The Oglethorpe’s
Bro A. Oglethorpe and Bro J. Oglethorpe were Freemasons and members of Lodge Temperance 2557 who served in the 2nd World War. A letter to the Provincial Grand Secretary of Northumberland from WBro John Sowerby, Secretary, and dated 7th November 1947 attached a list of the names and service of forty three Brethren who served in the War and siblings Bro A. Oglethorpe is shown as a being in the National Fire Service and Bro J. Oglethorpe as volunteering with Civil Defence.
John and Anthony Oglethorpe who are mentioned in the Roll of Honour had a sibling, Arthur who was also a Freemason and member of Lodge Temperance. Anthony was the first to become a Mason in 1905, followed by John in 1921 and then Arthur in 1927.
References to Arthur and Anthony in the Lodge documents are generally recorded as “A. Oglethorpe”, so it’s been a challenge to identify the A. Oglethorpe in the WW2 Roll of honour, however from other evidence we believe it to be Anthony. At the outbreak of the war, Arthur was a station master at Kings Lynn, Norfolk with responsibilities to the railway as an air raid master, so it’s doubtful he also volunteered with the National Fire Service. Anthony was a railway district auditor living in Darlington, Co. Durham and would have the time to volunteer for the fire service.
The National Fire Service (NFS) was created in August 1941 by the amalgamation of the wartime national Auxiliary Fire Service (AFS) and the local authority fire brigades (about 1,600 of them). It existed until 1948, when it was again split by the Fire Services Act 1947, with fire services reverting to local authority control. Regular paid fire-fighters worked 48 hours on, 24 hours off. They were joined, mainly at night, by part-time members. For many of these volunteers, it was their first experience of fire-fighting.
Civil Defence Service was a civilian volunteer organisation established by the Home Office in 1935 as Air Raid Precautions (ARP), its name was officially changed to the Civil Defence Service (CD) in 1941. The Civil Defence included the ARP Wardens as well as firemen (initially the Auxiliary Fire Service (AFS) and latterly the National Fire Service (NFS)), fire watchers (later the Fire Guard), rescue, first aid post and stretcher parties. Over 1.9 million people served within the CD and nearly 2,400 lost their lives to enemy action.
At the Lodge Temperance 2557 meeting held at the Royal Assembly Rooms, Westgate Road, on 16th October 1905, Anthony was proposed by Bro R. Hume, and seconded by Bro Morris Marks as a fit and proper person to be made a Freemason.
He was a 26 year old railway clerk residing at 18, Morris Street, Birtley, Co. Durham. A successful ballot was held the following month on 20th November 1905 and he was initiated into the mysteries and privileges of Ancient Freemasonry on 18th December. He was passed to the second or Fellowcraft degree on 15th January 1906 and raised to the sublime degree of Master Mason on 19th February 1906.
Anthony was a petitioner and founder of Lodge Prudence No. 3424, consecrated on Wednesday 30th March 1910 at the Assembly Rooms, Barras Bridge, Newcastle upon Tyne. On 19th June 1919 he also became a joining member of Excelsior Lodge No. 1042 which meets in Leeds. It amalgamated with Lodge of Prudence No. 2069 on 12th September 2007 and is now the Lodge of Excelsior and Prudence No. 1042.
At the Lodge Temperance 2557 meeting held at the Royal Assembly Rooms, Westgate Road, on 21st February 1921, John was proposed by his brother Anthony Oglethorpe and seconded by WBro William Newton as a fit and proper person to be made a Freemason.
He was a 46 year old railway signalman residing at 138, Gill Street, Benwell, Newcastle upon Tyne. A successful ballot was held the following month on 21st March 1921 and he was initiated into the mysteries and privileges of Ancient Freemasonry on 18th April. He was passed to the second or Fellowcraft degree on 20th June and raised to the sublime degree of Master Mason on 15th August 1921. John attained the chair of King Solomon and became Worshipful Master of Lodge Temperance 2557 in 1950.
Although we believe that the A. Oglethorpe, on our WW2 Roll of Honour, is not Arthur Oglethorpe we have included him in this biography.
At the Lodge Temperance 2557 meeting held at the Royal Assembly Rooms, Westgate Road, on 18th July 1927, Arthur was proposed by his brother Anthony Oglethorpe and seconded by his brother John Oglethorpe as a fit and proper person to be made a Freemason.
He was a 39 year old Station Master working for London and North Eastern Railway (LNER) residing at Station House, Chester-Le-Street, Co. Durham. A successful ballot was held the following month on 15th August 1927 and he was initiated into the mysteries and privileges of Ancient Freemasonry on 17th October 1927. He was passed to the second or Fellowcraft degree on 25th May 1928 and raised to the sublime degree of Master Mason on 26th September 1928.
Anthony was born 13th July 1879 in Dalton, Yorkshire, John on 16th September 1875 in Willington, Co. Durham and Arthur on 21st January 1888 in Spennymore, Co. Durham to William Andrew Oglethorpe and his wife Frances (Fanny) Robson.
Their father William from Culgaith, a village in the Eden district of Cumbria not far from Penrith, started his working life as a cabinet maker but by 1881 was a railway signalman living in the village of Hesleden, Castle Eden Colliery, Co Durham and was likely working on the North Eastern Railway line from Hartlepool to Sunderland (via Haswell and Murton) and Ferryhill which passed near to the colliery village. Their mother Frances Robson was from Stainton, another village in the Eden District of Cumbria only a short distance from Culgaith. The birth places of their children show that the family moved frequently around Co. Durham including Spennymoor, Ferryhill, Merrington and Willington, all on or near the North Eastern Railway.
