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The History Of Freemasonry.
had been held by the St . Clair family ( putting on one side tho question whether tho younger branch could or could not claim this hereditary privilege ) , clearly Coipland ' s appointment would never have been made by the king , neither would the Masons of Edinburgh , Perth , and other
cities have allowed it to pass sub sileutio . " Ho adds also " That the semi-hereditary office of warden for the counties named was lawfully held by succession in the case of Coipland , subject to the consent in part of the master masons iiiid ratification by the king , completely sets asido Lawrie ' s
chum on behalf of the St . Clairs , as Hughan fully demonstrated in tho history referred to , " but the appointmerit " was of a purely local character , being confined to tho districts named , other wardens doubtless acting in a similar capacity for the other counties , and superior to all thoso was the General Warden , William Schaw . "
Subsequently , the operatives , " whoso proceedings it was the function of this high official to regulate and control , " appear to have considered it right " they should have a hand in his appointment , " and "tho Acts of the Scottish Parliament , under the ye ir 1641 " are referred to as
containing " tho humble remonstrance of all the Artificers of tho Kingdome , who ' in one voyce' doe supplicate his Majestic and the Estates of Parliament , least men incapable of the charge of Mr . of Work may attaino to that : therefore it may be enacted that none shall ever bruik or be
admitted to that place of Mr . of Work , but such as shalbe recommended to his Majestie as sufficiently qualified by the whole Wardens and Deacons of the Masons , Wrights , and others chosen by them , assembled for that purpose by the Parliament and Priuie Councell when the place of Mr . of
Work shall happen to be vacant . " Bro . Gould says this remonstrance would seem to have been dictated by the apprehension that an unfit person would be appointed to the charge of the king ' s works , great stress being laid by the petitioners " on the importance of the 'Wisdome ,
Authorise and Qualities , ' of this hi gh officer , ' being such as may make him deserue to be Generall Wardene of the whole artificers of buildings , as worthy men haue euer formerly bene . ' " As to whether any answer was returned to this petition , Bro . Gould is unable to say , the only further
allusion to this office being "in volume vi . of the Scottish Statutes , under the year 1645 , when thero is a ' ratification by Sir John Veitch of Daruall , in favour of Daniel Carinichael of the office of master of work , and general warden of the king ' s tradesmen . ' "
Bro . Gould next passes to an examination of the Lodge records , among which have fortunately been preserved the " Lawes and Statutes ordained be the honourable Lodge of Aberdein , December 27 , 1670 . " Of these , which are eight in number , he gives a summary , statute by statute ,
and then goes on to remark : " These curious ordinances of a bygone age present some remarkable features , which , as ^ yet , have been very imperfectly considered . We perceive that upwards of two hundred years ago ' speculative ' Masonry was known and provided for—gentle men- Masons
being required to pay higher fees at entry , and their presence being heartily welcomed at the festivals of the lodge . Examined in connection with the lists of members I shall presently exhibit , the existing records of the Lodge of Aberdeen afford conclusive evidence , not only of ' speculative '
customs , but actuall y of Speculative ascendancy in the year 1670 . _ The power of the master was then even more absolute than it is now , and the duties of the warden corresponded very closely with those peculiar to that position in modern times . The ' officer' received a gratuit y in those days
from initiates , much as many tylers do now , and no more precautions are taken under the modern system to secure privacy than in days of yore . The charitable nature of the fraternity is embodied in the rules for the' Poor Box , ' which article of . furniture is not neglected in our own ceremonies
, and during the last century , not to say later , the candidates had often to provide a treat at their admission ; the regulations also for the annual festivals were , at both periods , somewhat alike in character . " He points out , however
that there was no such thing as a degree—in the sense in which the term is now used—of Master Mason , and in tho arguments he adduces in support of his views we most fully concur . The " Measson Charter , " which is also preserved , and to which reference was made in the former
volume , is briefly dismissed , and then we have a list of " The names of us all who are the Authoires of and Subscryuers of this Book in order as followefch , " among them being " Harrie Elphinston , " who is described as " Tutor of Airth : Collector of the Kinges Customes of Aberdeen :
The History Of Freemasonry.
