 4606 applied for a warrant to hold a Lodge at the Cafe Royal, Regent Street, London. The petition was sponsored by the City of Westminster Lodge No. 1563 and was approved on 14th November 1923. Members of Alexandra Park Lodge No. 1541 also provided great assistance. The Lodge was consecrated as Certes Lodge No. 4606 at Freemasons Hall in Great Queen Street London on Friday 25th January 1924.

The Consecration Officers were:

• • VW Bro P Colvelle-Smith CVO Grand Secretary

• • W Bro A Burnett-Brown PGD, Supt Works as Senior Warden

• • W Bro JH Milton PAGDC as Junior Warden

• • VW Bro Rev STH Saunders MAPG as Chaplain

• • W Bro LT Col K Hamilton-Wedderbur OBE PDep GDC as Director of Ceremonies

• • W Bro Col Sir H Busby Bird PAGSwdB as Inner Guard

The first Worshipful Master of the Lodge was W.E Middleton, with 10 candidates and 4 joining members proposed at the meeting. 195 Meetings were held at the Cafe Royal including 7 emergency meetings. During In the Second World War, two regular meetings were abandoned due to enemy action: October 1939 and October 1940 In 1942, dining after meetings stopped due to difficulty with food supplies to the Cafe Royale. Dining resumed in February 1946, albeit on a reduced menu!

The April 1949 meeting was a special meeting commemorating our Silver Jubilee – we had a great dinner and published a commemorative Silver Jubilee brochure to commemorate the meeting. After an appeal by the MW Grand Master, Certes became a Hall Stone lodge. In 1966 the lodge contributed £1 per member towards a Trust Fund for Cancer Research and was awarded a commemorative Jewel which is now affixed to the Masters collar.

On Tuesday 27th June 1966 HC Everest as Worshipful Master represented the Lodge at the the Installation at the Albert Hall London, of MW Bro HRH The Duke of Kent GCVO ADC as Grand Master. In 1971 Certes moved to the Tower Rooms, Tower Place EC3 London. January 1974 saw a special Golden Jubilee meeting held at Freemasons Hallin Great Queen Street In 1989 the Tower Rooms closed and the Lodge moved to the London Masonic Centre in Clerkenwell Green In 1998 the lodge moved to its current venue at the Mansfield Bowling Club in Highgate Road NW3 In 2013 due to the closure of the Mansfield Bowling club, the Lodge moved to the Southgate Masonic Centre 88 High St London, Greater London N14 6EB Since 2015 Certes has met at Freemasons Hall, Great Street London.

Deaths In Office – There sadly have been two deaths in office; W. Bro. G E Martin in 1944 and W. Bro B Bradley in 1973 In 1959, the Installation Meeting went ahead despite the death of the Master-Elect two days before the meeting. An Emergency meeting was held the following month to install the new Master of the Lodge As an informal note, the dress code of the Lodge changed over the years Jan 1924 to Oct 1939 – Evening Dress Nov 1939 to Apr 1947 – Morning Dress or Uniform Oct 1947 to date Morning Dress We have retained the tradition that Installation Meetings are usually held in Evening Dress