A Historic Lodge.

A Historic Lodge .

THE brethren of Lodge Canongate Kilwinning met recently in the Carlton Hotel , Edinburgh , to celebrate the formal handing over of the deeds of the addition to their possessions in St . John Street , and to entertain the R . W . M ., Councillor A . A . Murray , W . S ., to whose generosity

BRO . ALFRED A . MURRAY . the lodge is indebted for the latest acquisition to the historic premises . This lodge is one of the most ancient in the Craft , the date of its establishment going back traditionally to 1488 , in the reign of James IV ., and the historic building

in which it meets in St . John Street , is almost equally as venerable , it being said to be the oldest used continually for Masonic purposes . The brethren received a warrant from Lodge Mother Kilwinning in 1677 constituting the Canongate a speculative Freemason lodge . Before the year 1735

, the present chapel had been used as a lodge room , but in that year some reconstructions were made in order to bring it into a condition to meet the requirements of the brethren . It has been regularly used ever since as the lodge room , and notwithstanding the many changes which have taken place

in the neighbourhood , the old form and aspect of the ancient meeting place has been retained in its main features , the only changes made being those tending to give the place its original appearance . The lodge had for some time been growing in membership and influence , and through the efforts of Councillor Murray , ' who joined in 18 9 6 , the property between S . John's

Chapel and Canongate passed into its hands , and will now be utilised for Masonic administration . This new property of the lodge is also very ancient , and has an interesting fireplace , where the ancient inscription , " The Morw ne Sorrw be heir , " dating from the year i 486 , and the symbols , a daisy , heart , and anchor over the fireplace are shown . This

new property , which Mr . Murray acquired , has been formally handed over to the lodge by him as a gift to be administered by trustees , and will be taken possession of after some reconstructions and repairs have been made . The Trade Society , out of which the speculative lodge

sprang , was the Incorporation of masons , Wrights , coopers , & c , in Canongate . Their Deacon , from 1672 to 1674 , was Wm . Orrock , who , a few years afterwards , became the leader of the inner circle , which formed the Speculative Lodge under the ajgis of Mother Kilwinning . It is certain from

the records of the Incorporation that masons from the west occasionally sought employment in Edinburgh and Canongate , and these records give the dates of the "booking" of several of those whose names or signatures are inserted in the well-known warrant of 1677 , issued by Mother

Kilwinning . The Freeman's oath of the Incorporation and the " actis of the Craft" appended to it , practically embody the old charges . Besides the Deacon and the Box Master at the head of the Society , it annually elected keepers for die keys of the " lokkit kist , " the poor ' s box and the " lolckit builc " containing the minutes .

TUB MINUTE ROOK OP THE INCORPORATION OF MASOXS . The minutes are continuous back to 1630 , and the record s of office bearers and entrants extend back to 1585 . They contain many points of interest , such as the very early use

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