Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Scotland.
SCOTLAKD .
'¦ : .. ALLOA ... St . John ' s Lodge ^ ( No . 69 ) . — -A meeting of Emergency was held on the evening of Monday , January 22 nd , for the purpose of initiating new members , when the Bight Hon . David Erskine , Lord Cardross , Captain Grove , of the 42 nd Highlanders , Alexander Somerville , the well-known writer under the signature of " one who has whistled at the plough , ,, and four other gentlemen , were initiated
into the mysteries of Freemasonry . Bro . W . Downing Bruce , in proposing Lord Cardross , alluded to the connection of his lordship ' s ancestors with this county from a very early period . His lordship ' s ancestor , John , eleventh Earl of Mar , married a sister of the great King Bobert Bruce , The Earls of Mar had been Begents and Chamberlains of Scotland , and perhaps there was no family whose name was more famous in the history of the country . They had fought at Banhockburn—one of them fell at Flodden field . The fourth Earl of Buehan was
Lord-Lieutenant of this county in 1727 , aiid he was the grandfather of that great statesmen and distinguished lawyer , the English Lord Chancellor Erskine , who was the uncle of the noble lord whom he ( Bro . Bruce ) now proposed for initiation into the mysteries of Freemasonry . Lieutenant Gordon Alexander then proposed Captain Grove . Bro . Bruce next proposed Mr . Alexander Somerville , and alluded to the services he had rendered to his country by the part he had taken in the abolition of the corn-law .
After the business had been concluded , Lieutenant Alexander presented to the Lodge a handsome pair of batons , richly mounted with silver , and ornamented with his own arms and those of the Lodge , bearing also the following appropriate inscription : —" Presented by W . G . Alexander , Esq ., 93 rd Highlanders , to the Alloa Lodge , No . 69 , 19 th January , 1857 . "
The toasts proposed by the R . W . M . were the health of "Her Majesty the Queen , " which was received with Masonic honours . Also " Prosperity to the Lodge of St . John , " responded to in like manner . The healths of the six new Brethren initiated on that occasion . Lord Cardross being called onto respond , his lordship requested that Bro . Somerville would address the Lodge instead .
Bro . Somerville thereupon spoke as follows : — Bight Worshipful Master , Senior Warden , Junior Warden , and Brethren , being called on to respond on behalf of all the newly initiated Brethren , as well as myself , I am embarrassed , not for want of matter on which to speak , but from a want of knowledge how to speak . I need say little on behalf of Bro . Lord Cardross . His lordship ' s ancestors belong to this county and town , and to history . You 1 < now them by reputation , and you know his lordship personally . You have reciprocated honours with him in admitting him here . Captain Grove , of the 42 nd Highlanders—to name whose regiment is to strike a chord in the heart of Scotland , which instantly carries us ,
as if electrically , to a hundred battle-fields , each a field of victory—of Captain Grove I need say but a few words , yet the few words are a great chapter of modern history—Captain Grove is one of the heroes of the Crimea . ( Cheering . ) In that terrible campaign his services were co-equal with any of the heroes there . He has returned to his native land for a brief season , and may on any day—possibly on a yery early day—be ordered abroad on new services of peril and honour . He will carry with him the brotherly sympathies of this Lodge , and , be it where it * may , in the far East , Persia , Affghanistan , or China , that he achieves new honours , < n * fresh renown , and higher rank , we at home shall not be insensible to the honour that we have a Brother serving his country , serving the cause of
civilization and free institutions in those distant lands . Although not one of the newly initiated , we have the presence of our gallant Bro . Captain Alexander , of the 93 rd Highlanders , one of the ( long red line of Balaklava '—( cheering )—who may also be called away to distant scenes of action on an early day . But he has
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Scotland.
SCOTLAKD .
'¦ : .. ALLOA ... St . John ' s Lodge ^ ( No . 69 ) . — -A meeting of Emergency was held on the evening of Monday , January 22 nd , for the purpose of initiating new members , when the Bight Hon . David Erskine , Lord Cardross , Captain Grove , of the 42 nd Highlanders , Alexander Somerville , the well-known writer under the signature of " one who has whistled at the plough , ,, and four other gentlemen , were initiated
into the mysteries of Freemasonry . Bro . W . Downing Bruce , in proposing Lord Cardross , alluded to the connection of his lordship ' s ancestors with this county from a very early period . His lordship ' s ancestor , John , eleventh Earl of Mar , married a sister of the great King Bobert Bruce , The Earls of Mar had been Begents and Chamberlains of Scotland , and perhaps there was no family whose name was more famous in the history of the country . They had fought at Banhockburn—one of them fell at Flodden field . The fourth Earl of Buehan was
Lord-Lieutenant of this county in 1727 , aiid he was the grandfather of that great statesmen and distinguished lawyer , the English Lord Chancellor Erskine , who was the uncle of the noble lord whom he ( Bro . Bruce ) now proposed for initiation into the mysteries of Freemasonry . Lieutenant Gordon Alexander then proposed Captain Grove . Bro . Bruce next proposed Mr . Alexander Somerville , and alluded to the services he had rendered to his country by the part he had taken in the abolition of the corn-law .
After the business had been concluded , Lieutenant Alexander presented to the Lodge a handsome pair of batons , richly mounted with silver , and ornamented with his own arms and those of the Lodge , bearing also the following appropriate inscription : —" Presented by W . G . Alexander , Esq ., 93 rd Highlanders , to the Alloa Lodge , No . 69 , 19 th January , 1857 . "
The toasts proposed by the R . W . M . were the health of "Her Majesty the Queen , " which was received with Masonic honours . Also " Prosperity to the Lodge of St . John , " responded to in like manner . The healths of the six new Brethren initiated on that occasion . Lord Cardross being called onto respond , his lordship requested that Bro . Somerville would address the Lodge instead .
Bro . Somerville thereupon spoke as follows : — Bight Worshipful Master , Senior Warden , Junior Warden , and Brethren , being called on to respond on behalf of all the newly initiated Brethren , as well as myself , I am embarrassed , not for want of matter on which to speak , but from a want of knowledge how to speak . I need say little on behalf of Bro . Lord Cardross . His lordship ' s ancestors belong to this county and town , and to history . You 1 < now them by reputation , and you know his lordship personally . You have reciprocated honours with him in admitting him here . Captain Grove , of the 42 nd Highlanders—to name whose regiment is to strike a chord in the heart of Scotland , which instantly carries us ,
as if electrically , to a hundred battle-fields , each a field of victory—of Captain Grove I need say but a few words , yet the few words are a great chapter of modern history—Captain Grove is one of the heroes of the Crimea . ( Cheering . ) In that terrible campaign his services were co-equal with any of the heroes there . He has returned to his native land for a brief season , and may on any day—possibly on a yery early day—be ordered abroad on new services of peril and honour . He will carry with him the brotherly sympathies of this Lodge , and , be it where it * may , in the far East , Persia , Affghanistan , or China , that he achieves new honours , < n * fresh renown , and higher rank , we at home shall not be insensible to the honour that we have a Brother serving his country , serving the cause of
civilization and free institutions in those distant lands . Although not one of the newly initiated , we have the presence of our gallant Bro . Captain Alexander , of the 93 rd Highlanders , one of the ( long red line of Balaklava '—( cheering )—who may also be called away to distant scenes of action on an early day . But he has