Hertfordshire
Knights Honoured by Great Priory
Knights Commander
of the United Orders
Two
Hertfordshire Knights, Right Eminent Knights Peter E. A. Fotheringham
(on the left of the picture) and Arthur Craddock (on the right)
were honoured in November 2006 to be appointed
Knights Commander of the United Orders. This is one of the
highest grades of the Orders and appointments are exclusively
the Grand Master’s. There can be no more than ninety
Knights Commander existing in England and Wales under the Jurisdiction
of Great Priory at any one time and at the time of writing
there were sixty three listed in the Liber Ordinis Templi (Year
Book) of the Orders. A Knight Commander, when dressed
in his regalia, can be recognized from his irradiated
silver star, cross suspended from the neck, baton and cap badge,
with a very distinctive central design, as well as a black,
red and white sash.
R.E.Kt.
Peter Fotheringham, KCT
Peter
was Initiated into Charles Edward Keyser Lodge No. 2518 on
20th February 1962 and Installed as Worshipful Master in 1972.
On 27th March 1972 he was Installed as a Knight in the John
F. Cleeves Preceptory No. 315 becoming Eminent Preceptor in
1983, although before this he had joined Sir Peter de Tany
Preceptory No. 442 in Essex, and was Installed as Eminent Preceptor
there in 1979.
His
Knights Templar career has been one of continued recognition
from his first appointment as PProvA-de-C (Essex) in 1980,
appointed a member of the Grand Master’s Body Guard in
1981 through various other offices until becoming Provincial
1st Constable in Hertfordshire in 1988. He was appointed Sub-Prior
of Hertfordshire in 1991 and Registrar of the Grand Master’s
Bodyguard in 1992. In 1998 he became the Provincial Prior of
Hertfordshire, an office he held until retirement in 2004.
Already highly
honoured in this Order and others, including Craft, Royal
Arch, Mark, RAM, Operatives and KTP, the highlights of
his KT career had so far been “his service in Hertfordshire
KT, serving as a member of the Grand Master’s Bodyguard
for many years and then later, when a Great Priory Officer,
being asked to return as Registrar; service in Essex KT
where they made me an honorary member when I took up more
appointments in Hertfordshire” Peter was “highly
delighted” to be elevated to a Knight Commander of
the United Orders and we feel honoured as a Province by
his appointment.
R.E.Kt.
Arthur Craddock, KCT
Arthur
was initiated into United Services Lodge, No. 3813 in Gibraltar
on 20th September 1956, and this was followed the next year
by being advanced into the Mark Degree also in Gibraltar. He
has thus served over 50 years in both the Craft and the Mark
and returned to Gibraltar last year and again this year, to
receive his Certificates for 50 years service in both the Orders.
Arthur
joined the Knights Templar on 2nd February 1962, being Installed
into the Galilee Preceptory, No.185 in London. He
is once again occupying the Chair of the Preceptory in this,
its Centenary year and has just completed writing its 100 year
history. Nine years after being Installed
a Knight Templar, Arthur received his first Great Priory Rank,
that of GtChamb in 1971. Promotion followed at
regular intervals – PGtStB(B) in 1976, PGtReg in 1981,
2ndGtCon in 1998, P1stGtCon in 2004 and the final accolade,
Knight Commander of the United Orders (KCT) in November of
last year. Although not a member of
KT in Hertfordshire, he is such a well-known figure in the
Province, we are delighted to associate ourselves with his
preferement.
His
Masonic career really took off when he became Assistant Grand
Secretary at Mark Mason’s Hall in Upper Brook Street
in 1972 and then Deputy Grand Secretary in 1986 when by this
time Mark Masons Hall had moved to its present site in St.
James’s Street. He retired from office
in 1990 having achieved high rank in all the Masonic Orders
to which he belonged. A very active freemason in
spite of his 74 years, he is currently the Deputy Grand Master
in the Order of the Allied Masonic Degrees and 1st Grand Master
Mason in the Worshipful Society of Operative Free Masons, a
truly remarkable record and the result of many years of service
to our Masonic movement.
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