NEARLY 150 YEARS OF FREEMASONRY IN THE EASTERN CAPE

The District Grand Lodge of South Africa, Eastern Division, has a proud and enduring legacy of service, unity, and fellowship. Our story is one of resilience and purpose — built on the foundations of trust, charity, and personal development.

 

Freemasonry in South Africa traces its origins to 1772 under the Dutch, but it was with the arrival of British settlers and military regiments that English Freemasonry truly took hold. British Lodge No. 334 became the foundation stone, and in 1828, Albany Lodge No. 389 was established in Grahamstown — the first English lodge in the Eastern Cape.

 

In the years that followed, new Lodges were founded across the region, particularly in areas where British garrisons were posted. Military lodges played a key role in carrying Freemasonry inland — into communities where values like service, discipline, and brotherhood were welcomed and lived.

FIRST DISTRICT GRAND OFFICERS, 1878

GROWTH, DISTANCE, AND THE FORMATION OF THE DISTRICT

In the mid-1800s, all English lodges in the Cape were under the governance of the Provincial Grand Lodge in Cape Town. As the number of lodges in the east grew, so did the challenges of administration. Communications were slow, the frontier was remote, and local Masons increasingly felt that the needs of Eastern Cape lodges could best be met closer to home.

While there were occasional tensions and administrative frustrations, the underlying motivation was constructive: to enable Freemasonry to flourish more effectively through local leadership and organisation. In 1878, the United Grand Lodge of England granted the Eastern Division its own District. Surgeon Charles Egan of King William’s Town became the first District Grand Master. This moment marked the beginning of a new chapter — one that affirmed the Eastern Cape’s unique identity within the Masonic world, while remaining fully aligned with UGLE and its principles.
THE CONSTITUTIONS OF THE FREE-MASONS

A LEGACY OF SERVICE

Since its founding, the Eastern Division has remained committed to serving its members and the wider community. Over the years, Eastern Cape Freemasons have:

  • Contributed to education, public welfare, and medical care
  • Raised funds for disaster relief and humanitarian causes
  • Supported both local and national charitable initiatives
  • Responded with generosity during times of conflict, such as the Anglo-Boer War, the World Wars, and more recently, the COVID-19 pandemic

Masonic Lodges across the District have long been recognised for their quiet, consistent charitable work, not for recognition, but out of a sense of duty and compassion.

THE DISTRICT GRAND LODGE ADMINISTERS LODGES ACROSS THE EASTERN CAPE
CHARLES EGAN, FIRST DISTRICT GRAND MASTER

LOOKING TO THE FUTURE

As we approach our 150th anniversary in 2028, we celebrate a history marked by resilience, service, and deep-rooted fellowship. From the founding of Albany Lodge to the establishment of over 20 active Lodges across the Eastern Cape, the District has played a meaningful role in the life of the province for generations.

 

Today, our members continue to meet, reflect, and act — guided by the timeless principles of Freemasonry: Integrity, Friendship, Respect, and Service.

Our history reminds us not only of what has been achieved, but of the enduring value of striving to become better as individuals and as a community.

PAST DISTRICT GRAND MASTERS

Name Term
C.J. Egan1878 – 1909
A.B. Gordon1909 – 1924
J.A. Duff1925 – 1933
R. Perrott1934 – 1938
J. Couldridge1939 – 1940
L. Simmons1940 – 1958
F. Owen-Eaton1958 – 1979
J.G. Anderson1979 – 1987
T.H.Q. Harvey1987 – 1996
L. Smit1996 – 1999
J.H.G. de Villiers1999 – 2006
P.E. Malan2006 – 2016
H.W.G. van der Linde2016 – 2023