1797-2023
Prior to 1797 there were three known lodges in Sheerness, all were Ancient or Atholl Lodges. The first warranted lodge No. 135 was issued in 1765 and was short lived, a second warrant was issued in 1778 to lodge no 207, a dissension within the members in 1792 resulted in the Treasurer disappearing across the Thames to Southend along with the lodge funds amounting to £25-19-0d which he refused to return, along with the lodge Bible.
In the 1960’s W. Bro Len Hedge Treasurer at the time was contacted by a London Brother who had found a Masonic Bible dated 1780 for Lodge 207 in a junk shop in Southend, and having been verified by The Grand Museum was returned to Adams Lodge and is used to this day at installations. It is unclear where the lodge acquired the name Adams, however while the lodge was still an Ancient or Atholl lodge, its first recorded reference appeared on a Grand Lodge certificate dated November 1811.
The most important meeting in the first 100 years was undoubtedly in 1839, when the Provincial Grand Lodge of Kent met in Sheerness. The Deputy Provincial Grand Master led a large number of very distinguished brethren from lodges from throughout the county by river from Chatham, escorted from the Town pier to The Fountain Hotel for breakfast, and followed by a meeting and finally a procession to Trinity Church for a Church Service.
At a committee meeting on the 28th October 1897 details for the Centenary celebrations were organized to be held on the 3rd December 1897. Unfortunately nature took hand and a tremendous Gale followed by an abnormally high tide on the 29th November breached the sea defenses and flooded Sheerness. The meeting was postponed until the 16th February 1898, when it duly celebrated the centenary with a meeting and banquet and was followed by a grand concert and dancing to 2.30am.
During those first 110 years of the lodge it had met in numerous Inns & Hotels in Sheerness and Bluetown the area around the Dockyard, but in 1906 the newly consecrated United Service Lodge No 3124 along with De Shurland 1089 and Adams, joined together and formed The “Masonic Temple Building Scheme” to raise funds for purchasing land to build a Masonic Building of its own in Sheerness. Land was purchased at the corner of The High Street and Botany Road, and the three lodges paid equal shares in all costs with each lodge appointing a trustee; the new building was opened in a great ceremony in October 1909.
During the First & Second World Wars, Adams lodge continued to meet with great difficulty, however on the 5th June 1917, there was a tragic end to the meeting, an air raid over the town and dockyard resulted in the Senior Warden Bro Hawes and Initiate Bro Gandy, who were on anti-aircraft defence duties were both killed.
In 1967 Queenborough celebrated the 300th anniversary of the Dutch invasion of the River Medway, and it twinned with Brielle in Holland the home town of the Admiral of the Dutch fleet, numerous clubs and associations quickly followed and in 1974 Adams lodge twinned with Loge L’Aurore No 9 in Brielle, Holland
Adams Lodge No.158 