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St. Mary's Somenos Anglican Cemetery, North Cowichan, B.C.

St. Mary's Anglican Cemetery, Somenos is located on Somenos Road, North Cowichan, B.C., land donated to the Anglican Church by the pioneering Drinkwater family in 1874.

An Anglican Church, St. Mary's Somenos, was built on the site in 1874. In 1909 the original church was torn down and replaced with a new church building.

The second church stood on the site until 1970, when the Anglican Church deconsecrated the church and donated the building and contents to the Town of Port Renfrew. The church building was then moved to its present site in Port Renfrew.

At this time, the Vancouver Island Masonic History Project is only aware of twelve Masonic interments in St. Mary's, Somenos. One of these was a Past Grand Master. Six of these were Past Masters of Temple Lodge, No. 33 in Duncan, B.C. These Past Masters include a Charter Member of Temple Lodge, No. 33 and two former Mayors of Duncan.

Here is a list of the Masonic interments we are currently aware of in St. Mary's Somenos Anglican Cemetery:

• Douglas William Barker, D.S.M.,Mayor of Duncan, 1983-86
• Frank Brettingham
• Ben Churchill
• Alexander Davidson
• Grant Deuchars
• Roland Clayton Fawcett, Past Master of Temple Lodge, No.33
• M.W. Brother Claude Green served as Master of Temple Lodge, No. 33 in 1941 and Grand Master of British Columbia and Yukon in 1957.
• James Islay Mutter, (died 1950, aged 76), a local businessman, Reeve of North Cowichan (1914 and 1918) and Mayor of Duncan from 1924 to 1928.
• Major James Mitchell Mutter, a Charter Member of Temple Lodge, No.33
• Eide Henry Peterson, a Past Master of Temple Lodge, No.33
• William Harrington Purver
• Samuel Robinson (1856 -1928), a Charter Member and Past Master of Temple Lodge No. 33, Duncan, B.C.
• George Henry Savage (1887 - 1959) former Mayor of Duncan and Past Master of Temple Lodge, No.33
• Hugh George Savage (1882-1957) owner and publisher of the Cowichan Leader newspaper between 1914 and 1956. Past Master of Temple Lodge, No.33
• Thomas Frederick Young (died 1943) Past Master of Bootle Wilbraham Lodge No. 2463, Liverpool, U.K.

The first grave is that of Samuel Robinson (1856-1928 ), a Charter Member and Past Master of Temple Lodge No. 33, Duncan, B.C.

Samuel Robinson was a builder and the VIMHP is aware of one extant building in Duncan, B.C that was built by Wor. Brother Robinson. This building is at 126 Ingram Steet in downtown Duncan and is now known as the "Green Door.". It was originally built in 1908 by W. Bro. Robinson for another member of Temple Lodge, Wor. Brother A.H. Peterson. The building currently contains several offices, including the local constituency office of the area's present Member of Parliament, Jean Crowther.

The second interment is that of Major James Mitchell Mutter, a Scottish farmer and stock breeder who settled in Somenos in 1891. Major Mutter was a Charter member of Temple Lodge, No. 33 in 1899. His son James Islay Mutter (died 1950, aged 76), a local businessman, Reeve of North Cowichan (1914 and 1918) and Mayor of Duncan from 1924 to 1928.

Hugh George Savage (1882-1957) and George H. Savage (1887 - 1959) were cremated but their ashes are buried in the Savage family tomb in St. Mary's Somenos. George H. Savage served as Mayor of Duncan from 1943-46. He ran a carpentry and cabinet making business called Cowichan Joinery Ltd. Hugh George Savage was a journalist who was owner, editor and publisher of the Cowichan Leader newspaper between 1914 and 1956. Hugh Savage also had a seat in the B.C. Legislature between 1933 and 1937.

M.W. Brother Claude Green served as Master of Temple Lodge, No. 33 in 1941 and Grand Master of British Columbia and Yukon in 1957.

The other St. Mary's Somenos Masonic interments the VIMHP currently knows of are: Brother Frank Brettingham, Brother Ben Churchill, Brother Alexander Davidson, Brother William Harrington Purver, Wor. Brother Roland Clayton Fawcett and Wor. Brother Wor.Thomas Frederick Young and Brother Eide Henry Peterson.