Our History
The History of Lodge of Perfect Friendship No: 376
The Lodge of Perfect Friendship is a very old Lodge, one of the oldest in Suffolk. We were formed on the 13th of March 1824 under the hand of H.R.H Augustus Fredrick, Duke of Sussex at the time.
During our long history, we’ve enjoyed many meeting places in Ipswich before finding our home at Freemasons Hall, Ipswich.
Key Dates
Historical Points About Our Lodge
Whilst our warrant was granted in 1824 the roots of our Lodge go back to 1785, when the original ‘Perfect Friendship Lodge’ was formed. At the time we were one of only two Lodges in Ipswich. However, today we are known as Lodge of Perfect Friendship.
Freemasonry Through The Ages – In the past Freemasonry has enjoyed highs and lows and Ipswich is no different. Membership reached its peak during the 1980s with surges after both world wars as people looked to find camaraderie. Currently, interest in our Lodge is so high that on the 27th of November 2021, we did a double Initiation welcoming two new Brothers in one ceremony, a first for some time. This was amongst honoured guests, notably our Provincial Grand Master.
Our Daughter – As a result of the boom in membership following the second world war, the Lodge of Perfect Friendship grew so large it became necessary to sponsor a new Lodge to accommodate the interest. On the 29th of November 1946, our daughter Lodge ‘Perfect Amity Lodge’ was Consecrated.
The members of both lodges to this day are still very close and attend each other’s meetings.
The Big Day – 2024 is our 200th birthday as a Lodge, which is something truly epic showcasing the very best Suffolk Freemasonry has to offer and the year has kept on going giving us and our guests an action-packed year.
The Bicentenary meeting was held at the Ipswich Corn Exchange in the council chambers. We had fantastic representation from the Grand Lodge of England and the Provincial Lodge of Suffolk as well as other local lodges helping us to mark this historic occasion.
