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  • July 1, 1856
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The Freemasons' Monthly Magazine, July 1, 1856: Page 6

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    Article AN INCIDENT OF THE ST. LEGER FAMILY. Page 1 of 2 →
Page 6

Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.

An Incident Of The St. Leger Family.

AN INCIDENT OF THE ST . LEGER FAMILY .

i The family of St . Leger , whose representative was raised to the Peerage in 1785 by the title of Lord Doneraile , is of very ancient origin . The ancestor and founder of the family in this country , Sir Bobert de St . Leger , accompanied William the Conqueror into England , and was even then in such high repute , that his was the hand selected by that prince to support him when he first landed on the coast of Sussex , An incident in the history of this noble family

is worthy of record , and the singular and somewhat romantic circumstances under which it occurred will be interesting , from the fact that they led to the initiation of the only female who was ever admitted into the ancient and honourable Order of Lreemasonry . The attachment of Lord Doneraile to the principles of Masonry approached to enthusiasm ; indeed , his zeal was such , that he obtained a charter from the Grand Lodge of Ireland constituting the Lodge ] STo . 150 , which was held in Doneraile House , his lordship ' s

seat in the county of Cork . He might , without impropriety , be called the centre of a circle of devoted Freemasons , most of whom were also united by the bonds of private friendship , and who , along with his sons , assisted in the duties of the Lodge—duties , it is said which were never more strictly performed , or with more regard to the true spirit of the Order , than by the Brethren at Doneraile House . It appears that during the admission of a candidate , wdiose initiation took place within the family mansion , the room generally used as the Lodge-room was undergoing some alterations , and a portion of the party-wall was in an imperfect state , having been reduced for

the purpose of forming a saloon . Previous to the ceremony of opening the Lodge , the Hon . Elizabeth St . Leger , one of his lordship ' s daughters , then a young girl , happened to be in an apartment adjoining this room . It is not quite clear whether she was there by design or accident ; but it is certain that while there her attention was attracted by the sound of voices , which she recognised to be those of her father ' s Masonic friends , and her curiosity became excited to discover a mystery so long and completely veiled from the

public . It was a matter much more trying to the courage than the physical strength of the young lady to remove a loose brick from the partition-wall , which she did with the aid of her scissors , and thus witnessed the first two steps of 'the mysterious ceremony . Her curiosity being now partially gratified , terror at once seized possession of her mind , and it will not require much effort of imagination .

on the . part of those to whom such scenes arc familiar ,. to suppose how the strongest man must feel if he acquired a knowledge of this secret by surreptitious means—and how much more unenviable the feelings of a young and inexperienced girl under circumstances so extraordinary ! She felt her position to be perilous , and to remain in her hiding-place would have boon certain discovery . Her first im-

“The Freemasons' Monthly Magazine: 1856-07-01, Page 6” Masonic Periodicals Online, Library and Museum of Freemasonry, 6 July 2025, django:8000/periodicals/mmr/issues/frm_01071856/page/6/.
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Title Category Page
ON THE MYSTERIES OF THE EARLY AGES AS CONNECTED WITH RELIGION. Article 1
PRINTERS' ASYLUM. Article 5
AN INCIDENT OF THE ST. LEGER FAMILY. Article 6
THE SIGNS OF ENGLAND; Article 8
MASONRY: Article 12
REVIEWS OF NEW BOOKS. Article 13
ST. ANN'S SCHOOLS, FLORAL FETE, CREMORNE. Article 14
« PASSE." Article 15
MUSIC. Article 16
CORRESPONDENCE. Article 18
THE " MARK " DEGREE. Article 28
THE CHRISTIANITY OF MASONRY. Article 28
THE MASONIC MIRROR. Article 29
GRAND LODGE. Article 32
ROYAL FREE HOSPITAL, GRAY'SINN ROAD. Article 36
METROPOLITAN. Article 39
INSTRUCTION. Article 41
PROVINCIAL. Article 43
ROYAL ARCH. Article 58
KNIGHTS TEMPI AE. Article 60
SCOTLAND. Article 61
IRELAND. Article 62
INDIA. Article 63
AMERICA. Article 64
HOLLAND. Article 65
SUMMARY OF NEWS FOR JUNE. Article 65
Obituary. Article 70
NOTICE. Article 72
TO COEEESPONDENTS. Article 72
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Page 6

Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.

An Incident Of The St. Leger Family.

AN INCIDENT OF THE ST . LEGER FAMILY .

i The family of St . Leger , whose representative was raised to the Peerage in 1785 by the title of Lord Doneraile , is of very ancient origin . The ancestor and founder of the family in this country , Sir Bobert de St . Leger , accompanied William the Conqueror into England , and was even then in such high repute , that his was the hand selected by that prince to support him when he first landed on the coast of Sussex , An incident in the history of this noble family

is worthy of record , and the singular and somewhat romantic circumstances under which it occurred will be interesting , from the fact that they led to the initiation of the only female who was ever admitted into the ancient and honourable Order of Lreemasonry . The attachment of Lord Doneraile to the principles of Masonry approached to enthusiasm ; indeed , his zeal was such , that he obtained a charter from the Grand Lodge of Ireland constituting the Lodge ] STo . 150 , which was held in Doneraile House , his lordship ' s

seat in the county of Cork . He might , without impropriety , be called the centre of a circle of devoted Freemasons , most of whom were also united by the bonds of private friendship , and who , along with his sons , assisted in the duties of the Lodge—duties , it is said which were never more strictly performed , or with more regard to the true spirit of the Order , than by the Brethren at Doneraile House . It appears that during the admission of a candidate , wdiose initiation took place within the family mansion , the room generally used as the Lodge-room was undergoing some alterations , and a portion of the party-wall was in an imperfect state , having been reduced for

the purpose of forming a saloon . Previous to the ceremony of opening the Lodge , the Hon . Elizabeth St . Leger , one of his lordship ' s daughters , then a young girl , happened to be in an apartment adjoining this room . It is not quite clear whether she was there by design or accident ; but it is certain that while there her attention was attracted by the sound of voices , which she recognised to be those of her father ' s Masonic friends , and her curiosity became excited to discover a mystery so long and completely veiled from the

public . It was a matter much more trying to the courage than the physical strength of the young lady to remove a loose brick from the partition-wall , which she did with the aid of her scissors , and thus witnessed the first two steps of 'the mysterious ceremony . Her curiosity being now partially gratified , terror at once seized possession of her mind , and it will not require much effort of imagination .

on the . part of those to whom such scenes arc familiar ,. to suppose how the strongest man must feel if he acquired a knowledge of this secret by surreptitious means—and how much more unenviable the feelings of a young and inexperienced girl under circumstances so extraordinary ! She felt her position to be perilous , and to remain in her hiding-place would have boon certain discovery . Her first im-

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