Measson : and : Master of our Honourable : Lodge of Aberdeen : " tho " Earl of Findlator Measson ; " the " Lord Pitsligo Measson ; " tho Earls of Dnnfermlino and Errolle , both " Meassona , " and several merchants , ministers , " Chyrurgeons , " & c . & o . Against each name is inserted
a mark , and thon comes the following paragraph : " So endes yo names of us all who are the Authoires off this Book & ye meassonis box in order , according till our ages , as woo wer made fellow craft ( from qth wee reckon our age ); so wee in treat all our good successores in ye
measson craft to follow our Rule as yor patternes , and not to stryvo for place , for heir ye may sio above wr and amongst ye rest our names , personnes of a meane degree insrt be for great persones of qualitie . Memento yer is no entered prentises insrt amongst us who are ye Authoires of
yis book . And therefor wee ordaine all our successoires in ye measson craft not to Insrt any entered prenteise until he bo past as fellow craft , and lykwaycs wee ordaine all our successores , both entered prenteises and fellow crafts to pay in to ye box ene rex dollar at yer recoaving , or ane
sufficient caut" for it till a day by and att our yr composit" . Wee ordaine lykwayes yat ye measson charter be read at yo entering of everio entered prenteise , and ye wholl Lawes of yis book , yee shall fynd ye charter in ye hinder end of yis book . Fare weell . " This list is followed
by one of the " Entered Prenteises , " the two constituting the members of the Lodge in the yeare in question . The list of " Successors " is referred to , and from the three Bro . Gould has no difficulty in establishing the existence of the Speculative element in the lodge even at this early period .
However , wo need not follow him in his examination , it being sufficient if we note that in his remarks he points out that "throughout the records" there is " not a single reference to the ' perfect limb' legislation , which , of late years has been so much insisted upon in American
Freemasonry ; and we shall vainly search in the records of those early times for a full specification of tho iwenty . five ' Landmarks , ' which modern research pronounce to be both ancient and unalterable . " The following , however , as possessing " some interesting features " may be quoted :
" Att the Measson Hall of aberdein , 20 of December , 1709 . the honorable lodge thereof being lawfullie called and conveined to setle ane compositione upon those who shallbe entered prenteises in our forsaid lodge of aberdeine , and all unanimouslie agreed that the
meassones prenteises within the said lodge shall pay for the Benefit of the measson word twelfe poundes Scots at ther entrie yr to , with all necessarie dewes to the clerke and officer , with speaking pynt and dinner , and all those who shall be entered in our Lodge who hath not served
their prenteishipe therein , is to pay sixtein pounds Scots , with all dues conforme as aforesaid , and this act is to stand ad futurem re memoriam . In witness whereof wee , the Maister and Warden and Maisters of this honorable Lodgehave signed thir presents with our hands , day and dait forsaid . " This about concludes Brother Gould ' s sketch of the
Aberdeen Lodge , and is followed by particulars of other such Lodges . The following paragraph in which the " Mason Word " is referred to being from the " Lodge of St . John , " Kelso , No . 58 : " It is quite within the limits of possibility that this lodge was in existence in the
seventeenth century , or even earlier , and possibly it was the source from which a knowledge of the ' word ' was derived by the Rev . James Ainslie . This Presbyterian clergyman ' was laureated at the University of Edinburgh , April 17 , 1639 , called January 11 , and admitted and instituted
( after being sustained by the General Assembly ) December 9 , 1652 . Objection having been taken because he was a Freemason , and the neighbouring presbytery consulted previous to entering him on trials , the presbytery of Kelso , February 24 , 1652 , replied ' that to their judgment there is
neither srane nor scandale in that word , because in the present tymes of this kirke , maisons haveing that word have been ministers ; that maisons and men . haveing that word have been and are daylie in our sessions , and many professors haveing that word are daylie admitted to the
ordinances . ' He was deprived by the Acts of Parliament June 11 , and of the Privy Council October 1 ,. 1 G 62 . " Other passages in which reference is made to the " word " are also mentioned . The last Lodge of which an account
is given is the independent Lodge of Melrose , and then Bro . Gould breaks off from his study of " Early British Freemasonry " in order to glance at subjects which must be reserved for a future article . ( To be continued ) .
