James Etienne Payen (Jim) was Initiated into Freemasonry on the16th April 1984 in Rupert Patterson Lodge No: 3646 meeting at Freemasons Hall, Great Queen Street. He is a Lewis and his uncle was in the Chair and his father took him round as Junior Deacon. Truly a family affair.
He was Exalted into Chapter in February 1986 in the Temple Of Twickenham Chapter no: 7829 meeting at Cole Court in Twickenham, Middlesex. On that evening his father was Principal Sojourner. Another family affair!
On the 12th July 1988 Jim was Advanced into the Hungerford Lodge of Mark Master Masons, No: 1342 in Newbury in this Province and served as Master in 2003 and again in 2023. He was Elevated into the Porchester Lodge of Royal Ark Mariners No: 27, also in Newbury, on 7th February 2007, serving as Commander in 2009.
Jim is also a member of the Order of Royal and Select Masters in Wantage Council No: 282 which he greatly enjoys as it links the Mark, Craft and Chapter together. As part of that Order Jim was Anointed in the Order of the Silver Trowel on 11th January 2022.
In his business life, Jim has been employed in the General Insurance Industry since 1984, starting in motor insurance, then moving to Commercial Insurance where he became a Branch Manager and soon afterwards the Area Manager for Bennetts Insurance. In 2007 he joined insurance brokers Heath Lambert in their IT department as an Application Specialist. Heath Lambert were acquired by Arthur J Gallagher in 2011 where he still works, and since 2018 he has been involved in Mergers and Acquisitions where he leads a team of 50 people completing IT integrations for companies Gallagher have bought all over the EMEA region.
Jim is married to Julia and has a son, Luke, who works at Aldermaston and a daughter, Sophie, who is completing her training as a midwife in Norwich.
In this Mark Province, Jim served in the active rank of Provincial Grand Junior Warden in 2009, received Grand Rank in 2012, and has been our Provincial Grand Treasurer since 2019.
