The Lodge was first warranted (formed), in London in 1732, meeting at Brother Huddy's Theatre Tavern, and then a further five different taverns, until its move to Cowes in 1761, where, again, it met at va rious taverns, apart from between 1847 and 1854, until moving to its existing site in 1919. At that time, the lodge purchased Northwood Lodge, the Lodge and Coach House of Northwood House, and met there until transferring to the existing building, on the same site, in 2000. The earliest reference to the existence of a masonic lodge in Cowes, can be found in the records of Grand Lodge, which show that one guinea was paid by brethren meeting at the Vine Tavern in 1761. In an interesting aside on the times, the Freemasons Calendar for 1781 (roughly equivalent to the present Year Book) refers to" 33 Medena Lodge - Vine Tavern, W~st Cowes, 1.0.W., Summer 1st and 3rd Thursday, Winter Thursday nearest Full Moon" - due to the danger of footpads, and, no doubt, a slight tendency to over-indulge in the Vine Tavern's wares. The permanent membership seldom exceeded 10, despite ., some 31 gentlemen being initiated between 1779 -92. Cowes, being a seaport, emergency meetings were often called for candidates, "in consideration of his leaving England the first fair wind". For this reason, Grand Lodge tolerated the existence of lodges where the official membership was often in single figures. For obscure reasons, the Lodge was erased in 1773, but re-instated in 1779. It had been omitted from the Grand Lodge lists from 1773 to 1778. William Holloway, who had been initiate_d in J~ aica in 1757, "'!__as a Customs Officer in Cowes. It was due to his efforts and those of Brother Pin horn, which ensured the Lodge's survival at this period of time. He frequently paid lodge dues out of his own pocket. In 1847, the lodge moved to a purpose-built Masonic Hall in Union Road, Cowes, where it remained until 1854. However, the Lodge fell on hard times, and in 1849, it was proposed to sell the Lodge furniture and jewels. Many items were sold off, indeed, the only original items remaining in the lodge today, are the two globes and the three chairs. The Masonic Hall, itself, was sold off in 1854, and the Lodge moved to a room at the Grapes Inn, Sun Hill, at a cost of £5 per annum, including light and heat. There followed a period of slow recovery, where subscriptions were one shilling and ninepence, collected monthly. The fortunes of the Lodge improved in the latter part of the 19th Century, a position from which it has not looked back. In 1857, the lodge had moved to a room over Wheeler's Paint Shop in the High Street. By the turn of the 20th Century, membership had increased, and it was proposed to seek a larger building. In 1919, the Trustees of the Ward Estate placed the lodge to Northwood House on the market, and it was purchased for the princely sum of £1500. In addition to this, some £650 was spent on conversion, and a further £160 for carpets and furnishings - somewhat different to the £330,000 construction costs of the new building! It was here that the Lodge remained until 2000, when it moved into the existing building, built immediately behind the old Northwood lodge, where we hope that it will remain for very many years to come. Ian Carnegie, Trustee, Medina Lodge No.35.
