Freemasonry In Arbroath.

FREEMASONRY IN ARBROATH .

To the Editor of the "Arbroath Herald . " DEAR .-IR , — In going over some old Masonic minute books belonging to St . Thomas Lodge , No . 40 of Freemasons , lately , I came across some curious and quaint items of information , which might be interesting to your readers . The minute books extend as far back as the year 1740 , when the Lodge was reconstituted ; but ,

as I pointed out in a former letter , there is good reason to believe that a Freemason Lodge has existed in Arbroath for hundreds of years , and that Freemasonry in Arbroath is as old , if not older , than the Abbey itself , and that the first Lodgo was probably constituted by the Masons who came here to build the Abbey . The first minute , dated 5 th February 1740 , reads as follows : — " The

faithful and honourable members of the ancient Lodge of Aberbrothock , alias St . Thomas , being mett all in good order , and takeing to their serious consideration how far the Lodge and the noble art of Masonarie have been neglected for some time past , doe for the futuro resolve that this Lodgo be kept with as much solemnetie as any other throughout the world , and for that purpose

doe elect the persons afternamed , ' and so on . Alex . Creighton was elected Master , and Bailie Patrick Wallace was elected one of the Boxmasters . This minute was signed by no less than eighty-one members . This shows that even at that time Freemasonry was a powerful Institution in our midst . St . Thomas was always known as an operative Lodge . One of the bye-laws agreed to at this

meeting reads : —" That noe operative Mason shall tako his neighbour Mason ' s work in hand after ane agreement made by the former , under tho penalty of twenty shillings sterling . " At a meeting held on St . John's Day , 1740 , it was agreed that " The whole quarterly collections and payments for enterys preceeding this date should be applyed for purchasing aprons , jewels , tho box

and the book , and the rest distributed to the neccesitous of the fraternity there at that time . " A meeting was held on 28 th Dec . 1741 , to receive a charter from the Grand Lodge of Scotland in Edinburgh . The minute reads—" The Brethren of the Lodge of St . Thomas of Aberbrothock being this day mett , a charter of conformation and ratification of the above Lodge , under the hand

of the Grand Master , Grand Wardens , and Officers of the Grand Lodge at Edinburgh , was produced and read in the meeting , who ordered the same to be lodged in tho box . " The meeting afterwards proceeded to elect Officers for the ensuing year . Amongst others elected were David Mudie of Gilchorn , who was elected Clerk ; and Bailie Thomas Wallace , Provost Patrick Wallace , and John

Rennald of Cairnie , were elected Councillors . At the St . John's Day meeting , held on the 27 th of Dec . 1743 , Mr . Robert Pearson , advocate sheriff-depute of Forfar , was unanimously elected Master for the ensuing year . Owing to the rebellion of 1745 no meeting of the Lodgo for the election of Office-bearers was held for four years . A minute dated 27 th Dec 1748 reads : — " By reason of the troubles

that of late hapned in the country , there has not been any regular meeting of the Lodge of St . Thomas of Arbroath held since St . John Day , 1744 ; and the said Lodge being this day duly constituted , " and so on . James Gardyne of Middleton was elected Master for the ensuing year . At a meeting held on 4 th October 1765—Bailie John Rennie , Master , presiding—the meeting ordered the following

minute of the Grand Lodge of Scotland to be inserted in the books of the Lodge : — " At the Grand Lodge , held at the Lodge of St . Giles in the city of Edinburgh upon the 20 th day of May 1765 , a petition was presented to them for , and in name of Bailie John Rennie and other Officers of the Lodge of St . Thomas , Aberbrothock , shewing that the petitioners did early obtain from the Grand Lodge

a charter of confirmation ; but , as the Craft for many years afterwards happened to fall in decline , particularly in Aberbrothock , they were thereby disabled to keep the proper correspondence with the Grand Lodge . But of late , as the Lodge is now again revived by the influence of several well-disposed Brethren residing there , the petitioners , in order to have the sanction and countenance of

the Grand Lodge , havo transmitted a list of the whole members entered in the said Lodgo since its conformation , praying tbe Most VVorshipfull Grand Lodge to enrol the petitioners in the books of the Grand Lodge when paying such composition as they in their wisdom might determine , " and so the Grand Lodge agreed to do this , and oidered the names to be enrolled in the books of the

Grand Lodge in the order of their precedence , and ordered this minute to be recorded in the books of Lodge St . Thomas " at their perrill . " The Brethren seem to have given a good deal of money away in the way of charity to the poorer members of the Craft , but the Brethren were careful not to give where it was not deserved , as cases occur where members have been requested to refund monies

that had been advanced to them . A minute of a meeting held on 2 nd June 1762 , reads : — " Compeared Charles Fairweather , who , some of the members aledged nad got from the box about ten or twelve years ago a certain sum of money when in distress , and this night being interrogated acknowledges that to the best of his knowledge there was paid on his behalf 19 s 6 d sterling , but that he

never saw nor handled the money as he thinks it was paid to his doctor , and therefore appeals to the Lodge when duly convened on St . John ' s Day next what redress he shall make for the same , and this the meeting unanimously agreed to . " At a meeting held on 3 rd January 1763 , it was resolved that " The Brethren members of the Lodge of St . Thomas having considered the great inconveniency

in not having a Bible , they unanimously agreed that one shall be bought , and that it shall be paid by a collection , from the members and not out of the fund , and appoints the Secretary to write for it , the price not to exceed 15 s sterling . " It seems that about this time the Magistrates and Town Council had been making

arrangements for the erection of a new Town House . A minute dated 7 th September 1763 , reads : —" The members met and by a great majority of votes agreed that in case the Magistrates and Town Council would build a sufficient Town House of three storeys , where the Clerk ' s Chambers is just now , the members of the Lodge would pay them for the third storey a hundred guineas ,

