Our story begins in a small office in Swaine Street, Bradford; a street which was lost during the rebuilding of the city-centre. There the idea of a new Lodge sprang into life, during a conversation between W. Bro. F. S. Ingham and W. Bro. E. S. Cummins. Both were members of the Lodge of Hope No 302.

In February 1920 a formal proposal that the Lodge of Charity should be formed under the aegis of the Mother Lodge was presented and was approved at a subsequent meeting of the Lodge. There was little delay in the implementation of the proposal and twelve brethren of the Lodge of Hope brought the Lodge of Charity into existence at a consecration ceremony on 14^th October 1920.

The ceremony was carried out by the Provincial Grand Master Rt. W. Bro. Sir William Raynor, and the first Worshipful Master W. Bro, J Atkinson-Jowett was installed by the Deputy Provincial Grand Master W. Bro. R. Gill.

In 1926 the Lodge moved from North Parade to a secluded double Victorian house in Spring Bank Place along with two other Lodges, Hope No. 302 and Pentalpha No. 974. Jointly the three Lodges purchased, renovated and altered the house. The opening took place on 24^th March 1926 with a special meeting at 5.00 p.m., under the Banners of the three Lodges.

The War Years, during these troubled years regular Lodge Meetings were held on Saturday afternoons to overcome black-out restrictions. Petrol rationing prevented the use of private cars. The after-proceedings were curtailed to enable brethren to get home in daylight. Although rationing of food and shortage of drinks were commonplace in these difficult days, the Lodge always managed to scrape together a meal of some sorts.

Several of the younger Brethren joined the Services, whilst the older ones played their part in the Home Guard, Observer Corps, Air Raid Precaution and National Fire Services. Fortunately the Lodge did not suffer any casualties.

Practice meetings still continued on Friday evenings, often to the accompaniment of the wailing sirens for “Enemy action” and then the “All clear”. Afterwards the homeward journeys were made through the darkened streets, usually by bus or trolley-bus.

In 1941 to celebrate the 21^st Anniversary W. Bro E. S. Cummins, a Founder of the Lodge, wrote a booklet entitled “The Coming of Age of the Lodge of Charity No. 4105”.

By the fifties the number of members has increased to over 70 and the Lodge of Charity was going from strength to strength and the four Lodges now resident in the building (Lodge of Equity had been formed in 1945) had in excess of 300 members.

The coming of the late seventies brought the start of the steady decline of the wool manufacturing industry in Bradford. Lodge members no longer, on the whole, lived in the city-centre but had moved out to more rural areas around Bradford.

 By the mid eighties membership of the Lodges in the Bradford area was dropping.

 The average membership of Lodges in the nineties was now around about thirty. In 1995, the year of our 75th Anniversary, Freemasonry in Bradford was in something of a decline from the halcyon years following our Consecration.

 In 2001 a new banner was presented to the Lodge by W. Bro. A. Dixon P.P.J.G.W., his son W. Bro. K. Dixon L.G.R. a member of Temperance and Benevolence No. 1160 London joined him for the Dedication ceremony, together they had 71 years service to the Craft.

W. Bro. John K Clayton, P.S.G.D., Assistant Provincial Grand Master attended the ceremony and the Banner was brought into the Lodge by a Banner escort which included the Lodge’s newest member, Bro. G. A. Cooper, who was made a Freemason only that evening.

The 16th Annual Meeting of the Lodges of Charity was hosted by the lodge on Friday 14th May 2004. Some 114 Brethren attended the meeting, with 9 Lodges of Charity represented. They were the the Lodge of Charity No. 223 Plymouth, Lodge of Charity No. 350 Farnworth, Lodge of Hope & Charity No. 377 Kidderminster, Lodge of Charity N0. 1551 Birmingham, Lodge of Charity No. 2651 Warrington, Charity Centenary Lodge No. 3786 Farnworth, Lodge of Charity No. 8769 Nottingham and Charity Masonic Lodge No. 688 Belfast (Irish Constitution).

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