Edward Valentine Turnerwas born in Halsetown, just outside St. Ives on the 14th February 1937, hence the additional Christian name “Valentine”. He was one of 3 boys. Eddie grew up and was educated locally and then family moved to St. Ives. Eddie can recollect the war years.
His father was too old to serve actively in the war but was a member of the Home Guard and Eddie can remember accompanying his father to the practice firing range situated at Clodgy (one of the coastal points towards Zennor). In the early 40’s his father ran a shop further down the street from the lodge recharging batteries for radios. This required the storage of acid. One day during a violent storm the sea crashed through a window and flooded the room that stored the acid. Apparently, the fire brigade refused to attend to pump out the property due to the presence of acid. A decision was then taken to relocate to premises in Fore Street, which over time expanded, into other electrical lines including retail.
Like many children Eddie was interested in steam engines and his father was disappointed that he did not want to join him in the business but opted to become a fireman on steam engines. He worked for British Railways as a fireman on the steam trains based at the Long Rock Motive Power Depot at Penzance. At that time the locomotives were from the GWR days and included the Castle and Hall class for main line work and the Prairie class for branch line work.
His workday started early in the morning to ensure the engine was full of coal and water and to stoke the fire for a full head of steam ready for a journey. The crew usually worked up to a destination in the same day and returned home. But on longer journeys they stayed overnight in bed and breakfast at Old Oak Common outside of Paddington, which was good for overtime. The driver and fireman had a special relationship as they worked long hours together in all types of weather in a partly covered crew cab and it was best to get on with each other.
Eddie was called up for National Service and served with the Royal Air Force. After initial training he was expecting to be sent abroad for his first posting (as had been the norm for past recruits), instead, he was posted to Exeter. The Air Force trained him as a cook. This came in very handy as he not only regularly cooked the Sunday lunch but also the Christmas Day lunch.
On returning from National Service trains were converting to diesel, this did not interest Eddie so to his father’s delight he joined the family business in Fore Street, St. Ives and initially concentrated on radio and television repairs progressing to electrical installations. In those days the equipment was valve technology and the televisions and radios looked like pieces of furniture. He subsequently took over the business, which he ran along with his brother for 40 years in the same shop in Fore Street until their retirement. Eddie continued his electrical work as a troubleshooter after retiring.
Eddie was married to Laverne in 1960, also from St. Ives, who very sadly is no longer with us. They were blessed with four children, three daughters and one son and three granddaughters and one grandson and two great-grandsons which keep him busy. In his spare time, Edward joined the Royal Marines Reserve locally carrying out various exercises and parachute jump training. He would practice climbing on cliffs outside St.Ives.
This skill became handy when fitting aerials to chimney stacks as on occasions he had been known to simply climb from an upstairs window onto the roof without the aid of ladders.
Eddie is very skilful in woodturning and has made working tools and wooden ornaments for use by Trenwith Lodge. Eddy also had an interest in model yachts and used to race them at the Millpool in Hayle as well as taking part in the annual gathering of yachts at Consols pool on Good Friday (a local custom that still occurs)
He took part in the recent Centenary Celebrations in London and regularly attends the
St. Ives Remembrance Festivals in November. Edward was Initiated into Freemasonry on the 3rd March 1964 into Trenwith Lodge No. 6309.
Items of national and international interest that took place in 1964 were:
The Conservative Prime Minister was Alec Douglas-Home. The BBC TV programme Top of the Pops was first shown on the 1st of January. The British and French governments agree a deal for the construction of the Channel tunnel. £10 banknotes were issued for the first time since World War Two. The Queen gives birth to her fourth child Edward. The practice of retail price maintenance, where manufacturers and distributors agreed a price that the distributor would sell the goods at, was abolished in a bid to lower the cost of living.
The pirate radio station Radio Caroline started broadcasting from a ship anchored outside of British territorial waters of the coast of Essex. BBC Two was launched broadcasting Play School and Match of the Day. The Post Office Tower in London was completed, but not operational and the first
portable television went on sale.
