A brief history of the Harewood Trophy
The Harewood Trophy Golf Tournament dates back over ninety years (to 1933), when, at the age of 51, the 6th Earl of Harewood (Henry George Charles Lascelles) donated the Solid Silver Harewood Trophy (valued today more than £20,000) to the Province of Yorkshire West Riding to encourage Freemasons from throughout the Province to meet up & play golf.
But who really was The Right Honourable Lord Harewood KG GCVO KStJ DSO TD ADC JP DL?
Well, he was born on 9th September 1882 in Belgravia, London.
He was educated at Eton College and later attended the Royal Military College at Sandhurst.
Between 1902 – 1905 he enlisted with the Grenadier Guards
Between 1905 – 1907, he was posted overseas as an honorary attaché at the British Embassy in Paris.
Between 1907 – 1911, he served as an aide-de-camp to Earl Grey (The then Governor General of Canada)
In 1913, he joined the Territorial Army as second Lieutenant in the Yorkshire Hussars Yeomanry Guards where he was eventually promoted to the rank of Major.
He remained with the Hussars after the start of WW1, until, in April 1915, he then re-joined the Grenadier Guards for active service on the Western Front, where unfortunately, he was wounded during the 2nd Battle of Givenchy.
He made a speedy recovery and later in October 1915, returned to action, where he fought in the Battle of Loos. During his time on the Front Line, he was Gassed and wounded twice more. He was promoted to Captain in the Grenadier Guards in late 1915.
In 1916, he inherited a huge fortune from his great uncle, the 2nd Marquess of Clanricarde.
On 3rd June 1918, he was awarded the Distinguished Service Order (DSO). He was later awarded several other Foreign Honours, including the French “Croix de Guerre” (1914-1918), The Order of Olaf of Norway and the Grand Cross of The Order of Mahomet Ali Egypt
By the end of WW1, he became an Honorary Colonel of the 1st Battalion (The London Regiment) and Honorary Colonel of the 5th Battalion (The West Yorkshire Regiment of the Prince of Wales’ Own)
Having once stood as candidate for the Unionist Party in the Keighley By-Election of 1913 (where he came second), over time, he gradually became disillusioned with Politics & Politicians.
Although becoming a Member of the House of Lords, he declared in later life “every war in which Britain had been involved had been due to the inefficiency of politicians, and they began what soldiers had to end.”
In 1922, he married Mary, The Princess Royal and became the son-in-law of King George V.
Lord and Lady Harewood had two children:
Firstly, George Henry Hubert Lascelles, the 7th Earl of Harewood, was born at Chesterfield House, Westminster on 7th February 1923. (He later died on 11th July 2011)
Then, Gerald David Lascelles was born @ Goldsborough Hall, Near Knaresborough, Yorkshire on 21st August 1924. (He died on 27th February 1998)
In 1928, he became President of the West Yorkshire Territorial Forces Association and also became Hon LLD of Sheffield University. (later, in 1944, was Elected as Chancellor of The University of Sheffield)
In 1930, he was appointed Royal Trustee of the British Museum, whilst also being Aide de Camp to the King.
In 1935, he became Hon LLD of Leeds University
In 1936, he became President of the Institute of Medical Psycology.
From 1937, the 5th Battalion (The West Yorkshire Regiment) In the same year, he was also appointed Honorary Aire Commodore of the 609 Bomber Squadron, based in Yorkshire.
In 1942, he was Appointed by HM The King to be a member and President of The Royal Patriotic Fund Corporation.
Lord Harewood had many interests.
- Local affairs: where he was President of the Yorkshire Rural Community Council and was involved in the Leeds Board of Management.
Whilst President of the Royal Agricultural Society of England, he brought the 1929 Royal Show to Harrogate.
He was Lord Lieutenant of Yorkshire West Riding from 1927 until his death.
- Hippophilia: He was a keen equestrian, loved horse racing and was Steward of the Jockey Club of Great Britain.
- Freemasonry: In 1929, Lord Harewood was first initiated in to Freemasonry in United Lodge (No. 1629) in London.
He became a joining member of Household Brigade Lodge, No. 2614, London and Royal Alpha Lodge, No. 16, London.
Later, he became a Founder of Old Etonian Lodge, No. 4500, London in 1922, where he served as Worshipful Master in 1924 and Lascelles Lodge, No. 4796, Wetherby, Yorkshire in 1925, where he served as primus Worshipful Master.
He was installed in the Victoria Hall at Leeds Town Hall as Provincial Grand Master of the West Riding of Yorkshire on 8th October 1926. The same year he was appointed Senior Grand Warden by the United Grand Lodge of England.
In 1935, he was promoted to Pro Grand Master. From 1942 – 1947 he held the ultimate position of Grand Master for the United Grand Lodge of England.
In Royal Arch he was appointed Grand Superintendent of the West Riding of Yorkshire in 1935.
He was appointed Pro First Grand Principal by the Supreme Grand Chapter of Royal Arch Masons of England in 1936 and he was promoted to First Grand Principal in 1942
He sadly died at Harewood House, Yorkshire on 24 May 1947.
On Monday 4th September 2023, you have the opportunity of entering this year’s Harewood Trophy Final at Ripon City Golf Club.
The Winner will have their name engraved on this Historic Trophy for all to see.
Bring a Buddy and enter our New 4BBB Competition (Kindly sponsored by Sandringham Financial Services)
As an All-Inclusive organisation, Everyone is Welcome. Friends & Family. Customers & Colleagues.
The Green Fees are only £35.00 per player and include sandwiches & hot drinks upon arrival.
Book your Tee Times now. Please email: westridingmasonicgolf@gmail.com
Or contact: Stephen Dobson on 0797 1000 561.
We look forward to hearing from you.
Yours Sincerely & Fraternally
Stephen
Member of Moorland Lodge, No 6591, Baildon
