Provincial Grand Lodge of Hampshire and Isle of Wight
Provincial Masonry took its rise in the mid eighteenth century, a few years after the formation of Grand Lodge in 1717.
The original Grand Lodge was based in London and comprised entirely of London lodges. Gradually however, its authority spread throughout the country.
For the efficient regulation and administration of the Craft in the provinces, it was necessary for the Grand Master to have local representation.
The first Provincial Grand Master was appointed for Cheshire in 1725.
The Masonic Province of Hampshire came into being on February 28th 1767 with the appointment of the man who must surely be the most famous Provincial Grand Master of them all, Thomas Dunckerley.
In those days the Isle of Wight was a separate Masonic province in its own right. Thomas Dunckerley became its first Provincial Grand Master in 1772.
It remained a separate, if small, Province for almost a hundred years until it was amalgamated with Hampshire on the appointment of W.W. Bramston Beach as Provincial Grand Master in 1869.
Thomas Dunckerley was a tireless promoter of Freemasonry and Grand Lodge, also becoming at one time or other Provincial Grand Master of Essex, Dorset, Wiltshire, Bristol, Gloucester, Somerset and Herefordshire.
He was one of the prime architects of the Provincial Grand Lodge system we know today.
The Province has now been in existence for well over two hundred years and much has happened in that time.
The current Grand Master is RW Bro Michael Wilks.
For more information about our Provincial Grand Lodge, please visit their website.