From 1929 to today

W.Bro. Benno Pearlman

There can be no doubt that the man chiefly responsible for the formation of the Hull Old Grammarians Lodge was W.Bro. Benno Pearlman P.P.G.W., and it is only fitting that a little should be said about this remarkable man.

Benno Pearlman was a successful solicitor with a high professional reputation. He had for many years taken an active part in civic affairs and was an Alderman of the City of Kingston upon Hull. He had always taken an interest in his old school, for which he had great affection, and had been for many years the Chairman of the School Governors.

His Masonic interests were widespread. He was Initiated into the De La Pole Lodge No. 1605 in 1903 and was a Founder Member of the Thesaurus Lodge No. 3891 whose Chair he occupied three times. He later became a Founder Member and first Master of the Andrew Marvell Lodge No. 5642, and was also a Past Master of the Montefiore Lodge. He was subsequently made an Officer of Grand Lodge and because of his energy and personality was a dominant force in all these Lodges.

The idea and the formation of the Lodge

Certain Old Boys of the Hull Grammar School who were Freemasons had been in the habit of meeting regularly at each others' homes, their talk eventually covering the possibility of forming a new Lodge for Hull Old Grammarians and Masters of the School. Who first had the idea cannot be ascertained with certainty, but this address by one of our Founders, W.Bro. Geoffrey Hindson in 1936, is very persuasive:

"W.Bro. Benno Pearlman was the Lord Mayor of this City in the year 1928–9 and he was constantly exercising his mind during that year as to what he could do best to promote the welfare and happiness of his fellow citizens… He conceived the idea of forming a Masonic Lodge to be associated with the School and to bear its name, in this way forming a further and closer bond of union between the old scholars of the School and uniting them in our great Brotherhood."

W.Bro. Pearlman subsequently claimed that the formation of the Lodge was his greatest achievement in his year as Lord Mayor. He invited all Old Grammarians who were members of the Craft to a meeting at the Guildhall, where his project received enthusiastic support. In all, twenty-nine Brethren agreed to become Founder Members — including eleven Past Masters, six of whom were Past Provincial Grand Officers.

Events then moved rapidly. The Kingston Lodge No. 1010 agreed to act as Sponsors, the Prayer for the formation of the Lodge was granted, and a Warrant was issued on 3rd June 1929.

Consecration and the first officers

The Consecration took place at the Central Masonic Hall, Park Street, Hull on Monday 4th November 1929, and 147 Brethren signed the Attendance Book. The Consecrating Officer was the Right Worshipful Provincial Grand Master, the Most Honourable the Marquess of Zetland.

The Lodge was Constituted and Consecrated according to Antient Custom and with Solemn Rite. W.Bro. Hubert Johnson P.P.G.W. was Installed as the first Master of the Lodge. W.Bro. Benno Pearlman P.P.G.W. was the Immediate Past Master.

The first Regular Meeting of the Lodge was held on 19th November 1929, when Robert James Porter, a very popular Master of the School, became the first Initiate. The Treasurer and Secretary — brothers Harold and Herbert Locking — each continued in their Offices for sixteen years, of inestimable value to the Lodge in those formative years.

The first decade

In its first year the Lodge grew rapidly — twelve Initiates and three Joining Members, bringing membership to forty-four. Lodge Meetings were held in the small Temple upstairs at the front of the Masonic Hall in Park Street, with Installations in the main Thesaurus Lodge Temple. Meetings were held at 7.00pm and evening dress was worn: white tie and tails for Officers, dinner jackets for the Brethren.

It was customary for many members to stay long after the Parting Toast and enjoy a protracted sing-song round the piano, often going on to the Masonic Club — to arrive home in the early hours was not uncommon. In 1934 membership had grown to fifty-seven, and December of that year saw a record attendance of forty-one members out of a possible forty-three.

In 1935 Benno Pearlman took the Chair for the second time, presiding when the Lodge joined the celebration of the Grammar School's 450th Anniversary. For the first time there was a Grand Lodge Officer in the Lodge. In 1936 the Lodge expressed its confidence in the future by increasing the number of Regular Meetings to nine.

The school and its distinguished alumni

The first certain references to Hull Grammar School date from 1431. Bishop John Alcock, a former pupil, gave the school its first endowment in 1479. The Lodge is proud of the school's centuries of history.

Early Freemasonry in Hull

Much might be said of the noble art,
A craft that's worth esteeming in each part,
Sundry nations' nobles and their kings also
Oh, how they sought its worth to know!
Nimrod, and Solomon the wisest of men,
Reason saw to love this science then.
I'll say no more, lest by my shallow verses I,
Endeavouring to praise, should blemish Masonrie.

Freemasonry in Kingston upon Hull in its present form can be traced back to the mid-18th century. The first known lodge was the Black Bull Lodge No. 252, warranted on 20th August 1759. The oldest surviving Hull lodge with a continuous record is the Minerva Lodge No. 250, warranted in 1783 — and Hull Old Grammarians' Lodge No. 5129 is proud to meet at the Minerva Masonic Hall on Dagger Lane.

The early days of Dagger Lane

The land upon which the Lodge premises on Dagger Lane were built was originally part of Maud Camin's property, passing through the hands of the Abbot of Meaux, King Edward I, and the De-la-Pole family. In 1420 it was jointly owned by William De-la-Pole and the Scrope of Massingham. Dagger Lane was then known as Champion Street — a small country lane just inside the city walls.

The freehold to the Lodge was purchased in 1874. During subsequent alterations, the flooring of the old chapel was removed and a vault was discovered containing a coffin lying with the head towards the north.

The war years

At the outbreak of war in September 1939, Grand Lodge suspended all Lodge Meetings. Meetings were held much earlier because of the black-out and air-raid danger — usually at 5.45pm in summer, and at lunch-time during autumn and winter. Evening dress disappeared, replaced by dark morning dress or uniform. Attendance fell as Brethren joined the Armed Forces, and at times was as low as thirteen.

In July 1944 the motion to form a Royal Arch Chapter was proposed and carried. The Chapter was Consecrated on 7th May 1945 — a courageous decision taken in wartime. The Chapter has flourished ever since, membership open to any Old Grammarian Master Mason.

In 1945, in the space of six months, the Lodge lost its three most prominent members: Treasurer W.Bro. Harold Locking, founder W.Bro. Benno Pearlman, and Secretary W.Bro. Herbert Locking. The Lodge owes a great debt of gratitude to the brothers Locking.

During the course of the war sixteen Brethren served in the Armed Forces, whilst many others gave voluntary service as Home Guards, Air Raid Wardens, and Fire Watchers.

Peace and prosperity

In 1947 the Lodge became a Founder Member at the Constitution of the Federation of School Lodges. In 1952, an Annual Joint School Lodge Meeting was established with the Old Bridlingtonian Lodge and the Old Hymerian Lodge — a tradition that continues to this day.

Although the Masonic Hall in Park Street was eventually repaired, the Lodge has remained at Dagger Lane since 1941. In 1964, the Lodge resolved to form a Lodge Benevolent Fund, which has on more than one occasion given timely help to Brethren or their dependants in need.

Into the 21st century

With the closure of the original Hull Grammar School in 1988, it became unsustainable to restrict membership to Old Boys or Masters of the school. Now membership is open to anyone, irrespective of their school.

The Grammar School lives on in Hull Collegiate, which acquired the Hull Grammar School name in 2005. Hull Collegiate curates artefacts from the Grammar School and keeps alive the letter and spirit of its motto:

Floreat Nostra Schola. May our school flourish.