Eminent Knight Thomas Whitworth, P.Prov.Her.
01 April 1934 – 14 August 2015
It is with great sadness that the Provincial Priory reports the passing of Eminent Knight Thomas Whitworth.
Bro Whitworth was initiated into Freemasonry in St George’s Lodge No 431 in March 1970. He took the Master’s Chair on two occasions in 1996 and 2007.
In the Provincial Grand Lodge of Northumberland he was appointed to the rank of Past Provincial Junior Grand Deacon in 991 before promotion to Past Provincial Junior Grand Warden in 1996.
He later joined the Northumbrian Masters Lodge No 3477 and the Insurance and Banking Lodge of Northumbria No 3886 but later left both Lodges, maintaining subscribing membership of his mother Lodge until his death.
In the Royal Arch he was exalted into Ogle Chapter No 431 in 1972, acting as First Principal in 1984. As a consequence of his service to the Chapter he was appointed to the Acting rank of Provincial Assistant Grand Director of Ceremonies in 1990 before promotion, ultimately, to Past Provincial Grand Scribe Nehemiah in 2014.
In November 1982 he joined our Order when he was installed in St Oswald Preceptory No 481 and the following year he was a Founder member of the Prior’s Haven Preceptory No 522. In 1990 he was appointed to the Provincial Prior’s Bodyguard and, five years later, was a Founder member of the Northumbria Guards Preceptory No 600.
He was the Eminent Preceptor of the Prior’s Haven Preceptory in 1993, at which time he came off the Bodyguard and was appointed to Past Provincial Herald.
He joined several other Orders under the auspices of Mark Masons’ Hall: Haven Lodge and Adoniram Lodge of Mark Master Masons; Haven Lodge of Royal Ark Mariners; Prior’s Haven, Hexhamshire and Lakeland Councils of the Royal and Select Masters; Royal Kent Council of the Order of the Allied Masonic Degrees; and the Royal Kent and Prior’s Haven Conclaves of the Red Cross of Constantine.
His loss was a cause of deep regret throughout the Templar Province of Northumberland.
Kevin Stannard
Provincial Prior