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George, 92, is Province’s oldest initiate
It was a very special initiation ceremony at Hope Street, Liverpool, when 92-year-old George Paterson was initiated into Compass Lodge No 7052...........<more>

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George, 92, is Province’s oldest initiate

It was a very special initiation ceremony at Hope Street, Liverpool, when 92-year-old George Paterson was initiated into Compass Lodge No 7052.

Information available makes him the oldest Entered Apprentice in the history of the Province of West Lancashire. Enquiries to Grand Lodge have been made and although they cannot say with complete certainty, they believe that he may well be the oldest in UK history.

This story began in 1938 when George was invited into Freemasonry by a friend, but unfortunately his friend died suddenly, before George could be recommended. Due to the fact that Freemasonry was less open at that time, he was left not knowing who to contact and so he was never able to join, something he has regretted over the years.

George is an amazing character who has led a very interesting life. While serving with the British army during the Second World War, he was a military weapons designer and was appointed to a position with the impressive title of “Technical advisor to the director of carriages of guns NATO”.

He then held various posts running Royal Army Ordinance Corps factories for the Ministry of Defence, finally heading up Fazakerley Engineering in Liverpool, where he manufactured rifles for the British army.

George was coaxed out of retirement in 1973 when he was asked by the president of Korea to go to Seoul and design and supervise the construction of the Kia motor plant which was completed in 1976. He finally took a well deserved retirement in 1979.

George spent a happy retirement with his late wife Iris, who in her younger days had been a mezzo soprano at Covent Garden and who later became a singer with the George Melachrino Orchestra. He spent many an enjoyable hour making things on his lathe, at his home Hightown, Merseyside which he does to this day.

The story may have ended here, but as luck would have it George struck up a friendship with his neighbour Stephen Faulkner. George discovered that Stephen was a member of the fraternity and told him his story and this led to George finally being initiated into Freemasonry, 70 years after first being invited to join.

George is still a very active and lively character and there is no doubt that in the future the Lodge can look forward to him becoming WM when he is 100.

George is pictured with his proposer Stephen Faulkner.

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