Jordan Lodge of Good Companions
Established in 1810
201
It is mentioned in the history of Jordan Lodge that on 25th April, 1894 it was decided that the consent of the Lodge should be given to a petition for the formation of a Chapter to be attached to, and bear the same name and number, as the Jordan Lodge. This Chapter was founded on 4th October, 1894. There were twenty founders, most of whom were members of the Lodge. For the first ten years of its existence members of the Lodge, although in small numbers, were exalted into the Jordan Chapter. From 1904, however, the association between the Chapter and the Lodge declined and from about 1919 when W.Bro. Zander ceased to be a member of both, the link appears to have been severed completely.
In 1933, however, W.Bro. Spink of the Jordan Lodge, with other Brethren, was lunching at an hotel near to Great Queen Street. One of the Brethren said that he was going to attend a meeting of his Chapter and, in the subsequent discussion, he mentioned that this was the Jordan Chapter, No. 201. At once W.Bro. Spink became interested and, having told the Brother that he was a member of the Jordan Lodge, he was invited to attend the Chapter as a visitor. He then became a joining member and, from that date and that lucky chance meeting, there has been once again a close association between the Lodge and the Chapter. It is only right to add that at least half of the Companions are members of other Lodges including the Salisbury Lodge, No. 3228 and the Beneficientia Lodge, No. 5308.
The Chapter first met at the Guildhall Tavern where it remained until 1902. From 1903 it met at the Frascatis’ Restaurant and from that year until the Second World War at the Monico. Unfortunately the Monico suffered from bomb damage during that War and the Chapter has since met at Freemasons’ Hall in Great Queen Street.
One of the members of the Jordan Lodge who gave good service to the Chapter was Ex. Comp. Zander, who was one of the founders and remained in office in one capacity or another for twenty years. He was installed into the three Chairs at the same meeting in 1901 and again had this unusual event in 1908, 1909 and 1910. As in the case of the Lodge, he ceased to attend the Chapter in October 1915, because of the Direction of Grand Chapter about the attendance of Companions of alien birth.
