The Lodge Of Glasgow St. John.

that several of the higher offices were already held by brethren of that lodge , and further , undue favour to that lodge would bear against " that Masonic equality which is a prominent landmark

vfor the guidance of brethren , and one of the inherent principles of the Craft which has been of the greatest value in the preservation and diffusion of Freemasonry . " This document was signed by the Masters and Wardens of 10 lodges ,

leading off with James Cruickshauk , E . W . M ., No . 3 . ¦ Us , then John Binnie , R . W . M ., No . 4 ; D . Sutherland , do . of No . 27 ; R . Black , 219 ; N . B- Dalveen , 333 ; J . Davidson , 360 ; Hugh Mair , 362 . W . Whitesmith , 73 ; John Miller , 87 ; R . Walker , 117 .

In February 17 th-57 . Bro . Ramage , the Proxy Master , desired information for the purpose of assisting with Bro . Laurie's proposed new History of Freemasonry , and received the following answer from Bro . James Cruickshauk , E . W . M . "In

answer to the first query I may state that the Lodge St . Johns and the Incorporation of Masons were one and the same originally * This you will see from the old charter a copy of the translation of which I enclose . The Incorporation must have

been a split off the lodge I think , as the lodge retains the original charter * and the Incorporation took a separate charter from the town ¦ council or corporation of Glasgow in the year 1551 ,

and another in 1667 , and we find that up to the period at which we joined the Grand Lodge , that the Deacon of the Incorporation was also Master of the lodge , and so filled both offices at the same timej Aud no members were admitted to the

lodge who were not members of the Incorporation . Such is not , of course , the case now since the exclusive privileges of Incorporations were done away by Act of Parliament we admit others . " 2 nd I cannot tell when the separation took

place § as the records of the lodge have been lost except those of the present century ; aud although we have the records of the Incorporation as far back as 168111 we find no notice as to this . We

The Lodge Of Glasgow St. John.

have some very old sashes and a very handsome carved box belonging to the lodge dated 1634 . 3 rd We have no historical records or any others as already stated belonging to the lodge . There is some notice taken of it I think in McOres

history and Cleland ' s Annals of Glasgow , also m Pagan ' s small work on our Cathedral , and James Miller on Masonry * Bro . Laurie should see these works . Mr . Miller could g ive him the last two mentioned . ' We formerly gave the Mark and

Chair degrees iu the lodge but have no documents connected with Mark Masonry . Mr . Laurie can take a copy of the charter and return it to me , and if I can give him any other information I shall be very glad . ''

( " Signed ) JAS . CEUICKSHANK . On June , 23 rd 57 . " Brother James Hamilton after being-duly prepared was passed by Bro . Winton to that degree . " So this proves that Bro . Winton worked the Fellow-Craft degree as

well as the Apprentice . Ou 29 th Deer ., 1857 . The Sth centenary or " 800 th anniversary" of the lodge was held , Bro . James Craig of Middleton the new R . W . M . in the chair . Invitations had been sent to Bros .

Lord James Murray , Lord Loughborough , Sir Archibald Alison and others , to grace with their presence this Sth centenary , but they all sent letters of apology ! That was rather curious seeing an "Sth centenary" does not happen

every day . However the members present enjoyed themselves , and "in the course of the evening Bro . James Cruickshauk , P . M ., read a paper on the antiquity of this lodge , which it is intended to print along with the Bye-laws as a

preface . " This " paper " appeared in Glasgow - Herald ofthe time . The upshot of the " memorial " sent to Sir A . Alison last February , partly appears from minnte of 19 th January 1858 , when "Bro . Cruickshauk reported that he had been elected

Senior Warden of the P . G . Lodge of Glasgow , as per commission from B . Sir Archibald Alison , P . G . Master . " ( To be continued . )

Ar00502

THE new scientific journal , " Nature , " quoting : i letter from Father Secchi , says the meteors of the 1 lth November wore splendidly seen at Kome during hall' tm hour when tho sky was quite clear . Although this luiU ' -leour was not tho time for the maximum display , no less than 183 meteors were observed . On the evening of the 13 th . the meteors hud already commenced to be visible in greater numbers than ordinary .