Library and Museum
The Library and Museum is currently situated on the ground floor of the Provincial Offices in Wickford, close to the Southend to Liverpool Street Main Line Railway Station.
We are housed in two rooms; one of which has our administration area, some free standing, as well as wall mounted display cases and framed pictures and the other room, which is the library and also shares its space with free standing and wall mounted display cases and framed prints and Lodge and Chapter banners.
Amongst the items in the museum which are currently on display, are early versions, written on vellum, of the By Laws of Angel Lodge No.51, and a hand painted skin Apron, which belonged to a Brother of the same Lodge. Angel Lodge is the Province’s oldest Lodge, which held its first meeting on the 25th November 1735. There is also a magnificent example of an early French porcelain shaving bowl, which has been hand painted and decorated with a variety of Masonic Symbols.
The library has amongst its many volumes, copies of The Freemasons’ Chronicle, which was an 18th century magazine, but now bound, as are copies of the early Masonic Record. Both are now scarce, but nevertheless, wonderful research items. Classical books such as Gould’s History of Freemasonry, many of J.MS. Ward’s esoteric works, such as Masonic Symbolism, Mackey’s Encyclopaedia of Freemasonry, Lane’s Lists of Lodges, sit alongside modern works, such as the, Ars Quatuor Coronatorum, which are the Transactions of the country’s oldest research Lodge, The Quatuor Coronati Lodge No.2076. Whether the visitor wants to gain an understanding of the narrative of Freemasonry and of its long and colourful history or an impression of the relationship of its ‘Side’ or ‘Higher’ Degrees, then the museum fulfils this.
If though, research of its jurisprudence, customs, rituals or history, is being sought, then the library resolves this requirement.
We are open, at the moment, on Tuesdays from 10.00 hours to 13.00 hours, but if this is inconvenient, then I will willingly endeavour to open at a time and day which is preferable to you.
W.Bro. Pierre Waddoups. Provincial Librarian and Curator.