Freemasonry In Arbroath.

or build on their own charge tho third storey , and pay a third part of the gavlo walls and roof , and in case the Magistrates do refuse or do not give a proper answer within three weeks , the members agreed to build a Lodge or house for the meetings betwixt the Abbey wall and the road . " It seems that the matter

did not go any further at that time , for we find that the proposed Town House was not built till 1808 , or forty-five years afterwards , when the present handsome Town House was built . The Lodge had also allowed the matter to drop , for I can find no further reference to the subject for some years afterwards . — I am , & c , FREEMASON .

Freemasonry In The R.I.C.

FREEMASONRY IN THE R . I . C .

To the Editor of the "Irish News . " SIR , —For many years past your columns have been open to denounce the evils of Freemasonry in the ranks of the constabulary . I rejoice to observe that Mr . Healy , M . P ., is to ask a question as to its workings in the County Down force . It is long past the time since serious notice should have been taken of this matter . It is

simply scandalous to tolerate such a system in the R . I . C . Whoever knew a Masonic policeman to prosecute a Brother for any offence , albeit he took an oath to perform his duty without fear , favour , or affection , Ac . ? Bah ! Dare he , having regard to the terms of his Masonic oath , of which more anon ?

How many of the civilian Freemasons of Down and Antrim are not Orangemen ? Very few ; yet these are the men with whom the R . I . C . Knight Kadoshes mix in the nocturnal orgies and big suppers . These are tho men who , in a small way , take part in the drama , " The Masons and the Jesuits , " in which a horrible parody of the Sacrament of Penance is given , and in which the priest is

represented as " a barefaced corrupter , a hyprocrite , a ruffian , a poisoner , a forger , a thief , an infamous , sacrilegious fellow , who abuses the confessional for the purpose of seizing logacies , & c . " These are the men who would be obliged to murder a William Morgan , their American Secretary ( Vide Carlisle ' s " Manual of Freemasonry " ) , and assassinate a Postini , Rossi , aud others if

similar cases arose . We are frequently told that Irish and English Freemasons have nothing to do with the atrocities of their Continental Brethren , from which our love of law and order naturally recoils . But " Show me your company and I shall tell you what you are , " is a good old Irish proverb . See their own

official calendar and it will show that " Irish Masons have fifteen representatives at foreign Lodges . " If there is no connection with these foreign Masons why should there be representatives in the Royal Arch Chapters and Grand Lodges ? Official hypocrites ! They wash their hands as Pilate did , and declare themselves innocent of just blood .

But to return to County Down . Those men who are not in tho Craft—Protestant , as well as Catholic policemen—know well they have no fair play in the service . The Masonic sergeant will not go on escort , or any other duty— if he can avoid it—without a Brother accompanying him . The Craftsman is screened , his little breaches of discipline nearly always overlooked , while those outside the favourite circle are reported and punished , and so on in tho

promotion line . Doubtless the secret of this lies m a clause of their oath : — " I swear that I will never wrong a Brother Mason of a penny , nor suffer him to be wronged . I will give him timely notice of all danger that threatens him . I will not speak any evil nor suffer it to be spoken of a Brother Mason behind his back . I will espouse his cause as far as to extricate him from same whether he be right or wrong 1 "

I fear that part of the foregoing has been violated by somebody at one or two stations some time ago , when Brothers preferred a series of charges against each other , resulting iu Courts of Inquiry . It is hoped that none of those who figured in those investigations were aspiring " Knight Kadoshes , " part of whose oath is " Vengeance , " and " Death to traitors . " Men of the R . I . C . who arc not

members of that secret society of Freemasonry , remember that it is irreligious in its symbols aud ceremonies . In mockery of all true religion Freemasons in eveiy Lodge use in their midnight orgies an altar on which they administer their infamous , sacrilegious and blasphemous oaths , with skulls , and coffins and crossbones . They

have their high priest to carry out their ceremonies . They have the Ark of the Covenant too , that Ark so dear to God that He struck Oza dead for daring to put his hand upon it , and fifty thousand Bethamites for only gazing irreverently upon it . Why make Masonic playthings of such sacred symbols ?

Yes , Freemasonry cringes to each rising power which she fears may cause her overthrow—false to man as to God . On the crash of the great Revolution she worshipped Napoleon . On his downfall the Grand Orient , faithful to its principles , fell at the feet of Louis XVIII . Finally , what will be its action in the Home Rule Police ? I am , sir , your obedient servant , HIRAM ABIFF . 19 th August 1894 .

To the Editor of the " Irish News . " SIR , —I agree with your correspondent " Hiram Abilf , " whose able letter appeared in your paper to-day on above subject , that Freemasonry is gnawing the very vitals of the R . I . C . in Ireland ,

and particularly so in County Down . The authorities may deny it in Parliament , and try to screen it from the public ; nevertheless the truth will come out . Now , I direct the attention of my comrades , as well as the public , to " Down Sergeant ' s " letter in last week's " Weekly Freeman . " as well as to the official answer