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History of Hamilton MasonicDistrict 'B'In 1795 the first Lodge to call Hamilton its home was The Barton Lodge which held its first meeting at Smith's Tavern in Hamilton. Then in 1799 the second Lodge in the Hamilton area was established at Forty Mile Creek (Grimsby) and was called Union Lodge. The original District was called The Gore District and stretched from Grimsby to Oakville. Immediately following the the end of World War I there were 8 Lodges formed in this vicinity.
When the Grand Lodge of Canada was formed in 1855, Hamilton Masons were in the Western District, that portion of Upper Canada lying west of Toronto. With such rapid growth in the numbers of Lodges after World War I, in 1923, Hamilton District was split into Hamilton A (16 Lodges) and Hamilton B (15 Lodges). Redistribution in 1974 created three Hamilton Districts with 14 Lodges each.
The Districts are laid out in a very distinctive pattern with regard to geography. Consider the Central Masonic Temple as the point of intersection of all three Districts, because each has a responsibility for three or more Lodges that meet there. District A comprises all the Lodges on the north of the Lake from Oakville to The Masonic Centre (Scottish Rite). District B comprises all the Lodges south of the Lake from Grimsby to The Masonic Centre (Scottish Rite). District C takes in the westerly sector from Ancaster and Dundas to The Masonic Centre (Scottish Rite), (one of the smallest in area for Ontario).
Today Hamilton District B only consists of 12* lodges, with close to 1500 members. Union Lodge No. 7 in Grimsby being the oldest Lodge with a Warrant Constituted on December 17, 1799. They celebrated their 200th Anniversary in 1999. Three Lodges that were Constituted in 1855, Harmony Lodge #57, Acacia Lodge #61 and St. Andrew's Lodge #62 celebrated their 150th Anniversary in 2005. A total of eight Lodges have already celebrated 100 years and three more are not far behind. The newest three Lodges total more than 130 years when combined.
*Doric Lodge #382 amalgamated with The Lodge of the Ancient Landmarks #654 on May 24, 2005, and thus became a member of Hamilton Masonic District C.
* T. H. Simpson Lodge #692 amalgamated with its Mother Lodge, Wentworth Lodge #166, on March 21, 2006.
Information based on the brief history booklet presented by Norman G. McCarthy with appreciation to C. A. McCarthy and R. W. Newton It might be of interest to note that the formation of the Grand Lodge of Canada in the Province of Ontario was done here within our District and that lodges within our District were instrumental in its formation. This information can be found on pages 78 - 81 of the original edition, 1980, of Grand Lodge's book edited by Wallace McLeod, Whence Come We. *Special thanks to W. Bro. Norman Madill - The Lodge of Strict Observance No. 27 District B Trivia Information from a 1944-1945 Union Lodge No. 7 Trestle Board. Lodges in the Hamilton District in 1944-45 (Present District B Lodges) Union Lodge No. 7 The Lodge of Strict Observance No. 27 Harmony Lodge No. 57 Acacia Lodge No. 61 St. Andrew’s Lodge No. 62 Wentworth Lodge No. 166 Enniskillen No. 185 Lincoln Lodge No. 544 St. Andrew’s Lodge No. 593 Hillcrest Lodge No. 594 Total 10 Lodges (Other Lodges) Electric Lodge No. 495 Ionic Lodge No. 549 Buchanan Lodge No. 550 Wardrope Lodge No. 555 Beach Lodge No. 639 The Lodge of Ancient Landmarks No. 654 Total 6 Lodges (No Longer Existing) Doric Lodge No. 382 * Doric Lodge No. 382 amalgamated with The Lodge of the Ancient Landmarks No. 654on May 24, 2005, and thus became a member of Hamilton Masonic District C. Total 1 Lodge Questions:
Composite Lodge No. 667 Incorporated 1951 Battlefield Lodge No. 714 Incorporated 1964
T. H. Simpson Lodge No. 692 has come and gone between 1945 and present. It incorporated in1957 and amalgamated with its Mother Lodge, Wentworth Lodge No. 166, in 2006
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