A Brief History of Welsford Lodge No. 26 – Windsor, Nova Scotia

The following is based on an excerpt from Welsford Lodge’s publication, By-Laws of Welsford Lodge, published in 1964, as well as some modern additions: A Brief History In 2011 Welsford Lodge will celebrate its 150-year anniversary, having been established in 1861 and chartered in 1862. Interestingly enough, the first Masonic lodge in Windsor was not Welsford; soldiers based at Fort Edward were holding Masonic meetings as early as 1785, according to records. Welsford was formed in July of 1861 and received its Charter from the Grand Lodge of England the following year.

The original number of the Lodge was 1226 R.E., then changed to 924 R.E., and received its current designation, No. 26, in 1869 after the Grand Lodge of Nova Scotia was formed. The original Charter was destroyed in the Great Fire of Windsor in 1897, however a copy was obtained from England, which to this day hangs in the Lodge. The first Worshipful Master of Welsford was Benjamin Fraser, who was raised in Shakespeare Lodge No. 116 in London, England. Welsford Lodge is named after Major Augustus Frederick Welsford, a British officer who served in the 97th Regiment and was killed during the Crimean War in 1855.

A monument honouring Welsford and another officer, Captain Parker, stands in St. Paul’s Cathedral cemetery in Halifax. Prior to enlisting in the Army, Welsford attended King’s College in Windsor. The original property and records of the Lodge was destroyed in the Fire of 1897, thus casting darkness on the Lodge’s earliest history. The first Lodge was located on Gerrish Street in a stone building known as the “Thomas House”. Another Lodge was established on nearby Stannus Street, and it was there that Welsford hosted a Grand Lodge meeting, presided over by the ruling Grand Master, the Most Worshipful Alexander Keith. Being too small to accommodate the growing number of Brethren, the Lodge was relocated to the Dore Building on Gerrish Street, in and around 1893. A Masonic Fair was held in that year in Windsor, and received much praise. A Masonic Club Room and Library was established on Water Street around this time at what was known as Churchill Block, and by 1894 the Lodge was relocated to this building. It was this building that fell victim to the Great Fire.

After the Fire, labour resumed in a building owned by the Estate of Bennet Smith, a temporary location until the Lodge moved in 1898 to the third floor of the Wentworth Block on Water Street, which served as Welsford’s home for many years. Records indicate that Welsford was the recipient of much praise from Grand Lodge, with many Brothers serving as Grand lodge Officers. One member, the Most Worshipful Brother W. Medford Christie, was Grand Master from 1912 to 1915. As well, the Nova Scotia Freemasons’ Home, the only of its kind in Canada, was located on Wentworth Road in Windsor. Records indicate that Welsford’s Centennial celebration was a grand affair, with a church service, band performance, and large ceremony held in the then newly-minted Windsor Civic Building. Guest speakers included Brother Senator Fred Blois of Truro.

Respectfully submitted by Brother Sean Bennett, Historian, Welsford Lodge No. 26