Skip to main content
Museum of Freemasonry

Masonic Periodicals Online

  • Explore
  • Advanced Search
  • Home
  • Explore
  • The Freemasons' Monthly Magazine
  • Sept. 14, 1867
  • Page 2
Current:

The Freemasons' Monthly Magazine, Sept. 14, 1867: Page 2

  • Back to The Freemasons' Monthly Magazine, Sept. 14, 1867
  • Print image
  • Articles/Ads
    Article AN ORATION ← Page 2 of 6 →
Page 2

Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.

An Oration

country , Bro . Smith , most likely in the company -of his father , wended his way to Charlotte-square , then in the course of erection , and there and then . first handled the mallet and chisel , which he was destined to yield more or less for a

period of fifty-two years . After he was with-, drawn from Charlotte-square , the most important building at which he was employed during the course of his apprenticeship , was St . John ' s Episcopal Chapel , at the west end of

Princesstreet , which was chiefly erected in the year 1818 . After he became a journeyman , the principal buildings at which he wrought were St . Stephen ' s Church , the Orphan Hospital at the Dean , the Exchequer buildings in the Parliament-square ,

the Royal Institution on the Mound , and the Assembly Hall on the Castle-hill . The workmanship at all of these public edifices is of a first-class description , and reflects great credit on the skill and delicate manipulation of the Edinburgh masons .

Bro . Smith , from an early period of his career as an operative , was distinguished for the taste which he displayed , and the pains which he bestowed on

the work under his hand . He was one of the best hewers of his time , aud generally got some of the most delicate and difficult portions of the work to perform at the jobs at which he was . employed . It was , I believe , his excellence as a

hewer , that led to his engagement as a stone-. carver . He entered the service of Messrs . Black - . adder and Yule , stone-carvers , in this city , and remained with tbem for a number of j ^ ea rs . He was in their employment when he wrought at the

Royal Institution ancl the Assembly Hall . Mr . Blackadder died some years ago , but Mr . Yule is still alive . He is a member of this lodge , and I am happy to see him present with us this evening .

Bro . Smith left the employment of Messrs . Blackadder ancl Yule in the end of 1842 or the ¦ beginning of 18-1-3 , and entered into an engagement with Mr . John Steell , the famed sculptor . The first job at which he wrought , after entering

the service of Mr . Steell , was the statue of tlie Queen , which is somewhat incongruously placed above the front pediment ofthe Royal Institution . For the following eleven or twelve years , he was almost exclusively employed as a marble-carver

with Mr . Steell , and it ' would be somewhat interesting to know what statues and busts employed his chisel during that period . We know that one of tlie most notable ancl important was the statue of Sir Walter Scott , placed under the groined '

arch of the monument , erected to his memory in Princes-street . About twelve years ago he had a severe attack of rheumatic fever . It w as brought on , as he used to relate , by an overheat which he gave

himself . He was sent along with Mr . James Carnishelli , the modeller-, to take a cast from the face of a person who had died in the neig hbourhood of Dunbar . The house to which they went was somewhat distant from the railway station , and

they allowed themselves too little time to return for the last train . They observed the train careering for the station , while they had still some distance to travel . They exerted themselves to the utmost , ancl just reached the station in time ,

but Bro Smith was in a state of profuse perspiration and exhaustion . A cold shivering , ere long , crept over him , and was followed , after his return home , by fever and rheumatism . The attack of these fell disorders made a great change on his

whole system . His joints and limbs were racked and distorted , giving him excruciating pain , and leaving him the wreck of what he once was .

AVhen I knew him first , some fifteen years ago , he was vigorous and athletic . He had a commanding and reverential aspect ; and on St . John ' s day , at a quarterly meeting , or on Sabbath , you would not have taken him to be a working

man , but a well-to-do tradesman or merchant . For a year or two I had not the pleasure of seeing him . In the interim his disorders had wrought their direful effects , and when I met him one day in Princes-street , I scarcely recognised him , so

great a change had taken place in his appearance . He never got rid of his rheumatic affections . They tortured and very much disabled him to the day of his death . For four years jurevious to his

death he was also afflicted with bronchitis , and it was this disease that brought his sufferings to a close on the 23 rd of May last . Regarding our deceased brother ' s Masonic career , it will not be requisite that I enter into

any lengthened detail . He appears to have been initiated into the mysteries of the Craft in the memorable year 1822 . In the autumn of that year George IV . visited Scotland , the only crowned sovereign of the British empire that had been in

our ancient kingdom for 150 years . During his short stay in the neighbourhood of this city , there was a grand Masonic display at laying the foundation stone of the National Monument of Scotland , on the Calton-hill . The books of our lodge do

“The Freemasons' Monthly Magazine: 1867-09-14, Page 2” Masonic Periodicals Online, Library and Museum of Freemasonry, 21 June 2025, django:8000/periodicals/mmr/issues/mmr_14091867/page/2/.
  • List
  • Grid
Title Category Page
AN ORATION Article 1
MASONIC STATISTICS.—No. 2. Article 6
THE KNIGHTS TEMPLARS. Article 7
MASONIC NOTES AND QUERIES. Article 9
CORRESPONDENCE. Article 11
Untitled Article 13
Untitled Article 13
MASONIC MEMS. Article 13
PROVINCIAL. Article 13
SCOTLAND. Article 15
CANADA. Article 15
ITALY. Article 16
ROYAL ARCH. Article 16
MASONIC ANTHEM. Article 17
Obituary. Article 18
LODGE MEETINGS, ETC, FOR, THE WEEK ENDING SEPTEMBER 21ST , 1SO"7. Article 18
THE WEEK. Article 18
TO CORRESPONDENTS. Article 20
Page 1

