Consecration Of The Friends In Council Lodge, No. 1383.

Doherty , T . W . Boord , Col . H . T . Gnyon , Capt . C . T . Burgess , the Rev . J . Huyshe , S . Rawson , John Hervey , C . C . Pole , J . Oxley Oxland , Lord Lei gh , Lord Skelmersdale , James Glaisher , C . Hutton Gregory , Capt . G . A . Phayre , Joseph Gundry , W . W . Beach , Lord

Lindsay , R . W . Falconer , Capt . W . Portlock Dadson , Christopher Atkinson Newnham , Rev . P . H . Newnham , Charles Fendelow , Capt . the Hon . A . W . A . N . Hood , J . Braddick Monckton , Rev . W . F . Short , J . H . ' Woodforde , and John Read .

The W . M . asked the brethren to pass a vote of thanks to the officiating brethren forthe admirable manner in which they had , one and all , done their duties , which was responded to by acclama tion , and Bro . the Earl of Limerick acknowledged the compliment for himself and those who had assisted him .

The Worshi pful Master then addressed a few kind and affectionate remarks to the brethren , expressing his fervent hopes for the prosperity of the Lodge , and his own earnest determination to promote as far as possible , the happiness of the brethren .

The Lodge was then closed , and the brethren separated , highly gratified with the ceremonials as well as the beautiful decorations of this new hall .

Historical Notice Of The St. Clairs Of Rosslyn, Grand Master Masons Of Scotland.

HISTORICAL NOTICE OF THE ST . CLAIRS OF ROSSLYN , GRAND MASTER MASONS OF SCOTLAND .

BY BRO . CHALMERS I . PATOX . [ Continued from page 332 . ] He was succeeded by his son William . William , third Earl of Orkney , of this family , was one of the hostages for James I . of Scotland ,

when he was permitted to visit Scotland in 1421 , after his captivity during his youth in England . This Earl was afterwards appointed Admiral of Scotland , and received a grant of the Earldom of Caithness on his renunciation of that of

Nithsdale , to which he had a claim . King James III ., having acquired the Orkney Islands , on his marriage with Margaret of Denmark , in 1489 , the Earl of Orkney and Caithness resigned his Earldom of Orkney into the King ' s hands , audit

was annexed to the crown by Act of Parliament in 1471 , lands in Fife being bestowed upon him in compensation for it . Earldoms were not then , as now , mere dignities , but the possession of them implied territoiial rights , revenues , and

the duty ol rendering military services , The St . Clairs of Rosslyn descended from Sir Oliver St . Clair , son of the above-mentioned William , Earl of Orkney and Caithness . Sir Oliver is generally said to have been the eldest

son of the Earl , by his second wife , although the Caithness family have always maintained that his brother William , from whom they derive their descent , was the elder . However , the Rosslyn

estates were far greater than those of the Earldom of Caithness , and in those days , earldoms and baronies were often disposed of by will , like estates or other possessions .

In the Peerage of England , we have a remarkable example of the disregard of mere primogeniture in the settlement of the Duchy of Somerset on the male issue of the second marriage of the

first Duke ; and we have a somewhat similai instance in the present day in the peerage ol Cromarty ; created in favour of the present Duchess of Sutherland as the Countess of

Cromarty , her second son being constituted her heir in that peerage , to the exclusion of her elder son , the heir of the dukedom . Still more to the point , however , is the case of the Earldom of Breadalbane , which was granted to the first earl ,

with a right to dispose of it by will , which rig ht he exercised—apparently on account of the political troubles of the times •--to the exclusion of his eldest son , giving the earldom by his will to

his second son , whose descendants have long enjoyed it . William , Earl of Orkney and Caithness , was the first of his family who held the office of Grand Master Mason of Scotland . The office was

Historical Notice Of The St. Clairs Of Rosslyn, Grand Master Masons Of Scotland.

