Cross Keys September 2022 (Freemasonry)

The Cross Keys September 2022

The Monthly Newsletter of Cross Keys SeptemberLodge 2022 Houstoun St. Johnstone No.242

Number 247

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From the Editor Welcome back after the recess if managed to get one!

In this issue:

A right mix of articles which I think was working on some during lockdown when I had plenty of time. However, one short article is that on Symbols and I would urge (young) brethren to think about it. Even just looking at the tracing boards provide a huge array of meanings.

3 4 5 6 7 9 11 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 23 25 26 28 29 30

Page 7 is part 1 of a 2 part on historical aspects of the Royal Arch which should be an interest to all brethren, not just RA Masons.

Interesting YouTube clip (click on image)

If anyone can shed further light on the jewels from Lodge 3 bis in Glasgow, I would be delighted to hear from them.

Grant Front Cover—old summons from Royal Naval Lodge No. 59 (EC): See P.25 The Cross Keys is a free magazine distributed across the many countries in order to spread the good (and sometimes not so good) qualities of the Craft. All views are of individual brothers and not any organised body.

Editor: Bro. N. Grant Macleod PM of Lodge Houstoun St. Johnstone No. 242 PM of The Anchor Lodge of Research No.1814 Past Provincial Grand Secretary of the Province of Renfrewshire East.

Provincial Grand Scribe E of Renfrewshire Proof Reader: Bro. Allan Stobo PM of Lodge Houstoun St. Johnstone No. 242 Treasurer 242

Degrees Galore The Future—A US Study Reasons for the First Grand Lodge Allan Ramsay & Prince Charlie Historical RA Aspects Part 1 Duke of Cumberland Perspective William Dugood, Mason, Spy, . . .

Masonic Miscellany Gen. Wolfe & Glasgow Curious Jewels of 3bis 33 Degree Patent GLoS Diploma Western Star Lodge No.21 (Ohio) Masonic Artefacts in Poland Jephthah Politics & The Craft The Black Bull Inn Royal Naval Lodge No.59 (EC) Grand Lodge News PGLRE Library Initiation by Light—Review Out & About

September Meetings Thursday 8th MM Degree Thursday 22nd EA Degree

By OBs 7.30pm start

Website: Home (bravesites.com)

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Degrees Galore The following from the History of Edinburgh RAC No.1 exemplifies the link between Lodge St. Stephen’s No. 145 in Edinburgh and the Royal Arch.

to confer upon the Office-Bearers of St Stephen's Lodge the following Degrees of Masonry, viz.: Excellent and Super-Excellent Masons, Arch and Royal Arch Masons, and lastly Knights of Malta, there was then at that time admitted into that excellent order, Br. David M'Laren, Master; Br. Wm. Lyon, Junior Warden; Br. John Dick, Secretary; Br. James Shaw, Treasurer; Br. John Notman, Grand Steward; Br. George Miller, Senior Lodge Steward; Br. Wm. Gow, Watchmaker; Br. John Moodie, Clerk ; and Br. John Reid, Tyler, after which the Right Worshipful Master, Worshipful Junior Warden, and Office-Bearers then present ordered the same to be minuted in order to show to the worthy brethren of St Stephen's Lodge what honour the brethren of Perth and Scoon Lodge had conferred on us."

The book is not in a regular sense a Minute Book of the Chapter, but a written transcript from the original Minute Book of the Knights Templars, that Order having been conferred by the Perth and Scoon Lodge upon the same Office-Bearers who received that of Royal Arch. The Volume closes with the following: “The foregoing Minutes were copied from the original Minute Book of the Grand Assembly of Knights Templars in Edinburgh, No. 1, holding of the Royal Grand Conclave of Scotland, by W. H. Blackie, Acting Scribe of the Edinburgh Royal Arch Chapter, No. I, Pursuant to an order of the Committee of that Chapter, bearing date 28th February 1818, and of the The next minute of 10th December records order of the Chapter, 16th August 1818. that "a Committee belonging to St Stephen's Signed W. H. Blackie, Scribe E., R.A.C." met and entered Donald M'Donald, an apprentice in the Mystery of Free Masonry, in The first entry, dated 2nd December 1778, our Lodge here in Canongate, and at the same reads: "This day the compliment of six sundry time conferred the 4th degree of Masonry steps in Masonry was offered to the Office- upon Br. James Robertson, viz., that of Master Bearers of St Stephen's Lodge by sundry of past the Chair." [Ed: Interesting to note the PM the Brethren from the Ancient Lodge of Perth ‘degree’ was deemed the 4th whereas later the and Scoon. Accordingly, there was a Commit- RA took that title.] tee called, so there was then present: the Right Worshipful Master Br. David M'Laren; The 1783 minute is as follows: "This night, at Br. Wm. Lyon, Junior Warden; Br. John Dick, a meeting of the Society of Royal Arch Masons Secretary; Br. George Miller, Senior House- of St Stephen's Lodge, Edinburgh, the followSteward; Br. Robert Stewart, Grocer; Br. Wm. ing persons were admitted members thereof, Mackenzie; Br. John Moodie; and Br. John they having gone through the several steps Reid, Tyler, who all of one voice accepted of necessary thereto, viz.: Brs. James Ramsay the compliment of that degree of Masonry, (afterwards the Governor), (Sir) James Kegie, viz., the 4th called Past the Chair."

Wm. Scott, George Anderson, John Cowan, Thomas Drummond, and made Knights of the Two days thereafter there is recorded : "This Royal Order of St John, after which the Lodge night (4th Dec. 1778) being set apart by the was closed in due and regular form.''

Brethren of Perth and Scoon Lodge in order

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The Future—a US Study Part 1 According to data collected by the Masonic Service Association and reported by Brother Jon Ruark in 2017 and 2018, if the present trend continues the fraternity will die out somewhere between 2027 (just over 5 years from now) and 2040. The study undertaken accounted for 2300 members so was statistically significant and as such the figures provide reliable data.

and is there any reason why Benevolent Funds are used for this activity?]

Yet, with 93% of our fraternity saying they appreciate the camaraderie of the lodge, this is also part of the solution. The fraternity has something to offer that most people desperately need and naturally want, but cannot find elsewhere. Indeed, the lodge offers more than camaraderie. It is where we experience He reported that almost one in four members the bond of brotherhood that is stronger than say they did not find what they were looking most friendships. for in joining Freemasonry, or are uncertain if they did. Ruark remarked that it was “a huge And it is there that we find positive examples problem… almost one in four customers do of manhood and how to behave as a man. At not know if they like the product [we’re] sell- times, friendships can seem shallow, or out ing… of simple convenience. Many men wonder how trustworthy their friends are, or whether For every new person we’re getting in…one’s they are dependable in a crisis. In most caswalking out the door… And that does not es, they won’t be. Brothers are different. count people who are leaving due to death, Brothers live by a code. And, deep down, so we’re actually losing more than we’re most men want to live by a code. gaining,” Bro. Ruark noted, “But we can do something about those who are walking out There will also be an opportunity for Brothers the door. [Ed: After 2 years of a pandemic to speak with the presenter on a one-to-one with no new members, we will have suffered basis to discuss the issue on a more personal a decrease.] level. Additional subjects will include developing communication skills, personal and The reality of modern society is that despite professional development, developing confisocial media or identity politics, people feel dence and self-esteem, health and nutrition, more isolated and lonelier than ever before. and developing appropriate sartorial skills.

Dubbing it a “loneliness epidemic,” Psychology Today noted in 2018 that “rates of loneliness” have doubled over the last fifty years, and report that 20% of Americans say that they “rarely or never” feel close to other peo- Adapted from the Quarterly Bulletin of the ple. [Ed: This has worsened in recent times Scottish Rite Research Society, Winter 2019, and as a fraternity we should make plans to Volume 26 No.4 address this issue (perhaps even addressing it globally through multiple Grand Lodges.

Like outside companies who often pay external speakers, the Craft should do likewise

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Possible Reasons for Forming the first Grand Lodge

M

ost brethren are aware of the formation of the first grand lodge in London by four old English lodges in 1717 according to English sources.

But why did such an entity arise? Were there political or religious reasons?

