History of the Lodge
Consecrated Wednesday, 5th March 1941
On the 14th May 1940, Sir Anthony Eden launched the Local Defence Volunteer Corps (later the Home Guard). Several of the first volunteers in the Twickenham area discovered that they were all Freemasons. The spirit which had prompted them to resist Hitler's aggression inspired them to form a new Lodge to be called the "Middlesex Home Guard" - the word 'Service' being substituted for 'Guard' (with it's military connotations) at the suggestion of Grand Lodge.
Courtesy of W.Bro. P.F.A. Stroobants, PP JGW
Legend has it that Middlesex Home Service was allocated No. 5836 on the toss of a coin from Middlesex Century Lodge No. 5837 of Uxbridge. They consoled themselves by claiming to be the 100th Lodge in Middlesex, hence the name Century presumably, and also a mention by Tennyson in his book "Crossing the Bar". It is certainly true that a fictitious Lodge No.5837 was mentioned in various stories by our old friend Rudyard Kipling who also wrote "The Rivers Tale".
Twickenham, Kingston and Richmond owe their existence and importance to the river that runs through them and this is depicted in our banner. Although the Lodge was consecrated in Holborn and met in various venues in Hounslow and Teddington until Cole Court opened in 1953 it has always been a Twickenham Lodge at heart. All it's Founders were Twickenham Masons resident in the Borough, and it is only comparatively recently that our members live outside the Borough.
Courtesy of W.Bro. Royce Wainscoat,P Pr AGDC PZ
