Colonel Le Gendre Nicholas Starkie
Founding Immediate Past Master
Le Gendre Nicholas Starkie (10 January 1828 – 13 April 1899) was an English landowner and Liberal Party politician. He was Abbey Lodge’s founding Immediate Past Master.
Starkie was the son of Le Gendre Nicholas Starkie of Huntroyde Hall, Padiham who was himself a former Member of Parliament for Pontefract. Starkie married Anne Chamberlain, daughter of Abraham Chamberlain of Rylstone, Yorkshire. He was educated at Uppingham School and Trinity College, Cambridge being awarded a BA in 1851 and an MA in 1854. He was admitted at Inner Temple on 11 June 1853. He inherited Huntroyde Hall on the death of his father in 1865. In August 1853 Starkie was elected at a by-election as the Member of Parliament (MP) for the Borough of Clitheroe until 1857 when he didn’t stand again for re-election.
Starkie was a Magistrate and Deputy Lieutenant for Lancashire. He was Colonel of the 3rd Battalion East Lancashire Regiment. In 1868 he was High Sheriff of Lancashire.
Masonic Career
Craft
Initiated as a Freemason in St. George’s Lodge of Harmony, No. 35 (now No. 32), Liverpool on 22 September 1858, where he was passed on 23 February, raised on 23 March 1859, served as Worshipful Master in 1862 and was elected an honorary member in 1888.
Joining member of Lodge of Fortitude, No. 64, Manchester in 1865.
Joining member of Royal Forest Lodge 401 in Slaidburn on 14th February 1868.
Royal Alpha Lodge, No. 16, London in 1869.
Westminster and Keystone Lodge, No. 10, London in 1873.
Founder of Red Rose of Lancaster Lodge, No. 1504, Padiham, Lancashire in 1875.
Founder of Abbey Lodge, No. 2529, Whalley, Lancashire in 1894.
Founder and First Worshipful Master of East Lancashire Centurion Lodge, No. 2322, Manchester in 1889.
Served as Provincial Senior Grand Warden of Lancashire, Western Division.
Provincial Grand Master of Lancashire, Eastern Division from 1870.
Appointed Junior Grand Warden by the United Grand Lodge of England in 1868.
Royal Arch
Appointed Grand Scribe N by the Supreme Grand Chapter of Royal Arch Masons of England in 1868.
Served as Grand Superintendent of Lancashire, Eastern Division from 1870 to 1899.
Mark
Served as Provincial Senior Grand Warden of Lancashire in 1873.
Deputy Provincial Grand Master of Lancashire from 1876 until his death.
Ancient and Accepted Rite
Perfected in Palatine Chapter, No. 7, Manchester, where he served as Most Wise Sovereign.
Awarded 30º and 31º in 1883, 32º in 1884 and 33º in 1886.
Appointed to the Supreme Council as Grand Captain of the Guard in 1886.
Knights Templar
Installed in United Preceptory, No. 35, Manchester in 1870, where he served as Eminent Preceptor.
Became a member of Plains of Mamre Preceptory, No. 8, Burnley, Lancashire in 1875.
Appointed First Great Constable by the Great Priory of the United Religious, Military and Masonic Orders of the Temple and of St. John of Jerusalem, Palestine, Rhodes and Malta of England and Wales and its Provinces Overseas in 1873.
