Victoria Lodge has uplifted its roots and moved house and
home three times in its lifetime. It was consecrated in the Masonic Rooms at Salem
Street, a small three storey building at the side of a mill, with access down a
passage and having a glazed roof built onto the mill yard boundary wall. There were
limited catering facilities, consequently for a formal Festive Board, the Lodge had to use
the facilities of the Great Northern Hotel next to the exchange station
in Bradford. In 1903 we moved to larger premises in Rawson Place.
Our new home for the next 10 years was above a florist shop and opposite the fish market
at the junction of Rawson Square and John Street. The premises were quite salubrious
by comparison with Salem Street, having arched windows, high ornate ceilings and an
imposing doorway overlooking the Square.
Our third home was at the Freemasons' Hall, Westgate, which was a
converted Baptist Chapel, where we joined Harmony No. 600, Eccleshill
No. 1034, Shakespeare No. 1018, Prince of Wales No. 1648,
Acacia No. 2321, Ionic No. 3210 and Corinthian
No. 3600 to become the eighth Lodge in the building. The two exceptions
were Hope and Pentalpha who remained at Rawson Square
and then moved to North Parade in 1910. In those days each Lodge Purveyor had to buy
the meat, vegetables and fruit for the Lodge night and it would be prepared by the Curator
of the rooms. Supper on practice nights would consist of bread and dripping with
cheese and pickles.
During 1919 the Lodges at Westgate looked around for an available area on which to
build a new Masonic Temple. On June 14th, 1920 at a special Lodge meeting, Victoria
Lodge passed the proposed scheme to look for a new Masonic Temple and £250 was donated to
the new Temple Fund.
In 1923 a house and land on Manningham Lane was bought from Mrs. Waud for
£6,000. The house was demolished and an 26th March 1926 the foundation stone was
laid for the new Freemasons' Hall. During this same year, Hope No. 302,
Pentalpha No. 974 and Charity No. 4105, who had been
resident at North Parade, moved to Spring Bank Place, a Victorian house
which they had purchased.
On completion of the Connaught Rooms in 1928, Victoria Lodge together with 13 other Lodges moved in. Since then, five further Lodges have been consecrated and made their homes at the Connaught of the total of 18. There are eight Lodges still in situe in 1997 and, although it has had a chequered financial history due primarily to underfunding, the sale and lease back of the top floors has now made the situation very viable and Victoria is not thinking of moving home gain in the foreseeable future.
Footnote: On 7th April 1997 the Large Temple on the ground floor was opened up for the first time in 8 years as a "one off" to host the consecration of a new Lodge, it being the only Temple in the district large enough to cope with in excess of 150 masons. On 29th September 1997 the Large Temple was again used as a second "one off", this time for the ceremony of celebrating the centenary of Victoria Lodge. It was a wonderful site and would bring back happy memories to many there present of the glorious days when the Connaught was thriving with over 20 Lodges and side degrees.