District Grand Lodge of Bermuda
Freemasonry in Bermuda is governed through the District Grand Lodge of Bermuda, an overseas district of the United Grand Lodge of England. The District Grand Lodge of Bermuda was officially consecrated in 2006, formalizing the administration of English Constitution lodges on the island; before that year, Bermuda's lodges reported directly to London as an Inspectorate rather than as a named district. The English Constitution lodges of Bermuda are regular in every respect, their members welcome at lodges throughout the UGLE jurisdiction worldwide.
Freemasonry in Bermuda traces to at least 1797. Atlantic Phoenix Lodge No. 224 received its charter from the Grand Lodge of England on May 23, 1797 (originally chartered as St. George Lodge) and is among the oldest continuously active English Constitution lodges in the Western Hemisphere. The lodge's 200th anniversary was marked with a public procession to Hamilton Cathedral, one of the rare occasions when Bermudian Masons have marched in full regalia. Bermuda's lodges are known for their active visiting culture; several, including Atlantic Phoenix, hold regular festive boards that are well attended by visiting Masons from jurisdictions worldwide.
The District Grand Lodge of Bermuda oversees approximately 14 English Constitution lodges, all in Hamilton and across the island's parishes. The Grand Lodge of Scotland also maintains a District Grand Lodge in Bermuda, providing Scottish Constitution lodges. The two bodies meet independently but maintain fraternal relations, and visiting Masons from UGLE-recognized jurisdictions are welcomed by both. The District Grand Lodge of Bermuda's administrative office is at P.O. Box HM 965, Hamilton.
The District Grand Lodge of Bermuda's lodges serve a small but historically continuous Masonic community on an island that has been continuously occupied by British settlers since 1609 — making Bermuda one of the oldest British settlements in the Atlantic world and its Masonic tradition one of the oldest in the Western Hemisphere. The island's role as a Royal Navy base through the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries contributed to its Masonic character, as military lodge members were among the fraternity's most active participants in the colonial era.
Today Bermuda has several active English Constitution lodges under the District Grand Lodge, alongside Scottish Constitution lodges under a separate District Grand Lodge of the Grand Lodge of Scotland. The Scottish DGL brings its own tradition and ritual working to the island's Masonic landscape. Bermuda also has a Prince Hall lodge (Bermuda Masonic Lodge No. 1178, MWPHGL) which operates under a PHA jurisdiction. Visiting Masons from UGLE-recognized jurisdictions should contact the District Grand Lodge of Bermuda to arrange visits to English Constitution lodges.
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