In 1734, Joseph Laycock was appointed the first Provincial Grand Master, for the County of Durham, by the Earl of Crawford, Grand Master. He was deputed to register or regularise Grand Lodge lodges operating independently in the County and to constitute new ones. By this single appointment the County became a Masonic Province, but another 54 years were to pass before the Provincial Grand Lodge would be created in 1788. In 1735, Joseph Laycock constituted the Lodge at Swalwell as a regular lodge under the Grand Lodge of England. This lodge has now become the Lodge of Industry, No. 48 at Gateshead. In the following year, he performed the same duty at Gateshead for a lodge which met at the "Fountain" in Pipewellgate.

Joseph Laycock and his successors in the Province, James Smithson and George Thompson acted entirely on their own, their only duty being to constitute lodges and to report to Grand Lodge at least once a year.

Acting upon the request of a number of lodges, Grand Lodge was petitioned to appoint as Provincial Grand Master, William Henry Lambton, Esq., M.P. for the City of Durham and a member of the Marquis of Granby Lodge. Appointed by a patent, dated 6th October 1787, by the Earl of Effingham, Pro Grand Master, acting for the Grand Master, the Duke of Cumberland, he was installed in the September of the following year. Prior to his installation he appointed George Finch and Robert Bone of the Marquis of Granby Lodge, as Deputy Provincial Grand Master and Provincial Grand Secretary respectively. These appointments marked the beginning of the Provincial Grand Lodge of Durham.

At William Lambton's Installation on September 9th 1788, he invested six more officers comprising of a Chaplain, Treasurer, Architect, Sword Bearer and two Wardens. These appointments were permitted in the Provinces under the 1784 Book of Constitutions. Three Stewards were also appointed but were not included in the list of Officers, since they were not recognised by Grand Lodge. All of the new Provincial Officers were members of the Marquis of Granby Lodge, which agreed to be responsible for the cost of their jewels. One month after the Installation, the newly formulated Laws and Regulations for the support of the Provincial Grand Lodge of Durham were agreed to and signed.

At the first Annual Meeting of the Provincial Grand Lodge of Durham in July 1789, the Junior Grand Warden was promoted to S.G.W., John Mowbray of Restoration Lodge at Darlington was appointed J.G.W and of the six Stewards appointed only two were members of the Marquis of Granby Lodge, thus implementing the current practice of the selective appointment of Officers from all Lodges in the Province.
William Henry Lambton died in 1797 at the very early age of just 33 years and was succeeded by Ralph Milbanke, M.P. for the County of Durham. It is interesting that his daughter married the poet Lord Byron at the family home at Seaham. In 1815, he took his wife's family name of Noel in order to inherit the family fortune and resigned from Office in the same year.

On the 27th July 1818, the son of William Henry Lambton, John George Lambton, who was initiated into the Marquis of Granby Lodge in 1814, was installed as Provincial Grand Master. He was later to become the First Earl of Durham, Governor General of Canada, etc. He invested sixteen Officers allowed under the Book of Constitutions and presented to the Province a set of Officers' jewels, including that of the Provincial Grand Master. In 1834 he was appointed Deputy Grand Master of the United Grand Lodge of England, but had to relinquish the Office on being sent to Russia as British Ambassador in 1835. In 1839 he was appointed Pro Grand Master by his lifelong friend, the Grand Master, H.R.H. the Duke of Sussex. At the Grand Master's instigation when he visited the Province in 1822, Lambton Lodge was formed in 1824 with John George Lambton as the first Master and the Grand Master enrolled as the first Member. The Earl of Durham died on 18th July 1840 aged 48 years. The Durham monument, in the form of a Grecian Temple, which stands on Penshaw Hill was erected as a memorial to him by public subscription, the foundation stone being laid at a Special Grand Lodge by the Grand Master, the 2nd Earl of Zetland, on 28th August 1844.

Sir Hedworth Williamson, 7th Baronet, the next holder of the Office, served from 1841 until 1845 when he resigned. He was succeeded by John Bowes, famous for the Bowes Museum at Barnard Castle, but despite great efforts by Sir Cuthbert Sharp, Deputy Provincial Grand Master, he was never installed and resigned in 1847.

His successor, John Fawcett, occupied the Office until his resignation in 1880 after 33 years long and devoted service. It was during this period he acted as Deputy Grand Master at the installation of H.R.H. the Prince of Wales (later Edward V11) as Grand Master in 1875.

The 5th Marquess of Londonderry served from 1880 to 1884 and on his resignation Sir Hedworth Williamson, the 8th Baronet, ruled for 15 years of great progress in the Province, until his death in 1900.

Sir Hedworth was succeeded by the Rt. Hon. Henry de Vere Vane, 9th Baron Barnard, who carried the Province throughout the very difficult years at the beginning of the century including the First World War and was responsible for the founding of 26 new lodges. In 1908 he founded both the Provincial Gazette, for many years the only publication of its kind in the country and the Provincial Museum and Library.

After the death of Lord Barnard, just at the end of the war, Lord Ravensworth was installed and occupied the position until his demise in 1932. This was a period of many changes in the Province, including the construction of several new Masonic Temples.

Lord Ravensworth's successor was Brig. Conyers Surtees who unfortunately died in April 1933, only eight months after his installation.

There followed a period of two years without a Provincial Grand Master, during which time the Province was under the able guidance of Bro. Cuthbert Wilkinson, Deputy Provincial Grand Master He was eventually installed as Provincial Grand Master in May 1935 but was not able to enjoy the appointment for very long as he died in May of the following year.

R.W. Ernest Dixon, who had been Provincial Grand Secretary for sixteen years and Deputy Provincial Grand Master for two years, was appointed Provincial Grand Master in 1937. For 22 years he was a tremendously active force in the Province until his death in 1959.

Col. Frederick Walton followed R.W. Ernest Dixon and held the position for 10 years until his death in 1969.

In December 1969, The Rt. Hon. The Lord Barnard, TD., was appointed Provincial Grand Master guiding the Province through many social changes and attitudes of society, especially towards Freemasonry, for more than 28 years until his retirement in 1998.

Dr. Alan Martin Davison, was appointed in March 1998 and amongst his many changes and improvements, is remembered for pioneering the Beamish Masonic Hall Millennium project from concept to its final opening by the Grand Master, the Duke of Kent

Our present Provincial Grand Master, Rt W Bro Derek Richmond was installed in May 2006 and has already demonstrated that his leadership will continue to keep pace with the ever-increasing challenges that we all face in Freemasonry. With his emphasis on management, education and training, combined with a "grass roots" approach, the Province can look forward to sustained progress and stability in the years to come.