The Cheselden Lodge No. 2870, Freemasonry
and St Thomas's Hospital.
The Cheselden Masonic Lodge was consecrated in the Governors’ Hall in St Thomas’s Hospital on Monday the fourth day of November 1901. Thomas Wakely, the owner and editor of “The Lancet” was the first Master of the Lodge. The original Constitution of the lodge stated that “The Cheselden lodge is established for the convenience of past and present members of St Thomas’s Hospital and its Medical School”. The Founders decided to name the Lodge after William Cheselden, a urological surgeon at St Thomas’s Hospital who pioneered the operation of perineal lithotomy for removal of stones in1718. Cheselden, himself, was not a Freemason, but he was one of the foremost surgeons of the day. His name was also used in naming “The Cheselden Club”, the Surgical Society of St Thomas’s Hospital.
Originally, only those who were Governors, or members of the Hospital, were eligible to join Cheselden Lodge. Today, whilst keeping our medical links, it welcome members from all walks of life. Cheselden Lodge meets four times a year on the Third Fridays in January, March, May, and October. Each meeting is followed by a formal dinner, and members are expected to attend all meetings if possible.
The Lodge originally met at “The Trocadero”, later at the Gaiety Restaurant in the Strand, and at many other venues including The Café Royal. The Lodge met in the restored Governors’ Hall at the Hospital from 1994 to 2001. Today the Lodge meets at Freemason’s Hall in Great Queen Street, London, and dines at the Imperial Hotel, Russell Square.
The Consecration meeting
The Consecration of Cheselden Lodge was recorded in "The Masonic Illustrated" on 1st December 1901, and describes how The Most Worshipful Grand Master, the Duke of Connaught and Strathearn, KG., who was the President of St. Thomas's Hospital, wished to perform a most important part in the ceremony, but was prevented from attending due to dense fog. A full pdf transcription of the original article can be downloaded here.
A pdf Scan of the original document can be downloaded here.
The first hundred years 1901 - 2001
A full history of the first hundred years with an introduction by W. Bro. Dr Stuart V Drew, SLGR, MFFP. The first 50 years (1901-1951) by W. Bro.William H C Romanis, PGD, LGR. The next 50 years and Centenary meeting by W. Bro. Dr Drew, including a history of William Cheselden by Anthony E Young, FRCS, can be downloaded here.
A further short mention of William Cheselden can be found in the attached pdf document "The Architects of Eighteenth Century, English Freemasonry, 1720 – 1740, downloaded here.
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