THE circumstances under which the Warrant of our Lodge was granted are as far as we can ascertain, without parallel in the annals of Freemasonry. In 1786 Lodge No. 234 (now the Domatic Lodge No. 177) was consecrated. The dispensation being granted for the purpose of making and forming a lodge of operative masons, i.e. brethren who were masons by trade or closely associated with the building profession.

This requirement that operative masons only were to be admitted proved troublesome as not only did it restrict numbers of entrants in April 1786 two brothers who had been proposed as joining members were rejected because they were not operative masons but it also created problems as various brethren changed their vocation. Accordingly on 15th December, 1789 it was agreed that a further Warrant be obtained, known as a Working Warrant, to enable "Free and Accepted or Speculative" Masons to be members of Domatic Lodge.

The new Warrant was actually obtained in some 9 days (!) and is dated 24th December, 1789. It bears the names of W. Bro. Sir Watkin Lewes, Master Elect, W. Bro. Edward Cook, S.W., and W. Bro. Thomas Abbot, J.W., who were empowered to form and hold a Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons at 'The Sign of the Sun", Lincoln's Inn Fields (to which the Domatic Lodge had recently moved) on the second Thursday of each month. The new Lodge was numbered 258 and when consecrated it had 165 Lodges on the Roll of the "Antient" Grand Lodge as companions. The "Regular" Grand Lodge, known then as the "Moderns" had 174 so that in all there were only 340 Lodges on the Registers of the two Grand Lodges. The Domatic Lodge had therefore two separate warrants an event unique in English Freemasonry.

The two separate Warrants were worked by the Domatic Lodge until 1795 but this obviously failed to give satisfaction for, at the regular meeting of the Domatic Lodge held on 27th October 1795, the Worshipful Master ordered the Lodge to be summoned on Friday, October 30th with the object of taking into consideration the disposal of Lodge No. 258 and the minutes of that Emergency Meeting
record that:

A committee was appointed to have full power to dispose of the Warrant in such a manner "as they
think meet for the good of the Lodge". On the 26th January, 1796 it is recorded that:

The matter is finally disposed of on the 26th April 1796 when the minutes of the Domatic Lodge tell
us that:

Thus Lodge 258, now the Lion and Lamb Lodge, was left to work out its own future.

Whether the circumstances of our formation constitute the Domatic Lodge as our "Mother" or "Elder Sister" is for the purists to determine! Indeed this matter was the subject of some good-natured debate at the Centenary Dinner in 1890.

In its 200 years of existence the Lodge has borne four numbers. 258 on its formation, 325 in 1813 following the union of the "Moderns" and "Antients" to form the United Grand Lodge of England, 227 in 1832 when United Grand Lodge ordered a re-numbering of all lodges and 192 in 1863 at the time of a second re-numbering.

November 1835 is a significant date as the minutes begin "Lodge Lion and Lamb 227". This is the First time the name appears at the head of the minutes although it is noted in the records of United Grand Lodge as early as 1816. At the time United Grand Lodge was allocating new numbers to lodges, they asked that lodges also adopt names. Past historians have commented that the origin of the name "Lion and Lamb" has been lost but thanks to a considerable amount of research conducted by our own late brother, Charles MacColl Botly, twenty-five years ago we can suggest a possible solution to the mystery and I quote his own explanation.

"Firstly, there is a complete record of all the Taverns and other meeting places of the Lodge and the name 'Lion ' or 'Lamb' does not appear.
To the Lodge Brethren, the 'Lion' was self-evident, it is the Lion Rampant of Scotland, one of the emblems on the Banner of the Antient Grand Lodge, which arms have also been adopted in their entirely by our Lodge (and appear on our present Banner). But I am indebted to Bro. Newton, Assistant Librarian at United Grand Lodge, for the information that the 'Lion' also appeared on the Armorial Bearings of the Duke of Kent, whilst the 'Lamb' on those of the Duke of Sussex, respectively Grand Masters of the 'Antients' and 'Modems' at the date of their reconciliation. Thus the name 'Lion and Lamb' wan adopted by the Lodge at the time of the formation of the United Grand Lodge and it symbolises the merging of the 'Antients' represented by the 'Lion ' with the 'Modems' represented by the 'Lamb '. There is also the Old Testament Quotation, "The Lion and Lamb shall lie down together".

When the Lodge was first formed it was obviously intended that it should be a Master Masons' Lodge as the early minutes make no mention of any Initiations, Passings or Raisings but refer solely to lectures. Dues were collected at each meeting and were 6d. (2 1/2 pence) per meeting. In those days the Master and Officers were elected each half-year and the first mention of an Annual Election was in December 1815. Many meeting places arc recorded in the first few decades of the Lodge's history. Between 1789 and 1825 a total of 19 hostelries are recorded.

Sadly many of our records (although fortunately not the majority of the old minute books) and most of our memorabilia were destroyed by enemy action in the Second World War and we now have only photographs to remind us of some of them. It is all the more pleasing therefore, that we still possess and indeed regularly use our historic Tracing Boards. The Tracing Boards of the First and Third Degrees were presented to us in 1837 by one of our members, Bro. Rule. Bro. Rule was by trade a painter and grainer and made the Boards himself. The Tracing Board of the 1st Degree is true to type but that of the 3rd is of a design of his own. The 2nd Degree Tracing Board was presented to us in 1853 by one of our then members, Bro. Frederick Breitling. This Board was of his own design and, as far as is known, it is the only one of its kind in existence. As we celebrate this evening our Bi- Centenary with a very much greater attendance than the 25 members and 24 guests who attended the Centennial Celebrations in 1890 at the City Terminus Hotel, Cannon Street we can reflect with a certain modest pride on one or two noteworthy accomplishments. In 1925 the Masonic Million Memorial Fund (which resulted in the building of Freemasons' Hall) was established and this Lodge was one of the first to notify its intention of becoming a Hall Stone Lodge by subscribing 1000 guineas to the fund. We received both a certificate and the Hall Stone Jewel worn proudly by each Master during his year of office.

In 1934 a letter was received from the Royal Masonic Hospital which read:

Minutes over the past 200 years reflect the vicissitudes of the Lodge its lows (in the closing decade of the last century, membership was so few and funds so low that on a number of occasions there was no banquet or supper) and its highs (tonight is one of the latter); its moments of sadness and its moments of humour. It is perhaps opportune on this festive occasion to close these notes by mentioning an event in 1886 which we can now look back on with a smile but which must have caused acute embarrassment at the time. A candidate for initiation was within the Lodge and that stage of the ceremony had been reached at which the Senior Warden presents the candidate to the Worshipful Master as a "candidate properly prepared to be made a Freemason". At this point the Senior Warden noticed that the candidate appeared totally deaf and had not heard a word of the proceedings to that time. He decided the candidate was not properly prepared nor a fit and proper person and refused to present him. The candidate was then escorted from the Lodge, still in a state of darkness in every sense of the word, and that was that.

The Lodge felt that they should clarify that matter with Grand Lodge and wrote accordingly. I quote the reply from Grand Lodge:

Dear Sir and Brother,

I remain, dear Sir and Brother, yours fraternally,
Shadwell Clarke, G.S.

The candidate went abroad before the next meeting and the Lodge never heard of him
again!

Secretary

Grateful acknowledgements are due to:
W. Bro. Frederick Knights S.L.C.R. author of "A History of the Domatic Lodge No. 177."
W. Bro. George Kenning author of "Illustrated History of the Lion and Lamb Lodge & Chapter No.192
W. Bro. George Abbott author of "The History of the Lion and Lamb Lodge."