The First 50 years - 1894 to 1944

The 19 Founders of the Lodge were drawn from the social and business community in and around Weybridge – they were:

Gerard Noel Money, CB, JP, Colonel
Henry John Bidwell, Accountant
Edward Taylor Madely, Grocer
James MacIntosh, Builder and Decorator
William Stephens, Gentleman
Thomas Dix, Butcher
Arthur Grace, Hotel Manager (Oatlands Park Hotel)
Caleb Lewis, Gentleman
Frederick William Cross, Steward
Frank Harper, Rate Collector
Richard Jonathon Hunt, Builder
William Dix, Butcher
Henry Budd, Architect and Surveyor
Frederick Thomas, Hotel Proprietor
John Kershaw Hill, Civil Servant
Jesse Coleman, Schoolmaster
Alfred Henry Gale, Builder
Thomas Disney Fisher, Professor of Music
Edward Alfred Brown, Corn and Coal Merchant

It is known that during the first 50 years, the following Brethren served with distinction:

W. Bro. Thomas Dix was Treasurer for 18 years
W. Bro. Frank Harper was Treasurer for 28 years
W. Bro. Albert Standage was Secretary for 19 years and subsequently became Treasurer

Also W. Bro. Joseph Belsey Wood, a member for 38 years as Preceptor and ‘General Advisor’. Bro. Belsey Wood, a Grocer, was only the second member to be Initiated into the Lodge, along with the first, George Marrs on the 11^th December 1894.

Also it was recorded that W. Bro. Arthur Walker, W. Bro. Charles Puttock and W. Bro. James Huntingford ‘were expert Preceptors and it is by their patient and accurate teaching of Emulation Working that a very high standard has resulted’.

It was mentioned that for a four-year period of ‘distressful conditions’ W. Bro. Ernest Farrow had given accommodation on his premises for an informal Lodge of Instruction, for the benefit of Officers of the Lodge; W. Bro. James Huntingford, being the Preceptor.

W. Bro. George J Bailey was Tyler of the Lodge for 33 years and ‘faithfully performed every duty of that office, a noble achievement’.

His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales became an Honorary Member of the Lodge during the period he was Grand Master for the Province, but unfortunately never had an opportunity of visiting the Lodge.

An item of Masonic interest is that the Lodge had for a time among its members three generations of one family, W. Bro. John Bennett (Father), W. Bro. William Bennett (Son) and Bro. Derek Bennett (Grandson) ‘pointing out in a beautiful way, the force of good example’.

Some members served more that once in the Chair on occasions of necessity:

W. Bro. Montague Robinson, W. Bro. Arthur Walker and W. Bro. Frank Harper occupied the chair twice and W. Bro William Lewis occupied the chair three times this being due to the sad deaths of two successive Masters, during their year in the chair. It is recorded that ‘W. Bro. Lewis performed the Installing Ceremony three times in succession and in a wonderful and self sacrificing way, helped the Lodge over a long, sad and difficult period’.

The first 50 years history of the Lodge spanned the two World Wars, during which members of the Lodge played their part in fighting for King and Country, none more so than Bro. Basil Vokes who laid down his life on the field of battle in France in 1917.

Basil Vokes perhaps epitomised the personal commitment which successive generations of Brethren of Noel Money have always made both in peacetime and during the War years. Through his untimely death Bro. Vokes never served the Lodge as Worshipful Master – having only reached by progression the office of Junior Warden - although there is no doubt that he would have done so had his life not been so tragically cut short.

Son of James and Lavinia Vokes of Winchester, Basil Vokes was a Schoolmaster, living in Weybridge when at 26 he was Proposed for membership of the Lodge by Edward Brown, who was a Founder and the first Secretary of the Lodge. Bro. Vokes became the 84^th member of Noel Money Lodge when he was Initiated on 9^th November 1909; he was Passed a month later and was finally Raised on 18^th January 1910.

He became Senior Steward in 1912, Inner Guard in 1913, Junior Deacon in 1914 and was appointed Junior Warden for 1915-16. He sent a letter of regret from attending the meetings in October and November 1916 because of ‘Military Service’ and he remained a member until February 1917 when, as 2^nd Lieutenant, 'Buckinghamshire Battalion' (Territorial Force), The Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry, he was killed in action, Thursday, 15th February 1917, age 34.

To this day his body lies in Hem Farm Military Cemetery, Hem-Monacu, Somme, France. (Plot I, Row L, Grave 6).

His name and that of our Lodge, appears along with many, many others in the book, Masonic Roll of Honour – Names of Brethren who fell in the service of King & Country during the Great War 1914-1918, published in 1921 at Freemasons Hall, of which the Lodge has a copy.

Bro. Vokes did however bring into the Lodge one of our most eminent Masters, Joseph Stewart Adams, a Head Schoolmaster at Effingham School, who was Initiated on the 14^th November 1911, Passed a month later and then Raised on the 13^th February 1912 – he later became Worshipful Master in 1926 .

W.Bro. JS Adams

W. Bro. Adams was a member of the Lodge for 41 years and acted as Chaplain from 1950 until his death in 1952 at the age of 76.

Right through, the Noel Money Lodge has faithfully supported all the Masonic Charitable Institutions and also has subscribed regularly to other private charities outside the Craft.

In 1944 it was recorded that to date, after 50 years since its Consecration, the Lodge has 75 Subscribing Members, out of which 22 were Past Masters and of these 10 held Provincial Grand Rank.

The Lodge expressed its gratitude to Provincial Grand Lodge for the Honours conferred on its members.

The history of the first half-century concludes

'At the 50^th anniversary ceremony and as a happy augury for the coming era, the Lodge is this day honoured by the presence as an honorary member of the Lodge of RW Bro. HA Mann, OBE, MC Grand Master from the Province of Surrey - May God preserve the Craft’.