Mother Kilwinning.

contents of- the record-chest of Mother Kilwinning have repeatedly been subjected to purification by fire , and other vicissitudes , little astonishment will be felt that the oldest letter extant addressed to the lodge , and still preserved in its archives , should bear the

comparatively modern date of 1728 . Prom these and other causes , then , much of Masonic history , which q few strokes of the pen might have satisfactorily settled , is left to speculation . The first volume of records opens with the minutes of a meeting " convenit of ye Massoun Craft in ye

Ludge of Kilwyning , " on the 20 fch December , 16 ' 12 , —the only business done being the payment of certain dues to " ye boxe , " and a formal submission of the members " to the Ludge , and to the Actis and Stattutis thereof . " The signatures with the marks of about forty members of the lodge are adhibited to

MiEKS TAKEN EU 03 I MlNUM ! -BOOK 01 T MOTHEtt K . ILWINNING , 16434 'J .

the minute , a few others being added—those of apprentices , we presume , from their not having the mark attached . As Lawrie's History does not contain

among the fae-similes of Masonic marks therein given , any either from the Lodge or Abbey of Kilwinning , and as a recent edition of Mackey ' s Masonic

Zexicon ,- [) vmted in Glasgow , and edited by a resident in that city , himself an affiliated member of the Mother Lodge , makes a statement to the effect that

" now , not a vestige of the building is to be found , nor can its exact site be ascertained with anv

precision , " we here introduce a few of- the marks appended to the signatures of Craftsmen in lodge assembled at Kilwinning in the " Zeir of God 16-1-2 , " also a few taken a short time since from the south gable of the transept , and from what remains of the gothic arch forming the western entrance to the Abbey . >

MAKKS ntoji mm SOUTH GAUM <» T KANSEPX or KILWINNING . Anni-y , 1140 .

MAHKS raoji . GOTHIC " Anon , WESTEBN ENTEANCE , KILWINNING Aiusscx ; .

There are doubtless many more Masons' marks to be found engraved by the ancient brethren of Kilwinning on the stones of which the southern gable i 3 built : it is about ninety feet in height , pierced with three lancelated and one circular window , and has every

appearance of possessing strength enough to withstand the action of the elements for centuries to come . No mention is made of the place in Kilwinning at which the first recorded meeting was held ; but as the royal ordinance of 1598 , alluded to in a former communication , authorizes Mother Kilwinning as the

„ heid and second ludge to hold their annual meetings within the kirk of Kilwinning , we are justified in the supposition that in 1642 the lodge met within that part of the ruins of the beautiful Abbey which at the reformation had been converted into and was long after used as the parish church , but which in 1775

was torn down to make room for that now erected on its site , under the shade of the ruins of the sacred edifice rearedby the original members of the venerable

Mother Lodge . The next minute records under date 20 th December of the following year , the business transacted at a meeting of " ye Court of

ye Ludge of Kilwyning holdin in the upper chamber of the dweling houa of Hew Smithe , at the Croce of Kilwyning , be Johne Barclay

Mais-, sonne Burges of Irwin , deacone of ye Maissonnes wtin the haill boundis , and remanent

. brethrein maisteris of wark and vtheris . " The circumstances which caused the "heid ludge" of the Craft to hold their annual " court" in an " upper chamber " of an ordinary dwelling cannot we fear be with certainty condescended upon ; but we are inclined to think that the deep religious feeliug pervading the