Kipling And Huggins – The Middlesex Connection

W. Bro Jesse Huggins – father of W. Bro Paul Huggins.

W Bro Paul Huggins PSGD, PAPGM was fascinated by the recent website article about Kipling and his poem The Mother Lodge. Paul is an avid admirer of Kipling’s writings, and has sung one of his Barrack Room Ballads, Cells, with music by Gerald Cobb, at a few concerts.

Kipling has a special significance in his family as the great writer prompted the recruitment of his father, Jesse Huggins, into becoming a freemason. An extract from an article published in the Arena magazine to mark the centenary of his father’s Initiation into Eurydice Lodge No 1920 notes:

“In November 2021, there was a special meeting of Eurydice Lodge No 1920, as it marked 100 years of the same family’s membership of the Lodge. Jesse Huggins was Initiated into the Lodge in 1921. One hundred years later, two of his sons, Paul and Simon Huggins, are still active officers in the same Lodge, the former as Almoner and the latter as Organist. One would expect several generations over that period of time, but Jesse had become a father quite late in life when nearing 60.

Bro Jesse Huggins had an unusual yet very memorable recruitment into Freemasonry. Having just retired as an army captain after service in WW1, he was invited by his commanding officer, Viscount Goschen, to a dinner party at his country house in Kent. Afterwards, as he was a fine bass singer, he was asked to entertain the guests with some songs. Jesse had heard that Rudyard Kipling was due to be a guest that same evening. Being a great admirer of Kipling’s works, he asked Goschen whether he could be allowed to sit next to him.

This was arranged, and Captain Huggins came to the dinner in great anticipation. Unfortunately, it turned out to be a disappointment as Kipling was suffering from deep melancholia after the death of his son Jack in combat. Because Jack was very poor-sighted, Kipling had used his influence to pull strings and get Jack allowed to join the army. Subsequently, he blamed himself for his death.

Although he was very polite and adept at social gatherings, Jesse found Kipling a rather sullen dinner companion. He had to make all the conversation himself, which would have been fine on any other occasion since he was always very adept at talking. His expectation for the evening, sadly, had not been met.

Perhaps because he was about Jack’s age, Jesse Huggins may have reminded Kipling too much of his own son. Still, later during dinner, somewhat recovering some social skills, Kipling asked Jesse whether he was a Freemason. The writer told his table companion that he thought he would make a very good convivial brother. This prompted Jesse to enquire and join Freemasonry shortly thereafter. He chose Eurydice Lodge, then a musicians’ Lodge. Jesse later went on to become Third Provincial Grand Principal of Middlesex, in which office, by chance, his son Paul succeeded him a mere 60 years later”. Jesse Huggins was also a member of Middlesex Craft Lodge the Raymond Thrupp Lodge No 2024 now sadly erased.

Ed: This seems to be an amazing Masonic connection with the very famous poet and author. There is a proven theory of six degrees of separation where any two people on earth are connected through a chain of intermediaries. In this particular instance the chain is smaller and by knowing W. Bro Paul Huggins, you are connected through this “chain” to freemason Rudyard Kipling. Another theory perhaps that it is not what you know, but who you know.

W. Bro Paul Huggins PSGD PAPGM – your Middlesex connection to Rudyard Kipling.
Back to top of page