LODGE St. JOHN STOW

No 216

(chartered 8th December 1806)

The Masonic Lodge at Stow is a Lodge of Freemasons which has been in existence within the Village of Stow (Scottish Borders) continuously for over 200 years under the Grand Lodge of Scotland and prior to that as an off shoot of The Haughfoot Lodge.

All information contained in these pages is provided for the benefit of visitors - for members of the Lodge and those looking for information about the Village of Stow. We include some History of Stow and the surrounding area.

All Members of the Order are welcome to visit us. The Stow Lodge is a "Country Lodge" meaning that - in general - meetings are on a smaller scale than those which might be expected in the Larger Towns and Cities. A visiting Brother Mason is guaranteed a warm and personal welcome from those who attend. Attendance can vary from 20 - 70 members and visitors. Our small Lodge highlights the importance of the individual - you will not be "lost" in our company!

We salute the man of worth,
Whether high or low his birth,
What so ever be his lot,
Rich or poor, it matters not.

All Meetings held in the Town Hall - Earlston Road Stow

The village of Stow lies on the A7 a few miles north of Galashiels Its seldom used full name is The Stow of Wedale. Local folklore interprets "Wedale" as "Dale of Woe", commemorating, it is said, a battle fought here by King Arthur.

Although little remains today, Our Lady's Chapel is probably the oldest site associated with the Blessed Virgin Mary, in Scotland. The name Stow is thought to be from the Old English for "Place" or "Holy Place", and Wedale from the Old English "Wiche" meaning shrine and "Dahl" meaning valley. So we have Valley of the Shrine.

The first written mention of Wedale comes in the Historia Britonum" written by the Welsh monk Nemius in AD826. According to Nemius, King Arthur had, in gratitude to Our Lady for a vision in which she assured him of victory over the invading Angles, caused an image of Our Lady to be brought from Cappadocia and placed in "Our Lady's House at Wedale".

At the heart of Stow is its Town Hall, built in 1855 on a grand scale suggesting the expansion and importance of Stow at that era. Today it provides accommodation for a wide range of community uses including the Stow and Haughfoot Lodges.

This magnificent Hall was built by the Owner of the then vast Stow Estates - Brother Captain Mitchell of Stow. After his death his widow who inherited the Estate married the Chief of Clan MacKay - Lord Reay - becoming Lady Reay of Stow. She was well known for her generosity. The Town Hall where we have met from the time of it's building to the present day remained in the ownership of Stow Estate until around 1940 when it was gifted to the Local Authority