The St. John's (Secunderabad)

St. John's Masonic Hall & Temple (Freemasons' Hall)
Coat of arms of The St. John's Lodge, No. 434, EC
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General information
Status	Completed
Type	Masonic Hall
Architectural style	Victorian
Address	Lodge No. 434 EC, Opposite YWCA, West Marredpally, Secunderabad, Telangana, India - 500026
Town or city	Secunderabad, Telangana
Country	India
Coordinates	17°26′41″N78°30′00″E / 17.44480°N 78.50005°E / 17.44480; 78.50005
Owner	St. John's Lodge No. 434 E.C.

St. John's Masonic Hall & Temple also known as The St. John's, is a historic building located in West Marredpally, Secunderabad, Telangana, India, serving as a hub for Masonic activities in the region.

It is the primary meeting place of St. John's Lodge No. 434 EC. It has also been used by Golconda Lodge No. 3249 EC, Universal Peace No.1208 SC and other masonic lodges under the warrant of the Grand Lodge of India.

History

St. John's Lodge No. 434 EC was founded on 16 August 1822 ^[1] by British military officers stationed in the Secunderabad Cantonment, a key base for the East India Company. ^[2]

Formally constituted in 1836 under the English Constitution, the lodge provided a space for officers to practice Freemasonry, fostering brotherhood and philanthropy. Its establishment reflects the cultural influence of the British military and its enduring legacy in Secunderabad.

The lodge gets its name from St. John's Church, located about a kilometer away.

Activities

Many prominent members of the region, both British and Indian alike, have been part of the lodge, many of whose ancestors as far from the British Isles still continue to visit the lodge. ^[3]

Most members of the St. John's Lodge have also been members of the Secunderabad Club. It is primary meeting place of freemasonry in Secunderabad alongside Goshamahal Baradari.

Gallery

• 
  Bro. Nawab Mir Yousuf Ali Khan, Salar Jung III seen with Brethren outside the St. John's.
• 
  The St. John's photographed by Lala Deen Dayal, c. 1890s

Notable people

Many notable people have been members of the lodge.

Lodge St. John434 E.C.

• Lieutenant-Colonel James Oliphant, (WM 1834, 1835), Director and Chairman of the Honourable East India Company, and Equerry to the Maharajah Duleep Singh of the Punjab.
• Lieutenant-Colonel Steuart Scott BINNY DSO ^[4]
• Major William Godfrey Charles COCKADAY MC ^[5]

Lodge Ekram 756 S.C.

• Brigadier-General Sir Terence Humphrey Keyes, KCIE, CSI, CMG, FRGS, FZS Master of the Lodge 1931

Mayo No. 1406 E.C.

• Captain William Smith MINCHIN MC ^[6]
• J.D.B. Gribble, (WM 1898), known for his book "A History of the Deccan" ^[7]
• H.C. Tripp, (WM 1916), Second Magistrate for the British administered areas in the Hyderabad State.

References

1. Ars Quatuor Coronatorum : Being the Transactions of the Lodge Quatuor Coronati, No. 2076. Vol. 59.
2. Gribble, J. D. B. (James Dunning Baker) (1910). History of Freemasonry in Hyderabad (Deccan). University of California Libraries. Madras : Higginbothan.
3. Kaushik, Shrimansi (8 November 2024). "British woman traces her family history to Secunderabad". www.deccanchronicle.com. Retrieved 8 February 2025.
4. "Steuart Scott BINNY". www.masonicgreatwarproject.org.uk. Retrieved 13 March 2025.
5. "William Godfrey Charles COCKADAY". www.masonicgreatwarproject.org.uk. Retrieved 13 March 2025.
6. "William Smith MINCHIN". www.masonicgreatwarproject.org.uk. Retrieved 13 March 2025.
7. J.D.B Gribble (1924). A History Of The Deccan.