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Freemasonry within Leicestershire has been in existence since the eighteenth century, St Johns Lodge No 279 being founded in the year 1790.
Col. Sir Thomas Fowke was the First Provincial Grand Master of Leicestershire and was succeeded in 1789 by Thomas Boothby Parkyns (1st Lord Rancliffe in 1795). Following his death on 17th November 1800 the Province of Leicestershire was without a Grand Master until in 1812 his son, George, the 2nd Lord Rancliffe took the appointment. In 1850 Sir Fredrick Gustavus Fowke was appointed the fourth Provincial Grand Master and he was succeeded in 1856 by Richard William Penn, 1st Earl Howe, until in 1869 the Craft provinces of Leicestershire and Rutland were combined.
The announcement of this Union appears to stem from a letter from William Kelly to Earl Howe dated 1st October 1869 which read,
"My Lord,
I have now to make my usual report to your Lordship of the proceedings at our annual Meeting yesterday, when the union of the two Provinces of Leicestershire and Rutland became an accomplished fact by the Consecration of the new Lodge (Vale of Catmos) at Oakham and the Installation of its Worshipful Master"
This was done despite a letter from the Grand Secretary, John Hervey, stating that the Grand Master had granted the prayer of the petition conditionally that the Lodge be placed under the jurisdiction of the Provincial Grand Master of Leicestershire.
Later that year on 31st December 1869 the Grand Secretary wrote to William Kelly confirming that the Grand Master had nominated him as the Provincial Grand Master of Leicestershire. William Kelly in his acknowledgement on 2nd January 1870 wrote " Please note on preparing the patent that the County of Rutland has been added to the Province, as you only mentioned Leicestershire" His patent of appointment as Provincial Grand Master for the Province of Leicestershire and Rutlandshire is dated 3rd January 1870 and really this was the birth of the combined Province of Leicestershire & Rutland as has continued from that date.
The ten Provincial Grand Masters who have ruled over the combined province are listed below:-
1869 Richard William Penn, 1st Earl Howe, G.C.H.
1870 William Kelly
1873 Sewallis Edward, 10th Earl Ferrers
1912 John Brinsley Manners, 8th Duke of Rutland *
1913 Edward Holmes, O.B.E.
1928 Sir Fredrick Oliver, T.D., D.L.
1939 Sir John Corah
1959 Cecil Bernard Simpson Morley, C.B.E., T.D., D.L.
1978 Gayton Cusley Taylor
1989 Derek Alfred Buswell
2002 Michael Henry Roalfe
* Resigned before installation
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