Our History
The Lodge of Sincerity was consecrated on November 19th, 1973, by RWBro the Rt Hon Lord Swansea DL, Prov GM. Earlier that year, a small group of Freemasons recognised an opportunity to form a new “Dinner Jacket Lodge” that would meet only 4 times a year, striving for excellent ritual and elegant dining.
Given the lodge’s rising popularity, initially, only members from lodges outside the province were permitted to join. However, in light of a general decline in Freemasonry, this restriction has since been loosened to maintain a healthy level of membership.
The warrant was obtained on 12th September 1973 and the lodge was named “Sincerity” at the suggestion of the Dep PGM VWBro Harry Stockwell, who explained that “Sincerity” derived from the Latin word meaning ‘Pure, Flawless, and Genuine’—a term harking back to Roman potters who marked only their flawless pottery as ‘sincere’, unblemished by wax repairs.
Despite several initial sketches, the Lodge of Sincerity has never adopted an official crest or motto. Although a banner design was eventually approved by the members, financial constraints delayed its creation.
The founding group comprised 18 members, sponsored by Ionic Lodge, with WBro. Dudley Brown, a past master of Ionic Lodge, serving as the founding Master. VWBro Stuart Peters, the first Director of Ceremonies, later ascended to the roles of Assistant and DepProvGM in 1998. The lodge’s distinguished members have also included W.Bro Michael Hoare, renowned for his ritual expertise until his passing in 2019, and W.Bro Robert Nettleship, whose mother lodge was Stowe No. 9002 London, who was appointed APGM in 1999.
Today, the Lodge of Sincerity proudly reflects on its short yet impactful history, highlighted by the leadership contributions of three assistant Provincial Grand Masters, one of whom advanced to Deputy Prov GM.
Would you be interested in finding out more?
The Lodge of Sincerity meets four times a year, always on the second Tuesday in November, January, March and May. With our new candidates being initiated in our January meeting. If you are interested in becoming a Freemason by joining one of the finest, friendliest Lodges in Swansea, please do not be afraid to contact us for an informal chat.