Before looking at the formation of the Grand Lodge in 1717, I want to give you some idea of the political climate that existed in England in the years prior to that date. We need first to go back to 1688, the year of the so called “Glorious Revolution”. This was the year when King James II was replaced by the Dutchman William of Orange, and his wife Mary, who jointly accepted the Crown. England was a protestant country dominated by the Church of England, and James II, was a Stuart and a Catholic. He had endeavoured to give civic equality to Roman Catholics and this led him into conflict with Parliament, the two main parties of which were the Conservatives (called the Tories) and the Liberals (called the Whigs). Generally speaking, the Tories supported the status quo, i.e. the Stuart dynasty, while the Whigs, who, at that time, had a large majority in the House of Commons, favoured a change.

The Jacobite cause was based on the right of the Stuart dynasty to continue to rule in Scotland as it had done for centuries, and in England as well since 1603. Much of Scotland and a large part of England, especially in the North, supported the Jacobite cause and it follows that Freemasons’ Lodges in those parts would contain a significant proportion of Jacobite supporters. The first attempt to restore James to the throne took place almost immediately after William & Mary accepted the throne of England. In 1689, Viscount Dundee and his Jacobite army won the Battle of Killiecrankie, but he was fatally wounded, and without his leadership, the rising petered out. This failed rebellion caused many Jacobites in England and Scotland to go underground.

The authorities were suspicious, although no proof has been found, that Lodges in Scotland and Northern England provided a safe haven for many Jacobites. In 1690, James raised an army in Catholic Ireland, with a view to invading England. However, William crossed to Ireland and his army de-

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feated James at the Battle of the Boyne. James fled back to France. In 1694, Queen Mary died and William III became the sole monarch. He subsequently died in 1702 and was succeeded by Queen Anne, sister of the late Queen Mary. In 1707, Scotland’s parliament was abolished and the United Kingdom was formed. Several more attempts to overthrow the throne were made before 1717, firstly in 1708, when James II’s son, with 6,000 French troops, arrived in the Firth of Forth to reclaim the throne of Scotland. This failed, due to the arrival of a superior naval force from England, which drove them to return in disorder to Dunkirk. Seven years later in September 1715, the Earl of Mar proclaimed James, King of Scotland and England, and marched south with nearly 10,000 men to meet the army of George I (the Hanoverian monarch who had succeeded on the death of Queen Anne). The battle was indecisive and Mar afterwards withdrew to Perth. James arrived in Scotland in December, but by this time his support had melted away and in February, 1716, accompanied by the unhappy Earl of Mar, he fled back to France. It is interesting here, to note that Mar’s son, Thomas Erskine, was later Grand Master of the G.L. of Scotland, in 1749/50.

This adds weight to the argument that the Jacobites were heavily represented in Freemasonry north of the border.

Also in 1716, another Jacobite rising was defeated at Preston in Lancashire. This shows quite clearly that the political situation in England in 1717, when the first Grand Lodge was formed, was far from stable.

The continuing Jacobite threat, and its implicit treachery to the Crown, now provided a very significant danger to the growing fraternity of Freemasons, and particularly to the London-based Lodges. With so much of established Freemasonry being in Scotland and the north of England, where the Jacobites were strongest, it was feared that the authorities would draw the obvious, though erroneous, conclusion that Freemasons’ Lodges were a subversive organisation secretly supporting the Jacobite cause. The concern by London Masons that Freemasonry might be banned by the King’s Ministers has been advanced as the reason why the four London Lodges

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Possible Reasons for Forming the first Grand Lodge (ctd) formed the first Grand Lodge in 1717, in order to convince the authorities of their loyalty to the Crown. No other substantial reason has been established for the creation of the new Grand Lodge.

When the Hanoverian George I came to the throne in 1707, he regarded all Tories, who had opposed the replacement of the Stuart dynasty, as Jacobites and he and his advisors continued to regard Freemasonry as a suspicious organisation.

The formation of the Grand Lodge in London was aimed to produce an acceptable face of Freemasonry to the Hanoverian authorities. In 1721 the Duke of Montagu was chosen as Grand Master.

From then until the present day, the Grand Master has always been of Noble or Royal birth. In this way the newly formed Grand Lodge of England was able to convince the Hanoverians of

their loyalty, and that they were not a covert Jacobite organisation. The defeat of the “Young Pretender”, Bonnie Prince Charlie, the grandson of James II, at Culloden in April, 1746 finally brought to an end the active pretensions of the Jacobites in the U.K., although in France things were moving in the opposite direction. Under the influence of the exiled Jacobites, so called “Scottish” degrees were being devised, which later formed part of The Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite, now prevalent throughout the free world.

Adapted from an article by Bro Bill Hibbard PGW– the full article can be found here.

Allan Ramsay, Enlightenment Artist Bro. Allan Ramsay’s inclinations were far from those he later professed as a fervent Hanoverian, and loyal German-speaking court painter to King George III. In fact, Ramsay had been presented to Charles and the Jacobite court in Rome in 1737.

He had also joined a Jacobite masonic lodge there.

Probably, like so many Scots at the time, he was prepared to hedge his bets - and of course was happy to take portrait commissions from whomever would pay. Surviving portraits painted by Ramsay in Edinburgh during the ’45 show both government and rebel sitters (the latter including Lord and Lady Ogilvy [Private Collection].)

eminent English royal order of chivalry, and not the Scottish equivalent, the Thistle. Normally, in accordance with a decree issued by his father James III, Charles would have been depicted wearing both. Nor is Charles wearing any tartan, which, we are told, he wore in Scotland during the ’45. In other words, Charles is consciously presenting himself as English, perhaps to assuage his intended new subjects that he was not leading a Scottish invasion, despite the presence of thousands of Highlanders in his army.

Nonetheless, Ramsay cannot have had much time to complete the commission, for Charles’ army entered England on 8th November. The hurried circumstances perhaps explain the picture’s small size, which is unusual for Ramsay. But the size of the canvas and Charles’ presentation within it also provide further clues as to the picture’s intended purpose. Here, Charles is wearing only the sash and star of the order of the Garter, the pre-

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Historical Aspects of The Royal Arch Part 1 Freemasonry is: ‘a peculiar System of Morality, veiled in Allegory and Illustrated by Symbols’. This means that it does not matter if historical facts do not tie up with our traditions; it is what we draw from these traditions that is important. That said, it is interesting to see just how these events and our traditions do tie up, and that is what we are going to look at in this presentation.

First some caveats; not all the historical sources agree with each other as to precise dates, so everything could be a year or so either way. Also the spelling of names varies, because sometimes there was not a literal translation from certain ancient scripts to our own. Also, some of the records that have come down to us are based on Hebrew/ Jewish texts and some on non-Hebrew/ Jewish texts. For example, the three men cast into the fiery furnace were Hebrews called Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, but in the Old Testament Book of Daniel, they appear under their Chaldean names Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, so we have to be careful!

After the death of Solomon, King of Israel, his kingdom split into two, with ten tribes in the North forming a new Kingdom of Israel with its capital at Samaria, and two tribes in the South forming the Kingdom of Judah, with its capital at Jerusalem. The northern kingdom of Israel was conquered by the Assyrians in 721 BCE and most of its Hebrew inhabitants were driven out (becoming the ‘lost tribes of Israel’) and the country was resettled by Assyrians and others who intermarried with the locals thus forming, in the eyes of the orthodox Jews, an impure race that was no longer part of the chosen people. This animosity between Jews and Samaritans lasted for centuries (think of Jesus’s parable of the Good Samaritan over 700 years later).

Meanwhile the Kingdom of Judah had been going through some bad times, but when Josiah became king in 640 BCE, he instituted a revival of religious ceremonies and sought to restore Judah to the true ways of the scriptural teachings. He was seen by his people as

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having been sent by God, and it was a great shock to them when he was killed fighting against the Egyptians. In his place, his most anti-Egyptian son, Jehoahaz, became king, despite not being Josiah’s eldest son. Unfortunately, he was defeated by the Egyptians after only three months in power and the Egyptians deposed him and put his brother Eliakim, whom they renamed Jehoachim, on the throne. Jehoachim was forced to pay heavy tributes to Egypt and allowed Josiah’s religious reforms to stagnate. It is in these circumstances that the prophet Jeremiah made his dire warnings, which were largely ignored at the time.

By this time, the Assyrian Empire had largely broken up, and a new power was rising in Babylon, where King Nabopolasser had declared himself independent in 625 BCE and set out to establish an empire of his own. He conquered parts of what is now Syria & Eastern Turkey and advanced down the Mediterranean coast through Tyre and Sidon until his death in 604 BCE. He was succeeded by his son, King Nebuchadnezzar, who continued the campaign, taking Gaza and advancing on Jerusalem. In response, King Jehoachim of Judah entered into an alliance with Egypt and others against Nebuchdrezzar, but the Babylonians defeated the allied army and laid siege to Jerusalem, during which Jehoachim was killed. His son Jehoachin realised the situation was hopeless and surrendered to Nebuchadnezzar. He and his courtiers and nobles were taken away as captives to Babylon. He was held under fairly pleasant housearrest for 37 years, and was well-treated by the Babylonians; as were other captured kings.

