The decision to form an Orange Lodge in the Bedford area was agreed at a meeting held at the Burn's Club in Bedford on Saturday October 22nd 1938. This meeting had been called to discuss the idea and the prime movers behind it were a group of men from the Scotshouse and Clones areas of Co Monaghan in the Irish Republic. An application was sent to the Grand Orange Lodge of England for a Warrant (our authority to sit as a Lodge) and Lodge office bearers were provisionally elected with Bro James Samuel Hughes being elected as first Worthy Master (Chairman) of the Lodge. At a subsequent meeting held on November 12th in the Methodist Rooms, Bromham Road, the Lodge title of "Bible & Crown Defenders" was agreed and this choice reflected the desire of those present to work for the maintainance of both Faith and Constitution.

The Grand Orange Lodge of England granted a Warrant to the new Lodge dated November 17th 1938, and the original document is still displayed at Lodge meetings today.

Just a few months later, on March 4th 1939 the Lodge was honoured by the presence of Rt Wor. Bro. David Carr, Grand Master of England and Rt Wor. Bro. Capt. RW Hanna, Grand Secretary, who along with several other distinguished guests joined the local Brethren to offer them encouragement and support. During the course of the meeting the Grand Master presented the Lodge with two copies of the Holy Bible, both of which were suitably inscribed and a Bro Purdy from LOL 51 in Corby, Northamptonshire presented the Lodge with a pair of gavels for the use of the Lodge during meetings.

In May 1939 plans were being made to hold an Orange Parade service on the second Sunday in September and at a meeting in July it is recorded that the Salvation Army band is to lead the music. However this year, 1939, was of course to go down in history as it marked the beginning of the Second World War and like the nation as a whole the Bedford Lodge was to feel it's effects very gravely.

At a meeting held on September 2nd 1939 it is recorded that several members sent apologies for their absence as they had been posted to Runcorn in Cheshire for military training and the following month the meeting was held in the Worthy Master's house as the Church Hall where their meetings were regularly held was not suitable during 'black out'. As the months went by the ongoing conflict started to have an effect on the Lodge as can be seen from the minutes of a meeting held on September 6th 1941 where reference is made to the Lodge living through it's "lowest hour".

The Lodge appears not to have had any meetings from that point until after the conclusion of the war when a meeting, "the purpose of same being to reorganise and revive the Lodge after a lapse due to conditions of war" was called on Friday November 2nd 1945 at the Worthy Master's residence. Things were virtually normal at the next meeting when there was almost a full attendance with only one member absent "through duty" and the storms of that evening were so severe that the Lodge thought it worth recording the fact in their minutes of the meeting.