Our History

The Rose Window Lodge took its name from the  Memorial Rose Window in the  South transept of St Mary’s Church, Southampton, which Freemasons from all parts of the Province subscribed and dedicated to the memory of W. Bro. Gordon Thorne. W. Bro. the Revd G. W. Page, Provincial Grand Chaplain led the dedication ceremony.

W. Bro. Gordon Thorne was a practising Architect residing in Southampton and was widely known and respected throughout our Province as both an 'operative mason' and a ‘speculative one’. 

The consecration of The Rose Window Lodge by the Provincial Grand Master W. Bro. Wilfred Attenborough MB, BS took place at the Masonic Hall, Albion Place, Southampton on July 11, 1962. The ceremony was dedicated to the memory of the late W. Bro. Gordon Lewis Thorne, who at the time of his death was Provincial Deputy Grand Director of Ceremonies in the Provincial Grand Lodge and Grand Chapter of Hampshire and Isle of Wight. 

Ninety-five brethren attended this meeting. Founders of the Lodge included W. Bro. Lt Col. E. E. Lovegrove, W. Bro. C. Bowles, W. Bro. L. Bennett, Bro. F. Jolliffe and Bro. A. Platt, all members of Chandler’s Ford Lodge.

The first regular meeting convened at the Ritchie Hall, Chandler’s Ford at which the initiation of Mr Leslie Ball took place. 

On February 15, 1971, the lodge held its first meeting at Kings Court. On June 20, 1983, the lodge held a ceremony to dedicate the ‘Lodge Banner’. W. Bro. Capt. D. D. Farmer, the Founding Master, and the Past Provincial Grand Chaplain, W. Bro. The Revd C. C. Green conducted the formal procedure. 

Officers of the lodge then, who are still practising in 2016, are Immediate Past Master – W. Bro. J. D. Giddings, Senior Warden – Bro. D. A. Blake, Junior Warden – Bro. J. H. Thornton, and Senior Deacon – Bro. M. Chalder. W. Bro. J. Lush designed and painted the banner,  and Mrs A. Jamieson carried out the needlework. 

At the 292nd meeting on February 21, 2011, the lodge celebrated a new milestone by welcoming 17 members from Chandler’s Ford Lodge – our Grandmother Lodge – who had surrendered their warrant. Their joining has strengthened the vibrancy of Rose Window Lodge. 

At our 301st meeting, we celebrated another milestone – our 50th Anniversary on July 11, 2012. As part of this celebration, the Provincial 

Grand Master, R. W. Bro. M. J. Wilkes and the Provincial Grand Chaplain, W. Bro. W. Whitfield and the Provincial team honoured the lodge with a ‘Ceremony of Rededication’ of our banner. 

Since our consecration, the labours of our wonderful lodge have continued unabated, and we still strive to maintain the ethic “to build one of the friendliest lodges in memory of one of the friendliest of brothers” and to preserve the tenets of Freemasonry.