The lodge was founded on 21 May 1861 to carry out masonic activities. It is a lodge in the Cambridgeshire province of the United Grand Lodge of England. It was initially assigned the lodge number 1161 but from 17 October 1863 became lodge 859. The normal qualifying age of 21 years is waived by dispensation of the Provincial Grandmaster thus allowing the initiation of undergraduate members many of whom would otherwise be too young. The membership is entirely male. Further information about the lodge is on its website at: www.inul.org. For further historical information, see anniversary history of the lodge by J. Whitehead (catalogued as SOC.105.11 below) and Michael Farrow 'Cambridge Freemasonry' in Cambridge. The magazine of the Cambridge Society No.58, mid year 2006, pp.28-30.