Page 1

1 Article
Page 2

Page 2

1 Article
Page 3

Page 3

1 Article
Page 4

Page 4

1 Article
Page 5

Page 5

1 Article
Page 6

Page 6

3 Articles
Page 7

Page 7

3 Articles
Page 8

Page 8

1 Article
Page 9

Page 9

3 Articles
Page 10

Page 10

1 Article
Page 11

Page 11

2 Articles
Page 12

Page 12

1 Article
Page 13

Page 13

5 Articles
Page 14

Page 14

1 Article
Page 15

Page 15

4 Articles
Page 16

Page 16

3 Articles
Page 17

Page 17

1 Article
Page 18

Page 18

4 Articles
Page 19

Page 19

1 Article
Page 20

Page 20

3 Articles
Page 2

Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.

An Oration

country , Bro . Smith , most likely in the company -of his father , wended his way to Charlotte-square , then in the course of erection , and there and then . first handled the mallet and chisel , which he was destined to yield more or less for a

period of fifty-two years . After he was with-, drawn from Charlotte-square , the most important building at which he was employed during the course of his apprenticeship , was St . John ' s Episcopal Chapel , at the west end of

Princesstreet , which was chiefly erected in the year 1818 . After he became a journeyman , the principal buildings at which he wrought were St . Stephen ' s Church , the Orphan Hospital at the Dean , the Exchequer buildings in the Parliament-square ,

the Royal Institution on the Mound , and the Assembly Hall on the Castle-hill . The workmanship at all of these public edifices is of a first-class description , and reflects great credit on the skill and delicate manipulation of the Edinburgh masons .

Bro . Smith , from an early period of his career as an operative , was distinguished for the taste which he displayed , and the pains which he bestowed on

the work under his hand . He was one of the best hewers of his time , aud generally got some of the most delicate and difficult portions of the work to perform at the jobs at which he was . employed . It was , I believe , his excellence as a

hewer , that led to his engagement as a stone-. carver . He entered the service of Messrs . Black - . adder and Yule , stone-carvers , in this city , and remained with tbem for a number of j ^ ea rs . He was in their employment when he wrought at the

Royal Institution ancl the Assembly Hall . Mr . Blackadder died some years ago , but Mr . Yule is still alive . He is a member of this lodge , and I am happy to see him present with us this evening .

Bro . Smith left the employment of Messrs . Blackadder ancl Yule in the end of 1842 or the ¦ beginning of 18-1-3 , and entered into an engagement with Mr . John Steell , the famed sculptor . The first job at which he wrought , after entering

the service of Mr . Steell , was the statue of tlie Queen , which is somewhat incongruously placed above the front pediment ofthe Royal Institution . For the following eleven or twelve years , he was almost exclusively employed as a marble-carver

with Mr . Steell , and it ' would be somewhat interesting to know what statues and busts employed his chisel during that period . We know that one of tlie most notable ancl important was the statue of Sir Walter Scott , placed under the groined '

arch of the monument , erected to his memory in Princes-street . About twelve years ago he had a severe attack of rheumatic fever . It w as brought on , as he used to relate , by an overheat which he gave

himself . He was sent along with Mr . James Carnishelli , the modeller-, to take a cast from the face of a person who had died in the neig hbourhood of Dunbar . The house to which they went was somewhat distant from the railway station , and

they allowed themselves too little time to return for the last train . They observed the train careering for the station , while they had still some distance to travel . They exerted themselves to the utmost , ancl just reached the station in time ,

but Bro Smith was in a state of profuse perspiration and exhaustion . A cold shivering , ere long , crept over him , and was followed , after his return home , by fever and rheumatism . The attack of these fell disorders made a great change on his

whole system . His joints and limbs were racked and distorted , giving him excruciating pain , and leaving him the wreck of what he once was .

AVhen I knew him first , some fifteen years ago , he was vigorous and athletic . He had a commanding and reverential aspect ; and on St . John ' s day , at a quarterly meeting , or on Sabbath , you would not have taken him to be a working

man , but a well-to-do tradesman or merchant . For a year or two I had not the pleasure of seeing him . In the interim his disorders had wrought their direful effects , and when I met him one day in Princes-street , I scarcely recognised him , so

great a change had taken place in his appearance . He never got rid of his rheumatic affections . They tortured and very much disabled him to the day of his death . For four years jurevious to his

death he was also afflicted with bronchitis , and it was this disease that brought his sufferings to a close on the 23 rd of May last . Regarding our deceased brother ' s Masonic career , it will not be requisite that I enter into

any lengthened detail . He appears to have been initiated into the mysteries of the Craft in the memorable year 1822 . In the autumn of that year George IV . visited Scotland , the only crowned sovereign of the British empire that had been in

our ancient kingdom for 150 years . During his short stay in the neighbourhood of this city , there was a grand Masonic display at laying the foundation stone of the National Monument of Scotland , on the Calton-hill . The books of our lodge do

  • Prev page
  • 1
  • You're on page2
  • 3
  • 20
  • Next page
  • Accredited Museum Designated Outstanding Collection
  • LIBRARY AND MUSEUM CHARITABLE TRUST OF THE UNITED GRAND LODGE OF ENGLAND REGISTERED CHARITY NUMBER 1058497 / ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © 2025

  • Accessibility statement

  • Designed, developed, and maintained by King's Digital Lab

We use cookies to track usage and preferences.

Privacy & cookie policy