Mason's Square In Gloucester Cathedral.

" The earliest instance which is known of fan vaulting is in the cloisters of Gloucester Cathedrals , dating from the beginning of the fifteenth century ; indeed Professor Willis thinks the invention due to a School of Masons there . "—Builder , April 9 th , 1870 , p . 285 .

Probably it was descendants of this school who were employed upon the famous roof of King's College , Cambridge , of which I hope , from materials I have by me , shortly to send you a notice . I am free to call the masons then at

Cambridge . Free-masons , for they are so styled in the indentures of agreement for erecting that college , copy of which I have before me , as well does the appellation Master Mason and that of Warden appear . Was the beginning of the fifteenth

century the date of Gower ' s monument being put up , it may be a short time after the death of the son , or during his lifetime as a memorial to a master mind among Masons ?

In face of this " Mason ' s Square , " unique as it is , and interesting as it must be to archajological Masons generally , the year 1717 is no where , and those who adhere so tenaciously to that date if they curl the lip in scorn at the idea of a lodge of

Freemasons having been held in Noah ' s Ai * k , must peradventure go back to the fourteenth century , for the above square is not a myth , those who doubt , can come and view the original for themselves . I would add that copies of

photograph of the square may be obtained of Mr . Soley of Gloucester , to whom I am much indebted for the care taken to secure the photograph , from which the above engraving is copied .

Mason's Square In Gloucester Cathedral.

[ A rough sketch of this Mason's Square was engraved and published in the FREEMASONS ' MAGAZINE of October llth , 1862 , p . 288 , with a short notice by R . E . X ., and reference is therein made to No . 4 of a series of " Masonic Facts , " aft

p . 46 of the number for Jan . 1862 , in which a number of interesting circumstances connected with Masonry are ' stated . A number of Mason's marks will also be found throughout that volume » of the FREEMASONS' MAGAZINE . ]

The Haughfoot Lodge And Speculative Masonry.

THE HAUGHFOOT LODGE AND SPECULATIVE MASONRY .

By R . S . EXTRACTS FROM OLD RECORDS OF HAUGHFOOT - LODGE . —contcl . Stow , Jany . 6 th , 1729 . We , the undersubscribers members of the Lodge

of Masons at Haughfoot , being informed that there are some indigent persons belonging to sd lodge and about Galashiels , and that the badness of the weather hindered application to be madefor them at the general meeting at Haughfoot last

St . John's day for supply of the common stock . Therefor we hereby consent that the committie appointed for stating the public-k accounts take into their consideration the case of those persons , and give them such supply out of such funds as

they shall think proper for their present relief and suitable to the publick stock . Six subscribers . Jo . Hoppringle . Ja . Claperton , John Claperton ,

John Young , Willm . Henderson , Adam Claperton , Robt . Frier .

Galashiels , Jany . Sth 1729 . By vertue of the commission to five for intrants , we , the members of the Lodge of Haughfoot viz ., Walter Scot , William Cairncross , Andrew

Thomson , Simeon Aitchison , John Donaldson , George Cairncross , Jeams Bryson have admitted John Lows a member of the sd lodge in common form ; and orders him to pay to Robert Frier , our present Box Master , for his entry the soume of four pounds Scots , for which soume he has now given bill payable at Lambas * next .