A blue velvet cushion,
used to display the Holy Bible at Lodge meetings.
Freemasonry and the Lodge of Peace in Thame
The title page of the Bible, which is French, dated 1823 and was rebound by W Bro Herbert Nicolle in 1988.
Freemasonry arrived in Thame when prisoners from the Napoleonic war were billeted here from 1805 to 1817, housed mostly in the Mansion House (which later became the Girls’ Grammar School) and some across the road at the Birdcage Inn. As these prisoners were mostly officers, they were ‘on parole’ and had a considerable degree of freedom, so much so that some married local girls.
Several of the prisoners formed a Masonic Lodge in about 1807 named De La Paix (Lodge of Peace) and which was active for ten to twelve years, probably ceasing when the prisoners were repatriated.
On 29th May 1878 a warrant was granted by the United Grand Lodge of England for the formation of a new Lodge in Thame to be called St Mary’s Lodge 1763. This Lodge is still operative and thriving in the Masonic Centre.
The centenary of St Mary’s in November 1978 presented an opportunity to form a new Lodge. It was agreed to resurrect the name ‘Lodge of Peace’ to establish an historical connection with the French forebears. However for a variety of reasons, this later Lodge was dissolved in 2024.
The cushion and Bible and other items from the Lodge of Peace are on display in the main gallery.