HISTORY OF KENT COUNTY

THE 20’s The Warrant to open Kent County Province was issued on the 17/7/1920, the Province officially opened four months later on the 17/11/1920. There where nine lodges who transferred from Grand Lodge Direct to Kent County on that night they where:- Livingstone 2118, Royal Engineers 2170, Ye Olde Brompton 2838, Gillingham 3080, Central 3093, Loyal and True 3094, Kingsnorth 3095, Maplesden 3117 and Pride of Cliff 3135.  One also transferred from the control of Chatham, which was Clarendon 3221. The first Lodge to be opened by the Province was The Pride of Gravesend , the dispensation was issued on the 24/01/1921 1921 another  6 Lodges where granted dispensations and opened, they where:- Comrades 3617, Strood Ivy Leaf 3681, Royal Marine 3682, Ye Olde Aylesford 3727, Edward VII 3742 and Woodland 3988. 1922 had the opening of Woodland Lodge, dispensations where issued for the, Duke of Marlboro 4088, Pride of Cuxton 4148 and the Royal Navy 4339.  The Maplesden Lodge changed it name to the Pride of Higham 3117.  Kent County gave permission for the province boundary to be moved so the South East Kent Province could come into being.   1923 had the Isle of Grain 4656, Sir William Thomas Sherman (Sir W.T. Sherman)4680, Sir F.A. Morris (Sir Fred Arthur Morris) 4836, and the Pride of Snodland 4892 open. 1924 had the opening of the Sir H.H. Parsons (Sir Herbert H. Parsons) 5125, the first Albatross 5326 and Allhallows 5334.  Also the Knights Chapter No 124 opened. 1925 The Ye Olde Aylesford  3727, transferred to the Maidstone Province.  The Royal Engineers changed its name to Pembroke 2170. 1926 Stan Terry 5828 and Maple Leaf 5974 opened and the Pride of Snodland Transferred to the Maidstone  Province. 1927 Chas Lowman 6205 opened. 1928 The first province Lodge closed, Pride of Higham 3117. 1929 had the opening of the Bridgewood 6418 and Ernest Page 6481.  The Sir H.H. Parsons 5125 amalgamated with the Pride of Gravesend 3469. THE 30’s 1930 Saw the opening of the Pride of Meopham 6926 and the closure of  the Pride of Cliff 3135, Sir W.T. Sherman 4680 and Kingsnorth 3095. 1931 Strood Ivy Leaf 3681 amalgamated with Central 3093 1932 Sittingbourne 7114 opened 1933 The first Albatross 5326 closed 1934 Pride of Wigmore 7235 and Middletune 7239 opened.  Stan Terry 5828 changed name to Pride of Chatham 5828 1935 Hoo St. Werburgh 7288 opened 1937 Men of Kent 7398 opened, and the Central 3093 amalgamated with the Royal Navy 4339.  Bridgewood 6481 amalgamated with Stan Terry 5828. 1939 Pride of Cuxton 4148 closed.  The Royal Navy 4339 amalgamated with Sir F.A. Morris 4836.  Pride of Meopham amalgamated with Pride of Gravesend 3469.(?)  Men of Kent 7398 amalgamated with Woodland 3988 THE 40’s 1941-1945 Chas Lowman 6205 and Sittingbourne 7114 closed (GL do not know exact year) 1945 Isle of Grain 4646 amalgamated with Allhallows 5334 1946 Sunnyside 7768 opened, and the Loyal and True 3094 closed 1947 Pembroke 2170 amalgamated with the Royal Marine 3682.  Pride of Wigmore 7235 changed name to Pride of Rainham 7235. 1948 The second Albatross lodge 7950 opened 1949 Had the opening of both the Pride of Hohenfels 8099 and the second Royal Engineers lodge 8126.  Hoo St. Werburgh 7288 closed THE 50’s 1951 Lest we Forget 8399 opened. The Comrades 3617 amalgamated with Livingstone 2118(?) 1952 Opening of the Roll of Honour Assembly No. 50 1953 Both the Coronation 8569 and Charnwood Forest 8614 opened.  