A new chapter in the leadership of Devonshire Freemasonry began in Barnstaple as Adam Jeffery was formally invested as an Assistant Provincial Grand Master for the Province of Devonshire.
Freemasons from across the county gathered at Barnstaple Masonic Hall on Tuesday 22 September for the special meeting, held under the banner of Lodge of Concord No. 1135.
The choice of lodge had particular significance for Adam. Concord is his mother lodge – the lodge in which he first became a Freemason – and he has now been a member of the organisation for almost 26 years. He remains closely involved with Concord today, serving as its Treasurer, making it a fitting setting for one of the most significant moments of his Masonic career.
The ceremony was led by Nicholas Ball, Provincial Grand Master for Devonshire, and brought together members of the Provincial team, past and present senior officers and members of Concord.
Adam’s appointment follows many years of service to Freemasonry in North Devon and across the wider Province.
He served as Provincial Junior Grand Deacon in 2014 and Provincial Senior Grand Warden in 2018, before receiving the Grand Rank of Past Assistant Grand Director of Ceremonies in 2024.
Alongside those formal appointments, much of Adam’s contribution has been through the quieter, everyday work of supporting lodges and their members. He serves as a Visiting Grand Officer for several lodges, providing an important link between individual lodges and the Provincial team, and has been particularly active in mentoring and supporting Freemasonry throughout North Devon.
That experience now feeds directly into his new role.
An Assistant Provincial Grand Master is part of the senior team supporting the Provincial Grand Master in overseeing and encouraging Freemasonry across Devon. The role involves visiting and supporting lodges, working with their members and helping them respond to both opportunities and challenges, while contributing to the wider direction of Freemasonry across the county.
The meeting also marked a change within that leadership team. Before Adam’s investiture, Nicholas Ball thanked Charles Yelland for his service as an Assistant Provincial Grand Master and presented him with the collarette recognising his past office.
Adam was then formally escorted into the meeting before accepting the responsibilities of his new appointment. As part of the traditional investiture ceremony, he received his chain of office and the Patent confirming his appointment.
For those gathered in Barnstaple, it was an occasion that combined the ceremony and tradition of Freemasonry with recognition of many years of service.
Adam’s journey from joining Concord almost 26 years ago to becoming an Assistant Provincial Grand Master has remained closely connected to North Devon throughout. His new appointment gives him the opportunity to build on that experience while continuing his work in support of lodges and Freemasons across the whole Province of Devonshire.
Following the ceremony, photographs brought together Adam with the Provincial Grand Master, fellow members of the Provincial leadership team, past office holders and members of Concord – the lodge where his Masonic journey began and which hosted this latest chapter of it.