Around a thousand courtiers, military commanders, priests and artisans accompanied Jehoachin into Babylonian exile.

Back in Jerusalem, Nebuchadnezzar put Jehoichim's uncle Zedikiah on the throne of Judah as a puppet king, even though most of the Judeans still recognised Jehoachin as king in exile. Zedikiah ignored Jeremiah’s advice and allied with the Egyptians in rebellion against Nebuchadnezzar in 589 BCE. The following

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Historical Aspects of The Royal Arch Part 1 (ctd)

year, the Babylonian army again besieged Jerusalem, this time for 18 months, before the city surrendered. Determined to prevent future rebellions, Nebuchadnezzar ordered his troops to demolish the city walls and to loot and destroy Solomon’s Temple and the Royal Palace, and then to force the Judeans into exile in Babylon. He made an example of King Zedikiah, who had to watch while his children were killed in front of him and then had his eyes gouged out before being taken to Babylon, where presumably he died.

The people of Judah were now settled in and around Babylon. Their initial despair gave way to renewed faith in their Jewish religion, thanks to prophets like Ezekiel, the second Isaiah, and Jeremiah, whose teachings and warnings they now remembered and used to rebuild their religious observance. In time many of them grew to rather like Babylon and prospered, some even becoming senior government officials. Aramaic, the business language of the Babylonian Empire, replaced Hebrew as their everyday language.

but not from exile. Nebuchadnezzar's successors were not up to the task of ruling his empire, and imperial power gradually broke down. The northern part of the empire was conquered by the Medes, who started to build their own empire throughout the region. Nabonidus, the last King of Babylon, tried to introduce reforms, but failed and went off to campaign in what is now Saudi Arabia, leaving his son Belshazzar to rule as regent, but he enjoyed even less success.

Persia was part of the Median Empire, and its new King, Cyrus, defeated and then assimilated the Medes, then defeated the fabulously rich King Croesus of Lydia and marched on Babylon. His army entered the city unopposed in 539 BCE; largely because the Babylonians were fed up with Belshazzar. A year later, Cyrus issued his famous Edict, allowing the Hebrews to return to Jerusalem to rebuild the Temple, and returning to them the holy vessels seized by Nebuchadnezzar.

When Nebuchadnezzar died in 561 BCE, his Thanks for information from Solomon under UGLE successor freed Jehoachin from house-arrest,

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Q

Duke of Cumberland Perspective

uoting from Fulford’s work (unknown), he says, “Yet even in the 1760s there were people in England whose hearts beat stronger at the remembrance of the Stuarts. Jacobitism had survived not do much on account of political grievances, as on account of personal grievances against the first two Hanoverian Kings. Their inability to master English, but their facility in acquiring a vivid vocabulary of bad language; their rages (George l scheming to deport George ll to America, and George ll deliberately destroying George l’s will); their bevy of German mistresses, and their total lock of sensibility were all a permanent advertisement of the Stuart cause.”

The first of the Georgian princes to join the Masonic Order was the eldest son of George ll, whom I have previously referred to, H. R. H. Frederick Lewis, Prince of Wales, who was Initiated at the age of 30 at his Royal Palace at Kew at an ‘Occasional Lodge’ on November 5th, 1737. The famous and zealous Brother, Doctor Desaguliers, had the honour of presiding over the lodge, and on that evening conferred both the E. A. and F. C. Degrees on the Prince. Desaguliers also sat as Master at a subsequent ‘Occasional Lodge’ when the Prince became a Master Mason.

There is no record of any great activity in Masonic circles on the part of Prince Frederick Lewis, but there is evidence that he enjoyed to the full and the social and festive life that the Craft had to offer; and although his ambitions did not prompt him to seek any Masonic eminence, by his entrance into Masonry he set an example which, with two exceptions only since, has been followed by each of the male heirs apparent.

ferent health for some time and had injured his constitution by dissipated habits. He was of weak character which led him into excesses, and the consequences of these were made worse by great negligence of his health, the same weakness of character made him very much the tool of political faction and placed him in an unnatural opposition to his father. His immediate illness was brought on by sleeping in a cold, damp room at Carlton House, in the evening after a walk in Kew Gardens, and this when he ws just recovering from pleurisy. Little as the Prince had to recommend him, yet he was free from the penurious meanness of his father, and the brutal, overwhelming temper of his brother. He was fond of the company of men of talent and patronized literature. The people, when they heard of his death, assembled in crowds in the street crying, ’Oh, that it was but his brother! Oh, that it was but the Butcher.’”

The explanation for this latter will be of interest to the Brethren. While all readers of Masonic history are aware that Prince Frederick Lewis joined the Order, it is not generally known that the second son of George ll, William, Duke of Cumberland, to whom I have previously referred, also became a Mason. On the authority, however, of that great Masonic Historian, Robert Freke Gould, it may be stated that he was Initiated in 1743, apparently in Belgium, in a Military lodge of the British Army in the Netherlands, while engaged in the war of the Spanish Succession.

William was then only 22 years of age, but displayed a real military genius, and two years later commanded the British Army. He never took part in English Freemasonry and we may be glad of the fact, for he eventually became one of the most deThe opinion expressed by King George ll in regard testable characters in English History. his eldest son has already been referred to, but knowing the father did much to provoke the unfil- He it was who was in command of the army ial attitude of the son, too much store need not be which finally crushed and destroyed Bonnie placed upon it.

Prince Charlie’s forces at Culloden in 1746, and he then acquired the title, by which he was known It is, however, a melancholy fact, which all Ma- for the remainder of his life, of ‘Billy the Butcher’. sons must deplore, that our first Royal Brother This was in consequence of the vindictive, murfrom the House of Hanover led a loose and vicious derous, indeed bloody, methods he adopted in life which brought about his death at the early age punishing and penalizing the Highlanders during of 44. his so-called ‘pacification’ of Scotland after the rising, methods which had the full approval of his History records of him “that he had been in indif- diabolical father George ll and of the political par-

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Duke of Cumberland Perspective (ctd) ty then in power. This is not to tell of the horrors and abominations perpetrated on the Highlands, but the proceedings left an indelible black mark against the name of ‘Billy the Butcher’ for all time.

It is of interest to note that the Government prohibited the wearing of that national dress of the Highlanders, the kilt, which did as much to break the hearts and spirits of the Clans as did ‘Billy the Butcher’s’ methods of terrorism. This restriction was not removed until nearly half a century afterwards.

twenty stones (127kg) in his later years.

This Prince died in 1765 at the age of 45, unlamented, scorned and hated by the nation. The public regarded him as a monster of brutality, and a monster he was, as although short in statue, he had become so gross as to weigh nearly

Taken from a paper by Bro. Frederick Fleeman PPGJW, Delivered to the Lodge of Research, Leicestershire & Rutland No. 2429 (EC) on 24th May, 1937

Note: Many of the supporters, both Scottish and English, of James Francis Edward (son of James ll) the first ‘Pretender’ were Masons; and Charles Edward the ‘Young Pretender’ (Bonnie Prince Charlie) enjoyed support from the same sources in their attempts to regain “that which was lost” until his final defeat at Culloden in 1746.

Before & After

The above shows Bournemouth Freemasons’ Hall in Dorset built in 1870 and the hall today as a ski centre. The main hall set back on either side, with clerestory of small arched windows, behind lower wings with arched windows, pilasters and entablature. In place of lefthand window, bigger arch for entrance, secondary entrance at other end (to basement) added 1910. Right—the old east and left is current hall in Knole Road.

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William Dugood FRS, Freemason, Spy, Jeweller We know from expense accounts kept by Thomas Coke, later Lord Lovel, Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of England (1731), that while in Italy on his Grand Tour in 1716 he purchased prints and antiquities from a William Dugood. What is less clear is whether Dugood, a Scottish jeweller, was in Rome on his own account or part of Coke’s entourage.

