William Waldon (1869-1946) was a Charter member of Tzouhalem Chapter, No.26 in 1928 and served as our first 1st Principal in 1928. Also see our webpage on William Waldon.
He was also a member of Temple Lodge, No. 33. Before becoming a member of Temple Lodge, No. 33, Worshipful Brother William Waldon was a member of Marquis of Ripon Lodge, No. 837 in England. He served as Worshipful Master of that Lodge in 1899. He was also a charter member of De Cataret Lodge, No. 3459, St. Helier, Jersey.
Worshipful Brother Waldon’s son, Robert Bulmer Waldon, was also a member of Temple Lodge, No.33, serving as Worshipful Master of the Lodge in 1934.
William Waldon came to the Cowichan Valley in 1911 and had a dairy farm in the Glenora area south of Duncan.
Here is a brief biographical sketch of Wor. Brother William Waldon taken from Temple Lodge, No.33 records and from the local newspaper reports of his death and funeral. We will add additional information as we uncover it.
“….During the evening the Brethren were very pleased to see our highly esteemed W. Bro W. Waldon was able to be present with them, and as a historical note I record that he was W.M. of De Grey & Ripon Lodge No. 837, England, 1899…..”
(Source: Temple Lodge Minute Book, Emergent Meeting of 28 April 1942)
Here is William Waldon’s obituary in the local Cowichan Leader newspaper:
““Waldon – Mr. William Waldon died on Sunday afternoon at his home at Glenora. He was in his 77th year. He made signal contribution to the development of sound agriculture in Cowichan. For two decades , in particular, before his retirement eight years ago, his was the quiet, efficient brain which successfully overcame problems of the Cowichan Agricultural Society and guided scores of farmers from pitfalls.
He had many interests but, from the day he and his family settled at Glenora in 1911, farming came first. Securing animals from the late H.W. Bevan’s famed Jersey herd, he laid the foundations of a still greater reputation for their progeny. To-day, all over B.C., will be found animals with the ‘Glenora’ prefix of the W & M Waldon pedigreed stock.
For a time his eldest son was associated with him and his daughter. For some years past she had conducted the farm operations. Mr. Waldon was long a director of the B.C. Jersey Breeders Association and a director of the Cowichan Creamery. His secretaryships included those of Glenora Local, United Farmers of B.C.; the V.I. Flockmasters’ Association, and the Glenora auxiliary of the G.W.V.A.
On April 26, 1919, he was appointed secretary of the C.A.S. in succession to Mr. W.A. McAdam, who went to Victoria and on to B.C. House. For the success of the subsequent 18 fall fairs Mr. Waldon is primarily responsible. When the last district agriculturalist, Mr. E.B. Bewell, was transferred, the Agricultural Office was maintained with Mr. Waldon in charge. He handed over his C.A.S. secretaryship to Mr. W.K.S. Horsfall in May 1938.
Born at West Hartlepool, Durham, England, on June 26, 1869, Mr. Waldon was educated at Ripon, Bedford Grammar School, and St. John’s College, Cambridge. At this university he was initiated into Freemasonry and so began a lifelong interest. He was a P.M. of Marquis of Ripon Lodge, No. 837, and was one of the founders of De Cateret Lodge, No. 3459, St. Helier, Jersey, in 1910. In Duncan he became one of the best known members of Temple Lodge, No. 33, under whose auspices the funeral took place on Tuesday afternoon.
He was especially prominent in Royal Arch Mason circles, as he had been in Ripon. He was a founder of Tzouhalem Chapter, Duncan, and P.G.S. of the fraternity in B.C.
Married in January, 1894, Mr. Waldon lost his wife on November 10, 1927. Their children are Mr. William Waldon, B.C. Forest Service, Duncan; Mr. Robert Waldon, P.C.L.I.B., Vancouver; and Miss Mary B. Waldon, at home.
St. Peter’s Church was filled with friends. The Rev. Canon T.M. Hughes conducted the services. Afterwards, at the graveside, the Masonic service was held, Wor. Bro. C.W. O’Neill acting as W.M. The pallbearers were: Messrs. Hugh Savage, E.H. Peterson, W.B. Powel, A.E. Castley, Douglas Erickson and Winter Cook. Honorary pallbearers were: Messrs. J.M. Campbell, W.M. Dwyer, K.F. Duncan, A.E. Green, F. Driver, S.H. Hoskins.
Representatives of the various branches of activity with which Mr. Waldon had been identified were present. Among them were Messrs. H. MacGinnis, L.W. Johnson, A.J. Hourston and George Patchett, who specially represented Mr. J.H. Munro, deputy minister of agriculture, Victoria. Davis Funeral Service had charge.”
(Source: Cowichan Leader, 31 January 1946 – from Cowichan Valley Museum & Archives collections)
William Waldon is buried in St. Peter’s Quamichan Anglican cemetery.
The GPS location of the William Waldon grave is: N 48⁰ 46.909’ W 123⁰ 40.022’