In 1920 St Leonard's Ledge No. 2263 had reached a membership of over 90 and a long waiting list in spite of having sponsored a daughter lodge (Waltheof Lodge No. 3499) in 1911.

At a meeting of St. Leonard’s Lodge held on 27th May 1920 it was decided to petition for a further daughter lodge. It is a feature of Sheffield Freemasonry that a number of the lodges have taken names associated with a local dignitary or a local landmark. Thus the new lodge was to be named Strafford after Thomas Wentworth, First Earl of Strafford of Wentworth House, Rotherham, a man of genius, great industry, courage and advisor to King Charles I. He was eventually impeached, found guilty and beheaded on Tower Hill on 12th May 1641.

The consecration of the new lodge took place on Friday 17th December 1920 at the Masonic Hall in Surrey Street. Sheffield. The ceremony was conducted by the Provincial Grand Master of Yorkshire, West Riding, R. W. Bro. Sir William Raynor JP., P.G.D.

The first Master of the new lodge was Wor. Bro. L G. Reynolds. The first regular meeting was held on 19th January 1921 and it was at this meeting that it was decided to become a Hall Stone Lodge to support the Masonic Million Fund. This fund was formed to raise money to build the present Freemasons' Hall at Great Queen Street. London and as a Masonic Peace Memorial to all the Freemasons who made the supreme sacrifice during the World War 1914 –1918.

The lodge enjoyed immediate success. Records show that membership rose over the years until and in spite of the intervention of the Second World War, a total of 93 was achieved by 1956.
Unfortunately, this rate of growth could not be maintained and in common with the vast majority of lodges throughout the English-speaking world, the membership has declined so that today it is now around the 35 mark.

During the course of its existence the Lodge has had the honour of having two Lord Mayors of Sheffield as members, namely Bro. Arthur James Blanchard and Wor. Bro, J. G. Graves. Bro. Peter Brown was Master Cutler and was subsequently knighted. On the 29th March 1929 the Lodge was honored with an official visit by the then Provincial Grand Master, R. W. Bro. Lord Lascelles P.G.D. The Lodge does not have a Royal Arch Chapter attached to it but members tend to join the Chapter of Loyally No. 296 that is attached to Royal Brunswick Lodge No. 296 the second oldest Craft lodge in Sheffield.