They married in Sedgefield, Co Durham in 1875 and had at least eleven children, of which only five survived to adulthood:
- John (16/09/1875 – 11/02/1956)
- George Robson (1877 – 1879)
- Anthony (13/07/1879 – 11/02/1950)
- William Andrew (1882 – 1894)
- Thomas (17/08/1884 – 07/1948)
- Arthur (21/01/1888 – 30/10/1949)
- Jane (1891 – 1892)
- James Riley (1892 – 1892)
- Ernest (12/11/1893 – 11/06/1964)
- May (1896 – 1897)
- Norman ( 1905 – 1905)
It’s interesting to note that in 1911 the family are living in Ferryhill, Co. Durham and William is a railway signalman with his three eldest sons all railway clerks. The 1939 register’s shows all the surviving sons are working for the railway – John has followed in his father’s footsteps and is a railway signalman, Anthony is a railway district auditor, Thomas is a railway clerk, Arthur is a Station Master and youngest son Ernest is a travelling railway relief clerk.
Bro Anthony married Hannah Maria Chapman in Darlington in 1903 and they had at least two children – Cecil (24/10/1904 – 31/01/1953) and Edna (12/01/1910 – 12/07/1992). Sadly Hannah died in 1935 and Anthony went on to marry Margaret Annie Elizabeth Laing in Darlington in 1937. Anthony died in Darlington on 11th February 1950 aged 71 years old. At the Lodge Temperance 2557 meeting held on 20th February 1950 the brethren stood to order in respect of departed merit for Bro Anthony.
Bro John married Elizabeth Binks in Sedgefield in 1899 and they had at least four children – William (1901 – 13/04/1938), John (17/11/1902 – 07/08/1962), Doris (1910 – 1910) and Norman (1915 – 1929). At the Lodge Temperance meeting held 19th September 1949 the Worshipful Master congratulated Bro John on his Golden Wedding Anniversary. John died 11th February 1956 in Newcastle upon Tyne at the age of 80.
At the Lodge Temperance 2557 meeting of 21st February 1956 the Worshipful Master made reference to the death of Bro J. Oglethorpe Snr. One of our old and very loyal members and asked the brethren to stand to order as a mark of respect to departed merit.
Bro John Snr’s sons John Jnr and William were also Freemasons and members of Lodge Temperance 2557. John Jnr was proposed by his father John Snr and seconded by his uncle Arthur at the meeting on 19th October 1931. A successful ballot was held on 16th November 1931 and he was initiated on 29th February 1932, passed to the 2nd or Fellowcraft degree on 25th May and raised to the sublime degree of Master Mason on 19th September 1932. He is recorded as living at 136 Gill Street, Newcastle upon Tyne and employed as a commercial traveller, aged 29.
William was proposed by his father John Snr and seconded by his uncle Arthur at the meeting on 19th October 1936. A successful ballot was held and he was initiated on 13th January 1937, passed to the 2nd or Fellowcraft degree on 19th April and raised to the sublime degree of Master Mason on 20th September 1937. Sadly, William died eight months later and at the meeting of 16th May 1938 the Worshipful Master made reference to his passing.
Bro Arthur married Ada J Bainbridge in Sedgefield, Co Durham in 1912 and they had at least three children – Muriel (14/10/1915 – 01/2001), Irene Ada (09/03/1920 – 12/05/1992) and a son born in 1923. Sadly Ada died in 1942 and Arthur went on to marry Gladys Mary Snelling in Kings Lynn, Norfolk in 1946. Arthur died in Norfolk on 30th October 1949 at the age of 61.
From the Shields Daily News of 17th May 1939:
“Mr Arthur Oglethorpe Station master at North Shields and Percy Main for the past six years is leaving the district on June 5.
He has been promoted to the position of station master at Kings Lynn, and while the host of friends he has made in the borough will greatly regret his departure, they will join in wishing him every success in his more important post.
It was upon the retirement of Mr E. Laing that Mr Oglethorpe was appointed to North Shields and there can be no doubt that his genial personality and willingness to serve rail passengers has resulted in his being regarded as one of the most popular station masters North Shields has had.
This station has had a succession of stationmasters who have stood high in public esteem for their tact and courtesy – a fact which speaks volumes for the qualities of Mr Oglethorpe.
Starting work as a boy under the LNER at Shincliffe Station, he later went to Seaton and Haswell stations after which he was transferred to Ferryhill as stationmaster’s clerk.
For six years Mr. Oglethorpe was attached to the staff of the District Manager, Newcastle.
He was subsequently appointed relief stationmaster at Sunderland where he remained a short while before going to Darlington to serve in a similar capacity.
Next he held appointments as stationmaster at Coxlodge and Kenton stations, and then at Seaton where he had been engaged as a junior clerk. He was stationmaster at Hetton and also at Chester-le-Street before being appointed to East Boldon and Boldon, where he remained four years before coming to North Shields.
Mr Oglethorpe has been deeply attached to the affairs of the Hawkey’s Lane Methodist Church, where he has been a regular and active member. He is a Freemason.
Keenly interested in bowls, as a regular player and has won several prizes in competitions.
Mrs Oglethorpe has been interested in the Sisterhood at Hawkey’s Lane, having been vice president for a number of years. The family are keen church workers in the choir, Guild and Sunday school.”
Photographs of Anthony, Hannah with their children and Anthony and Hannah in later life courtesy of Nick Hazel.
