The Oldest Lodge In The World.

Master Mason to the King . A Son of his ( William ) was admitted in No . i , A . n . 1681 , became Warden of the Lodge , and his Son Thomas was accepted a Freemason in 1721 , elected "Eldest Prentice" 1 7 , " F . C . " in 1729 , and Master in 1735 , when he represented his Lodge at the preliminary meetings ,

( and subsequently ) for the erection of the Grand Lodge . The same Brother was Grand Treasurer of Scotland for 18 years . Another William , second Son of Thomas Mylne was initiated in 1750 , and was Deacon of the Masons in 1765 . Robert , the eldest Son was not accepted until 1754 , but was

wellknown as the Architect of Blackfriars Bridge , London . He died in 1 S 11 , and was buried in St . Paul ' s Cathedral , thus terminating this family ' s connection with the venerable Lodge . A remarkable episode should be narrated . The Masters

of the Lodge agreed on 27 th December , 1708 , that six journeymen fellow crafts should be present at the audit of the Warden ' s accounts ; but in 1712 the resolution was

rescinded , which led to all the journeymen , save two , deserting the Deacon and Masters , and resulting in the Lodge deciding against their return until due apology was made . Ihe apprentices also were cautioned against assisting the disgusted journeymen . Deacon Watson took the part of the latter , and so another was elected in his place . The

journeymen formed themselves into an independent Lodge ( now No . 8 ) , and eventually matters became so hot , that two of these Brethren were apprehended and imprisoned for alleged insolence . Better councils prevailed ultimately , and a decreet arbitral was obtained mainly in favour of these Craftsmen ,

permitting them to give the " Mason Word , " ( which they were not allowed to do before ) and charge fees for the same . The various conditions laid down , preamble , & c , are all duly detailed , but would occupy much space in reproduction . Thus ended the monoply so long enjoyed by the Masters . One result followed , which did not concern the chief parties to the struggle , but much affects us now , and that is the certainty

The Oldest Lodge In The World.

that the only ceremony known to the Scottish Craft at that time , and as worked by the Lodge of Edinburgh , was the " A / a son Word . " The Third Degree was not worked , or at all events , is not traced in the Minutes of any Scottish Lodge before the year

1735- This is on Bro . Lyon ' s authority , and abundantl y conlirmed by Hughan . The Mark Degree is not met with in the Minutes of No . 1 until 186 9 , but in the Journeymen Records in 178 9 , and not at all in the Kilwinning Books . Thn Ceremony is now recognised by the Grand Lodge , though

the Royal Arch is not . The earliest dates for these Degrees in Scotland , on Hughan ' s authority , are 1 778 for the Mark and 1 743 for the Royal Arch . It is quity impossible to refer even briefly , to many more deeply interesting Minutes of this , the premier Lodge of

Scotland , though this is rather a length y notice as it is . It is but fair to state that nothing whatever has been omitted b y Bro . Lyon , which in any way possesses value , either because of antiquity or interest , at the present time ; and , moreover , the work is a mine of wealth as respects the early history of other old lodges from the first half of the 17 th century to more modern times .

The handsome volume is lavishly illustrated with portraits of distinguished Freemasons and others ; an excellent one of H . R . H . the Prince of Wales clothed as Grand Master , forming the Frontispiece . There are a few facsimiles of exceptionable worth concerning receptions of Craftsmen and other valuable records ; the chief being the noted Schaw Statutes of 1598-9 ,

in the junior of which , the Lodge of Edingburgh is declared to be " the first and principal ! Ludge in Scotland , " Kilwinning the second , and Stirling the Ihird , " conforme to the auld privileges thairof . " This is an authoritative settlement as to precedence , and is beyond question . Bro . D . Murray Lyon

is to be warmly congratulated on the completion of his great work , copies of which may be had at 30 s . each from the Publishers .

Death Of Bro. Dr. A. Stewart Brown.

Death of Bro . Dr . A . Stewart Brown .

THE LA'l'K HKO . DH . ALKXANDKR STKWAHT ISUOWX .

Freemasonry in London as well as the medical profession have suffered a serious loss in the death of Bro . Dr . Alexander Stewart Brown , P . G . D ., who has been for several years a familiar figure in Masonic circles , as well as a useful member of many public bodies in the south-east district of the metropolis . The peculiarly pathetic circumstances attending his death are described in the Daily Telegraph , which devotes a considerable space to their narration .

On 19 th September last , Bro . Dr . Brown ' s horses bolted ' and he was thrown violently from his carriage , sustaining a severe scalp wound and other hurts . Though his constitution was much shaken by this painful experience , Bro . Dr . Brown was , ten clays later , sufficientl y well to set out for a visit to the Continentwhich it was hoped would restore to its

, accustomed vigour a frame hardened in youth by many a tough tussle in the football field , and preserved in its strength b y golf and other athletic exercises . Accordingly on September 29 th , Bro . Dr . Brown left England for Paris , arriving at Boulogne late in the afternoon . Among his fellowpassengers were two gentlemen from Willesden , father and

son . The younger had just got into the railway carriage on the wharf at the French port , and the elder was on the point of following him , when he slipped and fell backwards from the quay into the water . Bro . Dr . Brown was a witness of this scene . He instantly took off his coat , and was about to dive into the sea , when he was stopped by the ' cries of the bystanders , who warned him that the water was shallow . Without delay he got down some steps at the jetty side , and , wading up to his armpits ,

succeeded in extricating the unfortunate gentleman . The sufferer was , to all appearances , lifeless , and his rescuer set to work , dripping and chilled as he was , in a desperate struggle to call back the ebbing life . Not until he had persevered for two hours were his exertions rewarded with success . Unhappily , the immersion and the delay in getting into a

change of clothes told upon the doctor , and produeed a chill , which developed so alarmingly a few days later , in Paris , that he thought it adxisable to return home at once . He came back to England on the 3 rd Oct ., but the cold , acting on a system already shaken by the carriage accident , turned to pneumonia , and the patient on the 9 th was compelled to

take to his bed , from which lie ' never ' rose again . Bro . Brown ' s career as a Mason has been a brilliant one , both in the Craft and in many other degrees . In 18 97 he was appointed Junior Grand Deacon , and had previousl y been a member of the Board of General Purposes . He was up to 18 9 8 a member of the Mark General Board , in which Order

he was also a Past Grand Deacon . We hope in our next issue to give full particulars of his connection with the various Masonic bodies of which he was so active a member .