Burns And The Tarbolton Freemasons.

BURNS AND THE TARBOLTON FREEMASONS .

( FBOM THE Scotsman , 13 TH NOVEMBER 1889 . ) rINHERE is no period in Burns' life when the activity of JL his mind and body are more observable than the time he spent in the neighbourhood of Tarbolton . That period embraced tho vears from 1777 . when William Burness . the

pxt ' s father , entered into the occupancy of the faim of Lochlee , in Tarbolton parish , till 1788 , when the poet removed to Ellisland , and fixed himself down to farming on his own acconnt . The Kilmarnock edition ( 1786 ) and the Edinburgh edition ( 1787 ) of his works were covered in the iuterval between his entrance info and removal from the

district . From his brother ' s remarks it can be gathered that there was no time when Burns showed more fully his enjoyment of life , and yet the period is fraught with incidents that might naturally have operated on his

constitutional tendenoy towards melancholy . It was at Lochlee , on 13 th February 1784 , that his father died , after a manful straggle against poverty and hardship . This in a double Fense put an end to the lease of the farm of Lochlee , and it was then that the brothers Robert and Gilbert tried their

fortunes at farming as a joint venture a few miles further south , at Mossgiel . It was during the residence of the family at Lochlee that Burns was sent for six months to

further hia education at Kirkoswald , and a couple of years afterwards he showed his interest in intellectual pursuits by starting , along with his brother and one or two others

similarly inclined , what was called the Tarbolton Bachelors ' Club or Literary Society . This Literary Society has been rosusciiated in recent years , nnder the auspices of the paris-h minister , and is carried on with much appearance of BUCCC s . Very shortly after the formation of the Bachelors '

Club , Burns was initiated in Tarbolton as a Freemason , and it is more particularly with this latter connection that we wish to deal in this article . Fortunately , the minute books of the Lodges exist now as they were in Burns '

time , and an inspection of them affords much amusement as well as instruction . Burns became a Mason on 4 th July 1781 , when the family had been about four years in the parish , and when he himself must have just started his

unfortunate flax venture in Irvine , which morally did so much by its associations to damage tho poet ' s character , and was so disastrous financially . His initiation took place in an old building then used as a public house , and still

Btanding at the end of tbe village of Tarbolton , nearest the Willie ' s Mill of "Death and Dr . Hornbook . " The Lodge was named St . David ' s , but at the end of 1781 , after he had been raised to tho position of a Master Mason , Burns and some others left St . David ' s and re-started St . James ' s

Lodge , which for a time bad been worked in combination with St . David ' s . It is in connection with the minutes and relics of St . James ' s that Burns figures prominently as a Mason , threo of the minutes having been completely

written by his own hand , aud about thirty of them having been signed by him as Depute Master . The minute-book of St . David ' s is private property , and was lent to the

Inter nat onal Exhibition at Glasgow . That of St . James ' s has always remained the property of the Lodge despite the utmost exertions of various Burns Museum authorities .

Neither persuasion nor money has ever succeeded in removing the property from its original owners , and its value is attested by a holograph certificate on the fly-leaf

Btatiug that it was re-bound by Mr . M'Kio , the well-known Kilmarnock collector and publisher . Mr . M'Kie did this during a visit to Tarbolton in 1853 .

The rules of St . James ' s present some interesting features as indices to the custom prevailing during Burns ' s time . It is therein laid down that " at the third stroke of the Grand

Master s hammer strict silence shall be maintained under a penalty of twopence . " Every transgression of a rule seems to have been followed by penalties in the shape of fines and other modes of punishment , " Any speaker who shall deviate

from the subject in debate has a like penalty inflicted upon him , and any brother using another affrontively shall be extruded . " More severe in its consequences is the " holding up of funds belonging to the Lodge by a brother , " such a

crime being visited by the exclusion of such brother from the Lodge for ever .