The Stuart papers at Windsor indicate that Dugood remained in Rome where he was associated with the exiled James Stuart and his court in exile.

ler in the Haymarket and received commissions from senior Whig politicians including the Duke of Devonshire. He was also introduced to Freemasonry shortly after his arrival and was initiated at the Goose and Gridiron on 15 March 1725; Dugood is also listed as a member of the Lodge at the Three Tuns, Billingsgate. Masonic connections may also have played a role in his election as a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1728. His sponsors included two senior Freemasons: Rev Dr Jean Theophilus Desaguliers, a Past Grand Master and Deputy Grand Master; and Martin Folkes, another Deputy Grand Master and a Vice President (and later President) of the Royal Society. Dugood’s election was noted in the press: ‘A very ingenious man, [an] inhabitant of Rome, who was formerly the Chevalier’s jeweller.’

Francis Paton, another Scot, introduced Dugood to John Erskine, Earl of Mar, a senior figure in Rome’s Jacobite circles. Mar was influential. He had slipped into Scotland in 1715 and raised the Stuart standard at Braemar, proclaiming him king, an act that set off the Rising. When it failed the following year, Mar fled Scotland to return to exile in Europe Dugood decided to return to Italy in 1731. He with the Jacobites granted sanctuary in Rome had been contacted by Countess Dorothea under the protection of Pope Clement XI. Sophie of Neuburg, Regent of the Duchy of Parma, and asked to value and catalogue a On Mar’s recommendation, Dugood became collection of antiquities. Dugood’s arrival was court jeweller and received a Stuart warrant. noted by the British agent in Parma who inHe also became a trusted intermediary. His formed Delafaye; it was also known to the access made him a target for Philip von Jacobites in Rome where his espionage was Stosch, a Prussian in Rome who had been re- not forgotten. Despite Jacobite pressure, cruited as a spy by the British. Stosch was a Dugood did not leave Parma until mid-1733, valued source on Jacobite activities and his and, when he did, he was granted letters of reports under the alias ‘John Walton’ circulat- recommendation from the Countess designed ed at a senior level in London. to secure a safe passage.

Stosch persuaded Dugood to work for him and became his best source. But Dugood came under suspicion and in November 1722 was arrested and imprisoned by the Inquisition under the pretext of heresy. Believing that his own position would be compromised if Dugood confessed, Stosch persuaded one of Pope Clement’s cardinals, Alessandro Albani, to use his influence to free Dugood. Albani succeeded, and Stosch arranged for Dugood to see to London. Charles Delafaye, the government’s anti-Jacobite spymaster and senior under-secretary, approved the plan.

From Parma, Dugood travelled to Florence to meet with Stosch, who had been exposed as a spy a year earlier but was granted protection in Florence. Many of those involved with Stosch, including Lord Chesterfïeld, Lord Harrington and Delafaye, were Freemasons “members of the Horn Tavern Lodge. Stosch also became a Freemason and after settling in Florence he co-established Florentine Lodge with Charles Sackville, Earl of Middlesex.

Dugood attended the Lodge during his time in Florence, as did Martin Folkes.

The Stuart influence in Italy was extensive On Stosch’s recommendation, Dugood was and, while in Florence, Dugood was enencouraged to establish a business as a jewel- trapped by Thomas Tyrell, a Jacobite agent,

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William Dugood FRS, Freemason, Spy, Jeweller (ctd) and arrested. The British charge d’affaires, Brinley Skinner, secured his release, but rather than leave Italy, Dugood travelled south to Rome in the belief that his letters from the Countess would protect him. They did not, and Dugood was seized on entering the city.

Dugood’s freedom was secured once more by Cardinal Albani, and to ensure that he would not be rearrested, Skinner arranged berths for Dugood and his family on the Dolphin, a naval vessel leaving for England via Portugal.

Dugood’s flight was approved by London on the understanding that he would be debriefed: ‘There might be gathered some useful knowledge from him relating to the Jacobites and their affairs abroad, and particularly of persons in England, and Scotland most attached to the Pretender.’

Lisbon 15 years before, could acquaint them, in case he thought proper, with the nature and secrets of masonry.’

Portugal had implemented the Papal Ban of 1738, so Dugood and Coustos held lodge meetings in private residences. When Coustos was arrested in March 1743, he defended Masonry as an ancient Scottish institution, in which the kings of Scotland had been Grand Masters, and affirmed that the fraternity was strongly royalist. He argued that Louis XV would not have asked him to initiate the Duc de Villeroy, the royal favorite, if he believed that the meetings were contrary ‘to the State, to Religion, and to the Church.’

Why Coustos would mention Dugood is unclear. It may have been to deflect attention away from Coustos himself when under interrogation, or to show that Freemasonry was de facto accepted in Portugal.

Or it may have been retribution.

However, Dugood disembarked at Lisbon, using his letters of recommendation to obtain entry to the Portuguese court. The Countess’ sister, Maria Anna, was queen of Portugal and, with her support, Dugood secured a position as court jeweller.

It is not known whether Dugood’s disembarking in Portugal was contrary to Whitehall’s Dugood had been resident in Lisbon for more wishes or at their behest. Either way, Dugood than a decade when John Coustos, another was not arrested nor did he face sanction. His British agent, arrived in the city from Paris. connections at Court remained intact and he Dugood was possibly the ‘chosen friend’ in continued to live and work in Lisbon. whose house we ‘dine together and practice the secrets of Freemasonry’. Curiously, while Dugood amassed a large collection of artifacts Coustos presented Freemasonry as a benign, and owned thousands of casts taken from charitable institution, he also gave credibility Greek and Roman antiquities: ‘as perfect as . . to the suspicion that he was an espionage . the medals themselves.’ Held in three puragent. Regardless, Coustos mentioned pose-built chests, the collection was sold to Dugood overtly in his testimony to the Inqui- William Constable in 1760 and it is today at sition following his arrest: ‘Mr Dugood, an Burton Constable Hall in Yorkshire. Unlike his Englishman [sic], who was born a Roman collection, Dugood did not return to Britain Catholic and was a Freemason. This gentlebut remained in Portugal; he died in Lisbon in man had travelled with and was greatly beloved by Don Pedro Antonio, the king’s fa- 1767. vourite, and who, having settled a lodge at

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Question: Why was neither hammer nor axe nor any tool of iron heard in the King Solomon’s temple when it was being built?

Answer: one possible explanation is the following from Bro. Stewart Donaldson’s Weekly Fix by Bro. John Alexander PM: The building was of white stone, actually Dolomite, a compound of magnesium and calcium carbonate. There is a bed of this material, forty feet thick lying under the entire city of Jerusalem and about a hundred yards from the Damascus Gate can still be found a cave which expands into a perfect labyrinth of chambers. These are called "King Solomon's Quarries" and, indeed, visitors have reported that evidence of ancient quarrying activity can still be seen to this day. Dolomite has a most peculiar quality. When first extracted from the surrounding rock it is comparatively soft and workable. But, with exposure to sunlight, it becomes hard and able to take a good polish. This may be the reason why the stone was worked at the quarries before being transported to the building site where it would undoubtedly have proved too hard to carve.

Question: Where is the clock below?

Answer: next month!

Hillsborough Lodge No. 5444, Sheffield was consecrated 18 December 1933. The stepping stones on the banner were across the River Don, above the Leppings Lane bridge, and known as the 'Leaping' or 'Lepping' Stones. The motto 'Fratri pietatem praestare' means 'Show love to a brother'. Every lodge banner probably has its own story.

Do you know your lodge’s own symbolism?

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General Wolfe & Glasgow The following has been sourced from Old Ludgings of Glasgow (1901). Bro. Wolfe is believed to have been initiated in the 20th Regiment of Foot.

erected in 1720, stood originally in a 12-acre park, with yard buildings at the back, and a lawn with flower beds and shrubberies in front. Probably the sole reason that the house, now consisting of a tavern, a shop, and flats, is still preserved, is that it happened to An interesting little 18th century house is the hit exactly the north building line of the new old residence of the Walkinshaws of Camla- street extension at that point. chie and Barrowfield (also part of the family from which Walkinshaw Street is named), the The connection was held through the public devoted adherents of the Jacobite cause. house called The General Wolfe at 811 GalThe house is now numbered 809 to 811 Gal- lowgate originally then further west at the lowgate. Here Prince Charlie is said to have corner of 789 Gallowgate and Millerston in visited. Major-General Wolfe, the hero of Que- 1937 (bottom). bec, lodged in it for six months. This James Wolfe was undoubtedly one of the ablest soldiers connected with that race, and it has been said that his early death at the moment of victory at Quebec, in view of the subsequent revolt of the American colonists, was perhaps the greatest loss ever sustained by this country in any single battle.

