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Saint Vincent Lodge No. 1404 in the Province of Bristol |
| OUR LODGE | |
The Saint Vincent Jewels  There were originally six Jewels ----- Five to be given to members of merit for their services to the Lodge and not necessarily for their prowess or progress in the Province or Grand Lodge |
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JEWEL 1 was made in 1882 and given to Wor. Bro. J. F. Norris, who had joined after the original Consecration. As a High Court Judge appointed to India he later was shipwrecked off the coast of Japan and the jewel, amongst his valuables, was lost, on Judge Norris's return from Calcutta. He resigned in 1898 (not necessarily from choice) and died in 1904. |
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JEWEL 2 dates from 1898, and is presently held by Wor. Bro. John Carey since 1985, a Treasurer of distinction. |
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JEWEL 3 dates from 1902 and is presently held by Wor. Bro. Jeremy Heron from 1990; of particular pleasure to him since it was held by his father Alexander Gordon Heron. Jeremy is a former Lodge Secretary. |
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JEWEL 4 is from 1907 and was only held by Wor. Bro Hood Daniel, a former Treasurer, who died aged 94; not long after which, an unauthorised visitor made off with his belongings, including the jewel. |
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 JEWEL 5 dates from 1935 and is now held by Wor. Bro. Henry Reeves since 2003, a past Treasurer having given many years of distinguished service. |
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JEWEL 6 6 is the replica. - Dare one ask how much it is insured for by the museum, or do they have a "total contents" policy? |
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 JEWEL 7 is, of course, the Stella Fairman jewel of recent purchase in 1992, and is held by its first recipient, Wor. Bro. A. B. Lavelle, a former Director of Ceremonies and present day Preceptor. |
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The Supplementary Jewel (The Frank Pearson) is of little financial value, but has a great deal of sentiment attached to it. When the Jewels were first established, they were designated to belong to the recipient, and were to be bought back by the Lodge from the owner's estate. In 1928 they were then "entrusted" as a gift from the Lodge and in 1940 the policy became definite that each recipient should hold the jewel in trust, for the Lodge. In 1999, the jewel holders unanimously decided that they would hold them for their lifetime, despite an earlier move to make them hold them for ten years. They could only be ceded on death, total disability or resignation from Lodge by desire, by exclusion or by distance. By tradition, the jewel holders have always felt that the new recipients of each jewel should be chosen by the jewel holders themselves, plus Arthur Graves who had held one and who is, after all, the senior member of 1404; thus avoiding nepotism, lobbying or the loss of secrecy and excitement that precedes each handover. |
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