Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Anecdotes Of The Very Ancient Lodge Of Kilwinning.
ANECDOTES OF THE VERY ANCIENT LODGE OF KILWINNING .
BY THE REV . M B . THOMAS POI . LOCK ,- MINISTER or THE PARISH . Extracted from Sir John Sinclair ' s " . Statistical Account of Scotland : '
IT is the remark of an historian , that from about the beginning to . the middle of the 12 th century . the worship of God , in Scotland , was , in a great measure , laid aside , or could with the greatest diffi- . culty be performed , on account of the noise of the hammers and trowels which were employed in erecting monasteries and other re- ; ligious houses . It was during this period that a number of masons <
came from the continent to build this monastery , and with them an architect or master mason , to superintend and carry on the work . This architect resided at Kilwinning ; and being a glide and true mason , intimately acquainted with" all the parts ' of masonry known on the continent ,, was chosen master of the meetings of the brethren all over Scotland . He gave rules for the conduct of the brethren at
these meetings , and decided finally in appeals from all the other - meetings or lodges in Scotland . From this time down to the 15 th century , very little . of masonry can be' known , with any degree of certainty "; only it is said , that at Kilwinning the head meeting of the brethren was held . ' King James I . of Scotland , eminently distinguished for his
knowledge and taste in polite literature , and in the fine arts , not long after , his return from England , patronized the mother lodge of Kilwinning and presided as Grand Master , till he settled an annual salary , to be paid by every Master Mason of Scotland to a Grand Master , chosen by the brethren , and approved by the crown . This Grand Master was to be nobly born , or a clergyman of hig h rank and character .
He had . his deputies in the different counties and towns of Scotland . Every new brother paid him a fee at entrance . As Grand Master , he was empowered to regulate and determine every matter in dispute , between the founders and builders of churches and monasteries , and which it would have been improper to 'have decided by a court of law . King James 11 , conferred the office of Grand Master on William
St . Clare . 'Earl of Orkney and Baron of Roslin . [ See Vol . III . p . 172 . 3 By another deed ofthe same king , this office was made hereditary in this very ancient and illustrious family : Earl William , and his successors , barons of-Roslin , held , their " head courts , or , in the style of masonry , assembled their Grand Lodges at Kilwinning , as being the mother lodge , or the place ' where regular and stated , lodges had first been held in Scotland . ; . --- •'¦•¦; - •¦ ' - ¦ ' ¦¦ - - . ; . ' ¦
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Anecdotes Of The Very Ancient Lodge Of Kilwinning.
ANECDOTES OF THE VERY ANCIENT LODGE OF KILWINNING .
BY THE REV . M B . THOMAS POI . LOCK ,- MINISTER or THE PARISH . Extracted from Sir John Sinclair ' s " . Statistical Account of Scotland : '
IT is the remark of an historian , that from about the beginning to . the middle of the 12 th century . the worship of God , in Scotland , was , in a great measure , laid aside , or could with the greatest diffi- . culty be performed , on account of the noise of the hammers and trowels which were employed in erecting monasteries and other re- ; ligious houses . It was during this period that a number of masons <
came from the continent to build this monastery , and with them an architect or master mason , to superintend and carry on the work . This architect resided at Kilwinning ; and being a glide and true mason , intimately acquainted with" all the parts ' of masonry known on the continent ,, was chosen master of the meetings of the brethren all over Scotland . He gave rules for the conduct of the brethren at
these meetings , and decided finally in appeals from all the other - meetings or lodges in Scotland . From this time down to the 15 th century , very little . of masonry can be' known , with any degree of certainty "; only it is said , that at Kilwinning the head meeting of the brethren was held . ' King James I . of Scotland , eminently distinguished for his
knowledge and taste in polite literature , and in the fine arts , not long after , his return from England , patronized the mother lodge of Kilwinning and presided as Grand Master , till he settled an annual salary , to be paid by every Master Mason of Scotland to a Grand Master , chosen by the brethren , and approved by the crown . This Grand Master was to be nobly born , or a clergyman of hig h rank and character .
He had . his deputies in the different counties and towns of Scotland . Every new brother paid him a fee at entrance . As Grand Master , he was empowered to regulate and determine every matter in dispute , between the founders and builders of churches and monasteries , and which it would have been improper to 'have decided by a court of law . King James 11 , conferred the office of Grand Master on William
St . Clare . 'Earl of Orkney and Baron of Roslin . [ See Vol . III . p . 172 . 3 By another deed ofthe same king , this office was made hereditary in this very ancient and illustrious family : Earl William , and his successors , barons of-Roslin , held , their " head courts , or , in the style of masonry , assembled their Grand Lodges at Kilwinning , as being the mother lodge , or the place ' where regular and stated , lodges had first been held in Scotland . ; . --- •'¦•¦; - •¦ ' - ¦ ' ¦¦ - - . ; . ' ¦