When residing at Camlachie, Wolfe engaged a Glasgow school teacher to give him two hours' daily lessons in mathematics. At the great fire in the Gorbals on 5th June, 1749, Wolfe, at the head of a small company of soldiers, distinguished himself by fighting the flames; and at another time he quelled a local riot connected with the gruesome resurrection traffic, which afterwards shocked the world by the disclosures of the Burke and Hare trial.

Wolfe's room in 811 Gallowgate has never been altered since his time. It is a plain apartment, with a low ceiling, and without any noteworthy features, only in his day it would have a pleasant outlook over the haughs of Clyde to the hills beyond. This prospect would be enlivened by the Edinburgh Road, The pub existed until the 1980s. which crossed the Camlachie Burn at the foot of the garden, at that period one of the most busy highways in Scotland. Camlachie House,

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Curious Jewels of 3 bis These jewels have been reproduced thanks to Bro. Robert Gillery of Jewels of the Craft and appeared in the magazine Diadem. The token of Lodge St. John No.3 bis is shown because its centre is the same as the jewels. My thanks also to Bro. John MacInnes PM 3bis for collating responses to questions about the jewels.

The jewel on the left is definitely Craft and exactly the same as the token and the colour of the ribbon matches the apron.

The central place of a cross suggests that the jewels may be associated with a so-called Christian degree of which a number continue to exist. The obvious symbolism of the Agnus Dei associated with St John and the Pelican which occurs in some orders out with the "blue" degrees. However, St. John the Baptist has many symbols, the chief being:  

The Head, the Lamb, the Shell [for Baptism], the Holly [for the Passion of Christ which he prefigured], the Maltese Cross The eagle is the Evangelist so maybe the lodge being of St. John and holding both feasts/ festivals then they used both symbols.

Three the four steps up to the cross which is a bit unusual because the normal rule is to have three - sometimes associated with faith, hope and charity in Christian worship apart from any masonic interpretation - so what might be the fourth.

The subtended crosses (one is the Maltese cross) so the Knights of Malta perhaps. The other is a cross that features in arms associated with Jerusalem so maybe some degree or order in which Jerusalem might be significant. ‘Other degrees’ must have been conferred before 1825 as the lodge’s regulation only allowed the usual degrees plus the Mark.

Any further info would be most welcome.

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33rd Degree Patent A family relative of Bro. Benjamin Patrick bought this beautiful 33° Patent that was given out by the Northern Masonic Jurisdiction Scottish Rite in May of 1866. This belonged to a Past Commander-in-Chief from Occidental Consistory in Chicago.

Bro. Patrick was a member of Oriental Lodge No.33 in Chicago (the lodge was invited to participate in the public procession prior to a private reception in November 1879 for former President Ulysses S. Grant and his wife Julia, after they returned to the United States from their goodwill trip around the world) and joined the Rite in 1864.

He joined before the 1871 Chicago fire when many records were lost so not much more information is available.

Harris MM Tracing Board The last board John Harris (1791- 1873) designed was in 1850 for the third degree, referred to as the “open grave” design. This was a period in his life he found himself reduced to the lowest state of poverty and distress due to partial blindness. In 1856, he went completely blind and was paralyzed from a stroke the same year. The darkness of the 1850 painting gives a feeling of emotional starkness not experienced in any of his earlier designs. Although seemingly dismal, the sheer intensity of the painting does suggest something exceptional.

Translation: The Holy Temple in Jerusalem was built by King Solomon of Israel. Hiram king of Tzur (Tyre)... in the year of ...

2992. The masons are from the Naftali tribe.

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Grand Lodge Diploma There is much symbolism in the certificate master and the JW and also W, S and B. At of the high and sublime degree of a MM – their bases are the WT – the square, level the highest degree in Freemasonry. Starting and plumb rule of the master and wardens. at the top is the title used by GL. You will Between them is the carpet reminding us of note the spelling of antient – a t not a c. the opposites that we encounter in life’s This is the old spelling first used in the ma- journey and that we strive to make the right sonic documents known as the Schaw Stat- choice. On the carpet is the rough ashlar utes of 1598 and 1599 which can be viewed with the tools of an EA and a lambskin at GL.

apron. On the other side is the prefect ashlar with the FC’s tools.

Below the title is the

This

represents

the

sun and moon with

journey of the young

the all seeing eye in

apprentice trying to

the centre; the sun to

become a perfected

rule the day, the moon

MM through diligent

to govern the night

work. In front of the I

and the all seeing eye

pillar are the MM’s

representing

God

tools and plan which

TGAOTU. The 7 stars

we require throughout

represent the 7 liberal

life.

arts and sciences indicating that we should

At the front centre,

strive to make a daily

are the 3 great lights –

advance in masonic

the VSL with the s and

knowledge.

c resting thereon with which you are very familiar. This symbolic

The banner states “Let there be light and lodge rests on 3 steps alluding to the master there was light” taken from the Book of and wardens, the 3 degrees, F, H & C and

Genesis, the first book of the OT. It alludes many others.

Underneath is the GL seal

to the man who has left the darkness of the granted by Lord Lyon, King of Arms in outside world and has been initiated into 1986. the light of Freemasonry.

Similar to the EATB, the 3 columns represent the D, I and C columns of the SW, the

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How many now lie in a drawer under a layer of dust?

Perhaps more

should be made of this including its presentation.

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Western Star Lodge No. 21, Ohio Among the pioneers of Canfield were those who soon wished to establish a Masonic lodge there, as they resided no less than twenty miles from any regular Lodge of Masons, and travel was either on foot or by horse. They therefore petitioned the Grand Lodge of Ohio then sitting at Chillicothe, through Eire Lodge No. 47 of Warren, (which had been created by a charter of the Grand Lodge of Connecticut at New Haven October 19. 1803, and later became Old Erie No. 3 of Ohio) for a charter to sit and work as Masons in the Village of Canfield, Trumbull County,.

meeting February 8, 1816, together with an accompanying letter of January 17, 1816 from Western Star's representative to the Grand Lodge, William W. Cotgreave. The lodge met at the Fitch House until April 28, 1814, when larger quarters were needed, and arrangements were made for a room at the house of Brother Bostwick; in November 1820, the lodge procured a room for meeting at Brother Stoddard's house.

The petitioners were: Charles A. Boardman (note the town’s name), Isaac Newton, Francis Dowler, Richard Fitch, Charles B. Fitch, Tryall Tanner, Lewis Hoyt, William Logan, Hervy Ripley, George Stillson, Elisha Whittlesey, Archibald Tanner, Arad Wan and Elijah Wadsworth. Pursuant to this request, John Leavitt, Master of Erie Lodge No. 47 for- The current temple is in Boardman; the founwarded a letter of recommendation to the dation stone was laid by the GL of Ohio in Grand Lodge, and after due consideration, the 1999: Grand Lodge, by Henry Bush, Grand Master, on January 17, 1813, by dispensation established a Lodge of Ancient York masons, to be held in the town of Canfield, to be denominated the WESTERN STAR LODGE NO. 21, and appointed Elijah Wadsworth to be the first Master, Tryall Tanner to be the First Senior Warden and Isaac Newton to be the first Junior Warden. Tradition tells us, that the name Western Star was the suggestion of Elijah Wadsworth.

On June 8, 1813 the brethren met at the home of Zalon Fitch, from where they next assem- Jewel of Bro. Fred bled at the school house to hear an address Warnock, master in 1918.

by Brother Darrow of Vienna, then returned to the Fitch house where the officers were installed by George Todd, appointed by John Leavitt, Master of Erie Lodge No. 47 for that duty. Thereafter Western Star Lodge met 'on the Thursday preceding every full moon' and continued under dispensation until a charter was obtained; the charter was presented at a

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Masonic Artefacts in Poland Curators in Poznan in Poland are combing through a vast historic archive of Freemasonry in Europe amassed by the Nazis in their wartime anti-Masonic purge say they believe there are still secrets to be unearthed.

From insight into women's Masonic lodges to the musical scores used in closed ceremonies, the trove housed in an old university library in western Poland has already shed light on a little known history. But more work remains to be done on one of the biggest Masonic archives in Europe to fully examine all the 80,000 items that date from the 17th century to the pre-World War II period.

beyond feature in the archive. Some documents still bear Nazi stamps. "The Nazis hated the Freemasons," Andrzej Karpowicz, who managed the collection for three decades.

