“Freemasons Hall – Hunter Street, Chester Circa 1910

The history of Freemasonry in Chester can be traced back several hundred years, when Lodges were originally ‘Operative’ (with Masons who actually worked with stone), but few records exist. However, the Initiation of Elias Ashmole, a noted politician and Royalist in Cheshire in 1646, is well recorded, and papers of the ‘Old Chester Lodge’ around the same period are in the British Museum. Following the formation of Grand Lodge in London 1717, Cheshire was the first Province to be recognised in 1725.

Deva Lodge was originally established in 1837 as an ‘Operative Lodge’ and changed its name in 1839 to Deva Lodge No.651, taking its name from the Roman word for Chester, but the Lodge ceased to meet in 1856.

In 1910, Deva Lodge as we know it today was formed, and our Centenary was celebrated in 2010.

Some of the old furniture and regalia of the original Deva Lodge are still in use, including the Master’s Chair, and a plaque depicting the ‘all seeing eye’ with the inscription ‘Deva Lodge No. 651’ hangs above the door to the anteroom. Much of the stained glasswork was relocated from Hunter Street in Chester when the site was original building was demolished for redevelopment in 2007, this stained glass is now incorporated into the new lodge based at Christleton (see below).