We owe our Consecration to the Master and Wardens of Royal Alfred Lodge No. 1028 who were responsible for the Petition for a Charter, which was submitted to United Grand Lodge and duly granted. There is no record of the preliminary meetings leading up to the actual Consecration.
The name St.Thomas was chosen because the Governors of St. Thomas’ Hospital, London, were ‘Lords of the Manor of the Parish of Tibshelf’ by a grant from Edward VI in 1552.

During his lifetime (1118-1170), St. Thomas founded a small hospital for the sick and poor, within the precincts of St. Mary Overy, a house of Austin Canons, now the Anglican Cathedral of St. Saviour, Southwark. After his beatification the hospital was dedicated in his honour. However, in the first years of the thirteenth century, Peter des Roches, Bishop of Winchester, rebuilt the small house in a healthier situation in Southwark (on the site of London Bridge Station) - urba aqua est uberior et aer est melior-where the water is better and the air purer.

This new house was finished in 1215, and of course also bore the name of St. Thomas of Canterbury. St. Thomas’ Hospital remained situated at Southwark until 1868 when it was moved to its present situation in Lambeth.

Thomas Becket, who was a great carousing friend of King Henry II, was made Henry’s Chancellor in 1155 and remained in this post till 1162, when Henry appointed him Archbishop of Canterbury, for Henry believed that Thomas, as his friend and crony, would readily carry out his wishes. This was not to be; for Thomas now dedicated himself entirely to the Church. In 1164 Thomas opposed the King’s attempt to regulate the relations between church and state, and had to flee to France, returning in 1170.

He was murdered before the altar of Canterbury Cathedral on 29th December 1170, by Reginald FitzUrse, William de Tracey, Hugh de Morville and Richard le Breton; who on hearing Henry exclaim in an outburst of anger “will no one rid me of this troublesome priest?” and who, wrongly assuming that the King wished Becket dead, rode hurriedly down to Canterbury and carried out the deed.

Having killed Becket, one of the knights was heard to say : “Let us away. He will rise no more”.

Becket’s body was still lying on the cathedral floor, when people from Canterbury came into cathedral and tore off pieces of his clothes, dipping these pieces in his blood, believing that it would bring them good luck and keep evil away.

Henry II was branded a murderer and Thomas Becket a Martyr.