A Short History of Medway Lodge (previously known as the Tonbridge Lodge)
Old Town Hall, Tonbridge
A Petition for the Lodge was sponsored by Knole Lodge No 1414 and signed by Edward Palmer, Worshipful Master, F.W. Holecraft, Senior Warden and J. Lucas, Junior Warden of that Lodge. This was then recommended by Viscount Holmesdale, later the ‘3rd Earl Amherst’, Provincial Grand Master of Kent. It contained the signatures of some 15 petitioners and recommended that Brother George Langridge be the first Worshipful Master, Brother Frederick Spencer to be Senior Warden and Brother James Amos Junior Warden. The Warrant was granted on 6th March 1877.
Consecration
On 23rd May 1877, it was opened by the Right Worshipful Provincial Grand Master of
Kent Lord Holmesdale, who addressed the Brethren and placed
Brother the Reverend Thomas Robinson MA PM in the chair; as
Consecrating Officer. The Petition and Warrant was read; a solemn
prayer being offered and the Lodge was Consecrated, the Provincial
Grand Chaplain the delivered an oration on Masonry.
Nearly all the Provincial Grand Officers were present and about 90
Brethren from various Lodges, whose names appeared in the Tyler’s
book. The Lodge was closed down in the Third and Second Degrees,
and the Worthshipful Master Bro George Langridge was then
installed by the Consecrating Officer, after which the Worshipful
Master invested his Officers for the ensuing year.
Bro. Frederick Spencer - Senior Warden
Bro. Rev. James Amos - Junior Warden
Bro. Wilfred H.Hodgkin - Treasurer
Bro. Dr. George A. Angier - Secretary
Bro.Wilfred H. Hodgkin - Senior Deacon
Bro. Sidney P. Potter - Junior Deacon
Bro. H. M. Lawrence - Inner Guard
Bro. William Allison - Tyler
The first joining Member was Bro. B.L. Wilmot of Tunbridge Wells,
and the first Honorary Member Bro. Rev. W.A. Hill (who was Grand
Chaplain) who was both proposed on that evening, together with six
Candidates for Freemasonry.
Mr Edward Monckton - Farmer
Mr Charles Irving - Surgeon
Mr John S. Charlton - Miller
Mr Thomas Westbrooke - Timber Merchant
Mr Charles Peake - Bank Manager
Mr John Abrey - Farmer
The Banquet was held at the Public hall at 4.15pm but regrettably
no menu or price is available.
Change of Lodge Name
The Lodge remained as “Tonbridge Lodge” until 28th
March 1882 when the change to “Medway Lodge” was approved by the
Provincial Grand Master and noted by Grand Lodge. By the brevity
of the Minute, and absence of any record of, reason for, or
discussion of this inconsiderable change, it would seem that it
was carried out without dissention.
The subscription to the Lodge is not referred to until 1885, when
it is recorded as being two guineas, with Initiation fees as five
guineas, and joining Members at Three guineas. It would seem that
these figures were retained until 1964 when the Lodge subscription
was increased to five guineas. The Tyler’s Fee in 1885 was five
shillings per meeting and one shilling for each Initiate; this was
not altered until 1929 when the Fee was raised to two Pounds and
again in 1936 by one guinea for each Regular and Emergency
Meeting, and five shillings for Rehearsal or Committee Meetings.
The earliest copy of By-Laws available is that of 1885, in which it is confirmed that the Lodge shall meet in the Town Hall Tonbridge, on the 4th Tuesday in the months of January, February, March. April May, October and November. The December Meeting was omitted as from 28th January 1880, and the July Meeting had been abandoned, and replaced by the April Meeting as from 23rd November 1880.
The Public Hall, High Street, Tonbridge
After meeting in the old Town Hall until 1879, the
Lodge moved to the New Public Hall in December of that year,
settling down until 1889. An Emergency Meeting on 26th September
1888 agreed to take the new Masonic Hall premises, subject to
approval of the committee, at a Rent of £25 per annum, plus rates
and taxes.
The first Meeting was held in the Masonic Hall on 24th September
1889. The whole of the premises, except the ground floor; were
leased on the 27th January 1926 at a rent of £75 per annum. There
the Lodge grew and prospered until October 1968, when the move was
made to the New Masonic Temple at Tunbridge Wells.
Tunbridge Wells Masonic Centre
There were many reasons for this move, and
protracted discussions took place. The Landlord of the Tonbridge
premises was indicating that the terms for the renewal of the
lease would be at a figure which the Lodge considered exorbitant.
Also the question of parking and dining facilities were proving
somewhat of a problem. These facts coupled with the somewhat
inconvenient accommodation finally decided the move.
The Lodge furniture is now housed partly in the new Temple, and
partly on loan to the Old Tonbridge Tonbridgian Lodge.
70 Years in Freemasonry - Bro Gordon Douglas Vinell
On 20th February 2013, Bro Gordon Douglas Vinell
celebrated 70 years in Freemasonry at a ceremony held in The
Masonic Hall, Uckfield.
Bro Gordon’s 70 Year Certificate was presented to him by RW Bro
Jonathan S Winpenny, Provincial Grand Master, West Kent who was
accompanied by RW Bro Kenneth E Thomas, Provincial Grand
Master (Sussex).
The ceremony was also attended by a number of the Medway brethren
and WBro John Lindley from Loxfield Lodge.
L to R: WBro David Percival, WBro Alan R
Simmons, WBro Tony Hayball, RW Bro Kenneth E Thomas (PGM
Sussex),
WBro Tony Attwell, Bro Gordon Vinell, RW Bro Jonathan S Winpenny
(PGM West Kent), WBro Terence Bridges,
WBro Doug Godden, WBro Paul Warley, WBro Peter Simmons
Bro Gordon was initiated into Medway Lodge 1678 on
27th January 1943 with special dispensation as he was only 19
years old but going off to war; he followed both his father and
grandfather into the lodge and has remained a fully paid up
member for over 70 years.
The brethren attending all agreed that this was an unprecedented
special occasion and looked forward to seeing Bro Gordon attain
his 75 year Badge and Certificate in 2018.
The Simmons Family - history made in 2014
For the first time in the Medway Lodge and possibly
in the Province of West Kent, a fifth blood brother, Robert
James Simmons was initiated into Freemasonry by his father
Alan Ronald Simmons on the 26th March 2014, making five members of
the family in the Lodge.
The ceremony was conducted in the presence of WBro Mark D Estaugh,
Assistant Provincial Grand Master.
Bro Alan J Simmons was initiated on 28th March
2012; Bro Paul C Simmons was initiated on 24th November
2010.
WBro Peter J Simmons was initiated on 24th October 2001; WBro
Alan R Simmons was initiated on 25th October 2000.
Since this photograph was taken, a sixth member of the Simmons family has joined the lodge. John Simmons was initiated on 28th March 2018.