Eminent Knight Francis Swann, P.Gt.Chamb.
03 August 1928 – 22 October 2015
Brother Knights, it is with deep sadness that I have to report the sad passing of Eminent Knight Francis Swann.
Bro Swann was initiated into Freemasonry in St Mary’s Lodge No 3987 in December 1967. He subsequently changed Lodge in 2008, becoming a joining member of the Newcastle upon Tyne Lodge No 24 until his death seven years later. He acted as Master of St Mary’s Lodge in 1992 and also of Newcastle upon Tyne Lodge in 2010.
As a consequence of his service to the Craft he was promoted to the rank of Past Provincial Junior Grand Warden in Provincial Grand Lodge.
In the Royal Arch, he was exalted in Lord Armstrong Chapter No 5344 in 1974, acting as First Principal on two occasions in 1983 and 2007.
In between those offices he had been the Chapter Scribe Ezra for more than a decade from 1991, and he had also been a member of the Northumbrian First Principals Chapter No 3477. In Provincial Grand Chapter he held Acting rank as Provincial Grand Registrar in 1988 before promotion to Past Provincial Grand Scribe Nehemiah in 1998.
He was installed a Knight in our Templar Order in Chibburn Preceptory No 232 in December 1982. Taking the Preceptor’s Chair in Chibburn on two occasions in 1994 and 2006 he had also, as a joining member of Northanhymbre Preceptory No 590 and the Northumbria Guards Preceptory No 600, acted as their Preceptor in 1999 and 2009 respectively.
This dedicated service to our Order was rewarded by promotion in the Provincial Priory of Northumberland to Acting Provincial Second Constable before Great Priory appointed him to the rank of Past Great Chamberlain in 2008.
In the Ancient and Accepted Rite, he was a Past Sovereign of St Gabriel Chapter Rose Croix No 388 and a holder of the 31st Degree.
In other Orders under the auspices of Mark Masons’ Hall, he gave thirty five years of service to the Mark Degree as a member of Thomas Purvis Mark Lodge No 702 and to the Mariner Degree as a member of Whitley Lodge of Royal Ark Mariners No 788.
His devotion to our Templar Order, as well as to Freemasonry as a whole, was unstinting and his loss will be keenly felt by all the Brethren and Brother Knights who knew him.
Kevin Stannard
Provincial Prior