The District Grand Lodge of Mark Master Masons of the Transvaal celebrated its Centenary in 2002 having been formed in 1902, and founded by 3 Lodges already working the Degree in Johannesburg.
The Centenary was presided over by The M.W.Grand Master His Royal Highness Prince Michael of Kent GCVO, during which R.W.Bro Albert Spencer was installed as the new District Grand Master, taking over from R.W.Bro Ivor Findlay Sander who had held the office for 10 years. R.W.Bro Spencer was the 16th District Grand Master to occupy this high office.
The District Grand Lodge of Mark Master Masons of the Transvaal Colony was constituted on 12 May 1902. The patent from the Grand Master of Mark Master Masons in England and Wales and the Colonies and Dependencies of the British Crown, MW Bra Field Marshal HRH the Duke of Connaught, appointed Bro George Richards as the first District Grand Master for a period of three years. He would preside over a district consisting of three Mark lodges: Ashlar No. 424, Sunbeam No. 508 and Corona No. 557 and one Royal Ark Mariner lodge, Ashlar No. 424.
A remarkable feature of the patent was that Bro George Richards, who was at the time also District Grand Master of the Transvaal in the Craft and Grand Superintendent of the RA, was not resident in the Transvaal, or for that matter in South Africa. In fact, he had lived in Britain since 1896. The brethren at the time seem to have readily accepted this curious situation, however bizarre it seems in hindsight. Certainly the District cannot have been properly led. The absentee District Grand Master neglected to appoint any District Grand Officers or to convene any meeting of his district for more than two years. Eventually, in July 1904 he caused the Deputy District Grand Master W. Bro. Charles Aburrow to call a meeting of District Grand Lodge and appoint the requisite officers. There is no record of his formal induction as head of the district. Indeed, he only presided at one annual meeting, in September 1911. He installed his successor W. Bro. Charles Aburrow, who had been running the Mark District as Deputy District Grand Master-in-charge at a special general meeting on 13 October, 1911, just two weeks before his death.