Maple Leaf 5974 amalgamated with Lest We Forget 8399 1954 Maison Dieu 8726 opened 1955 Ernest Page 6481 changed name to Liberty 6481.  Pride of Hohenfels 8099 amalgamated with Pride of Gravesend 3469 1957 Liberty 6481 amalgamated with Sir F.A. Morris 4836 1958 Garden of England 9019 and the second Pride of Wigmore 9055 opened.  The Duke of Marlboro 4088 amalgamated with Sir F.A. Morris 4836.  Royal Engineers 8126 changed name to Esprit De Corps 8126. THE 60’s 1961 Riverside 9237 opened.  The second Pride of Wigmore 9055 amalgamated with Pride of Rainham 7235 which was the old Pride of Wigmore. 1962 Esprit De Corps amalgamated with Middletune 7239 1963 Havon 9353 opened. Kent County got it's first Grand Lodge Officer Bro. L A S Regnier ROH as Grand Alderman fo Juniper 1967 Island 9560, Chattenden Royal 9605 and the Hand of Friendship 9587 opened 1968 Unity 9652 opened.  Charnwood Forest 8614 after starting in W.G. 2 Province, went to several Provinces, came to Kent County this year. 1969 Abbey 9670 and the Pride of Ham-Hill 9672 opened THE 70’s 1970 Pride of Sheppey 9767 opened.  Pride of Ham-Hill 9672 transferred to Maidstone Province. 1971 Charnwood Forest 8614 amalgamated with Livingstone 2118.  Island 9560 amalgamated with Hand of Friendship 9587.  Chattenden Royal 9605 amalgamated with Allhallows 5336 1973 Bro. J Kideell ROH elected Grand Registrar (Maidstone and District Province) 1977 Free Enterprise 10117 opened, and the Livingstone 2118 changed its name to Livingstone Royal Marine with the amalgamation of the Royal Marine 3682. Bro.A F G Pellet ROH elected Grand Minstral (Maidstone and District Province) 1978 Royal Jubilee 10175 opened. The Pride of Gravesend changed name to the Pride of Riverside with the amalgamation of the Riverside 9237 1979 Charles Dickens 10242 opened THE 80’s 1980 Pride of Rainham 7235 closed 1981 Allhallows 5334 amalgamated with Royal Jubilee 10175 1982 The first Ye Olde Brompton 2838 closed, and Gillingham 3080 amalgamated with the Charles Dickens 10242.  Bro. A Dawe ROH was elected Grand Tyler 1985 Pride of the Medway 10411 opened.  Havon 9353 amalgamated with Hand of Friendship 9587. Bro B Barker ROH elected Grand Alderman of Benevolence (Maidstone and District Province) 1988 Pegasus 10457 opened.  The Pride of Riverside 3469 changed name to Riverside 3469 THE 90’s 1990 New Brompton 10484 opened.  Edward VII 3742 amalgamated with Charles Dickens 10242 1991 Maison Dieu 8726 closed.  Pride of Sheppey 9767 closed.  Free Enterprise 10117 amalgamated with Coronation 8569.  New Brompton 10484 amalgamated with Charles Dickens 10242 1992 Garden of England 9019 closed Bro Shaun Pellet ROH elected Grand Alderman of Juniper (Maidstone and District Province) 1993 The second Ye Olde Brompton 10538 opened 1994 Woodland 3988 amalgamated with Pride of the Medway 10411 1995 Livingstone Royal Marine 2118 amalgamated with the Ye Olde Brompton  10538. 1996 Bro. G Kent ROH was elected Grand Alderman of Benevolence 1997 Sir F.A. Morris 4836 amalgamated with Royal Jubilee 10175 1999 Both the Will Adams 10620 and the Borough 10621 opened.  Will Adams 10620 closed THE 00’s 2000 Clarendon 3221 amalgamated with the Lest We Forget 8399.  Coronation 8569 amalgamated with Riverside 3469.  Royal Jubilee 10175 amalgamated with Unity 9652. 2003 The second Ye Olde Brompton 10538 amalgamated with Pride of the Medway 10411 2004 Abbey 9670 closed 2005 Middletune 7239 closed. Unity 9652 amalgamated with the Lest We Forget 8399 2006 Maidstone and District Province amalgmated. 2007 Bro. I D Wignall ROH elected Grand Tyler.