The Early Years 1865 to 1899

The Early Years (1865- 1899) 

1865 

The date of the Warrant of Bulwer Lodge of Cairo is 7th June and it was Consecrated on 7th June 1865 The Consecration was  by R. Wor. Bro. Sir Henry Bulwer, District Grand Master of Turkey, at the Kasr el Nosha (sometimes transliterated as Qasr el  Noozha) Palace on Shoubra Road, Cairo. Despite the date of the Consecration, Grand Lodge records the first meeting as being  held by Dispensation on Monday 8th February 1865, some four months earlier. However, the letter reproduced below implies that the Dispensation should not have been granted. 

The Lodge was formed to fill a gap in Egyptian Freemasonry, at that time, the only English speaking Lodges met in Alexandria. A group of Freemasons met in Cairo in 1864 and decided to apply for a Warrant for a Lodge in that city. A copy of the original Petition is in the archives of Grand Lodge at Freemasons’ Hall, London. Unfortunately, it is not  clear enough to reproduce here, so it has been transcribed below: 

Petition for a Lodge to be held at Cairo on the 2 & 4 Saturday of every month to be called the “Bulwer Lodge of Cairo”. 24 July 1865 

L. B. 17.3.65. 

Ex 10 Petitioners: 7 Registered; 1 the J.W. from Italy; 1 J. Schwart from Scotland; 1 J. Kürstney N/R in 447

No recommendations annexed. House of meeting not named. 

To the Most Worshipful Grand Master of Ancient Free and Accepted Masons of England,  

We the Undersigned, being regular registered Masons of the Lodges mentioned against our respective names, having the prosperity of the Craft at heart, are desirous to exert our best endeavours to promote and diffuse the genuine principles of the art, and for the conveniency of our various dwellings and other good reasons, we are desirous of forming a new Lodge to be  named the Bulwer Lodge of Cairo. 

In consequence of this desire, we pray for a warrant of constitution, empowering us to meet as a regular Lodge at Cairo,  on the 2nd and 4th Saturday of every month, and there to discharge the duties of Masonry in a constitutional manner, accord ing to the forms of the order and the laws of the Grand Lodge; and we have Nominated and do recommend Brother Charles  Verdi to be the first Master, Brother Thomas Fellowes Reade to be the first Senior Warden, and Brother Edward Herbert to be  the first Junior Warden of the said Lodge. 

The prayer of this Petition being granted, we promise strict obedience to the commands of the Grand Master and the  Laws and Regulations of the Grand Lodge. 

Signed: 

Carlo Antonio Verdi, W.M. St. John’s Lodge, No. 919, 33rd Degree, S.G.S.D 

Thos. F. Reade, M.M. Lodge of Friendship, No. 345, Gibraltar 

Jack Lazar Liebemann, M.M. St. John’s Lodge, No. 919 

Raffaele Imbellone, M.M. Zetland of Malta 

John Millbourne, M.M. St. John’s Lodge, No. 919 

J Küstner, M.M. Coreyra, No. 654, Corfu 

Jacob Schwart, M.M. Lodge of Judah, No. 388, Australia (SC) 

E St J Fairman, M.M. R.A. 241 of England 

E Herbert, M.M. Lodge “Italia” under the auspices of the Grand Orient of Italy established in Constantinople M A Verdi, M.M. St. John’s Lodge of Alexandria, No. 919 

It is safe to assume that the petitioners formed the officers of the Lodge at its Consecration, but only the Worshipful  Master and his Wardens can be confirmed. 

Edward St. John Fairman was exalted into Freedom Chapter, No. 241, in Liverpool on 16th may 1861. It is unclear  why he quoted his Chapter on the Petition, rather than his Craft Lodges which would be necessary today. There are variations in the spelling of names throughout the documents. For example, Verdi and Verde, Imbellone and  Imbellouis. Apart from in the transcript of the Petition, itself a copy with possible errors, the most common spellings have been  used in this publication. 

