Our Province

Our Province is the youngest of the 30 Provincial Priories in England and Wales, all administered by Great Priory from Mark Masons’ Hall in St James’ Street in London. It began in 1990 when the 24 unattached Preceptories within the London area administered by Mark Masons’ Hall, were formed into two Groups of 12 Preceptories.

Each Group was supervised by a Group Inspector: the Duke Group, led by Very Eminent Knight Jack L C Dribbell, and the James Group, led by Right Eminent Knight David I Williams, KCT. The two Groups were brought together as the "Province of London" at a Constituting meeting on 30th September 1992, presided over by the Grand Master of the Order: The Most Eminent and Supreme Knight Harold Devereux GCT. The resulting Province became the new administrative home for 24 Preceptories.

There are now 29 Preceptories in the Province, many of the original 24 tracing their origins back to the 19th century and one is even deemed to be ‘Time Immemorial’ – referring back to a time before the union of the two English Grand Lodges, the ‘Moderns’ and the ‘Ancients’ in 1813. The Preceptories meet almost exclusively in Central London, either at Mark Masons’ Hall or at No 10 Duke Street, with the sole exception of one Preceptory that meets at the West London Masonic Centre in Ealing.

So London is, in principle at least, a Province for London Masons – those who live and/or work in London, or those who at least have London Masonic connections. But among the 900 or so member Knights who make up our Preceptories there are many who live farther afield – in the Home Counties; in Counties to the North, South, East and West of the country; indeed, even in countries of mainland Europe and the wider world. Consequently, we are very much a cosmopolitan Province that nevertheless reflects, as it should, the central role that London plays in the heart of our national community.