Nazi ideology, he said, was inherently "antiMasonic" because of its anti-intellectual, antielite tendencies. The library puts some select items on show, including the first edition of the earliest Masonic constitution written in 1723, six years after the first lodge was created in England. The oldest documents in the collection are prints from the 17th century relating to the Rosicrucians -- an esoteric spiritual movement seen as a precursor to the Freemasons whose symbol was a crucifix with a rose at its centre.

During the war as Allied bombing intensified, the collection was moved from Germany for safekeeping and broken up into three parts -two were taken to what is now Poland and one to the Czech Republic. The section left in the town of Slawa Slaska in Poland was seized by Polish authorities in 1945, while the others were taken by the Red Army.

Initially tolerated by the Nazis, Freemasons became the subject of regime conspiracy theories in the 1930s, seen as liberal intellectuals whose secretive circles could become centres of opposition. Lodges were broken up and their members imprisoned and killed both in Germany and elsewhere as Nazi troops advanced during WWII.

In 1959, the Polish Masonic collection was formally established as an archive and curators began studying it -- at that time, Freemasonry was banned in the country under Communism. The collection is open to researchers and other visitors, who have included representatives of German Masonic lodges wanting to recover their pre-war history.

The collection was put together under the orders of top Nazi henchman and SS chief Heinrich Himmler and is composed of many smaller archives from European Masonic lodges that were seized by the Nazis. It is seen by researchers as a precious repository of the history of the day-to-day activities of lodges across Europe, ranging from the menus for celebrations to educational texts.

Fine prints, copies of speeches and membership lists of Masonic lodges in Germany and

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Jephthah The Book of Judges provide a very rich tapestry of stories and none more so than that of Jephtah that mighty Gileaditish general who makes his appearance in the Second Degree Tracing Board, Jephthah having been forced into exile by his ungrateful people, when the fear of the Ephraimites threatens to overwhelm the nation they plead with him to return, (rather in the same way another war time leader was exhorted to assume the reins of power and save a nation from possible destruction).

Jephthah pleads for victory and rashly makes a pledge that if he is successful the first thing that emerges from the house he will sacrifice to the Almighty. Sadly for him that happens to be his daughter, legend has it that he decreed that his daughter has to remain housebound for the rest of her life.

Because the Ephraimites could not "frame to pronounce this word" their fell on the field of battle that day forty-two thousand. From that day on it seems that Jephthah lived a life of peace and was a Judge in Israel until his death some six years later. What does it signify? We must hold fast to our honour, our duties, and our promises. Ever remembering those promises solemnly made at the sacred altar of Freemasonry.

Where is this?

What town is depicted in this lovely mural in a lodge? See October (so I can include again as it’s that well done!).

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H

Politics & The Craft Part 1

istorically, Scottish freemasonry has been characterized as a loyalist body focused on organizational solidarity and political stability. Indeed, during the eighteenth century, internal politics certainly influenced the trajectory of freemasonry.

While it would be simplistic to conclude that all Scottish freemasons were bitterly divided along shades of political loyalty, during the early 1800s, a polarization of party allegiances occurred within the Grand Lodge of Scotland which ultimately spilled over into several Edinburgh lodges and resulted in the Masonic Secession of 1808. Considering the demise of operative, or traditional, freemasonry by the close of the eighteenth century, it is not surprising that social and fraternal connections established strictly for trade and building purposes gradually collapsed, eventually replaced by Whig (merged to become Liberal in 1850s) or Tory affiliations.

Peter Clark argues that the general dis-cord which resulted from competing political ideologies during the eighteenth century facilitated the rise of unbiased, impartial venues for the expression of ideas, opinions, and general camaraderie.

These came in the form of clubs and associations such as the freemasons, where political discussions were in theory prohibited, although Clark maintains that the sound of politics was not so much excluded from societies as admitted with the volume turned down. Despite one lodge’s tenuous and questionable fraternization with the Friends of the People, and several masons’ associations with radical clubs, for the greater part of the 1700s Scottish freemasonry was particularly successful in excluding politics from lodge meetings.

themselves dragged into partisan disputes, more especially during times of domestic turmoil. With the election of the Hon. George Ramsay, 9th Earl of Dalhousie as Grand Master in 1808, the Grand Lodge remained under Whig control until the election of James, 2nd Earl of Roslyn, a Tory, in 1810. The Whig Grand Lodge of Scotland was also supported by William Inglis of Middleton, Substitute Grand Master from 1805 to 1828. Inglis was a staunch Whig who attended the Bastille Dinner in 1789 and was a leading masonic cynosure of the early nineteenth century.

The roots of the Masonic Secession of 1808 can be traced quite distinctly to a conflict which occurred in the first half of the eighteenth century, and beleaguered Scottish freemasons for almost six decades. In 1737, the Grand Lodge of Scotland—Lodge Kilwinning on the west coast of Scotland, and Mary’s Chapel Lodge in Edinburgh—were absorbed in a dispute which challenged the scope of authority of the Grand Lodge and cast doubt upon traditional lodge numbering systems, i.e., the somewhat subjective custom of charter conferral based on tendentious claims of antiquity, often authenticated by oral affirmation or allusions to documents which may not still exist. Though the Grand Lodge perceived itself as the supreme federated masonic institution in Scotland, subsuming all lodges into its orbit and nullifying pre-existing masonic privileges, such declarations of authority rankled older lodges—and these grudges did not disappear. Rather, as we shall see in the case of Mary’s Chapel, the lodges seized upon an opportunity in the waning decades of the eighteenth century to discredit, ridicule, and cast asper-sions upon the Grand Lodge. Masonic lodges, especially operative lodges, preferred the rather idiosyncratic and arbitrary system of lodge numbering and despite the Grand Lodge’s efforts to promote a union of love, it is quite clear that some of these lodges would prefer discord and strife to the challenging of traditional modes of independence and masonic custom.

By 1802, however—due largely to the politicization of the Grand Lodge—Scottish freemasonry was gradually splintering along political fault lines. Despite the leadership of distinguished loyalists such as Sir James Stirling and George Gordon it is clear that the Grand Lodge was rapidly becoming a Whig body. Certainly, associations After the dispute over precedence in 1737, Mothwithout a clear political agenda might easily find er Kilwinning refused to relinquish its power to

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Politics & The Craft Part 1 (ctd) grant charters, thus creating a rift between itself and the Grand Lodge. Although this was a minor issue for almost fifty years, it resurfaced in 1794: on 4th August of that same year, the Grand Lodge asserted that the Kilwinning Lodge was to be excluded from all masonic privileges and concessions, a tacit yet highly intentional extrusion from the federal lodge system as it existed under the auspices of the Grand Lodge. Furthermore, the Grand Lodge declared that ‘none of the Lodges holding of them ought either to visit or receive visits from any of the Lodges holding of the Kilwinning Lodge’.

On 14th October 1807, a conference was held in Glasgow to negotiate terms of settlement and agreement between the Grand Lodge and Lodge Kilwinning. In exchange for renouncing its charter-granting privileges, Kilwinning would be placed at the head of the Grand Roll of Scotland, designated as Lodge No. 0. Furthermore, any lodges warranted under Kilwinning would be placed at the end of the roll pending authenticated proof of its charter, and the Master of the lodge was appointed as the Provincial Grand Master for the Ayrshire District. Although the Grand Lodge granted several dispensations to Kilwinning, it had achieved what was arguably its prime objective: the consolidation of masonic authority under one central body.

the members immediately expressed their disapproval over the handling of the situation. On 4 May 1807, the Master of Mary’s Chapel, John Brown, and one of his Wardens, George Cunningham, complained to the Grand Lodge over the perceived double-dealing. Given that its main aim was to achieve a settlement with Kilwinning, it is not surprising that the Grand Lodge concluded that Cunningham’s objections were immaterial.

After a formal written protest was duly ignored, Cunningham again complained about the proceedings, at a Grand Lodge meeting held on 2 November 1807 in Edinburgh. Clearly governed by political priorities rather than fairness, William Inglis at once orchestrated a counter-protest and Cunningham’s motion to review the events was discarded. Regardless of a warning from Mary’s Chapel that it was determined ‘neither to be sold nor compelled to resign [its] seniority, to attempt either of which will undoubtedly lead to a secession, the threats were dismissed as meaningless.

What happened next? See Part 2 next month.

