Abbey Lodge’s Gang of Three

The Gang of Three

he three Abbey Lodge founders below shared a long masonic career together and were the only Lodge founders that went on to found Abbey Royal Arch Chapter number 2529.

All three were initiated into The Red Rose of Lancaster Lodge No. 1504 of Padiham on 1st February 1893 as the Lodge Record obtained from the Museum of Freemasonry, Queen’s Street, London shows. The bold numbers in black by each founder refer to the listing on the Founder’s Index page of this site.

They went through the offices of both Abbey Lodge and Red Rose of Lancaster 1504, their Mother Lodge but because their individual Office in Abbey Lodge was of higher rank they all progressed to the Worshipful Master’s Chair in Abbey Lodge before Red Rose of Lancaster.

John R Thompson

1900

Worshipful Master
of Abbey Lodge

1903

Worshipful Master
of Red Rose of
Lancaster Lodge

1914

Founding Scribe N.
of Abbey Chapter

John eventually attained the rank of

Past Provincial Grand Warden

John’s Abbey Lodge Founders Jewel

Thomas H Thompson

1901

Worshipful Master
of Abbey Lodge

1904

Worshipful Master
of Red Rose of
Lancaster Lodge

1914

Founding Deputy DC
of Abbey Chapter

1919

Founding IPM
of Priory Mark 693

Thomas eventually attained the rank of

Past Provincial Grand Warden

He returned to the Abbey Lodge Master’s Chair in 1922 which was the same year he received the same Provincial Honours as both his father and brother in the form of the office of Past Provincial Grand Warden.

On 5 September 1923 he received on behalf of Abbey Lodge the Hall Stone Jewel from the Pro Grand Master at the first-ever Grand Lodge held outside of London held at St. George’s Hall, Liverpool. The significance of this Jewel is outlined elsewhere.

His Abbey Lodge Founders’ and Past Master’s Jewels are on display in the Lodge Room together with his Red Rose of Lancaster, No. 1504 Past Master’s Jewel in a display cabinet he presented to the Lodge in 1928 (to the left of the Junior Warden’s pedestal when looking at it). Like his brother John he was a Founding Members of Abbey Chapter, No. 2529 in 1914. Along with Alfred Hanson he was a founding member of Priory Lodge of Mark Master Masons in 1919.

Thomas provided a display cabinet in the Whalley Lodge Room to the Junior Warden’s right in 1928 in which his Abbey Lodge and Red Rose of Lancaster Past Masters’ Jewels are on display and seen below.

Thomas’s Masonic Jewels

Alfred M Hanson

1902

Worshipful Master
of Abbey Lodge

1905

Worshipful Master
of Red Rose of
Lancaster Lodge

1914

Founding Scribe E.
of Abbey Chapter

1919

Founding Junior Warden
of Priory Mark 693

Alfred eventually attained the rank of

Past Provincial Grand Organist

Alfred had a close friendship with Thomas such that Thomas was one of 3 beneficiaries of Alfred’s estate.

The Gang of Three

John R Thompson

Past Provincial Grand Warden

John’s Abbey Lodge Founders Jewel

Thomas H Thompson

Past Provincial Grand Warden

Thomas’s Masonic Jewels

Alfred M Hanson

Past Provincial Grand Organist

Alfred’s Abbey Lodge Founder Jewel

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