granted by James II . of Scotland , to him and to his heirs , and successors in the Baronry of Rosslyn , on account of the attention which he had paid to the interests of the Order , the ri ght ot appointing to this office and to other high offices of the Masonic Brotherhood beinsr at

that time exercised by the Kings of Scotland . Sir Oliver St . Clair , and the St . Clairs of Rosslyn , his descendants , continued lo hold the office till 1736 . They held their principal annual meetings at Kilwinning , where Freemasonry in Scotland is commonly said to have had its origin , the

Kilwinning Lodge being acknowledged as the Mother Lodge by almost all the Lodges in Scotland , and at least by all that have connected themselves with the Grand Lodge , although the Melrose St . John , which has never connected itself with

the Grand Lodge , has perhaps in reality a better claim to be regarded as the most ancient . The Mother Kilwinning Lodge granted constitutions and charters of erection to lodges in all parts of Scotland .

After the accession of James VI . of Scotland to the English throne , lie seems to have neglected the interests of the Masonic body in Scotland , and in his reign we find brethren of the Order exercising the right of appointing their own Grand Master , although only to this very limited

extent , that they " agree and consent that William Saint Clair , now of Rosslyn , for himself and his heirs , purchase and obtain , at the hands of our Sovereigne Lord , libertie , frecdome , and jurisdiction , upon us and our successors , in all time coming ,

as patrons and judges to us , and the several professors of our Craft within this reahne . " The charter or deed by which the Scottish Masons , thus , as it were , ratify the hereditary authority of the St . Clairs of Rosslyn , is known to us by a

copy existing in the Hay MSS . m the Advocates Library in Edinburgh , a copy which was certainly made before the year 1700 , as the MSS . volume bears that date . The charter itself is without date , but with it is to be found another , dated in 1630 , confirming it . Tiie originals of these charters are now in the possession of the

Grand Lodge of Scotland . These documents are very important as illustrating the condition of Freemasonry in Scotland in the beginning of the seventeenth century , and as conclusivel y disproving the assertion which some confidently , but ignorantly made , that Freemasonry , as distinguished from a mere Craft or Guild of workim *

Masons , had no existence until it was devised and brought into existence b y Elias Ashmole , and some of his literary friends in that century . Indeed , the appointment of William , Earl of Orkney and Caithness , to the office Grand Master Mason of Scotland—whatever the title was , of which

it is of no importance to dispute—two centuries before , is of itself proof of the high position which Masonry had alread y attained . It was through no mere court favouritism , however , that the Earl of Orkney and Caithness

was appointed Grand Master Mason by James II ., but really , as well as professedly , for his regard to the interests of Masonry . It was he who built the Chapel of Rosslyn , one of tiie most exquisitely beautiful specimens of Gothic architecture in Great Britain .

Sir Oliver St . Clair , son of William , Earl of Orkney and Caithness , and his successor in the Barony of Rosslyn , as well as in the Grand Mastership , was succeeded by his grandson , Sir William , who was in great favour with James V ., and was often summoned to Parliament by

special writ , according to an exercise of royal prerogative , not known in more recent times . lie died in the flower of his age , in 1540 . His son and successor Sir William , died in the latter part of the reign of CAueen Mary , and was succeeded by his mm Edward , who died without

issue , upon which the Rosslyn estates and Grand Mastership fell to his son , Sir William , whose successor was his son , Sir James , a distinguished loyalist . Sir [ ames suffered much for his attachment to the royal family . He was followed b y his son , Alexander , and he by his son , William .

