The Manawatu Freemason

  The Hon. Mrs. Elizabeth Aldworth, nee St. Leger, known as ‘The Lady Freemason’ The Hon. Mrs. Elizabeth Aldworth, nee St. Leger, known as ‘The Lady Freemason’ was the first woman recorded as being initiated into Freemasonry sometime between 1710 and 1712, into a Lodge which met at her family home, in County Cork, Ireland. It was presided over by her father Viscount Lord Doneraile, and it is said that Mr. Richard Aldworth, whom she later married, was also present.  According to a memoir published in 1811, the teenage Elizabeth fell asleep in the library, and was awakened by the sound of voices coming through some loose brickwork left behind from an unfinished restoration.  Her curiosity aroused, she managed to loosen the bricks and watched spell-bound; as she eavesdropped upon the masonic ceremony going on in the next room.  As it neared its conclusion, she tried to escape unnoticed, but on opening the door, was met by a grim-faced Tyler holding a drawn sword; her fa...

Elias Ashmole by John Riley Brother Elias Ashmole - English antiquary, politician, officer of arms, astrologer, freemason and student of alchemy Brother Elias Ashmole was born on the 23rd  May 1617 in Lichfield at the age of sixteen he left Lichfield to move to London it was there that he began keeping a diary of his life. In one of his entries he writes that on ‘October 16, 4.30pm – I was made a Freemason at Warrington in Lancashire with Colonel Henry Mainwaring (a Roundhead friend related to his father-in-law) of Karincham in Cheshire. The names of those that were then at the lodge, Richard Penket Worden, James Collier, Richard Sankey, Henry Littler, John Ellam, Richard Ellam and Hugh Brewer.’ Bro Ashmole was an antiquary with a strong Baconian leaning towards the study of nature. His library reflected his intellectual outlook, including works on English history, law, numismatics, chorography, alchemy, astrology, astronomy and botany.  Although he was one of the founding Fel...

  Brother Harry Houdini.  March 24, 1874 - October 31st 1926 Brother Harry Houdini was born Erik Weisz in Budapest, Hungary, on March 24, 1874, to a large Jewish family.  He was one of seven children and his parents, Rabbi Mayer Sámuel Weisz and Cecília Steiner brought the family to the United States when Erik was four.  They arrived in America on July 3, 1878, on the SS Fresia, changing their name to the German spelling Weiss and Erik’s name to Ehrich. This famous photograph captures legendary escape artist Harry Houdini preparing to leap from the Harvard Bridge into the freezing Charles River in Boston, Massachusetts, on April 30, 1908 Known to his brethren by his real name, Brother Ehrich Weisz was initiated on July 17, 1923, into St. Cecile Lodge No. 568 in New York City, a "daylight lodge" specifically designed for performers and theatrical people and famous as the first strictly "daylight" Masonic lodge in the world. He was raised to the Sublime Degree of Mast...

  W.Bro. Peter Justice was installed as Worshipful Master exactly 20 years after he had done the job last time on 8 April 2026.    It was a very well attended meeting, both by members of this Lodge as well as from many other Lodges from as far away as Auckland.

  Rei Kōtuku Charitable Trust receives significant help from The Manawatu Kilwinning Lodge Dr Amanda Evans gave an outline of the Rei Kōtuku Charitable Trust to the Brethren, visitors and guests of The Manawatu Kilwinning Lodge No 47 in Palmerston North after she was presented with a donation of $20,402.86 from the Lodge on 11 February 2026 at the Lodge rooms in the Manawatu Masonic Centre. Rei Kōtuku is a paediatric palliative care service that provides specialist medical, nursing and allied health wraparound support to seriously ill children and their families from Wellington to Hawke’s Bay and Taranaki. It is funded through private contributions as it is not publicly funded. In 15 months, they cared for 68 palliative babies, children and teenagers, including 29 who have died. They also provided bereavement support to their families. WBro John Brooks WM created a Master’s project that recycled over 5.6 tonnes of lead-acid batteries in a 16-month period. The project was supported ...

  UCOL ākonga awarded $35,000 in 10th year of Freemasons Willson Lewis Scholarship Eighteen Manawatū ākonga were awarded Freemasons Willson Lewis Scholarships on 18 March 2026, totalling $35,000 to assist them with their studies and career advancement. The Freemasons Willson Lewis Scholarships is a joint initiative between Freemasons Lodge Manawatu Kilwinning No 47, UCOL and Master Builders.  The scholarships were first awarded in 2016, with the goal of helping tradespeople working in the construction industry to develop their skills further.  These scholarships are supported by the Manawatu Kilwinning Charitable Trust and The Freemasons Charity of New Zealand. This year, the 18 scholarships were awarded to ākonga currently studying the New Zealand Diplomas in Architectural Technology, Construction Management and Quantity Surveying. These scholarships come in the form of monetary awards to help recipients with costs associated with their study.  This year’s recipient...

  Joseph Banks. 1743 - 1820 Sir Joseph Banks, the eminent naturalist, was the first Freemason to set foot on Australian soil, he was at the time on a combined Royal Navy & Royal Society scientific expedition to the South Pacific Ocean on HMS Endeavour led by Captain James Cook. Joseph Banks was born on 24 February 1743, the son of William Banks, a wealthy Lincolnshire country squire and member of Parliament.  He was initiated into Freemasonry at Somerset House Lodge No. 4 prior to 1768. Various scholars have attempted to establish the date of his initiation into The Horne Lodge. A closer approximation of the date of Banks’ initiation can be made by reference to his contemporary Freemasons, such as Thomas Dunkerley (the natural son of George III), Lord Gormastone, Viscount Hampden, James Heseltine, and Admiral Peter Parker, for instance. Banks may have joined the lodge when he was at Oxford University, though one might have expected that he would have achieved some of his s...