The first Province for Mark Masonry in our area was created in 1876 when Staffordshire and Warwickshire Brethren formed a joint Provincial Grand Lodge. But this lasted only 6 years before the two divided into separate entities. Thirteen years later the Shropshire Mark Lodge No. 444 applied to form a joint Province with Staffordshire but the Grand Master at that time saw fit to refuse. By 1897, however, he had relented sufficiently to allow the Lodge to become "attached" to the Province of Staffordshire. Three years later the union became permanent forming the current Province of Staffordshire and Shropshire. Geographically the Province stretches from Leek in the north to Ludlow in the south and from Oswestry in the west to Burton-on-Trent in the east. Currently the Province consists of 35 Mark Lodges and 20 Royal Ark Mariner Lodges. Our oldest surviving Lodge is Wulfruna No. 186 meeting in Wolverhampton which began working in 1875 and our youngest Lodge is the The Roses & Castles Boaters' Lodge No. 1922 which commenced in December 2010. Every year, usually in November, we hold a large meeting when members from all over the Province, together visitors from all parts of the country, come together for the Annual Provincial Meeting. For a number of years this meeting has been held at the County Showground in Stafford.

With this basic knowledge I now invite you to explore our website, learn more about Mark Masonry and its position within the whole structure of Freemasonry, find out who is involved and see photographs of some of its senior members.