The History Of Freemasonry.

THE HISTORY OF FREEMASONRY .

( Continued from page 130 . ) BRO . GOULD commences his sketch of the " Lodge of Aberdeen " by enumerating the materials from which he has mainly compiled it , namely , the "Burgh Records" in the publications of the Spalding Club , Bro .

Hughan ' s articles in the Voice of Masonry ( 1872 . 74 ) , and the 44 th Chapter of Lyon ' s History , together with information since obtained by Bro . Hnghan through Bro . John Jamieson , a P . M . of the Lodge . From the Records are extracted different references to Masonry , from which it is

evident that this Lodge , or a Lodge of Masons , existed in Aberdeen at a very remote period . In the first volume , under date of the year 1399 , is " an account of an early contract between the ' comownys of Ab'den' on the one part , and two ' masonys' on the other part , which was

agreed to on the Feast of St . Michael the Archangel . The work contracted for was to hew ' xii durris & xii wyndowys in fre tailly , ' and the work was to be delivered in good order at any quay in Aberdeen . " On the 27 th June 1483 , mention is made of the " master of the kirk wark " having

decreed that the " masownys of the luge , " consisting of six members as enumerated " were to pay 20 s and 40 s to the Parish Church ( ' Sainte Nicholace Wark' ) for the first and second offences respectively , in the event of either of these raising any debate or controversy . " It was laid down that

" ' gif thai fautit the thrid ( third ) tym , ' they wore ' to be excludit out of the luge as a common forfactour , ' " the said masons " being ' obligated' to obedience'' be the faith of thare bodiis . '" On the 15 th November 1493 , "three masons were hired for a year by the Aldermen and Council ,

to ' abide in thar service , batht in the Inge and vtenche , and pass to Cowe '—according to the Rev . A . T . Grant , " Gove , a fishing village four miles from Aberdeen "' thar to hewe and wirk one thar aone expensis , for the stuf and bigyne of thar kirk werke , and thai haue sworne the

gret bodely aithe to do thar saide seruice and werk for this yer , for the quhilkis thai sal pay to ilk ane of the said masonis xx merkis vsuale money of Scotland alarnelie , but al accidents of trade . ' One of the three masons bore the name of Mathou Wricht , who was also mentioned in the

decree of 1483 and probably was the same who is referred to ( November 22 , 1498 ) as agreeing , ' be his hand ophaldin , to make gude seruice in the luge '— ' the said day ' ( it is also noted ) ' that Nichol Masone and Dauid "Wricht oblist thame be the fathis of thar bodiis , the gret aithe

sworne , to remane at Sanct Nicholes werk in the luge . . . to beleile trew in all pontis , ' & c . " On 1 st February 1484 , "it was ordered that' Craftsmen' bear their 'tokens' on their breasts on Candlemas Day , and on January 23 , 1496 , that every craft have its standard . " On 22 May 1531 , the

Provost and- Council ordained " that in ' honour of God and the blessit Virgin Marye , the craftismen , in thair best array , keep and decoir the processiouu on Corpus Cristi dais , and Candilmes day , every craft with thair awin baner ,

with the armes of thair craft thairin .... last of all , nearest the Sacrament , passis all hammermen , that is to say , smythis , wrichtis , masonis , cuparis , sclateris , goldsmythis , and armouraris . ' " Then " a visitor " who was

The History Of Freemasonry.

chosen yearly by each craft , " according to the rule of October 4 , 1555 , " was bound " to see that all the statutes and ordinances were faithfully kept , and particularly that ' thair be na craftisman maid fre man to vse his oraf fc except he haf serait as pventise under ano maistor thro yjiris ,

and be found sufficient and qualifeit in his craft to bo ane maister . " As to whether the old " Lodge of Aberdoen " is one and the same with the " Lugo " referred to so often above , Bro . Gould remarks : " It is now impossible to provo the identity of the ancient Lodge of Aberdeen with that

described in the Burgh Records of 1483 , though , for my own part , I see no reason to doubt the probability of their being one and the same . In early days there does not seem to have been more hhan a single lodge in each tovvu or city—which had a monopoly of the rights and privileges

pertaining to tho trade—until secessions gradually led to the formation of a rival sodality , as at Edinburgh in the seventeenth century . " At all events , as he had just previously stated , " the Lodge of Aberdeen existed at a very early date , " while " the references in the fifteenth century

to tho lodge in that city , of themselves , abundantly prove , that at the period in question tho masons assembled in a lodge and apparently not always for strictly operative purposes . " But whatever may be said on this point of identity , there can be no question as to the great antiquity of tho

Lodge , notwithstanding it has been assigned so absurdly low a place on the roll of Grand Lodge of Scotland as No . 34 . It is even now " officially acknowledged as ' he . fore 1670 , ' " though " it must have been at work long before the latter year , according to the declaration of its

veritable records , which , of those preserved , commence A D . 1670 . " Moreover , when , on the 30 th November 1743 , the Grand Lodge of Scotland granted a warrant to it , it ac knowledged " as the period of its formation" the year

1541 , because " the Seal of Cause of the masons and wrights was confirmed on May 6 , 1541 , under the common seal of the burgh . "

On one other point Bro . Gould very properly lays great stress , because it shows the theory as to the hereditary Grand Mastership of Scotland having been vested in tho St . Clairs is a myth . This is the grant referred to in an earlier part of our review that " was made in favour of

Patrick Coip land of TJdaucht as warden ' over all the boundis of Aberdene , Banff , and Kincarne' by no less an authority than King James VI . " As to the terms of this grant , which is cited by Hughan in the Voice of Masonry , Bro . Gould says they ' are singularly interesting and

suggestive , for they are to the effect ( a ) that the Laird of TJdaucht possessed the needful qualifications to act as a warden over the ' airt and craft of masonrie ; ' ( b ) that his predecessors had of old been wardens in like manner ; ( c ) the said Patrick Coipland having been ' electit ane chosin

to the said office be common consent of the maist pairfc of the Master Masounes within the three Sheriffdornes ; ' ( cl ) the king graciously ratifies their choice , constitutes Coipland 1 Wardene and Justice ovir them for all the dayes of his lyif ; ' and ( e ) empowers him to act like any other warden

elsewhere , receiving all fees , & c , holding courts , appointing clerks and other needful officers , & c . " The document is dated 25 th September 1590 , and it is added a little further on , " If the office of Grand Master for all Scotland

Ar00101

iliX X fe fe ( COMFORTING ) COCOA ..