St. Mary’s Anglican Cemetery, Somenos is located on Somenos Road, North Cowichan, B.C., land donated to the Anglican Church by the pioneering Drinkwater family in 1874.

An Anglican Church, St. Mary’s Somenos, was built on the site in 1874. In 1909 the original church was torn down and replaced with a new church building.

The second church stood on the site until 1970, when the Anglican Church deconsecrated the church and donated the building and contents to the Town of Port Renfrew. The church building was then moved to its present site in Port Renfrew, where it is used as a community hall.

St. Mary's Somenos Anglican Cemetery, Somenos Road, North Cowichan
St. Mary’s Somenos Anglican Cemetery, Somenos Road, North Cowichan

At this time, we aware of sixteen Masonic interments in St. Mary’s, Somenos. One of these was a Past Grand Master. Six of these were Past Masters of Temple Lodge, No. 33 in Duncan, B.C. These Past Masters include a Charter Member of Temple Lodge, No. 33 and two former Mayors of Duncan.

  1. Douglas William BARKER, D.S.M., Mayor of Duncan, 1983-86
  2. Frank Arthur BRETTINGHAM (1866-1925) editor of Cowichan Leader newspaper 1910-13
  3. Ben CHURCHILL (died 1939, aged 87)
  4. Alexander DAVIDSON (1842-1911), also a member of St. George’s Lodge, No.190, Aberdeen, Scotland
  5. Grant DEUCHARS (died 1944)
  6. Roland Clayton FAWCETT (1867-1923), Past Master of Temple Lodge, No.33. Also see E&N Railway Station
  7. Claude Alfred John GREEN (1904-2003) served as Master of Temple Lodge, No. 33 in 1941 and Grand Master of British Columbia and Yukon in 1957.
  8. Steven Hamilton HOSKINS (died 1959, aged 90), Past Master of Cranbrook Lodge, No.34, Cranbrook, B.C.
  9. James Islay MUTTER, (died 1950, aged 76), a local businessman, Reeve of North Cowichan (1914 and 1918) and Mayor of Duncan from 1924 to 1928.
  10. James Mitchell MUTTER (1845-1920), a Charter Member of Temple Lodge, No.33 and Member of the B.C. Legislative Assembly
  11. Eide Henry PETERSON (1886-1974), a Past Master of Temple Lodge, No.33
  12. William Harrington PURVER (1879-1965)
  13. Samuel ROBINSON (1856 -1928), a Charter Member and Past Master of Temple Lodge No. 33, Duncan, B.C. Also see the Green Door.
  14. George Henry SAVAGE (1887-1959) former Mayor of Duncan and Past Master of Temple Lodge, No.33
  15. Hugh George SAVAGE (1882-1957) owner and publisher of the Cowichan Leader newspaper between 1914 and 1956. Past Master of Temple Lodge, No.33
  16. Thomas Frederick YOUNG (1852-1943) Past Master of Bootle Wilbraham Lodge No. 2463, Liverpool, U.K.
Claude Alfred John Green as Worshipful Master of Temple Lodge, No.33 in 1941
Claude Alfred John Green as Worshipful Master of Temple Lodge, No.33 in 1941. Claude Green is buried in St. Mary’s Somenos Cemetery. (photo copyright Temple Lodge, No.33)

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