71st Highland Light Infantry “Many of us know by experience that war consists of long periods of boredom, interspersed by brief intervals of intense excitement and terror.” Little wonder then, that, two hundred years ago, long before N.A.A.F.I. or E.N.S.A. had been dreamt of, the practice of Freemasonry solaced the soldier in out-ofthe-way stations, and its principles lifted him above the weariness, and even sordidness of his lot. Within the lifetime of many of us, for a large section of the population, to 'list for a soldier was the last disgrace a lad could inflict on his family. Two world wars, when the bulk of the fit population was called upon to serve in the fighting forces have proved that the Queen's coat is not the badge of the failure, the ne'er-do-well or the blackguard.
name of the regiment which now had Glasgow in the title awarded by King George III. Sadly at this point, their silverware and other documents were also lost although a couple remain in the Buenos Ayres Museum. However, proof exists why. Grand Lodge records note the events as to how this Lodge lost its Warrant as follows: "This Lodge and another Lodge associated with this action, No. 356 at this time in the 9th Dragoons (1760-1818) formed the army which in 1806 occupied Monte Video, and on the 27th June, General William Carr Beresford, subsequently famous during the Peninsular War as Marshal Beresford, captured Buenos Ayres with the 71st Regiment. The Spaniards retook the town almost immediately, and the whole of the 71st became prisoners-of-war."
It was the Irish invention of the Warrant, which made the erection of travelling Lodges possible. There is little doubt that, to It is also believed the warrant the soldier mason the Warrant of his Lodge is also preserved in the museum which has held a place in his heart, second only to The the guidon (hangs from bagpipes) below. Colours.” This is the introduction to an interesting article by Bro. R. E. Parkinson when writing about Irish warrants. Looking closer to home, the Highland Light Infantry (HLI City of Glasgow Regiment) is known to most in the west of Scotland and further afield. The regiment was initially the 71st Regiment of Foot and a Scottish charter was issued in 1759 although at this stage it was probably the Fraser Highlanders rather than the HLI.
However, due to the regiment being stationed in Dublin in 1801, a charter from the Grand Lodge of Ireland was issued in 1801 as Lodge No. 895 and worked until the Commanding Officer issued an order to return it in 1833 and erased from the Grand Lodge roll in 1858. A duplicate was issued in 1808 (very common for military lodges to lose items due to fighting broad—the 71st was in Buenos Ayres at this time fighting the French) - it may have been to include the new
Cross Keys November 2022
Apparently it it was captured in one of the forts, and the brethren may have been at labour when disturbed by Liniers and his gang of cowans and intruders. The 71st remained prisoners till July 1807 when a strong British force under Lieutenant-General John Whitelocke attempted to recapture Buenos Ayres. Although it failed, part of the agreement of withdrawal was the release of the 71st, but without the guidon and warrant of the lodge.
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