Herbert Dunnico Passes Away

Today in Masonic History Herbert Dunnico passes away in 1953.

Herbert Dunnico was a British politician.

Dunnico was born on December 2nd, 1875 in Wales. At the age of ten he began working in a factory. Despite having to go to work at a young age he continued his studies and eventually won a scholarship to the University of Nottingham. He eventually became ordained as a Baptist Minister.

Dunnico was a peace activist. In 1916 he formed the Peace Negotiation Committee whose purpose was to call for a truce with Germany. He was also a former secretary of the Peace Society an organization which existed from 1816 to 1930.

In 1922, Dunnico was elected as a Member of Parliament (MP) to the House of Commons for Consett. He served there until 1931. While he was an MP he became the first "backbench rebel" of the Labor Party when he voted against the Labor Party government. This was in 1924 when he voted against a program to purchase light cruisers. Dunnico felt it led to arms race. In 1935 he was the National Labor candidate for Wednesbury and was narrowly defeated.

Dunnico passed away on October 2nd, 1953.

Dunnico was involved in founding New Welcome Lodge No. 5139. New Welcome Lodge was formed at the suggestion of then Prince of Wales, later King Edward VIII. The idea was to help bridge the gulf between the Labor party and the Freemasons of the country who seemed to be at odds. The lodge was open to Labor MPs, employees of trade unions and members of the Labor Party. In 1929 when the Labor Party lost power in Parliament, the lodge was opened to anyone who worked in Palace of Westminster. In 1931, Dunnico was the Worshipful Master of the lodge.

This article provided by Brother Eric C. Steele.