At 3.30 on 29th May, 1948, fifty one Provincial Officers, five installed masters and twenty seven other brethren signed the Tylers book, at a meeting to consecrate a new Lodge. This was to meet at the Masonic Hall, Station Road, Chester-le-Street and to be known as the Eardulph Lodge Number 6645.

The story of the Lodge however, began a long time before that date. It started with a meeting on 16th April, 1946 held in the room adjoining the offices of W.Bro. L Usher in Chester-le-Street. Attending the meeting were fifteen brethren, with W.Bro Usher being elected as chairman. It was at this meeting that it was proposed that a new Lodge should be formed. As is the practice for all new lodges, enquiries were made to Provincial Grand Lodge. However it was communicated that Grand Lodge considered that there were already sufficient Lodges in Chester-le-Street. However the founding members pointed out that the least time in which a candidate could be initiated into any of the Chester-le-Street Lodges was three years and that there were more candidates in the District than the current Lodges could cope with. The reply from the Provincial Grand Lodge was that "The reply was not a decision that a new Lodge could not be formed, but merely an opinion that the time was not opertune".

This dampened the spirits of the founder members, however a committee was set up of Installed Masters to assist in forming the new Lodge. The next meeting took place on 17th December, 1946. It was agreed that a letter should be issued to each of the Chester-le-Street Lodges inviting two of their Past Masters to become Past Masters of the new lodge and to appoint a treasurer, Chaplain and Almoner from their number.

It was proposed at a further meeting in January 1947 that The Earl of Durham Lodge be approached as the sponsor of the new Lodge.

The consecration meeting was finally held on 29th May, 1948 and W.Bro. Usher was installed as as the first Master of Eardulph Lodge by the Provincial Grand Master with W.Bro. A.H. Fennell being installed as Immediate Past Master. The following brethren were invested as Officers of the Lodge:

The Lodge Crest

The Lodge Crest which can be seen here in full colour was designed by W.Bro. Wilfred Usher, brother of the founding Master of the Lodge. The Crest depicts on either side, the two great pillars which stood at the porchway or entrance to King Solomon's Temple. In the centre is the squared pavement upon which the high priest walked and overlooking that pavement is the Great Luminary of nature, the rising sun. Centered above the pavement are the square and compasses and above and dominating them all are the sword and mitre.

The mitre of course is the Bishop's hat and symbolises the link with the first Bishop of Chester-le-Street, Eardulph and subsequently the Bishops of Durham. The sword represents the fact that in years gone by the Bishops of Durham were Prince Bishops and thus commanded and led their own armies into battle.

The Lodge Banner

The Lodge Banner is yet another story, it was presented to the Lodge by a brother who visited our Lodge on virtually every meeting night for a great number of years. On retiring from Barclays Bank in the Front Street and before he left for his retirement home in Ireland, he asked the Lodge if they would accept a banner to mark his appreciation and his memory of many wonderful nights he had spent at Eardulph Lodge. The members were delighted to accept this gift and on 11th September, 1964 W.Bro. Harry Ogle P.Prov.SGD duly presented his gift to the Lodge. The banner was blessed in the Lodge by W.Bro. Rev. W. Bentley P.Prov.G.Chap