Ancient Masonic Lodges, No. Iv.

ANCIENT MASONIC LODGES , NO . IV .

BY BRO . W . J . HUGHAN . In continuing onr sketches of old Lodges whose origin and existence date

before the institution of the first Grand Lodge in the world , we now desire to refer our readers to the St . Andrew ' s Lodge , Banff , now No . 52 on the Eoll of the Grand Lodge of Scotland , and

to which a date is ascribed of 1736 . Its records , however preserved , commence in 1 * 703 . These records refer to

older documents , which are now , alas , unknown , but evidently the lodge itself has existed for a very long period . Banff holds a peculiarly prominent position in Scotland , from the fact that

the resident members of the Masonic body have been connected with the workings of the Masonic Knights Templars and other degrees , including the lioyal Arch and the Mark Master , for upwards of a century . Before A . D

. 1720 only two degrees are ever mentioned , the Fellow Craft ( the second ) being questionable even then as to its being a degree after all—but only a grade . Of course the offi . ee of Master Mason was recognised , but never as a

degree , before the influence of the Eevivalists of A . D . 1717 was felt in the North . In the other lodge held in the town , called "St . John ' s Operative , " No . 92 , warranted A . D . 1764 , the Eoyal Arch has flourished since A . D . 1765 ,

and it is believed to have been one of the earliest working chapters in the world , and certainly none so far as we know possess minute books of the degree before it . We intend referring to this lodge againbut on returning to

, " St . Andrew ' s" we find that it remained true to pure and unadulterated Craft Masonry until A . D . 1787 . Not like " Mother Kilwinning and the Lodge of Edinburgh" though , which from the

earliest period to the present year have never given more than three , degrees , including the choice of the Mark . Under the old system , before modern Freimasonry arose as a Phcenix " wos ? - its ashes , the distinction was always

carefully drawn between " operative " . and " geometrical" Masons . The latter consisted of gentlemen who had to pay some fifty per cent , more in duns , in consequence of not being operatives , or craftsmen . It is nonsense to talk of

the Craft being only operative before A . D . 1717 , and that none but bona fide workmen were admitted into its ranks ! There is scarcely a record before the " Eevival" but what will prove the fact of the Masonic Craft being speculative ,

as well as operative . We have ( through the kindness of Bro . Stenhouse Bairnsfather , P . M ., whose accuracy may be relied on ) been favoured with a mvmber of excerpts from the minutes of this ancient lodge . One of the earliest of these commences December 27 , 1708 , in which , it is

stated that" In presence of Alexr . Mill , Mr . for the ensuing year , and Alexr . Forsyth , Warden for the said year , Patric Leslye , Johne Anderson , Andrew Eussall , James Bennet , Laclan Jemison , James

Faith , and Alexr . Forsyth , yunger , the foresaid number being Masons , heave resolved to pay in four sh . Scots each of them and the rest of the traid , to a box which is to be paid for tha use , commencing from [ part torn out ] at the

end of everie year , and the box delivered to Alexr . Forsyth , elder , with two pound fortein shil Scots , and an bond for four pound fors'd and James Alexr . and Juhn Murhid vests ther yearlie contrabntion ; and the meeting

ordaus al the members concerned to cess the meetings under the payment of four sh . Scots , and ordains the monie in the box ye bond to be lent out upon intrest from Candlmes next headvice . " According to usage , the senior Warden of the lodge was permitted to act as Master in the absence of the regular officer . It was resolved that—