Although the Petition is dated 24th July 1865, with a second date annotated as “L. B. 17.3.65.”, Grand Lodge records  show that the “action of holding the meeting on 8th February 1865 was sanctioned on 7th June 1865 by the issue of a Warrant  of Constitution denominating the Lodge the Bulwer Lodge of Cairo and numbering it 1068 on the Roll of the United Grand  Lodge of England. Further correspondence is on file at Freemasons’ Hall, including the following note to Sir Henry Bulwer:

Sir W. H. L. E. Bulwer, Prov. G. M. Turkey forwarding a petition for a Lodge to be held in Cairo , and in respecting to  granting dispensation in acknowledging receipt of a letter of 17 Mar 1865. 

16 May 1865 

L.B. 9,6,65 

C. A. Verde, the first Master of Bulwer Lodge of Cairo, was already Master of St. John’s Lodge of Alexandria, No. 919  (our Sponsoring Lodge, founded in 1862 and the first English Lodge in Egypt, but which was erased in 1877), a special  Dispensation had to be obtained for him. A letter is in the archives of Grand Lodge regarding the Dispensation although the  signature of the writer is illegible. 

Cairo, 20 April 1865 

Sir and Brother 

I received on the Evening of the 18th Instant your letter of the 17th March informing me by command of the Most  Worshipful Grand Master that the laws of the Grand Lodge do not confer on me the power either to grant a dispensation to  enable a Brother who is filling the chair of one Lodge to be at the same time Master of another Lodge, or to grant a  dispensation to the Petitioners for a new Lodge to do any work as a Lodge until the petition has been submitted to the  consideration of the Grand Master and the prayer thereof granted. 

I beg you to express to the Grand Master my deep regret that I should have involuntarily fallen into error through  attaching too much weight to that clause in the Book of Constitutions which declare that the Provincial Grand Master is  Invested with a rank and power in his particular district similar to those possessed by the Grand Master. 

I have, of course, immediately on the receipt of your letter taken steps to suspend all operations or meetings of the new  Lodge, until the Petition, which I beg strongly to recommend to the Grand Master, shall have been submitted to his  consideration and the prayer of the petition granted. 

Furthermore, in obedience to the instructions of the Grand Master, I forward the Petition in original, duly recommended by the Master and Wardens of St. John’s Lodge of Alexandria. 

With reference to the observation with which your letter concludes, that it is necessary that the Brothers nominated as  Officers of the proposed Lodge should be those who are previously registered on the books of the Grand Lodge of England, I  have only to state that I was unaware of this rule, not having seen it in the Book of Constitutions; but I have to add that  Brother Herbert, to whom allusion is made, is a regular Master Mason under the auspices of the Grand Orient of Italy, and  who was only elected a joining member of St. John’s Lodge of Alexandria on the 1st February 1865, and is, therefore, I believe,  entitled now to be registered on the books of the Grand Lodge of England. 

I venture to hope that these explanations will prove satisfactory to the Grand Master, and that he will think it right  to issue a Warrant, in accordance with the prayer of the Petitioners, for I see that an English Lodge duly established in Cairo,  and proceeding regularly, is likely to have a great development and success in this capital, where at the present moment  there is no other Lodge in existence, although the necessary steps have been taken by an Italian Lodge in Alexandria to found one here under the auspices of the Grand Orient of Italy, should it eventually prove impossible to establish the  proposed Lodge under the Grand Lodge of England. 

I am, Sir and Brother 

Your most obedient servant and Brother 

(Signature illegible) 

P.S. 27 April 

I fear that the necessity of sending the Petition to Alexandria in order to get the recommendation of the St. John’s  Lodge may make this letter too late for the next mail. I regret this the more as now that the Lodge is in suspense, time is of the  utmost importance. 

Two of the Founders belonged to a foreign Constitution and had to pay a fee of 7/6d (37.5 pence) each for the privilege  of becoming Founders of an English Lodge. They would be very proud to see the outcome of their labours over the years. At the meeting of District Grand Lodge held in Smyrna on 15th December 1865, W. Bro. Verde was promoted from Past  District Senior Grand Deacon to District Junior Grand Warden and W. Bro. Schwarz was appointed District Assistant Grand  Pursuivant. Bro. Fellowes Reade was appointed District Grand Steward. 

