THE RIGHT REVEREND VERNON S. NICHOLLS

Past Provincial Grand Master (Warks).

The R.W. Bro., The Right Reverend Vernon Samson Nichols was born a Cornishman in Truro on the 3rd September 1917 and he was educated at Truro School and Durham University.

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He was ordained in 1941 after which he held curacies in Bristol and Liskeard. He was a Chaplain to the forces from 1944 to 1946 and then vicar of Meopham in Kent before moving to the Walsall area where he was appointed Vicar & Rural Dean of Walsall from 1956 to 1967. It was during this time he became a joining member of Streetly Lodge, being installed as Worshipful Master in 1961.  He was a Warwickshire Mason being a member of David Garrick Lodge No.4243 which meet in Stratford on Avon.

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He was a Chaplain of Walsall General Hospital and appointed a Prebendary of Lichfield Cathedral before becoming the Archdeacon of Birmingham.

In 1974 he was consecrated at York Minster as the Bishop of Sodor and Man, which is the diocese which covers the Isle of Man and its surrounding islands. He was then famous as the driving force behind the creation and consecration of the cathedral at Peel, on the Isle of Man.

Freemasons on the island held him in high regard as in 1977 he became Grand Chaplain of the United Grand Lodge of England. He was also an active member of the Rotary Club at Douglas.

After his retirement in 1983 he returned to the midlands and he was appointed an Honorary Assistant Bishop of Coventry.

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He was Provincial Grand Master for the Masonic Province of Warwickshire from 1985 to 1992.

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He passed to the Grand Lodge above in 1996. Upon his death his wife gave his Streetly Lodge Past Master’s Jewel to their close friend, and another P.M. of this Lodge, W.Bro. Leon Jessel P.G.Std.B.

As a mark of the Lodge’s respect for Vernon S. Nichols the tradition of wearing his jewel was born in 1997, and it has traditionally been presented to the incoming I.P.M. ever since.

Vernon Nichols was indeed a very worthy and prestigious Past Master of Streetly Lodge.