At the meeting of Jersey Lodge of MMM No. 257 on Thursday 14th April 2016, W Bro Roy Hanbury William Thomas celebrated his 50th year as a Mark Master Mason. He was presented with his certificate by the Provincial Grand Master, RW Bro Richard John Olliver.
Roy was born on 30th May 1924 and will be 92 years old this year. He was the Mayor of the Borough of Maidenhead in 1966 and 1967, a founding trustee of The Baylis Trust were he served for 40 years. The Trust was set up by Louis Baylis in 1962 and its primary objective is: To work for the good of the community, principally in the Royal Borough of Windsor & Maidenhead. The Trust distributed grants of over £100,000 to more than 100 recipients during the last financial year and has a policy of distributing the majority of the grants to local organisations and charities, the balance going to regional and national organisations.
Roy’s great hobby besides Freemasonry is bowls where he became a Director of the World Bowls Magazine and President of The English Bowls Association Publications UK.
He is currently Director of the Cordwallis Group along with his son’s Ian and Simon which was established in 1971 and has grown steadily over the years, with Volkswagen Van, MAN Trucks and Isuzu Truck and pick-up franchises with depots in Heathrow, Oxford, Reading and Maidenhead.
His Masonic life started when he was Initiated into Berries Lodge No. 2928 in 1963 and is now an Honorary Member. He was Advanced into Jersey Lodge of MMM No. 257 on 2nd December 1965, became Master on 5th October 1983 and was appointed as Registrar of Marks by his son Ian on 5th October 1984. He served as Registrar of Marks until 3rd October 2014, a period of 30 years and during that time had asked 68 Candidates to select their Mark.
The picture above shows standing, W Bro Rodney Hing, the current Master, who presented W Bro Roy with an engraved goblet from the members of Jersey Lodge and sitting from left to right, W Bro Ian Thomas, Treasurer and Roy’s son, the PGM, RW Bro Richard Olliver, W Bro Roy Thomas and RW Bro Peter Sands, PPGM.
Roy saw the split of the Province from Berkshire and Oxfordshire to Berkshire and during his time has served 9 PGM’s. He received his first Provincial Honours in 1982 as PPGSD, promoted in 1994 to PPGMO and promoted once again to PPGSW in 1998.
His night didn’t quite finish with being presented with a 50 year certificate and an engraved goblet because during the risings the Secretary, W Bro Les Canham, announced that the Lodge would be honouring W Bro Roy with Honorary membership for his long and dedicated service to the Lodge at their next meeting.