1866 

Carlo Verde is also listed as being Worshipful Master of Grecia Lodge No. 1105 in 1866 for which a further Dispensation  would have been required. An article in Freemasons’ Magazine dated 15th September 1866 and written by “a visiting Senior  Warden” states “The Bulwer Lodge of Cairo has spent £500 on building and decorating and has a further £300 more to pay.  The lodge rooms are fearfully hot and, as they work in the Summer, I thought I should have been converted from solids to  liquids.” (Note: £800 is the equivalent of £86,000 in 2012.) 

Two distinguished Egyptians were initiated in 1866. His Excellency Prince Muhammed Abd al-Halim Pasha was initiated  on 17th September aged 38 years. He was appointed District Grand Master of the short-lived District Grand Lodge of Egypt in  1867. His Excellency Prince Ramis Bey was initiated 20th October aged 34 years. 

A Visiting Senior Warden wrote in Freemasons’ Monthly Magazine of 15th September 1866; “Bulwer Lodge of Cairo has  spent £500 in building and decorating and has £300 more to pay. The lodge rooms are fearfully hot and, as they work in the  summer, I thought I should have been converted from solids to fluids.”

1867 

Four Egyptians joined the lodge in 1867. Mohamed Yeghen Pasha, a “Gentleman”, initiated 4th May aged 27 years.  Ibraim Yeghen Pasha, a “Gentleman”, joined 19th October aged 32. He was initiated into Egyptian Lodge, No. 1156. Effendi  Nechet, “Gentleman”, initiated 16th November aged 32 years and Hassan Yeghen Pasha, a “Gentleman”, joined 19th October  aged 28 years. He was initiated into Egyptian Lodge, No. 1156. 

1868 

On 19th March 1869, His Royal Highness Albert Edward, Prince of Wales, later King Edward VII, and his retinue visited  Bulwer Lodge of Cairo. It is was the first, and reputedly the only, Lodge that he ever visited officially after his initiation.  The Bulwer tradition of drinking the toast to Absent Brethren seated is believed to have its origins in this visit.  His Royal Highness was Initiated in Sweden on 21st December 1868 and became Grand Master on 1st September 1869. 

The Lodge kept as one of its most treasured relics the framed page of the Attendance Book. This was lost, presumably in  the fire of 1895. It was, however, noted by W. Bro. Mishellany, to have been signed by the following dignitaries: 

Albert Edward: Grand Orient of Sweden 

Carrington: Sir Isaac Newton Lodge 

Samuel Baker: St. John, Dunkirk 

F. M. Alison: Limerick Lodge 

Ohn Demerjian: Grand Orient of Paris, Sweden 

W. Lake Onslow: Friendship Lodge, Gibraltar Lodge, Nova Scotia 

The lodge carried out a second degree ceremony for Charles Robert Carrington who was initiated into Isaac Newton  University Lodge, No, 859, Cambridgeshire on 28th October 1886. The third Baron Carrington, who succeeded his father in  1868, was made an Viscount Wendover in 1895 and became Marquis of Lincolnshire in 1912. He was ADC to the Prince of  Wales and accompanied him on several overseas tours. He was Provincial Grand Master of Buckinghamshire from 1890 to  1895. The  Marquis's only son was killed in the Great War and the title died with him. 

It seems that the Lodge Rooms were in a very poor condition prior to the visit by the Prince of Wales. The sum of  £11.13.6d (£11.67½p) was spent to make the place “respectable and pleasant enough to receive such an august visitor”. The  bill, now lost, shows that £3.4.0d was paid to the carpenter, 30 francs for a carpet, 4.20 francs for wallpaper, 40 francs for  white long cloth, 42.25 francs for Damask to cover the seats, 2 francs for braid, 18 francs for hire of carriages, 3 francs for a  bottle of brandy, 4 francs for sundry expenses and 12f50 for upholsterers. 

There is no record of a supper to mark the occasion but, with only one bottle of brandy, the Brethren certainly could not  be accused of intemperance! 

1871 

In 1871, the Prince of Wales recovered from a serious illness and, at a meeting on 7th March, the Lodge decided to send  an illuminated address to Queen Victoria tendering congratulations on the Prince’s recovery. The address was prepared by  W. Bro. Borg and sent in “an embroidered case with lock and key of solid gold”.  

