history of the province of herefordshire
Lodge Night – Local Transport 1750 (By kind permission © Rupert Besley)
The Masonic Province of Herefordshire is the smallest on the mainland of the British Isles. However, as is often said, “Small is beautiful”, and this is an apposite description of Freemasonry in Herefordshire which is reflected in the history and beauty of the rolling green Herefordshire countryside as it is traversed by the gentle flow of the River Wye.
During the early years of Freemasonry in Herefordshire it was not unusual for Lodges to meet only twice each year which was a concession to the difficulty of travelling from place to place, especially in the winter months. Lodge members would either have to walk or ride horse-back to meetings as the local roads in the County were impassable for wheeled vehicles during bad weather. Therefore, a meeting could take up to three days in which to complete its business and overnight accommodation was necessary in many cases. That is why hostelries were favoured for venues, since they supplied all the travellers’ needs from livery to liquid refreshment. However, the spread of the Industrial Revolution which resulted in the growth of the railways and improved roads ameliorated many of the early difficulties and Freemasonry continued to flourish during the 19th and 20th Centuries.
The history of any Province is reflected in its various Lodges, and, as Herefordshire remains a rather sparsely populated county, there are only fifteen lodges spread across the Province. This is in contrast to the large Masonic Provinces whose Lodges may number in the hundreds, however, the resulting virtue is that there is a tremendous sense of camaraderie between Hereford Masons and an especially warm welcome awaits all those who wish to visit and share this Masonic bond.
From “A History of Craft Freemasonry in Herefordshire 1727 – 2000” by W Bro Alwyn D Williams PJGD