Sir ( I'iver St . Clair , a young ; r son of Sir ( fiivei ' St . Clair of . Rosslyn , was general of the Srotii . sh army , under King | ames V ., at the Kaid of Kohva , Moss , in 1542 . He was the especial favourite o ! theKing . buf hisadeanceine'it to a position of such prominence as the King assigned him , ga-. o gv . at

Historical Notice Of The St. Clairs Of Rosslyn, Grand Master Masons Of Scotland.

offence to the nobles of Scotland , so that when proclamation of it was made , after the army had crossed the bonier and entered England , the greatest disorder immediatel y broke out amongst the Scots . The . English , perceiving this , rushed forward and attacked them . The rout of the

Scots was complete and terrible . Sir Oliver St . Clair was taken prisoner , and the King , wdio had remained at Lochmaben , was filled with consternation , continually repeating the cry , "O fled Oliver ? Is Oliver taken ? O fled Oliver ?" and so on , from which he ceased not , until a few weeks afterwards he died at Falkland .

lhis Sir Oliver St . Clair was a devoted adherent of the Roman Catholic party in Scotland , to which also all the St . Clairs of Rosslyn adhered throughout the sixteenth century , and during part of the seventeenth . Sir William St . Clair of Rosslyn , the second of that name , was made Lord Justice General by Francis and Mary , King and Queen of Scotland , in 11 . -9 .

He took part with Mary at Langside , in 1568 , but for this lie obtained a remission in i ^ o . He collected many manuscripts , which had been taken out of the monasteries , when they were plundered , at the time of tiie Reformation ,

although what has become of these manuscripts is unknown . They would , unquestionably , be of great value if they could now be recovered . In the year 1736 , William St . Clair of Rosslyn , being under the necessity of selling his estate , and having no children , thought it right to make

provision that the office of Grand-Master Mason of Scotland should not be left vacant at his death . He therefore assembled the Edinburgh and neighbouring lodges , and represented to them the advantage which would accrue to their order from havinir a nobleman or irentleman of their

own choice , placed in the office of Grand Master , intimating at the same time his intention of resigning into the hands of the brethren , all title which he , his heirs and successors , possessed to that office . Letters were therefore addressed to all the lodges of Scotland , inviting them to appear

by proper representatives , on next Saint Andrew ' s Day , for the election of a Grand Master . The result was fhe formation of the Grand Lodge of Scotland , and William St . Clair , Esq ., of Rosslyn , was himself elected First Grand Master , which office , however , he held in virtue of this election ,

onl y lor one year , the Earl of Cromarty being elected as his successor in 1 . 737 ; and for a considerable number of years , a new Grand Master was annually elected , the first instance of a reelection being that of Lord Aberdour , in 1756 . William St . Ciair of Rosslyn died on 24 th January , 177 S , at the age of 78 . The Grand

Master , Sir William Forbes , ordered a funeral lodge to be held , when above four hundred brethren assembled , in deep morning , to pay the last tribute of respect to one whom they had long esteemed , loved , and reverenced , and to whose zeal for the interest of Freemasonry , its cause in Scotland had been much indebted .

"The last Rosslyn , " says Bro . Sir WalterSeolt , the novelist ( for he was universall y known by his patrimonial designation , and would probably have deemed it an insult in any one who had called him W . Sinclair ) , was a nu . n considerably above six feet , with dark ' grey locks , a form

upright , but gracefull y so , ihin-ikmkcd and broadshouldered , built , it would seem , for the business of the war orehaee . a noble eve of chastened pride and undoubted authority , and features handsome and striking in their general effect , though somewhat harsh and exaggerated when considered in

detail . 1 lis complexion was dark and grizzled , and as we schoolboys , who crowded to see him p . ri ' or " : ! feats of M : vn ; . ; th and skill in the old Scottish games of golf and archery , used to think ami say amongst ourselves , the whole figure resembled the famous founder of the Douglas

rare , pointed out , it is pretended to a Scottish monarch on a conquered held of battle , as the man whose arm had achieved the victory , by the expressive words , Slutllo Dlnu'las , — ( Behold the . dark gre y man ) . In all the manly sports which

require strength and dexterity , Rosslyn was unrivalled , but his particular delight was in archery . " This William St . Clair of Rosslyn appears to have Si . hi what remained of . ' us family estates lo

General St . Clair , second son ol Henry , Lord St . Clair , the heir of line of William ' Earl of Orkn-v by his iiist mariiag- . General St . Clair ,