Middlesbrough Freemasonry

First took root on Tees-side when a Lodge was warranted by the Antients Grand Lodge on 2 December 1756 at the Queen’s Head, High Street, Stockton-on-Tees,
moving to the Black Lion, in 1773 and to their Hall, Masons’ Court, Stockton-on-Tees, in 1796.
The Lodge was named Lodge of Philanthropy in 1788, changed its number five times, the last being in 1832 to No. 28, but was erased on 5 September 1838.
Over the next 100 years other Lodges were founded in Hartlepool and West Hartlepool, Stokesley with the Cleveland Lodge No. 795 in 1847,now 543, and Guisborough with the Zetland Lodge No. 820 in 1849, now 561.
Middlesbroughs rapid growth over a very short period of time appears to have been through a combination of many things including the River Tees, ironstone in the nearbyCleveland Hills, the influence of entrepreneurs Bolckow and Vaughan and a workforce of industrial adventurers being readily available for regular,though hard employment.
Originally there was little regard towards health or sanitation and pay was extremely poor.It wasn’t until the 14 December 1852 when the North York Lodge No. 876 (now No. 602), was lawfully constituted in Middlesbrough, meeting in an upper room in the Station Hotel, Cleveland Terrace.

On 17 May 1860 the Foundation stone for Freemasons Hall Marton Road was laid by the DepProvGM, George Marwood of Busby Hall and the first actual masonic
meeting was held there on 17 January 1861.
Other Lodges close to Middlesbrough were formed, Marwood No. 1244 at Redcar and Handyside No. 1618 at Saltburn in the years 1869 and 1876 respectively.
It wasn’t until the late 1870s when a number of members of North York Lodge decided to petition United Grand Lodge for the formation of another Middlesbrough Lodge.

The North York Lodge thus became the ‘Mother Lodge’ of the Ferrum Lodge No. 1848 which was consecrated on 21 January 1880 at Marton Road.