RVJ Meeting Places
The Royal Victorian Lodge, No. 2184, was Consecrated at the Tilbury Hotel, Tilbury Docks, Essex on 30 April 1887. Only seven meetings were held at this hotel before it closed down. On 31 May 1888 the Lodge moved to the Royal Forest Hotel, Chingford, Essex, where it remained for the next five years. On 22 June 1893 another move took place, this time to the Phoenix Hotel, Rainham, Essex. The Lodge remained there for a further six years. In 1899 another move was made, this time on 24 August to the Kings Head Hotel, Chingford, Essex.
After a period of two years another move took place and on 5 December 1901 the Lodge held its first Regular Meeting at the White Hart Hotel, Romford, Essex. The Lodge met there almost continuously until March 1946 with one or two interruptions.
The first of these was in 1914 and was necessitated by the exigencies of World War I. The second was in 1927 and was brought about by building alterations to the hotel. Then on Thursday 29 April 1937 the Lodge held its 50th Jubilee Meeting at Freemasons’ Hall, Great Queen Street, London, W.C.2.
On Thursday 24 April 1941 the Lodge transferred its Meeting to the Great Eastern Hotel, Liverpool Street, E.C.2 under Emergency Regulations brought about by World War II. This was followed by a second meeting at this venue.
Then a move was made to Freemasons’ Hall, Great Queen Street, London W.C.2 on 24 July 1941, back again on 28 August 1941 to the Great Eastern Hotel and then a return to Freemasons’ Hall, Great Queen Street, where the Lodge remained until Thursday 14 February 1946.
On 28 March 1946 a move was made to the Roebuck Hotel, Buckhurst Hill, Essex where the Lodge remained until 21 October 1948.
On 13 January 1949 the Lodge returned to the White Hart Hotel, Romford, Essex, where it held its regular meetings without any interruptions until 25 June 1970 when it moved to its present meeting place at the Upminster Masonic Hall, Deyncourt Gardens, Upminster, Essex.