Materials cost £43.18.6d. (£43.92½p) and the cost of workmanship was met by W. Bro. Borg. Another address was sent  to the Prince himself and materials for this cost £6. It is assumed that the sums referred to are Sterling, as the Egyptian Pound  was divided into Piastres, not shillings and pence. This was, of course a large sum of money in those days. 

1872 

An illuminated address was sent to the Prince of Wales to commemorate his visit to Bulwer Lodge of Cairo in 1869. 

1873 

In 1873, the Lodge moved to the second floor of the British Consulate in Sharia Kamel. The opening of the new Temple  was celebrated by a supper after the meeting and this became a tradition for many years. A record of the cost of one of these suppers appears in Ars Quatuor Coronatorum Volume 81, but, sadly, the original receipt is now lost: 

Bread Pt7 (1 Piastre = 2½d = 1.04p) 

Cold meat and cheese Pt12 

1 Gin & Bitter Pt3 

1 Bottle of Beer Pt4 

1 Brandy Pt3 

42 Whiskies and Sodas Pt126 

Total Pt154 (£1.12s.3½d = £1.61p!) 

A letter is on file from E. T. Rogers to J. Wilson showing a half year’s Temple rent as £20.00. That is presumably Egyptian  Pounds as Sterling was not decimalised in those days. From other information in the letter, £5 sterling equalled 487.20 Egyp tian Pounds. Therefore, £1 Sterling equalled 97.44 Egyptian Pounds so Temple rent for six months in 1873 worked out at 20.5  pence! The letter and receipt are reproduced on page 13. 

In 1873, serious political trouble arose in Egypt and the Worshipful Master, along with several other members, left the  country. The Lodge was temporarily closed down and remained so until 1883. 

A copy of the Lodge Bye-Laws dated September 1873 has also survived and makes interesting reading. It should also be  noted that it is headed Bye Laws of The Bulwer Lodge of Cairo whereas all other surviving correspondence and Summonses up  to October 1991 refer simply to the Bulwer Lodge. It is also interesting to note that, at this time (Bye-Laws 2 & 3) the Lodge  met 18 times each year!

1874 to 1883 

During this time, the Lodge was not working due to political trouble. Egypt was passing through the darkest period in its  history. Public debt was crippling the country and Britain was unwilling to intervene, despite an invitation from the Khedive to do so. Massacres were commonplace. Eventually, the British Army was sent in and, in 1883, having restored order, it was with drawn and Egyptian Army under British Officers took over. 

A receipt, No 49, is on file showing dues to the end of 1874 for Initiation, Passing and Raising Fee of £3.0.0d for an un known Candidate from Bro. J. Wilson (presumably W. Bro. J. Wilson Bey, the Immediate Past Master) dated 19th March 1874.  The signature of the Treasurer appears to be A Raphael. This is reproduced above. 

Towards the end of 1882, W. Bro. Rogers returned to Cairo and, after consultation with W. Bro. Borg, called a meeting  of the available Brethren and resolved to resume Masonic labour. Regular meetings and Initiations were held but, as no returns  had been made since 1872, it was considered necessary to report the circumstances to Grand Lodge. The report reached Grand Lodge the day after its Communication of 6th December 1882 when Bulwer Lodge, “together with  three other Egyptian Lodges were erased from the Roll of England, it being understood that it has long since died out”. 

A letter is in the archives of Grand Lodge from H. G. Buss, Assistant Grand Secretary, to Bro. G. Ladofrulo, La Concordia  Lodge, No. 1226, Cairo. There are no records of anyone being initiated into or joining the Lodge between 1873 and 1881. 

