WHO WAS SHIRLEY WOOLMER?

The Rev, Charles Edward Shirley Woolmer was born 4th January 1828 Exeter. He was Initiated into the Lewis’s Lodge, Ramsgate No. 1209 in 1849 aged 21. On his arrival in Sidcup he took up the appointment as vicar of St. John’s Church and joined Sydney Lodge No. 829 (our Mother Lodge) which at that time met in the Black Horse. On 31st October 1893 15 members of Sydney Lodge attended a meeting and decided to form a winter Lodge for brethren in the area. A warrant was applied for from the Most Worshipful Grand Master of the United Grand Lodge of England and duly granted on 21st August 1894 to the Shirley Woolmer Lodge No. 2530 and the Ceremony of Consecration was carried out in a truly impressive manner by Rt. Hon. Earl Amherst, the Rt. Worshipful the Provincial Grand Master on Tuesday, December 12th 1894 at St.John’s Church Hall, Sidcup, the Deputy Provincial Grand Master then carried out the installation of W.Bro. the Rev. Charles Edward Shirley Woolmer, the first Worshipful Master of the Lodge. And the rest as they say is history.