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
Cross Keys September 2022
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