" Whosoever shall break a driuking glass at any meeting shall be liable to the instant payment of sixpence sterling for it , and to the same sum for every other he may break before he leave the room or company . " Those not at meetings within an hour of the fixe I time

Burns And The Tarbolton Freemasons.

shall be fined twopence , but well grounded reasonB " will excuse the transgressors" from the penalty . It is also provided " that if any brother be so unfortunate as to have disordered his senses by strong liquors , and thereby rendered himself incapable of behaving decently , peaceably and kindly , towards those around him ; suoh brother coming

to the Lodgo in that condition to the disturbance and disgust of his brethren shall be prndently ordered away to some place of safety in the meantime , and at the next meeting shall submit to suoh censure and admonition from the chair , and to such a fine inflicted by the Lodge on him as to them may appear proper to punish hia crime , and to deter him from it in all time coming . This rule is admirably clear aud full , so far as it goes , but

not a word is there in it about the punishment meted out to those unfortunate enough to disorder their senses during the course of a meeting . The ideal of the Lodge is a high one , as can be gathered from the following : — " Whereas a Lodge always means a company of worthy men and ciroumspect , gathered together in order to promote charity , friend .

Bhip , oivility and good neighbourhood ; it is enaoted that no member of this Lodge shall speak slightingly , tletractingly , or calumniously of any of his brethren behind their backs , so as to damage them in their professions or reputations , without any certain grounds ; " and any member committing such an offence must humble himself by asking

" on his knees the pardon of suoh person or persons as hia folly or malice hath aggrieved . " Obstinate refusal to comply with the . finding of the brethren assembled shall be met by expulsion " from the Lodge with every mark of ignominy and disgrace that is consistent with justice and Freemasonry . "

These rules were all written on the formation of the Lodge , the date of tho first charter under Mother Kilwinning being 17 th May 1771 , and under Grand Lodge 26 th May 1774 , both of these original charters being still amongst the muniments of the Lodge . But the other rule was added under 7 th December 1785 , and Signel " Robt .

Burns D . M . " " That whoever stands as Master , shall be bound at the entry of a new member for that member ' s dues , if the money is not paid , or security such as the Lodge shall approve of given . "

Other minutes refer to orders for drinking glasses , confirming what may be inferred from some of the rules above quoted , that the meetings were to a great extent of a

convivial nature . A good deal of attention seems to have been given to the financial affairs of the Lodge , frequent mention being met with in the records regarding " arrears , " and some curious features are disclosed . Thus we learn that Brother

Hugh Wilson , Monkton , being considerably behind with his quarter accounts , it was agreed by tho Lodge that they should be liquidated to two shillings , which he paid , and was admitted a member . " Referring to the same general

subject , it is noted " that no Brother that is behind with his quarterly accounts shall have any vote at their meetings , nor bo allowed to wear the Lodge ' s aprons . " " John Hall having been dunceted for his entire money , the Lodge

agreed to mitigate the expense to two shillings , which he is ' to pay at next procession . '" In Burns ' s letter to the Lodge , written from Edinburgh on tbe 23 rd August 1787 ( during one of his frequent short visits to the capital

subsequent to the famous visit when ho was made so much of ) —he urges the brethren to " spare " debtors to the Lodge who " confess debt and crave days , " and though the minutes breathe threatenings on many occasions , mercy

seems , on tho whole , to have tempered justice . Thus we read that the Lodge " gave up to Brother George Wilson his bill bearing date the 23 rd of June 1781 , 9 s 4 d , including interest , finding him at present in distress . " On

occasion , however , they went further . Those who had not paid their entries were to be prosecuted wo are told , "for which purpose they have appointed the Secretary to write to John Hamilton , Esq ., of Sundrum , for a warrant to call them beforeiiim as a Justice of the Piece . " Decreet seems to have been procured against certain members , and at one

meeting the brethren discuss how far they shall give effect to such powers . Frequent references are made in the minutes to bills and promissory notes given by the members to the Lodge . As an instance of this , it is recorded on 7 th September 1785 that " Brother Hugh Steven granted his promissory note with caution for twelve shillings and

sixpence sterling as his entery money , ' this being one of the minutes bearing the Poet's signature , and a full minute written in the hand of Gilbert Burns and signed by him as Junior Warden refers to the same subject . It is as follows : —

" Tarbolton , 4 fch August 1786 . —This evening the Lodge met , when Quintin Bone and James Good , being before entered apprentices , were passed and raised , and gave promissory notes , with oaution for their entry moneys . "

The cabinet containing the funds of the Lodge and the Treasurer ' s books were periodically examined , the com-