Introduction

    Freemasons in Victoria intersected with most every other aspect of society. From merchants and tradesmen to military and government, the members of the Lodge influenced the formation of the city and the province. Masons were active in government and society in Victoria including the first two mayors of Victoria coming from the Lodge and many members of the first elected Legislative Assembly.

  • The first two owners/editors of the Victoria Colonist
  • St. Andrew's Society (J.G. Shepard, Reverend Theos Somerville, Dr. Jas Trimble, J.G. McKay, A.F. Main - Almost half)
  • The Victoria Philharmonic Society - Lumley Franklin, founder; A.F. Main, member
  • The Chamber of Commerce - Robert Burnaby, one of the founders
  • The Amateur Dramatic Association of Victoria - Robert Burnaby, president
  • The first Vancouver Island Board of Education - Lumley Franklin and Israel Wood Powell (Chairman)

Masonic Mayors

Top of Page

Masonic Premiers
  • #1    13/11/1871 - 23/12/1872 John Foster McCreight
  • #2    23/12/1872 - 11/2/1874 Amor De Cosmos
  • #3 & #5    11/2/1874 - 1/2/1876 , 25/6/1878 - 13/6/1882 George Anthony Walker
  • #6    13/6/1882 - 29/1/1883 Robert Beaven
  • #8    1/5/1887 - 1/8/1889 Alexander Edmund Batson Davie
  • #11    4/3/1895 - 15/8/1898 John Herbert Turner
Top of Page

A Selection of the Masonic Community
  • John Banks - Painter and Glazier
  • GH Brown - Auctioneer
  • William Clarke - Carpenter
  • Edward Dickinson - Employed by Findlay & Durham
  • David A. Edgar Jr. - Wholesale Provision Merchant
  • John A. Gardenar - Ship Captain
  • Jas Grahemslaw - Builder and contractor
  • Julius Grünbaum - Owner of the Miner's Saloon at36 Johnson St.
  • Lt(N) H. Hand - Royal Navy
  • Eli Harrison - House and Sign painter
  • JS Hooper - Royal Navy
  • TW Hoverfield - Royal Navy
  • William Leigh - Town Clerk
  • AF Main - Broker
  • Lt(N) Main - Royal Navy
  • J. Malawachyk (First man initiated in B.C. - 11/5/1860) - Tobacconist
  • Thos Mann - Saddler
  • JG McKay - Wine Merchant
  • Paul Medina - Merchant
  • William Muir - Commission Agent
  • Henry Nathan Jr. - Merchant
  • Sam Nesbitt - Owner of the Biscuit Bakery
  • Peter O'Reilly - Gold Commissioner and Magistrate
  • Daniel Pender - Royal Navy (Commanding Officer of  HMS Hecate)
  • A Phillips - Soda Water Manufacturer
  • W Jeffray - Broker
  • G Pearkes - Lawyer
  • JN Thain - Mason
  • K Gambitz - Dry Good store owner
  • JJ Shepard - Bank manager of the Bank of North America
  • Henry Rhodes - Consul for Sandwich Islands (Hawaii) and Commission Merchant
  • Andrew Robertson - Merchant Tailor
  • Jules Rueff - Provision Merchant
  • David Shade - Carpenter
  • WC Singleton - Royal Navy
  • Horace Smith - Superintendent of Police
  • Edward Stamp - Justice of the Peace
  • James Stracher - Spirit Dealer
  • Emil Sutro - Tobacco Merchant
  • Dr. Jas Trimble - Doctor/ Victoria MLA
  • Horatio Varicas - Land Agent
  • John Vogel - Baker and Brewer
  • John Weiler - Upholsterer
  • W. Clarke - Royal Navy (Gunner HMS forward)
  • Daniel Sheehan - Fireman
  • Edward Prior - Merchant
  • WH Franklyn - Magistrate and Government Agent for Nanaimo
  • Hugh Wright - Marble Cutter
  • J Burte - Cabinet Maker
  • James Dudgeon - Butcher
  • Mathew Richards - Storekeeper
  • WB Naylor - Sheriff
  • Robert Elder - Tailor
  • Robert Wickers - Engineer
  • Samuel Gray - Stair Builder
  • Rev. T Somerville - Reverend for St. Andrews
  • Thomas Russell - City Assessor and Col. of the Regiment
  • James Wilson Trahey - MLA
  • Robert Pim Butchart - Founder of Butchart Gardens
  • Robert Service - Banker clerk and poet. Famous for his Songs of the Sourdough.
  • Arthur Currie - Supreme Commander of the Canadian Army during WW I
  • Douglas W Higgins - Publisher of the Victoria Daily Chronicle
Top of Page

Masonic Cornerstones

    Freemasonry takes its symbols and structure from working or operative stonemasons. This heritage makes the ceremonial laying of cornerstones an important Masonic ritual. For more information on these ceremonies see the Victoria’s Victoria Cornerstone website.

    Here are some of the prominent buildings that the Freemasons of Victoria officiated at the cornerstone laying ceremonies:

St. Andrew’s Presbyterian
680 Courtney St, Victoria BC V8W 1C1
The cornerstone was placed on August 20th 1868.

The Synagogue of Congregation Emanu-El
1461 Blanchard St, Victoria BC V8W 2J3
The cornerstone was placed on June 2nd 1863.

The Masonic Temple
650 Fisgard St, Victoria BC V8W 1R6
The cornerstone was placed April 22nd 1878.

Protestant Orphan’s House
(Now the Cridge Centre for the Family)
1307 Hillside, Victoria BC V8T 0A2
The cornerstone was placed June 24th 1823.

Top of Page