Tony Baker
Tony BAKER was born in Welshpool, Powys in 1953, and
educated at Shrewsbury School, Cambridge University, and St.
Thomas Hospital in London. After training in Leicester, where
he gained an M.D., he moved to Bristol and practised as a
consultant vascular and general surgeon, until his retirement in
November 2015.
His father and maternal grandfather were both Freemasons but,
like most Masons at the time, did not talk in any detail about
their Freemasonry even to their families. When he enquired,
his father told him that if he thought highly of those whom he
knew to be Masons he would become interested in joining. He
used to retort that he would never consider joining any
organisation that would not discuss its very nature with him
beforehand!
Unfortunately, his father died before this issue was resolved and
it fell upon him, as the eldest son, to organise his fathers
funeral. On the appointed day, the church was half filled by
relatives and friends, all of whom he recognised of course; but
the other half was filled by men in dark suits, very few of whom
he had ever met.
Looking around that church, he felt that there must have been a large part of his father that he had never
known.
A year or so later a senior member of his fathers Lodge
asked if he would be interested in joining. He was curious to
know what his father had found to be so valuable and to learn
about this other part of his fathers life.
He, therefore, took up the offer and was initiated in Powis
Lodge (No. 7355), in Welshpool in 1984 and in 1986 was
exalted in Welchpool Chapter (No. 998). On moving to Bristol,
in 1989, he joined The Saint Vincent Lodge (No. 1404) and
occupied the Chair in 1999. He was First Principal of Jerusalem
Chapter (No. 686), again in Bristol, in 2004 and he is a great
admirer of the Bristol ritual in both Craft and Royal Arch.
Outside the Craft and Royal Arch, he is particularly fond of the
Royal Order of Scotland. He has occupied the Chair in the
following Degrees and Orders: Mark, Knights Templar, Rose
Croix, Royal and Select Masters, Red Cross of Constantine,
Royal Ark Mariners, Order of the Secret Monitor, Allied
Masonic Degrees, and Knights Templar Priests. He has also
reached the Fifth Degree in the Operatives and Sixth Degree in
the SRIA.
He is a Past Transactions Editor of The Masonic Study Society,
which was founded by J.S.M. Ward in 1921 and still meets in
London. He is also a Past Master of the Lodge of Living Stones
(No. 4957) in the Province of Yorkshire West Riding, which
was founded by W.L. Wilmshurst in 1927. This Lodge
continues to champion the mystical interpretation of Masonry
espoused by its Founder.
Bro. Bakers main interest is in the interpretation of what the
Masonic ceremonies might mean, what they might be intended
to teach us, rather than the history of the origins and
administration of Freemasonry. Nonetheless, he was elected a
member of Quatuor Coronati Lodge (No. 2076) in 2006, after
delivering papers to the Lodge on J.S.M. Ward and W.L.Wilmshurst.
He occupied the Chair during 2012 and uniquely
was also in the Chair of The Lodge of Living Stones at the same
time. He was President of the Bristol Masonic Society for two
years, 2004-6, during which time he began the publication of
Annual Transactions, of which he remains the Editor.
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