Prominent Freemasons In Vancouver Island History

Freemasons have played a very prominent role in Vancouver Island's history. Here are some examples of Freemasons' involvement in the Island's political, architectural, commercial, industial and military history. For those looking for more detail, we are gradually putting up separate pages for each of these headings.

Please note that this list is not complete and should be considered complete or definitive.

You may also be interested in the Famous Freemasons page on the Grand Lodge of B.C. & Yukon website.

- Architecture and Building -

Given Freemasonry's use of building terminology, tools and practices in its allegorical teaching, it is quite fitting that many prominent Vancouver Island architects and builders have been members of the Craft. Here is a partial list:

- Architects -

David Herbert Bale; Ralph Berrill; Harold J. Rous Cullin; Percy Leonard James; Richard Lewis; George Charles Mesher; Alexander Maxwell Muir; Francis Mawson Rattenbury; John Teague; Thomas Trounce;

- Builders and Contractors -

Thomas Allatt; Thomas Catterall; John Pitcairn Elford; George Mesher, Sr.;

Here are some other key professions in which Freemasons have been active along with partial lists of Vancouver Island Freemasons historically involved in these professions:

- Business, Commerce and Finance-

Edgar Crow Baker; Francis Barnard; Sir Frank Barnard; Alfred C. Flumerfelt; Alexander Alfred Green; Stephen Jones; David Russell Ker; Gustav Leiser; Simon Leiser; Thomas S. MacPherson; Ed Mallek; Robert Paterson Rithet; Dixi Harrison Ross; Joseph Spratt; John Weiler; Biggerstaff Wilson;

- Civil Service -

George Pearkes; Dr. Israel Wood Powell;

- Education -

Frank V. Hobbs; Samuel John Willis (P.G.M.);

- Industry -

Richard Broderick; Robert Pym Butchart (Managing Director, Vancouver Portland Cement Co.; President, B.C. Cement Co.); David Russell Ker; Robert Burns McMicking; Edwin Tomlin (President, B.C. Cement Co.);

- Law -

Hugh Bowlsby Aikman; Lindley Crease; George Pearkes; Judge Samuel Davies Schultz;

- Law Enforcement & Police -

Theodore Vincent Sandys-Wunsch;

- Medicine, Public Health -

Dr. Watson Dykes; Dr. George Lawson Milne; Dr. Israel Wood Powell;

- Miltary -

Lt. General Sir Arthur W. Currie; Major Cyrus W. Peck, V.C.; Col. Edward Gawlor Prior;

- Politics -

- B.C. Premiers -

John F. McCreight (1827-1913); Amor de Cosmos (1825-1897); George A. Walkem (1834-1908); Robert Beaven (1835-1920); Alexander E.B. Davie (1846-1889); John H. Turner (1833-1918); Edward Gawlor Prior (1853-1920); Sir Richard McBride (1870-1917); William J. Bowser (1867-1933); Harland Carey Brewster (1870-1918); W.A.C. Bennett (1900-1979)

- B.C. Lt. Governors -

Lt.Col. Edward Gawlor Prior; Sir Frank Stillman Barnard

- Members of the Legislative Assembly -

Amor de Cosmos; Charles Herbert Dickie; Kenneth Forrest Duncan; William Henry Hayward; Henry Nathan, Jr.; James Mitchell Mutter; Hugh George Savage; Frederick Williams;

- Members of Parliament -

J. Spencer Thompson; Amor de Cosmos; Charles Herbert Dickie; Thomas Earle; Henry Nathan, Jr.;

- Mayors -

- Duncan -

Douglas Barker, Kenneth Forrest Duncan; Thomas Pitt; Ormond Towers Smythe; James Grieg; J. Islay Mutter; Harold F. Prevost, George Savage; James Chesterfield Wragg,

- Nanaimo -

Mark Bate (16 terms)

- North Cowichan -

Alexander Chalmers Aitken; James McLeod Campbell; James Islay Mutter; Thomas Anthony Wood

- Oak Bay -

Herbert Anscomb; Francis Rattenbury

- Victoria -

Thomas Harris; Lumley Franklin; Richard Lewis; John Teague; William Dalby; James Drummond; Dr. Lewis Hall; Herbert Anscomb;