1068. Bulwer Lo. of Cairo 19 Dec,1879 

........With regard to the property of the late Bulwer Lodge left in your care, and which in consequence of receiving no  advice from this office and the pressure on the other side, you have delivered up to the two Brethren late members of that  Lodge, I think you have acted rightly, for although the Warrant of the Bulwer Lodge has not been returned here I do not think there is much probability of the Lodge being resuscitated after so long a cessation of its labours. Had the Lodge resolved to close and returned its Warrant here, all the furniture belonging to it would have remained the property of the Brethren who  were members at the time it ceased work; therefore, as the property was entrusted to your Lodge to take care of, presumably  until it might be ascertained whether the Bulwer Lodge would eventually revive or not, and there being now no probability of  such revival taking place, the Brethren above referred to would be entitled to the property. I would merely suggest that you  make an entry on your Lodge Minutes of the circumstances, the demand, and delivery of the goods. H. G. Buss. Asst.G.Secy. 

Br. G. Ladofrulo. Lo. 1226, Cairo. Egypt. 

However, a letter dated 20th March 1883 stated that “the Resolution erasing Lodge 1068, Cairo, has been rescinded at the  Meeting of Grand Lodge held on 7th March”. In 1882, ten new members were added to the Lodge’s numbers and, in 1883, a  further eight (although the author can only trace six). 

The article by F. D. Stevenson Drane in Ars Quatuor Coronatorum refers to the first ever printed Bye-Laws being issued  in 1885. The survival of this rare artefact, which is believed to have been returned to the Lodge by a solicitor following the  death of a relative of W. Bro. James Wilson, shows how unexpected were the political problems which caused the temporary  closure of the Lodge. The Bye-Laws are reproduced in Appendix One. 

It should be noted that there is some confusion about who was Master in which year. Our Lodge Summonses and Ars  Quatuor Coronatorum disagree with each other to some extent. They also disagree with a note dating from around 1890 which  is reproduced below and which the author has taken as accurate. 

Despite the lodge being listed as “not working”, Grand Lodge records show nine brethren joining and one initiate in  1882 and a further six joining in 1882. 

1884 

The Lodge was revived by R. Borg, E. T. Rogers, J. Wilson, H. C. Anderson and R. C. Waller. Once again, we can probably  assume that they occupied the Principal Offices for 1884. The signatories of the Petition to the United Grand Lodge of  England for the Lodge’s revival are listed as C. A. Verde, T. F. Reade, E. Herbert, E. St. John Fairman, J. Milbourne, M. A. Verde  and R. C. Waller. According to Grand Lodge records, working recommenced on 30th May 1885, which would explain the lack of  activity in 1884. 

1885 

The first of our four members to receive the Victoria Cross, Lt. Col. William Thomas Marshall was initiated on 18th July  aged 30 years, passed on 29th August, raised on 17th September. He joined Panmure Lodge, No. 723 at Aldershot on 13th  January 1891 and details of his heroism appear in Appendix 4, Eminent Members. 

1886 

In 1886, the Lodge moved again to the Temple of the National Grand Lodge of Egypt in the Sutherland Building between  Sharia Ibrahim Pasha and Khasindar but this was not satisfactory and a further move was made to premises in Sharia Wagh el  Birka. The departure of brethren from the 19th (Prince of Wales) Hussars was a great loss to the lodge. 

The lodge accounts showed assets over liabilities of £7-3s-9d in spite of the purchase of a complete set of clothing and  two Past Masters’ jewels. 

In total, 56 brethren were initiated into or joined the Lodge in 1886. There were at least 40 meetings in that year. An emergency meeting was held on 30th June 1886 to present Past Masters’ Jewels to W. Bros. Borg and Spence. The  Jewels were designed by Bro. Sergeant Major J. Vincent, the Secretary of the Lodge. 

A Steward was appointed to collect a fixed sum from the members to arrange for suppers and refreshment. The  unknown Steward did his job so well that he soon showed a balance of £30 which was spent on the purchase of pedestals and  chairs for the new premises.

1888 

Major General Francis Wallace, Lord Grenfell joined the lodge 18th February from St John & St Paul Lodge, No. 349,  Malta. Further information appears in the Detailed Members List section. 

Major General Charles George Baker Pasha, V.C., joined the lodge on 3rd March 1888. He was awarded the Victoria  Cross for gallant conduct on the occasion of an attack on the rebels at Suhejnee, near Peroo, on the 27th September 1858. Details of his exploits are in Eminent Members. At the installation banquet, the Band of the Egyptian Army played “a very pretty selection of music”. 

