In August 1884 an enterprising Mason from Kidderminster named George Taylor organised a Masonic exhibition in the Guildhall, Worcester, under the joint sponsorship of the then Provincial Grand Master, Sir Edmund Lechmere, Bart., an
d the Mayor of' Worcester, W.B.Willamson, who was a member of the city Lodge Semper Fidelis.
This was the first such exhibition to be mounted in the Midlands and it attracted interest from all over the country, with over 1,000 exhibits loaned by England's leading collectors, about 100 of these coming from Bro. Taylor's own collection of memorabilia. The display made such an impression that shortly afterwards the Province negotiated to buy Bro. Taylor's entire collection, which he generously sold at cost price.
Such was the origin and nucleus of' the museum. The first catalogue appeared in 1891, jointly compiled by George Taylor and the famous Masonic scholar William James Hughan, and it is still an invaluable work of reference. It shows that some of our most interesting exhibits go back to the Taylor inheritance, including the original Grand Stewards' Jewel, two of our antique rnanuscripts and other treasures.
Since then the Museum has grown steadily thanks to generous benefactions by Worcestershire Masons as well as judicious purchases from time to time: the most notable of these was the Shackles Collection, an internationally renowned assemblage of' Masonic medals from continental Europe and elsewhere which the Province acquired in the 1920s.
The exhibits include a selection of engraved glass, much of it from the 19th century, and almost all of it very attractive to the layman as well as interesting to the Mason; a very large display of ceramics, jugs, dishes, tankards etc., decorated with Masonic symbols, largely from the late 18th and early 19th centuries; a case devoted to curiosities - trivets, horse brasses, meerschaum pipes, unusual gavels and other such Masonic bric-a-brac that always arouse interest.
There is a remarkable collection of historic medals and jewels, both Craft and Royal Arch, and a very large group of more modern, jewels appertaining to Worcestershire Lodges and Chapters on permanent display. There are several items of antique regalia Including pictorial and hand painted aprons, some of them from 18th century France, and some unusual items Of Lodge furniture.
The Library is a very well endowed facility for anyone interested in research into the history of Masonry. The large antiquarian stock includes early editions of nearly all the printed 'exposures' of the mid 18th century (without which our knowledge of early English Masonry would be far less complete) and five old manuscripts, three of which are among the earliest surviving versions of the Ancient Charges, the 'Wood' , 'Inigo Jones' and 'Lechmere' Mss
The Librarian & Curator, Bro. John Hart, became a Mason in 1956 while an undergraduate at Oxford University, and joined the world of Worcestershire Masonry twenty years later. He was appointed to his present position by the Provincial Grand Master in January 1998. 
The Museum is open every Tuesday and Thursday from 10.00 am until noon, except during the months of July and August and for two weeks over Christmas and New Year.
The Curator is very happy to open at other times by prior arrangement, however, especially for groups wishing to visit at weekends, when it may be possible to provide a lunch at the Masonic Hall subject to there being sufficient numbers..
A visit to the Museum would make an admirable starting point for a tour of' Worcester's other attractions such as the Cathedral and the Porcelain Factory.
The Masonic Hall Rainbow Hill Worcester, WR3 8LY TEL: 01905 24971
New Website for the Worcestershire Masonic Library & Museum Trust
