Born 15th October 1929 in Farnborough, Hampshire into a Military family.
Robert believes his paternal grandfather joined the Craft whilst serving in the British Army in India before the First World War. His father was a mason and was initiated in Priory of Lambeth Lodge No 6252 in 1951. His maternal grandfather was a Scottish Rite freemason but was killed in the first world war. Robert as a youngster lived in turbulent times and was evacuated to St Ives Cornwall in 1940 and experienced the air raids and the Battle of Britain.
However, schooling was difficult in Cornwall as the influx of kids was such that he was lucky to have had three half days of schooling per week. He returned to London in the spring of 1944 and was witness to see the so called Doodle Bugs.
On leaving school Robert worked in an architects’ office where he learned how to read architectural drawings.
In 1945 at the age of 16 Robert signed articles and became an apprentice upholster. This was interrupted by National Service in 1948 when he joined the Royal Army Service Corps where he worked as a coach trimmer, but spent most of his time upholstering the Officers’ private vehicles. After National Service Robert resumed his apprenticeship and finally completed his apprenticeship in 1953. Finding work hard to find in London he emigrated to Canada and after three hard winters found a job in Bermuda as a journeyman upholsterer, After 7 years he started his own company and for a period of twenty years established his business successfully and sold it as a going concern. On retirement in 1987 Robert moved to Lanzarote for health reasons.
Robert is married to Pamela.
Masonic Career:
1968 – Robert was initiated into freemasonry in Atlantic Phoenix Lodge No 224 in the District Grand Lodge of Bermuda (UGLE) in October 1968. He was Installed as WM in 1979. He remains a Subscribing Member.
1972 – Exalted into the Holy Royal Arch – Bermuda Chapter No 224 (SGC)
1973 – Joins Broad Arrow Lodge No 1890 in the District of Bermuda (UGLE).
1973 – Joins Priory of Lambeth Lodge No 6252 in London (his late father’s Lodge – attending Lodge on business visits to London – now erased). He became WM in 1988 and 2007.
2001 – LGR
2010 – Joined Canterbury Lodge No 1635 – WM in 2012 and 2013.
2017 – SLGR
Other Masonic involvement:
1991 – Robert joined the correspondence circle of Quatuor Coronati Lodge No 2076. As a result of this he was approached by the Secretary of the Spanish Provincial Grand Lodge in the Canary Islands and was asked to assist in forming a Lodge in Lanzarote. He has successfully participated in Freemasonry in the Canary Islands and was awarded PPJGW in 2009. He was a founder member of South Porch Lodge No 59 in the Grand Lodge of Spain (working Emulation ritual in English – WM in 1993 and 2010) and also a founder of a Spanish speaking Lodge Atlantidad No 62.
Apart from English Craft Masonry and the Holy Royal Arch Robert has been active in other Orders including the Mark Degree in Bermuda and Lanzarote where he was a founder member of Lanzarote Mark Lodge No 123, Scottish Rite freemasonry in Bermuda – St George No 200 as well as Knights Templar (Bermuda) and Rose Croix.
Robert enthusiasm for freemasonry knows no bounds and regularly attends Canterbury Lodge flying in from Lanzarote especially.
His masonic credentials are exemplary.
Canterbury Lodge 1635 