Freemasons on the Isles of Scilly enjoyed an historic and momentous event on Saturday 17 May 2008 when their new Chapter — Scillonian Chapter No. 7790 — was consecrated at the Masonic Hall, Newquay. This very special occasion in Cornish and Scillonian Freemasonry was presided over by the Most Excellent Grand Superintendent of the Province of Cornwall, Nicholas J.F.C. Barrington. His deputy, Grand Superintendent Graham Hindle, and a team of provincial consecrating officers assisted him. Part of a most interesting oration, given by the Rev. Raymond J.L. Wood is given below:

"Today we are making a piece of history with the consecration of the first Royal Arch Chapter this century off the coast of the British Isles; but this Masonic history of the Isles of Scilly started way back in 1755. In that year Isaac Head was appointed the first and only Provincial Grand Master of 'Scilly and other adjacent islands', and continued as such until his death in 1779. This office of Provincial Grand Master of Scilly remained vacant until 1783 when no successor was appointed. Dolphin Lodge No. 365 was warranted in 1756, and changed its name to Godolphin in 1783 when it transferred to the Province of Cornwall, and was eventually erased in 1851. Then the Lessee, Governor and 'Lord Proprietor' of the Islands, Augustus Smith, a Past Master of Godolphin Lodge, was appointed as Provincial Grand Master of Cornwall in 1863. He was an active, zealous and efficient Freemason and a public servant (Chairman of the Islands Council) until his untimely death in 1872, aged 68 years.

“The first Grand Superintendent of Cornwall, Thomas Dunckerley, was appointed in 1791 and, as a Master Gunner in His Majesty's Royal Navy, quite possibly visited the Isles of Scilly in his naval and Masonic capacity. In that same year, the first Royal Arch Chapter in Cornwall was formed at Redruth, the Druids' Chapter of Love and Liberality, which closed in 1819. The story continues in 1961 with the re-consecration of Godolphin Lodge as No. 7790. The Founder Worshipful Master was the Reverend James Gillet, who had the quaint title of the 'Chaplain of the Isles', a title that continues today. He had earlier been a Past Deputy District Grand Master of the District of East Africa and in 1969 became the Grand Superintendent in and over the Province of Cornwall, and continued in office until 1976 when he was forced to resign owing to ill-health, and he died soon afterwards. To complete the pre-history of this new Chapter; at the end of the nineteenth century there were 12 Royal Arch chapters in this Province; at the end of the twentieth century there were 31 chapters, with the last consecration being the Duke of Cornwall Chapter in 1994." Rev. R.J.L. Wood, 2008

In England, the Royal Arch is considered to be the completion of 'pure ancient Masonry'. In the Craft the candidate is presented with a series of eminently practical principles and tenets which, if he practises them, he may hope to live a life pleasing to his God, however he worships him, and of service to his fellow man. But man is not simply a practical being, he has an essential spiritual aspect to his nature. That spiritual aspect is introduced in the Third Degree, in which the candidate is led to a contemplation of man's foreseeable destiny, and becomes the central message of the Royal Arch. In that sense, 'pure ancient Masonry' can be seen as a journey of self-knowledge and discovery, with the Royal Arch completing the practical lessons of the Craft by a contemplation of man's spiritual nature, not replacing but reinforcing and supporting what he has learned from his religion.