St Ursula Lodge No 8952 EC in the British Virgin Islands is probably the only lodge in the English Constitution to be named after a Mother Superior!
    In 1493, Christopher Columbus was on his way to Puerto Rico in the New World, when he was blown northwards off his course into a large group of small islands. Columbus was so impressed by the number of small islands – over thirty of them – that he named them ‘Las Once-Mil Virgines’, the 11,000 Virgins. This event took place on October 22nd, the day on which the Church commemorated ’11,000 Virgins Day’, in remembrance of the Huns’ slaughter of St Ursula (a Mother Superior) and (as legend has it) her 11,000 nuns while on a pilgrimage to Rome. The islands have also been called the Ursulines, and are part of the Leeward Group of West Indian Islands.
    St Ursula is the patron saint of the British Virgin Islands, and the lodge banner depicts her on a yellow background holding a lighted lamp, framed by eleven similar lamps, each representing 1000 nuns.

Sad beginning

The lodge was consecrated in August 1980 under sad circumstances. The only locally available Past Masters, who had made every effort to formulate the lodge, both died just before the consecration date. The sponsoring lodge, Harmonic No 356 EC, was in the United States Virgin Islands, thirty miles away by sea, and the only one in the territory to come directly under the Grand Lodge of England. However, they filled the breech and their Director of Ceremonies, W Bro John Woods OGR became the first Master. He was supported by Bro Harvey Henne, Treasurer, W Bro Major John Williams, Secretary, and several other brethren from Harmonic. They all gave their unstinting support
    for three years, often travelling through inclement seas to respond to summonses, until a Tortola-born Brother was installed as Master.
    By 1986, the brethren had generated sufficient funds to acquire a piece of land to build their own temple, and in February of that year, the foundation stone was laid in accordance with ancient custom.
    The ceremony was performed in the presence of the Governor of the British Virgin Islands and a large contingent of the public. Some glamour was added to the solemn occasion by the presence of the Hollywood film star Miss Maureen O’Hara, who resided in the island, and whose cousin was a frequent visitor to our lodge meetings.

Not the first lodge

Subsequent research revealed that St Ursula’s Lodge was not the first masonic lodge in Road Town, Tortola. Gould’s History of Freemasonry, Vol. 6, enlightens us:
    “TORTOLA AND THE VIRGIN ISLANDS – Lodges were established in these islands by the Schismatics, or Antients, in 1760 and 1763, and by the rival organisation – the original, or legitimate, Grand Lodge of England in 1765. Each of these Lodges continued on the lists until the Union in 1813, when they one and all disappeared from the rolls.” A footnote lists the lodges constituted as follows: Antients, No 82, Virgin Gorda, 1760; Antients, No 108, Road, Island of Tortola, 1763; Grand Lodge of England No 351, Tortol (sic) and Beef Island, 1765.
    The Antient’s own record-book, Ahimon Rezon, records Lodge No 184 at Tortola in 1804 and No 183 “Lodge English Tavern in Island of Tortola”. John Lane’s Masonic Records mentions the Antients’ Lodge No 82 as situated at “Spanish Town, one of the Virgin Islands”. Lane also mentions Lodge No 183, English Tavern. No trace of the English tavern mentioned has yet been found, but during excavations for the Botanical Gardens in Road Town, a very small red clay smoker’s pipe was unearthed. The pipe featured masonic symbols (see photographs) which were recognised by a Brother of the lodge and so it was carefully retained.
    The bowl is only about three-quarters of an inch in diameter and about one inch deep, but the markings are surprisingly clear. On one side is the Square and Compasses surmounted by the letter ‘G’; on the other side is a temple entrance with two pillars, five steps, a leaning ladder, a dormer window, and above it, a blazing triangle containing the letter ‘G’. The pipe stem is missing.

Original Warrant of 1765

Further research revealed that the original Warrant for the lodge of 1765 had been presented to Grand Lodge Library in 1921 by a Mr Porter of the Island of Dominica, and a photocopy of this now hangs in St Ursula Lodge. It was also found that districts marked on extant maps of Road Town as Pasea and Pickering were originally plantations owned by James Pasea and Isaac Pickering, the first Senior and Junior Wardens respectively of that lodge founded in 1765. Their names, together with that of Christopher Fleming, Master, appear as such on the 1765 Warrant.
    In February 1986, when the foundation stone of the new temple was being laid, we were not at that time aware that the temple was being built on land that was originally owned by the first Senior Warden of that same lodge over 200 years ago!
    At present, the temple (called ‘The Rough Ashlar’), is a very modest building, but it has been designed for future expansion when the funds are available. Many members of the lodge are Companions of Zetland Royal Arch Chapter No 356 based in St Thomas with Harmonic Lodge, and on 2 September 1996, a Chapter Rose Croix No 1105 was consecrated in the temple at Tortola.
    Masonically, the British Virgin Islands is in the jurisdiction of the District of Barbados and Eastern Caribbean which extends from St Thomas in the US Virgin Islands in the north to Grenada in the south, a distance of over 600 sea-miles, and embraces widespread islands. At least eleven of these have one English Constitution lodge – a formidable task for the District Grand Master, Rt W Bro Brian Parsons who attends every Installation and gives the Charge to the new Master.
    In spite of the considerable travel difficulties, distances and weather, the bond of brotherhood among the lodges is firm and bodes well for the Craft in the West Indies.

The author, Bro S C Lewis, is Past District Deputy Director of Ceremonies, District of Barbados & Eastern Caribbean.