Thursday, 26 June 2025
The Catholic Church and Freemasonry: From UK Foreign Office Files
Dr James (Jim) Daniel
Jim Daniel has an MA from Oxford University and a PhD from Sheffield University, the title of his 2016 doctoral thesis being ‘The 4th Earl of Carnarvon (1831–90) and Freemasonry in the British Empire’. Before his retirement in 2002 he was employed first as a British Council officer (1964–1989), then as the Grand Secretary General for the Ancient and Accepted Rite for England and Wales (1989–98), and finally as the Grand Secretary of United Grand Lodge of England (1998–2002). Jim is a Masonic historian, a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society and was the 2017 Prestonian Lecturer, his title being ‘The Grand Design’, and the first Portal Lecturer, his paper being ‘ The Revd George R. Portal, ‘Founder of the Mark Benevolent Fund.’ A PSGW of UGLE and a member of the Grand Master’s Order of Service to Freemasonry, Jim is also a member of the External Relations Committee of UGLE’s Board of General Purposes
The Lodge meeting will be at 6.00pm at Bristol Masonic Hall, 31 Park St, Bristol BS1 5NH, which is approximately 10 minutes by taxi from the railway station and close to many hotels. (See Google map.)
The meeting will be preceded earlier in the afternoon by the Exaltation of the current Master of QC Lodge, Trevor McKeown, into the Chapter of Hospitality and Light, No. 6789, Province of Bristol. The Exaltation ceremony, including the Veils, will begin at 2.00pm and will last some two hours. It will also be held at the Bristol Masonic Hall. Members of QC and QCCC (who are RA Companions) are warmly invited to attend and will be guests of the Hospitality and Light Chapter; the MEZ conducting the ceremony will be the Grand Superintendent, E Comp Jonathan Davis.
The QC Lodge meeting will be followed by dinner. The menus are below. Wine is included in the price.
Regular Menu (Non-Vegetarian)
Camembert, red onion and leek tartlet
Steak & Kidney Pie with rosemary new potatoes
Lemon Posset
Vegetarian
Camembert, red onion and leek tartlet
Butternut squash en croute & romesco
Lemon Posset