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The History Of Freemasonry.
had been held by the St . Clair family ( putting on one side tho question whether tho younger branch could or could not claim this hereditary privilege ) , clearly Coipland ' s appointment would never have been made by the king , neither would the Masons of Edinburgh , Perth , and other
cities have allowed it to pass sub sileutio . " Ho adds also " That the semi-hereditary office of warden for the counties named was lawfully held by succession in the case of Coipland , subject to the consent in part of the master masons iiiid ratification by the king , completely sets asido Lawrie ' s
chum on behalf of the St . Clairs , as Hughan fully demonstrated in tho history referred to , " but the appointmerit " was of a purely local character , being confined to tho districts named , other wardens doubtless acting in a similar capacity for the other counties , and superior to all thoso was the General Warden , William Schaw . "
Subsequently , the operatives , " whoso proceedings it was the function of this high official to regulate and control , " appear to have considered it right " they should have a hand in his appointment , " and "tho Acts of the Scottish Parliament , under the ye ir 1641 " are referred to as
containing " tho humble remonstrance of all the Artificers of tho Kingdome , who ' in one voyce' doe supplicate his Majestic and the Estates of Parliament , least men incapable of the charge of Mr . of Work may attaino to that : therefore it may be enacted that none shall ever bruik or be
admitted to that place of Mr . of Work , but such as shalbe recommended to his Majestie as sufficiently qualified by the whole Wardens and Deacons of the Masons , Wrights , and others chosen by them , assembled for that purpose by the Parliament and Priuie Councell when the place of Mr . of
Work shall happen to be vacant . " Bro . Gould says this remonstrance would seem to have been dictated by the apprehension that an unfit person would be appointed to the charge of the king ' s works , great stress being laid by the petitioners " on the importance of the 'Wisdome ,
Authorise and Qualities , ' of this hi gh officer , ' being such as may make him deserue to be Generall Wardene of the whole artificers of buildings , as worthy men haue euer formerly bene . ' " As to whether any answer was returned to this petition , Bro . Gould is unable to say , the only further
allusion to this office being "in volume vi . of the Scottish Statutes , under the year 1645 , when thero is a ' ratification by Sir John Veitch of Daruall , in favour of Daniel Carinichael of the office of master of work , and general warden of the king ' s tradesmen . ' "
Bro . Gould next passes to an examination of the Lodge records , among which have fortunately been preserved the " Lawes and Statutes ordained be the honourable Lodge of Aberdein , December 27 , 1670 . " Of these , which are eight in number , he gives a summary , statute by statute ,
and then goes on to remark : " These curious ordinances of a bygone age present some remarkable features , which , as ^ yet , have been very imperfectly considered . We perceive that upwards of two hundred years ago ' speculative ' Masonry was known and provided for—gentle men- Masons
being required to pay higher fees at entry , and their presence being heartily welcomed at the festivals of the lodge . Examined in connection with the lists of members I shall presently exhibit , the existing records of the Lodge of Aberdeen afford conclusive evidence , not only of ' speculative '
customs , but actuall y of Speculative ascendancy in the year 1670 . _ The power of the master was then even more absolute than it is now , and the duties of the warden corresponded very closely with those peculiar to that position in modern times . The ' officer' received a gratuit y in those days
from initiates , much as many tylers do now , and no more precautions are taken under the modern system to secure privacy than in days of yore . The charitable nature of the fraternity is embodied in the rules for the' Poor Box , ' which article of . furniture is not neglected in our own ceremonies
, and during the last century , not to say later , the candidates had often to provide a treat at their admission ; the regulations also for the annual festivals were , at both periods , somewhat alike in character . " He points out , however
that there was no such thing as a degree—in the sense in which the term is now used—of Master Mason , and in tho arguments he adduces in support of his views we most fully concur . The " Measson Charter , " which is also preserved , and to which reference was made in the former
volume , is briefly dismissed , and then we have a list of " The names of us all who are the Authoires of and Subscryuers of this Book in order as followefch , " among them being " Harrie Elphinston , " who is described as " Tutor of Airth : Collector of the Kinges Customes of Aberdeen :
The History Of Freemasonry.