My thanks to Mark Wallace who wrote his PhD on freemasonry. This article will appear in full in the Book of the Old Edinburgh Club, for which it was accepted prior to presentation at the Modern LanThe entire affair had been conducted with-out the guage Association Conference. participation of Mary’s Chapel No.1 in Edinburgh.

Relegated to the second oldest lodge in Scotland, Click here for details.

Dalhousie

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Rosslyn

Page 22

The Black Bull Inn

Built in 1795 The Black Bull Inn was ideally positioned at the Cross where the High Street crosses between the short George Street and McDowall Street. It should also be considered a very important building in the life of the new town of Johnstone and surrounding areas as was its proprietor Bro. Robert Hodgart. Bro. Hodgart was the tenant in Barbush Farm 1806-1831 (later owned by Bro. James Craig PM) before taking on the inn. He also built the bridge over the Cart between Barbush and Rankine Street, dismantled about 1865.

by the ever increasing population attracted by employment in the several mills and subsequently engineering firms that sprung up.

The Black Bull was one of the oldest buildings in the town as the land for the new town of Johnstone was only feued by the Laird in 1782. The Inn had moved from 53 High Street to a much larger building more suitable for a coaching Inn able to provide the typical needs of travellers and locals alike.

Bro. Robert Hodgart was a Lieutenant of the Johnstone Volunteer Infantry. He had seen previous service in the Renfrewshire Yeomanry Infantry (see over). Bro. Hodgart later became a Captain in the 2nd Regiment of Renfrewshire Local Militia in 1811 when 242 was consecrated, serving until it’s disembodiment after the Battle of Waterloo, 1815.

The stables were to the rear in George Street which ran down a short distance almost to the Black Cart Water. These became the George Cinema then a motor bike repair shop in the 1960s. The Inn provided rooms and sustenance for horses, coaches and walkers who were making their way from Greenock to Glasgow and all places in between.

Of course, it would also have been frequented

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The Black Bull Inn Assembly Rooms was the main venue for business deals, meetings, property sales and even Masonic meetings.

Regular sales by roup auctions, societies, AGMs, functions were held here throughout the 19th century. He was from a family associated with the lodge for over 100 years (seven members) including one of the founders.

Another service provided at the Inn was the Past Office with Robert’s daughter Mary postmistress. Bro. Hodgart was apparently a man of extensive vision when he ensured The Black Bull Inn was the first Inn in Britain to have central heating installed in 1809 with a steam-kitchen and a large ballroom, among other improvements.

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The Black Bull Inn (ctd) How did the Black Bull Inn come to have cen- these fair days. In the early 1830’s Johnstone tral heating in the first place?

Cross, nearly opposite to the Black Bull Inn, is distant from the Cross of Paisley, 3 miles, 5 The answer I believe lies close to hand in that furlongs, 34 poles. Fairs are held on the Bro. George Houston the Laird and mill own- Thursday following the second Monday of er had employed a man in his cotton mill July and on the last Thursday of October, for named Bro. Neil Snodgrass (brother to cattle; also, on the last Friday of December Campbell, another founder) who had invent- for horses. ed and installed a steam heating system for the Laird’s cotton mill in 1794. Bro. Snod- Although this market is not generally known, grass went on to install a further steam sys- being but lately established; yet, from the extem in another mill saving a significant cellent supply of cattle brought forward amount of money for the owners. By 1804 he promises to be one of the most numerously was manager of Messrs Houston & CO’s mills. attended Fairs in the West of Scotland. The marketplace is spacious and very extensive, Bro. Neil Snodgrass was awarded a Gold affording accommodation rarely to be met Medal by The London Society of the Arts in with.

1806 for his inventions.

The Black Bull Inn remained an integral part Within a few years Bro. Robert Hodgart had of the fabric of Johnstone for many more let the Inn to a tenant and moved on to his years before succumbing and lying empty next venture a coach service to Paisley. Sad- and being allowed to decay until it was dely less than six years from steam heating be- molished in 1984. Like so many of our iming installed it was condemned by the next portant old buildings The Black Bull Inn tenant of the Black Bull who was too feart to passed into history only kept alive in our switch it on and never used it again! memories.

In the 1830’s, Bro. Hodgart’s coaches left My thanks to Bro. Eddie McRorie of 242 and from the Black Bull Inn for Paisley at 10am Johnstone History for writing and collating and 5pm. At about the same period The information for this article.

Black Bull Inn would have been very busy on

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Royal Naval Lodge No.59 (EC) The lodge was consecrated in January, 1739 as the Lodge of Relief with Truth No.179 and then renamed in 1793 as Royal Naval Lodge and numbered 59 from 1894 and shortly after formation lost its connection with the Navy.

The inventor of the life preserver, Bro. Francis Columbine Daniel was the master and Treasurer of Lodge 59 on a number of occasions. On 21 July 1806, crowds thronged to the River Thames in London to view an exhibition of Francis Columbine Daniel’s patented life preserver.

Made from leather and silk, it was the forerunner of today’s inflatable life vest. A report of the demonstration cites people floating down the river playing musical instruments and smoking pipes!

There are other naval lodges in existence at the time: Navy No. 2612 (more famous for its members such as the Duke of Kent and Scott of the Antarctic), meeting in London, Royal Navy Lodge No. 429, meeting in Ramsgate, Kent Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve No.3923 in London and White Ensign No.9169 in Redditch.

However, despite not having a host of well known brethren, it did have one famous visitor.

On 10 December 1928 Bro. Winston Churchill visited Royal Naval Lodge No.59 as the guest of the Master, W .H. Bernau.

Below are old tracing boards by Josiah Bowring in possession of the lodge although on loan to the London Museum of Freemasonry and a front cover of their Installation Banquet in The Holborn Restaurant. The lodge continues to meet at Great Queen Street in January—March, October and December.

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Make it a Million

It’s getting closer—how can you contribute? See below for Bro. Ronnie’s zip slide. This should bring it closer to £970,000 for Prostate Scotland!

Tickets still available for:

PGL Renfrewshire East By zipsliding over the Clyde, the PGM Bro. Ronnie Fraser will be fundraising in aid of Prostate Scotland as part of the Grand Lodge of Scotland's, Make it a Million Campaign. Ronnie Fraser is fundraising for Prostate Scotland (justgiving.com) On the right, Brother Gavin Burt SPGM completed a sponsored hill walk up Ben Lomond in aid of the PGL 200th Anniversary Fund—great achievement.

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Glasgow Royal Arch Lodge No.77

T

he lodge was formed in June 1763 and was known to have initiated James Watt of Greenock the famous engineer who was involved with developing the steam engine. However, his record of membership is not to be found in the register of members held by the Grand Lodge of Scotland possibly because the lodge was struggling financially and did not inform GL. Bear in mind, this was before Provincial Grand Masters had been appointed to keep a track of lodges in their areas.

Craft and Raised a Master After having payd the usual dues According to the bylaws of the Lodge and has behaved himself as becometh.

Given under our hands at Glasgow this 10th June A.M. 5763 All we know of the Royal Arch Lodge is that it had the distinction of having a Masonic song in its honour which appeared in most of the Masonic song books which were so popular then.

His diploma from the lodge (not GL in those It also had in its possession the James Watt days) stated: Organ which could be the organ that was displayed in the People’s Palace.

These are to Certify that the Bearer hereof The Lodge ceased to exist in 1810.

Brother James Watt was Admitted and Received and Entered Apprentice, Past a Fellow

The Lord’s Prayer

Masonic Lord's Prayer drawing; shows house, lighthouse, ships, eagle, building on top; reads "Commerce / Agriculture"; in the centre a red heart containing the Lord's Prayer, surrounded by "Is yours a Bacon or a Locke to blame / A Newton's genius of a military flame / He hears his numerous herds low o'er the plain / The neighbouring hills low back to them again"; two yellow arches containing "Liberty, Justice, Peace / By the unanimous order of the convention / G Washington / W Johnson, Sec. Sept. 17, 1787 / Love, Honour, Virtue, For the Virtuous / flower vines; bottom has square and compasses, two circles, entwined diamonds reading "...fleeting visions...our...Till death...And...souls peace / Till then / let peace enshroud thee with her wings / And love in whispers...round the heart / Let innocence attend they every style And guardian angels keep... / United we stand, Divided we fall / C.R. Warren"; in red, yellow, blue.

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PGLRE Library The Librarian is Bro. Sean Waite of 1170 who is a qualified Historian.

As you may know, a Masonic Library was set up at Provincial Grand Lodge at Maxwelton Road about 6 or 7 years ago. This was a big project and is a valuable source of research material for all brethren within and without the Province.

