Scottish Lodges in Belgium.

By Bro. A.G. Forfar, P.M. No.117.

It may be a surprise to some that The Grand Lodge of Scotland has two Lodges Chartered in Belgium. This is an unusual situation in that Belgium is the only country in Europe which our Grand Lodge has any Chartered Lodges.

In this paper we look at the reason behind the formation of these Lodges and their early history.

On the 24th. June 1854, the Grand Master of the Grand Orient of Belgium made a speech in which he attempted, to show that the prohibition of political and religious discussion in the Lodge was not a landmark of the Craft but merely a Grand Lodge ordinance and as such could be repealed; and that as far as Belgium was concerned should thenceforth cease to be enforced.   A motion on this utterance was carried by acclamation; although some Belgian Lodges continued to observe the Ancient Landmarks, friendly relations were ruptured and Grand Lodges which practised and upheld the established and unalterable principles of the Craft ceased to recognize the Grand Orient of Belgium. For the remainder of the nineteenth century and into the twentieth, this unhappy state continued. Such was the Masonic climate in 1932 when

British Freemasons resident in Belgium, together with members of the Lodge Anglo-Belge (a Grand Orient holding Lodge) being desirous of practising their Masonry in a Regular manner which was impossible under the Grand Orient, petitioned the United Grand Lodge of England for a Charter styling them as an English Lodge which would meet in Antwerp. Their petition was refused ! The reason for the refusal must remain with our friends across the border but to say the least, the petitioners were very disappointed.

Perhaps it was the Scottish Brethren among the British who felt that a more favourable reception to a Petition might be found in Edinburgh, for an extraction from the Proceedings of the Grand Lodge of Scotland reads:

Foreign and Colonial - The Committee met on 21st. Sept. 1933. There was laid before the Committee a Petition for a Charter for a proposed new Lodge Wellington at Antwerp. It was agreed to recommend Grand Committee to move Grand Lodge to grant the Charter prayed for. 

On 2nd. November 1933 Grand Lodge approved and Lodge Wellington, Antwerp was placed on the Roll of the Grand Lodge of Scotland with the number 1385, the choice of the name Wellington being derived from The Duke of Wellington`s association with Belgium.

Having obtained their Charter, the Founder Members then prepared for the erection and consecration of their Lodge, The tools, jewels, furniture and other emblems necessary in a Scottish Lodge were gathered together, a Lodge jewel was designed bearing three thistles indicating the connecting with Scotland, and there was introduced "The Golden Book". This was simply a bound volume of blank pages on which were to be inscribed or depicted future important events in the life of the Lodge.

The place where the Lodge would meet, in the Masonic Temple van Maerlantstraat, Antwerp were premises where any Lodge would be proud to meet, also housed  Lodges under the Grand Orient; although Masonic relations did not exist, there were no daggers drawn, and the Scottish Brethren were able to go about their business without hindrance. So it was on 20th. January 1934 that the then Grand Master Mason, Brother the Right Honourable The Lord Saltoun supported by a strong deputation from Grand Lodge, erected and consecrated the Lodge, thus enabling the Brethren to practise Freemasonry in a Regular manner and to be recognised as Freemasons by all other Regular Grand Lodges throughout the world. To mark the occasion every member of the Grand Lodge deputation signed their names in the Golden Book. In his address to the Brethren of the new Lodge The Grand Master Mason expressed his confidence that the Lodge would grow from strength to strength.

The Brethren set about establishing their Lodge.

It was not easy, for it has to be borne in mind that this new Lodge was in Belgium; there was no Provincial Grand Lodge and no Sister Lodges, the Brethren could not visit Lodges in Belgium nor could members of the Grand Orient Lodges be permitted.  Can you imagine your own Lodge being the only Regular Lodge in Scotland? Never the less, the Brethren of No. 1385 were not long for showing that the confidence of the Scottish Craft had not been misplaced.

Five years saw the Lodge firmly established, but in 1939 Europe was plunged into war. There was little land action in France during the first six or seven months of hostilities, indeed, some armchair critics called it a phoney war. But there was nothing phoney about the swift invasion made by German Forces into Belgium in the early summer of 1940 with the result that British residents had to leave the country in a hurry, taking with them whatever personal effects they could.

Our Brethren had to leave their Lodge premises and all that was in the building, with the exception of the Charter , which was taken to England by the late Bro. Harold Bugg.

On the departure of the British, there were five Brethren of the Lodge left in Antwerp; three were of Scandinavian and two of Belgian nationality. These Brethren remained in Antwerp during the years of occupation, but they had lived with the sad fact that their Lodge was dormant.

One of these worthies, Bro. A.C. Ficq, entered the Lodge premises before the Germans occupied the building and removed most of the possessions of the Lodge. These he took to his house, placed them in a metal trunk which he buried in his garden, and there the tools, jewels and other emblems lay until the enemy was driven out of Antwerp. Among the possessions that he removed was the Golden Book, but unfortunately the Minute Books were lost.

The Germans entered the Masonic Temple in August 1940; an anti-Masonic exhibition was held  in the building during April 1941 and until Antwerp was liberated in the late summer of 1944 the premises were occupied by various units of the German Army. D-Day 6th. June 1944 brought the Allied Forces back to France and some three months later Antwerp was freed. The Germans were hardly out of the city when Bro. Ficq went into action; he rightly assumed that there would be Freemasons among the British Forces and in consequence of his discreet enquiries he received a visit from Bro. Lord Forrester, P.S.G.W. of the United Grand Lodge of England who was then a Lt. Colonel in the Royal Horse Guards. Bro. Forrester promised to contact Grand Lodge on the Lodge`s behalf. Bro. Forrester made good his promise for on 30th. Nov. 1944 Grand Master Mason, Bro. Capt. John Christie Stewart of Murdostoun said in address to Grand Lodge. "I think the Brethren will be interested to know that within recent weeks we have heard that Lodge Wellington, Antwerp, is anxious to start once again".

Cessation of hostilities in Europe came in May 1945 and as that year progressed the Brethren of the Lodge drifted back to Antwerp, the most important of these was Bro. Harold Bugg, because he returned with the Charter.

The Resuscitation Meeting took place on 15th. Oct. 1946 and business was restricted to accounts regarding events of the preceding six years.