An Analysis Of Ancient And Modern Freemasonry.

prentice at the time ) . The members were classified as " Deaconi'ie , Wardenrie , Quartermasters , and Officers , Fellows , and Apprentices . " A Masons ' court was held at Kilwinning A . D . 1647 , at which several delegates from neighbouring lodges were

present . It must be remembered that " Mother Kilwinning" exercised authority over many subordinate branches or lodges , even to Canongate Kilwinning , Edinburgh ( whose history has been well written by its Poet Laureate , Bro . Anthony

Oneal Haye ) , and from A . D . 1677 to 1803 actually granted about 50 warrants to lodges to " enter and pass " Masons , and accepted fees for the same . A . D . 1704 " the consent of the Trade" was obtained for the election of a Deacon . A . D . 1705

" It was agreed that no Measson shall employ no cowan . '' In the early part of the eighteenth century , different fees were charged for Operative and Speculative Freemasons—the latter paying more than the former . The chief officer was called

Deacon , and the lodge was termed "Ye Masson Court" of Kilwinning . The Lodge of Edinburgh , St . Mary's Chapel , possesses minutes as far back as A . D . 159 S , and we find therefrom that Thomas Boswell , Esq ., and the Hon . Robert Moray were

members in the early part of the seventeenth century . The Lodge of Glasgow St . John actually holds a charter from Malcolm III ., King of Scotland , of date 1057 ( so we are informed in the last edition of its by-laws , 1858 ) , and it is " still in a

tolerable state of preservation . " The incorporation in connection therewith accepted a charter from the City Corporation in 1551 , and another in 1657 , both of which are still preserved , as also records from 1681 . The lodge itself had certain

privileges granted it by virtue of the charter from Malcolm III ., such as " The Free Incorporate Masons of Glasgow shall have a lodge for ever at the City of Glasgow ; none in my dominions shall erect a lodge until they make application to the

Saint John ' s Lodge . " Part of one of the penalties in money " went to St . Thomas ' s altar to say Mass for their souls . "

Mr . Pagan , in his little work on Glasgow Cathedral , informs us that no lodge of the present day is provided with more unequivocal proofs of great antiquity than the St . John ' s Lodge , and Bro . Miller states in the " History , Nature , and Objects

of Masonry , " that the identity of the ancient with the modern one has been fully ascertained and acknowledged by competent authority . It is to be regretted that , as yet , no comprehensive history

of this lodge has been written . The Stirling Lodge claims an existence from A . D . 1147 , and there is a lodge held at Melrose which is said to possess minutes of their transactions some centuries old . The latter lodge was possibly erected by the

fraternity who built the ancient Abbey , and is styled " The St . John ' s Lodge Melrose . " It is the only Operative lodge in Scotland of any antiquity that has not joined the Grand Lodge , and but , little is known of its history .

The Lodge at Aberdeen received a charter from the Grand Lodge A . . 1743 , in which it is stated " That it was made to appear , by an extract from , some of their old writings , mentioned iu thememoriall and other documents produced , that in

the jeav 1544 there had been a regular lodge formed in Aberdeen . " However , the records about , this date were burned , but those of 1670 , and subsequently , were produced , and its precedency accordingly commences from December 26 th , A . D ..

1670 ; the chief officer was called " Deacon . " The mark-book of the lodge— -still preserved , and in good condition—was begun in 1670 , and containssimilar marks as are to be seen on the various old

buildings all over the world . The fraternity is repeatedly referred to in the Council Register from the beginning of the sixteenth century . On the 29 th of September , 1590 , James VI . granted letters to Patrick Copland , of Udaught , appointing

him to the "Wardenrie" of Aberdeen , Banff , and Kincardine . There was probably a lodge at Banff held then as well , but we are unable to say positively , as the ancient lodge held there has no minutes preserved before A . D . 1703 , although its

traditions carry us back to a much earlier date .. The gentlemen who joined were termed " Geomatic , " and the operatives " Domatic " Masons , and the Geomatic members had the distinction of having the Master and Depute Master

appointed from their number . William St . Clair ,,, of Roslin , was appointed , as " also his airis , as our patrone and judge , under our Soverane Lord , over us and the haill professors of our said vocation , " for Scotland at au earl } - date . More than one

charter conferring this authority still exists , the date of the second , according to Bro . Lyon , being about 1628 , Bro . W . A . Laurie , G . Sec , styles the said William St . Clair as " Grand Master , " but there is no authority for such a title in the

ancient charter . ( To be continued . )