History

The Commandery of Saint Wilfrid was inaugurated on 2nd October 2004 and comprised 15 founding members, four of whom were previously members of the Commandery of Rose d’Or, a further three became members of the Order and thereby became members of the Delegation of St Wilfrid at the Annual Meeting of the Grand Bailiwick of England and Wales in London on the 26th June 2004. The Postulants at the Meeting on 2nd October 2004 represented the remaining 8 founding members.

The founding Commander was Chevalier John H Bray KCLJ CMLJ BMLJ PSLJ KCSJ and under his leadership the Commandery developed into an active, lively, highly successful unit whose members have become involved in a variety of fund raising and social activities. Over the last five years the Commandery has supported various charities both locally such as helping a young boy with autism, giving money to AWARE (Airedale and Wharfedale Autism Research), the L’Arche Community, Nightstop, St Martins Hospice, the Macmillan Cancer Support, the Rainbow Trust and as part of the Commandery’s church project, assisting children at two local Primary schools in Bingley, who because of parental financial constraints might not be able to participate in their extra curricular school’s activities. It has also supported both the Yorkshire Air Ambulance and Nottingham and Lincolnshire Air Ambulance and nationally the Leprosy Mission and DebRa whilst internationally it supports the “Catch them Young” scholarship scheme (a specialist programme of the Leprosy Mission in India whereby the Commandery is committed to £1000 per year for 5 years supporting the education of 22 leprosy-affected young persons).

In October this year Chevalier John Bray’s patent came to an end and Confrere Iain J Macadam CLJ OMLJ PSLJ was appointed as Commander. As Iain himself said ‘John has established a robust regime for raising funds and maximising giving for our charitable efforts and I propose to continue these events’ and so we look forward to five more fruitful years under Iain’s leadership. There are 24 members in the Commandery, one KCLJ, one KLJ, one DLJ, one SChLJ, one AChLJ, six CLJ’s, six OLJ’s, seven MLJ’s and four members who have been on a Pilgrimage to the Holy Land.

The name for the Commandery derives from SAINT WILFRID, (634-710), who was bishop of York, who was born in Northumbria, was brought up in the monastery of Lindisfarne. He visited Rome and became a warm partisan of the Roman party in the controversy with the Celtic church on the time of keeping Easter and on the shape of the tonsure. At the synod of Whitby (664) he contended against Bishop Colman of Lindisfarne, won the support of the King of Northumbria, and brought about the victory of the Roman party in the English church. Already he had been given the monastery at Ripon; and now he was chosen bishop of York and consecrated at Compeigne. On his return he found that St Chad had been elected bishop of Northumbria; but Archbishop Theodore restored Wilfrid in 669. He repaired the Minster of York built a splendid church at Hexham (some of the underground portions of which still remain and raised a new Minster at Ripon (whose crypt, with the perforation called St Wilfrid’s Needle, still exists). In 678 Theodore, without Wilfrid’s consent, divided the Northumbrian kingdom into the sees of Lindisfarne, Hexham and Lindsey, in addition to York; and Wilfrid appealed to Rome. The Roman synod decided in his favour, but King Ecgfrith flung him into prison.

On his release he converted the pagan South Saxons. He was allowed to return by the new King Aldfrith in 686 and to keep the sees of York and Ripon. He was expelled a second time (691), found a refuge in Mercia and administered the see of Leicester. Once more he appealed to Rome (704) and was finally allowed to keep Ripon and Hexham, but not York. He died on 24th April 710.