On 24th June, 1758, the Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of Ireland granted a Warrant to establish a Masonic Lodge in the First Regiment of Horse, afterwards the 4th Royal Irish Dragoon Guards, and then styled the 4th/7th Royal Dragoon Guards, and now styled the Royal Dragoon Guards,-it having ceased its role as a Cavalry Regiment and now operates as a unit of the Royal Armoured Corps

 

THE LODGE WARRANT

 

This Warrant was granted by the Right Hon. Charles, Viscount Moore, (Grand Master), John Bury, Esq. (Deputy Grand Master), Major Edward Windus and Charles Gardner, Esq. (Grand Wardens) to Brothers Andrew Watts, James Leathem and Robert Sanderson, to erect a Lodge of Freemasons in the 1st Regiment of Horse now commanded by Lieut. General Brown. It is dated 24th June, 1758, and is signed by MOORE, G.M. and E. WINDUS, S,G,W., and countersigned by' JOHN CALDER, G. Sec.

 

Viscount Moore was afterwards 6th Earl and 2nd Marquis of Drogheda and a Field Marshal in the Army.

 

The Warrant is the original and of the small size type as first issued by the Grand Lodge of Ireland. As was usual with Warrants at that time it had no distinctive name.

 

112 Members were registered by' Grand Lodge up to 19th June 1830 and on 6th May 1835 the Grand Lodge minutes record that the remaining members of the Lodge had sent in the Warrant to be laid up 'with a donation of one guinea to the Orphan School.

 

At the foot of the Warrant is the following Endorsement :~This Warrant re-issued January 1878 to Bros. Thos. Shaw-Hellier, John Hanly and Laurence Murphy (4th Royal Irish Dragoon Guards). Signed Saml. Oldham, Dep. Grand Sec., 11th Jan. 1878.

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When the Warrant of 295 was resuscitated in 1878 the only member alive was W. Bro. Lieut.-General Sir Edward Hodge, who had commanded the Regiment with great gallantry in the Crimea.

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In reading these Notes it will be seen that being an Ambulatory Lodge it was Warranted in the Regiment and generally speaking its activities have been largely concerned with the areas in which the Regiment has served. It does not (and never has done) work under any Province or District as is the case with Stationary Lodges and is controlled direct by the Grand Lodge of Ireland.

The Regiment was raised in 1685 (King James II).

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STATIONS OF THE REGIMENT

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from 1758 - 1835

 " Historical Record of the British Army " (4th Royal Irish Dragoon Guards)-1837, by Richard Cannon, Esq., and loaned by Major R. A. Radclyffe (late 4th/7th Royal Dragoon Guards) shows:-

The Regiment was stationed in the following places: Click here to go there