1889 

In 1889, H. R. H. The Prince of Wales again visited Egypt, but not in a Masonic capacity. To honour the event, the  Brethren purchased a “Mousharabea casket mounted and inlaid with silver, to contain an Address”.  The Prince of Wales graciously received a deputation consisting of W. Bro. O. G. Wood from the Lodge, W. Bro. R. Borg  representing the Chapter and W. Bro. A. J. H. Large from the Mark Lodge. The presentation took place at the Gezirah Palace  (now the banqueting suite of the Cairo Marriot Hotel). 

The Lodge moved, yet again, to premises in Sharia Soliman Pasha and a Lodge of Instruction was formed. A Masonic  Club was also opened which remained extremely popular for as long as the Lodge met here. 

Horatio Herbert Kitchener Pasha (Later Earl Kitchener of Khartoum), Joined the lodge on 2nd November from Drury  Lane Lodge, No. 2127 and was Exalted into Bulwer Chapter on 12th February 1890. Full details of this eminent Mason  appear in the “Distinguished Members” section. 

1890 

As the members were becoming so numerous, difficulties arose regarding rotation to the Master’s Chair. Some of the  Brethren decided to start a new Lodge in Cairo to work in English. However, it was understood that no new Lodges could be  formed under the United Grand Lodge of England in the jurisdiction of the Grand Lodge of Egypt. Two English Lodges, Concordia, No. 1226 and Hellas, No. 1105 had been in abeyance for a number of years due to  political troubles. It was known that the former had been struck off, so some of the Brethren of Bulwer Lodge of Cairo, led by  W. Bro. Mortimer, set out to negotiate with the remaining Brethren and the Master of Lodge Hellas. So it was that the Lodge  was reborn as Grecia Lodge, of which there is a brief history earlier. 

The installation meeting took place on 4th February 1890 followed by a banquet at the Hotel Continental at which 50  brethren dined. At the regular meeting held on 5th July 1890, Bro. Alexander Hanauer delivered a lecture on his visit to King  Solomon’s Mines. 

1891 

Again, the Lodge moved to new premises in an old palace near the Opera Square.  

1893 

Once again, membership had become very strong, so a group of Brethren formed a new Lodge for English Masons  under the National Grand Lodge of Egypt. This was named Idris Lodge No. 43, after the Grand Master of Egypt, Idris Bey  Ragheb. Its first Master was W. Bro. G. H. Sharman of Bulwer Lodge of Cairo. Other Lodges formed under the National Grand  Lodge of Egypt, such as Corinthian, Rising Sun, and Ragheb also had members of Bulwer Lodge of Cairo as their founding Mas ters and Senior Officers. 

1895 

In 1895, a disastrous fire broke out at the Lodge premises, destroying nearly everything, including the Warrant, archives  and new furniture recently purchased from Spencer’s. The only things saved were a Jubilee Jewel belonging to the Worshipful  Master, a Rough Ashlar, a Bible and a case containing squares and compasses. A sceptre and breastplate belonging to Bulwer  Chapter were also rescued. All these items are now lost, presumably left in Egypt. 

Everything was insured, so the regalia was replaced. A Warrant of Confirmation was applied for and granted on 27th  November 1895, signed by H.R.H. Albert Edward, Prince of Wales, Grand Master. Unfortunately, wrong names had been insert ed and it had to be returned, arriving finally in May 1896. Also, the full designation “The Bulwer Lodge of Cairo” was left off and the Lodge continued as “Bulwer Lodge” until 1991, when United Grand Lodge of England agreed to revert to the original  name. The Warrant appears on the second from last page of this section, and a close-up of the faded signature appears on the  same page. A transcript of the Warrant appears on the last page. 

The Lodge moved back to the old premises on Sharia Wagh el Birka, where it remained until 1902. The lodge donated £2.00 to the Masonic Fund for the Relief of the Sick and Distressed at Worting in consequence of the  terrible outbreak of Typhoid Fever at Worthing. 

1896 

The House Committee replaced the piano destroyed in the fire the previous year. This is the first mention of the Com mittee which served a very useful and important function in the years to come.