For the last few months, I have taken on the responsibility for maintaining and developing the library and for ensuring that it is accessible to the brethren on a regular basis.

At the moment, I open the library from 10:00 - 14:00 on a Monday. The communication went out just before recess started for most lodges in the Province, so some brethren may not be aware of this. I will communicate again after the recess to ensure the message goes out to all lodges.

I am planning to change the opening day to a Wednesday in the next week or two, to dovetail with the Breakfast Club that meets at Maxwelton Road on a Wednesday morning. If some of the brethren are on site for this, they may wish to stay on and use the library. I hope to buy some newly published books which will be of interest, to add to the library. It may be that I ask each lodge for a very small donation to a 'book fund' to cover the cost. More on this soon!

Ayrshire Young Masons’ Association This newish group has a very exciting programme planned for the year and is definitely something that is attracting young (in terms of age) masons. Their autumn assembly which is open to all is shown below and a full article about them will appear in December Cross Keys.

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Initiation by Light This is the first of four reviews over the next four months by Bro. Chris Earnshaw—the books are thought provoking and should be part of every masonic library.

In the early days of freemasonry not many documents were kept and in fact many were destroyed in 1720. However, with a close scrutiny of the ritual and understanding the social history of the time, we can piece together a credible story.

“Freemasonry: Initiation by Light” introduces the early years of the Craft, and paints a picture of early London after the great fire which destroyed the mercantile sector of the city as well as Saint Paul’s cathedral. Operative Masons flocked to London in search of work and at the same time they established lodges where they could meet after work. Some early exposes of Operative Freemasonry are introduced and analyzed to see their connection to Speculative Freemasonry. The beginning of Speculative Masonry had a rocky start with the first three noble Grand Masters, however contributing factors helped the growth of the Premier Grand Lodge [before it came the Grand Lodge of England in the 1730s] that led to such quick growth of the membership and the success of the Grand Lodge. However, there was competition from various quarters, for example the Grand Lodge of the Antients, and the Chinese Order of the Gormogons.

tive Freemasonry is based on Chinese Daoism. Twenty -six correspondences between both the ritual of Masonry and the Lodge itself are shown to have a similarity with Daoism. One of the important factors was the role of Jesuit priests in disseminating Latin translations of Chinese classics in Europe, and secondly bringing a Chinese mandarin who had been prepared for ordination in the Catholic Church, and who stayed at the University of Oxford and mingled with famous people such as Robert Boyle, Isaac Newton and even King James II. There is evidence to show that the mandarin, Shen FuZong, taught the secrets of the YiJing and Daoism to a scholar at the University of Oxford.

Then the book analyzes the chain of transmission of these ideas, which shows that there were many candidates who could have introduced them to the first three Grand Masters.

The analysis of the initiation by light, when seen from a Daoist perspective, suddenly takes on a new spiritual meaning. Freemasons, the Sons of Light, suddenly realize that they are on a quest, and this quest is revealed to them in the Second and Third Degrees. The ritual of Freemasonry then takes on a new meaning for Brethren. As a Brother wrote: What is unique about this book is that it “there is not one more eloquent act than the shows in detail the possibility that Speculabringing of the candidate to light.”

Christopher J. Earnshaw PhD 33° is a British Citizen living in Tokyo and author of the “Spiritual Freemasonry” books. He is a Past Grand Historian, Grand Lodge of Japan, Past Master of the Research Lodge, Grand Lodge of Japan, Scottish Rite 33° IGH, Past-Chairman of Education Committee, recipient of the Order of Merit, Grand Lodge of Japan, for educational activities and a Past Master of Sinim Lodge, Grand Lodge of Massachusetts.

Social Media Links: Spiritual Freemasonry videos: http://youtube.com/c/spiritualfreemasonry Twitter: @AuthorEarnshaw: https://twitter.com/AuthorEarnshaw Podcasts: Freemasonry in 7 Minutes or Less: https://anchor.fm/earnshaw-christopher Website: http://chris-earnshaw.com

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Out & About Dumbarton Lodge Minutes of 1726:

McArthur, John McNiell & George Ritchie entered prentices. All by the advice and with ConThere is no doubt that the third degree was sent of John Hamilton the Great Master of the being worked in Scotland as early as 1725. Lodge.

The earliest Minutes of the Lodge of Dumbarton No. 18, dated 20 January 1726, reveal that The following entry states: those present included John Hamilton, Great Master, accompanied by seven Master Ma- Lodge of Dunbritan 25th March 1726 – . . . The sons, six Fellow Crafts and three Entered Ap- said day Gabriell Porterfield By unanimous prentices: Consent of the Masters, was admitted and received a Master of the Fraternity who Renewed Att the Lodge of Dunbritan the 20th January, his oath and Gave in his entry money in the 1726 “The which day being the first meeting of termes of the Institution All which ammount to the Masons thereof after their Constitution, The Sume of Nine pound Twelve Shilling Scots, Conveened John Campbell, James Brock, George Left in the Box. McGie, James Nucoll, William Wallace, James McFarland, and Walter Williamson Masters, This is the first record of a third degree cereJohn McLauchlan, James Wallace, James mony in Scotland, although there must have Colquhoun, William Mitchell, Gabriell Porter- been earlier raisings. field, & Robert Fleming Fellows of Craft, James The photos show the E in Lodge Beith St. John No. 157 and the stained glass window in the entrance door. The lodge meets 1st and 3rd Thursday September to May (January—1st Thursday only), at 7.30 p.m. It is definitely worth a visit (wee hint for Dogie RWM . . .). Both the lodge room and the social club are looking good.

A Royal Arch Unsustained The rapidity with which Masons are made in these days, and the knowledge (or rather lack of knowledge) ‘which lowing incident, which came under our observation : A brother was exalted, and before twelve months had passed left for New York, destitute of a knowledge of Capitular Masonry, and desirous of visiting a Chapter, he was refused for not possessing the necessary word and manner of communicating it: whereupon he posted a letter to the Recorder of his Chapiter for it and for instructions! It was our pleasure to read the letter—a perfect gem (?) of Masonic

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ignorance. This individual Companion does not stand solitary and alone in the Masonic world, but has a host for company. A year’s subscription and the perusal of a well conducted Masonic journal would have saved him from becoming the butt and laughing stock, of his Chapter.

From The Masonic News 6th January, 1873 The author of this piece certainly did not hold back on what he thought of this particular brother who did not shed a good light on the Scottish Craft abroad.

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Congratulations Congratulations to Bro. Darryl Gordon of 242 on receiving his MBE from Princess Anne just before the recess. It was awarded for Darryl’s work with NATO contributing towards their communications, logistical and crypto operational outputs to deployed units. It was awarded in 2020 but due to Covid, it was delayed.

Masonic Windows Freemasonry first came to Liskeard in 1845 with the formation of St Martin’s Lodge, the Lodge met at several different venues before the current building in The Parade was erected in 1872.

However, it is good see that freemasonry is deemed an important aspect of town life.

Liskeard has a sizeable Masonic presence with no fewer than eight Masonic bodies meeting at the Masonic Hall: St Martin's Lodge No. 510 and Royal Arch Chapter No. The masonic building, which opened in 1862, 510, Mark, RAM, 18th, OSM, Acorn & Athelwas the work of John Paul, who was from stan Orders all meet in the lodge building.

Morval and was himself a freemason. He worked with Liskeard's foremost and bestThe windows are quite spectacular and can known architect, Henry Rice, who, it is said, be viewed fully here. The lodge meets on the valued John Paul's meticulous work. first Tuesday of each month at 7:15 pm.

From a kids’ website about the town!!!

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Dutch café with two statues of masons showing how lodges met in coffee houses before many built their own premises.

Just before the recess, the Treaty has been officially signed by both Grand Masters’ of Prince Hall Grand Lodge and the Grand Lodge of Georgia is official recognition of each body.

This might now see joint ventures between both bodies for the good of the Craft and externally within the State of Georgia.

Guards Masonic Tactical Recognition Flash lapel pins for Household Division Lodge No.9545 (EC) are available from: Household Division Lodge 9545 Contact Twitter: @HD_LODGE_9545 Facebook: www.facebook.com/householddivisionlodge

To submit an article or want added to the mail list or Facebook group, contact the Editor, Grant Macleod: E-Mail:

sec242pm@yahoo.co.uk

Website: http://lodge242.bravesites.com/

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