Observatory Lodge No. 6094 was sponsored in 1945 by Herschel Lodge No. 1894, the names of both Lodges having being adopted in honour of the memory of Sir William Herschel. Herschel was a professional musician who became Astronomer Royal to H.M. King George III and who discovered the planet Uranus initially naming it “The Georgian Planet” after his Royal patron.
Herschel subsequently renamed the planet Uranus after the Greek sky God. He also discovered several moons around other planets and compiled a catalogue of some 2,500 other celestial objects that is still in use today and whose residence in Windsor Road was subsequently demolished along with the Slough Centre in the 1960’s during the Council’s “forward-looking” refurbishment plans.
All of the founder members of the Lodge were past masters and Brethren of Herschel Lodge, fortunate in having the advice and guidance of W. Bro B. Palmer unanimously elected the first Lodge Secretary and to whom due credit for the successful foundation of the Lodge must be acknowledged.
The Warrant of the M.W. Grand Master was granted on 2nd May 1945. At the Consecration meeting conducted by R. W. Bro Major-General the Rt. Hon Lord Burnham C.B., D.S.O, T.D as Provincial Grand Master for the Province of Buckinghamshire, there were six propositions for Initiation and one joining member.
The Lodge logo was designed by committee led by W.Bro Rev. T. Prentis and used for the summonses and later on past masters jewels.
The regular meetings originally authorised were five in each year to be held on the second Wednesday of February (Installation), March, October, November and December to be held at the Masonic Hall, Church street in Slough. In December 1949 it was decided to add one additional meeting each year, this being to include the second Wednesday in April.
At the installation meeting in 1950, past master’s jewels were presented on behalf of the Lodge to the founding Master and his successors and the custom subsequently continued. In 1945 the membership was at twenty-six. Over the next twenty years it increased to some eighty-three subscribing members and it was not unknown for in excess of one hundred to dine after a meeting.
In 1959 it became known that the Masonic Hall in Church Street was to be compulsorily demolished and with this in mind, on 20th June 1961, the Slough Masonic Hall Co. Ltd was formed and chaired by W. Bro R. Cartwright of Observatory Lodge the aim of which was to raise significant finance, manage the purchase of land and organise the subsequent building of a new Slough Masonic Centre which was indeed later completed at Ragstone Road.