Eddie was Passed on the 7th February 1966 and Raised on the 5th May 1966. He soon took a keen interest in the business of the Lodge. He joined the officers list in October 1968 as a Steward, and held the office of Assistant Secretary and, Organist. He became Junior Warden in 1972, Senior Warden the following year and was installed into the Chair of King Solomon as Worshipful Master in October 1974 by W. Bro. J.V. Stevens. He was also Worshipful Master in 2014. Edward has also held the office
of Chaplain on three occasions for a total of 10 years, Director of Ceremonies and is
currently their Almoner for the second time.
Eddie’s Masonic career further developed when he was promoted to Past Assistant Grand Director of Ceremonies in 1981 by the then Provincial Grand Master RW Bro. Robert Eliot. He was further promoted to Past Provincial Grand Superintendent of Works in 1997 by the then Provincial Grand Master RW Bro. Nicholas Barrington and to Past Provincial Junior Grand Warden in 2004 by the then Provincial Grand Master RW Bro. James Kitson.
He received the Provincial Grand Master’s Certificate of Service to Freemasonry from VW Bro. Roger Cargeeg Deputy Provincial Grand Master in Charge on the 23rd April 2022 at the Provincial Grand Lodge Meeting at Newquay.
Eddie’s Masonic career has not been confined to Craft Masonry as he joined the Royal Arch and became a member of St. Ia Chapter No.1272 and was Exalted on the 25th September 1973. He has held the office of Assistant Director of Ceremonies on two occasions for 5 years and was appointed Director of Ceremonies in 2001 an office he held for 11 years. He has held the office of the Most Excellent Zerubbabel on four occasions, 1980, 1981, 1990 and again in January 2022.
He was promoted to Second Provincial Grand Principal in 1987 by the then Most Excellent Grand Superintendent Robert Eliot and received the Grand Superintendent’s Award of Merit in October 2011 from the Most Excellent Grand Superintendent Nicholas Barrington. He is also a member of the Cornish First Principals Chapter No.3324 and an honorary member of Tewington Chapter No.5698 which was consecrated when he was Second Provincial Grand Principal.
Edward is also a member of the Mark Master Masons Degree and was Advanced into Tregenna Lodge No. 787 on the 24th February 1965 and became their Worshipful Master in 1971. He was their Director of Ceremonies for 18 years from 1980. He has also held the office of Treasurer for 16 years from 1999, Charity Steward for 6 years from 2006 and Chaplain. He was also Worshipful Master again in 1974 and in 2014 and pulled the Lodge together through some difficult times. He also is a member of the Edwin Perry Morgan Lodge No. 1637 and was their Worshipful Master in 2011 and of the Lyver Ha Pluvenn Lodge No. 1984 and was their Worshipful Master in 2017.
His Mark Degree career further progressed when he was appointed Provincial Grand Steward by the then Provincial Grand Master RW Bro. J.E. Price and promoted by him to Provincial Grand Junior Deacon in 1977. He was further promoted to Provincial Grand Senior Overseer by the then Provincial Grand Master RW Bro. T.C. Waghorn and to Past Provincial Grand Junior Warden in 1992 by the then Provincial Grand Master RW Bro. F. Tonkin and to Past Grand Standard Bearer by him in 1985. Eddie received his 50 Certificate of Service to the Mark Mason Masters Degree in 2015 and was promoted to the Grand Rank of Past Junior Grand Deacon in 2019.
Eddie is also a member of the Rose Croix Penwith Chapter No. 754 and was their Most Wise Sovereign in 1992 and is also a member of the Laurie Francis Rose Croix No. 1137 and was their Most Wise Sovereign in 2014. He completed his 32nd degree which he received in London in June 2022.
From this magnificent record, it can be seen that Edward Valentine Turner has served
Cornish Masonry and Freemasonry in general with great distinction and loyalty to duty throughout his 60 years of service. He is a great ambassador to the cause and is always willing to help and to share his
expertise, which he delivers in a caring and helpful manner gaining the respect of all those he meets. Masonry, which he has always enjoyed, has been a major part of his life for many years. He is a hard act to follow and as the saying goes if you want something done ask a busy man!