Measson : and : Master of our Honourable : Lodge of Aberdeen : " tho " Earl of Findlator Measson ; " the " Lord Pitsligo Measson ; " tho Earls of Dnnfermlino and Errolle , both " Meassona , " and several merchants , ministers , " Chyrurgeons , " & c . & o . Against each name is inserted
a mark , and thon comes the following paragraph : " So endes yo names of us all who are the Authoires off this Book & ye meassonis box in order , according till our ages , as woo wer made fellow craft ( from qth wee reckon our age ); so wee in treat all our good successores in ye
measson craft to follow our Rule as yor patternes , and not to stryvo for place , for heir ye may sio above wr and amongst ye rest our names , personnes of a meane degree insrt be for great persones of qualitie . Memento yer is no entered prentises insrt amongst us who are ye Authoires of
yis book . And therefor wee ordaine all our successoires in ye measson craft not to Insrt any entered prenteise until he bo past as fellow craft , and lykwaycs wee ordaine all our successores , both entered prenteises and fellow crafts to pay in to ye box ene rex dollar at yer recoaving , or ane
sufficient caut" for it till a day by and att our yr composit" . Wee ordaine lykwayes yat ye measson charter be read at yo entering of everio entered prenteise , and ye wholl Lawes of yis book , yee shall fynd ye charter in ye hinder end of yis book . Fare weell . " This list is followed
by one of the " Entered Prenteises , " the two constituting the members of the Lodge in the yeare in question . The list of " Successors " is referred to , and from the three Bro . Gould has no difficulty in establishing the existence of the Speculative element in the lodge even at this early period .
However , wo need not follow him in his examination , it being sufficient if we note that in his remarks he points out that "throughout the records" there is " not a single reference to the ' perfect limb' legislation , which , of late years has been so much insisted upon in American
Freemasonry ; and we shall vainly search in the records of those early times for a full specification of tho iwenty . five ' Landmarks , ' which modern research pronounce to be both ancient and unalterable . " The following , however , as possessing " some interesting features " may be quoted :
" Att the Measson Hall of aberdein , 20 of December , 1709 . the honorable lodge thereof being lawfullie called and conveined to setle ane compositione upon those who shallbe entered prenteises in our forsaid lodge of aberdeine , and all unanimouslie agreed that the
meassones prenteises within the said lodge shall pay for the Benefit of the measson word twelfe poundes Scots at ther entrie yr to , with all necessarie dewes to the clerke and officer , with speaking pynt and dinner , and all those who shall be entered in our Lodge who hath not served
their prenteishipe therein , is to pay sixtein pounds Scots , with all dues conforme as aforesaid , and this act is to stand ad futurem re memoriam . In witness whereof wee , the Maister and Warden and Maisters of this honorable Lodgehave signed thir presents with our hands , day and dait forsaid . " This about concludes Brother Gould ' s sketch of the
Aberdeen Lodge , and is followed by particulars of other such Lodges . The following paragraph in which the " Mason Word " is referred to being from the " Lodge of St . John , " Kelso , No . 58 : " It is quite within the limits of possibility that this lodge was in existence in the
seventeenth century , or even earlier , and possibly it was the source from which a knowledge of the ' word ' was derived by the Rev . James Ainslie . This Presbyterian clergyman ' was laureated at the University of Edinburgh , April 17 , 1639 , called January 11 , and admitted and instituted
( after being sustained by the General Assembly ) December 9 , 1652 . Objection having been taken because he was a Freemason , and the neighbouring presbytery consulted previous to entering him on trials , the presbytery of Kelso , February 24 , 1652 , replied ' that to their judgment there is
neither srane nor scandale in that word , because in the present tymes of this kirke , maisons haveing that word have been ministers ; that maisons and men . haveing that word have been and are daylie in our sessions , and many professors haveing that word are daylie admitted to the
ordinances . ' He was deprived by the Acts of Parliament June 11 , and of the Privy Council October 1 ,. 1 G 62 . " Other passages in which reference is made to the " word " are also mentioned . The last Lodge of which an account
is given is the independent Lodge of Melrose , and then Bro . Gould breaks off from his study of " Early British Freemasonry " in order to glance at subjects which must be reserved for a future article . ( To be continued ) .