The Atwellian Class of Instruction
The inception of Roxeth Lodge can be dated back to 1940 when Ernest Edward Attwell (known as Ted) to his many friends and colleagues was made an officer of his Mother lodge, Alexandra Park No, 4889.
Because it was Ted’s stated wish to properly prepare himself for the Master’s Chair and as wartime restrictions made it impracticable to hold lodges of instruction in central London he investigated the possibilities of rehearsing the ritual with fellow Masons.
Ted was a Civil Defence Warden during the 1939-45 war and he and dis_ covered there were other Masons serving as wardens both in his post, No. 49 St Margaret’s Avenue in the parish of Roxeth, Harrow. During spells of inactivity by the German air force, night time duty allowed relatively long periods for private study, with very little chance of being disturbed.
Ted discussed his proposals with a chosen few and within a short period of time he had arranged with fellow members of the Craft to join together on night duty and thereby formed the nucleus of a class of instruction. The popularity of this venture was such that even after Ted was moved to the nearby post No. 53 the night time class of instruction continued with such enthusiasm that Ted arranged for a classroom to be made available to accommodate all those willing to study at 34 St Margaret’s Avenue, which was at that time a college at which Ted was Principal. The band of brethren had by that time styled themselves as members of the Attwellian class of instruction.
At the end of the war the class of instruction had become so popular as to necessitate a further move, this time to St Hilda’s Hall attached to the South Harrow Baptist church.
It was a natural sequence of events that the members of the Attwellian class of instruction should wish to join forces and form a Lodge and as by that time Ted had become Past Master of his Mother lodge and they therefore invited him to assist them in forming a new Lodge and to also accept the honour of being the Founding Worshipful Master. As nearly all the members of the Attwellian class of instruction were London masons it proved to be very difficult to find a lodge willing to sponsor a new lodge. However, among Ted’s talents he was also an accomplished organist and members of the Roxeth lodge were subsequently treated to fine organ music up to the time of his death.
It was this ability to play the organ which resulted in an invitation from the St Patrick’s Lodge No. 5742 for Ted to provide the harmony for one of their meetings. There were only a small number of guests at the meeting and Ted was asked to undertake the task of replying to the toast to the Visitors. Those of us who knew Ted will appreciate the quality and comprehensiveness of his reply, however, he also grasped the opportunity of suggesting to the Brethren that they might kindly agree to sponsor a proposed new Lodge.
The necessary detailed investigation of the proposed founder members and their intentions was undertaken by a Past Master of the St Patrick’s Lodge, W. Bro. J. P. Kilfoil who not only recommended to his lodge that they should sponsor the new venture but also agreed to become the first Immediate Past Master of the new Lodge.
As the Attwellian Class of Instruction had always held their meetings in the Parish of Roxeth it was unanimously agreed to name the new Lodge should be the Roxeth Lodge. The founding members wished to honour Ted by incorporating a memento into the crest of the Lodge and after some discussion it was agreed to adopt the crest of the Parish, but in addition a “well” should be placed in the centre of the three gauntlets depicting the friendships which had been established at the class of instruction. Following the Consecration of the Roxeth Lodge it was unanimously agreed that the Attwellian class of instruction should be henceforth known as the Roxeth Lodge of Instruction and throughout the following 50 years has assisted members of the Roxeth and other Lodges to become efficient officers and Masters in the Craft.
Roxeth Lodge of Instruction meets every Friday evening at 8pm except for the months of June, July and August and welcomes visiting Brethren.
Roxeth Lodge is Patron of the Royal Masonic Hospital, the Institution for Girls, Vice Patron of the Royal Masonic Institution for Boys, Vice Patron of the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution and Patron of the Middlesex Province Retirement Homes and Patron of the Middlesex 1998 Charity.
Roxeth as a Parish
INVO thousand years ago Roxeth was marshy ground within a great priveval forest. It was probably first inhabited by the Saxons, and when the lands become finally parcelled into Shires, Hundreds, vils and manors, Roxeth became a subsidiary manor in the great Ecclesiastical Harrow manor in the Hundred of Gore in the County of Middlesex. the earliest mention in writing of Middlesex (Middlesexan) is 704, of Harrow (hergae) 767 and of Roxeth (Hroces-seath) 845.
The original name of Hroces-seath is derived from the old Danish word Hroc which means Rood, which bird was common in the district, and the word Seath which may be interpreted as “seat”, “home” or “abode”. Thus Roxeth or Hroces-seath means “the abode of rooks”, and his explains why at the top of the crest appear the heads of a couple of rooks. Beneath are to be seen three gauntlets which allude to the three tythings of Newton, Dobbs and Heath which together constituted a revious Roman posseda, a square plot 1980 yards long.
Alternative names have been designated this part of Harrow namely Hrocseye and Rokesheye in 1205, Rokesie in 1246, Roxe in 1327, Roxethe in 1422, Roxehay in 1508, Roxhey in 1550, roxeth in 1710, and even Roxey in 1745.
There still exists a document known as The Hroces Seath Parchment which is dated 8th November, AD845 and relates to the exchange of land at Roxeth.
The area became an Ecclesiastical Parish in 1863.