In 2016, as the Tercentenary of the United Grand Lodge of England was approaching, the Craft Province of East Kent launched an initiative for its towns and areas to come together to find lasting ways to mark the anniversary.
Coincidentally at this time, plans were afoot in Faversham to redevelop the town’s memorial garden in Stone Street with a new parade ground for Remembrance Day and stone plaques to commemorate the fallen of the two world wars and other conflicts. The original, listed, monument does not contain any names of the fallen from the town. The town of Faversham and its other local parishes, each had their own memorial and each decided their own criteria for being âhonouredâ. The new central memorial contains the names of many more people who were missed from the originals, including merchant seaman and others who gave their lives but were not in military service.
The Craft lodges in the town decided to support this venture by funding one of the bespoke benches, seen above, made by a local blacksmith and extended the invitation to all of the masonic orders that meet in the town; including the Lodge of Harmony of Mark Master Masons No.984 and its anchored Royal Ark Mariner Lodge. Both of whom immediately accepted the invitation to financially assist the redevelopment.
Although the Tercentenary is now behind us, the memorial garden is set to formally re-open later this year to coincide with the centenary of the First World War Armistice.