Mother Kilwinning.

enjoyment , and of earning his living as a village musician—they had regard to that benevolence Avhich as the students of speculatiA r e Masonry they were taught to practice . After the institution of Grand Lodge , so rapid was the growth of Mother Kilwinning that at the annual

meeting of 1745 the propriety of erecting a hall for their special use was first broached ; but not till Nov . ' 47 did the project meet with the formal approbation of the lodge , AVIIO , however , step by step , Avent very cautiously about the business . " Convocated in select lodgeto consider the proposal

, to building a Large Hall , the members present were unanimously of opinion that a list should be made out of all the surviving members , and such gentlemen as have been made Massons in this lodge , and that a certain tax not exceeding the sum of , be laid upon each of such Brethren ; at the same time not to limit

their generosity , in case any of them choose to exceed this regulation : Aud that all Lodges who own this Lodge as their Mother be applied to for contributions . " Nothing further is heard of this scheme till 20 th Dec , 1770 , Avhen , " The Brethren being unanimously convinced of the necessity of having a Lodge or House of their own to meet in , appoint a Committee for purchasing ground and contract for the building ;

and m order that they may have command of all their money , the same Committee is enpowered to do diligence on the bills . " Lord Eglintone ' s offer to let to the lodge , on a long tack , "his Court House of Kilwinning , " which w-as described as " in a ruinous condition , " diverted the brethren from their ori g inal

intention ; and in December , 1771 , the lodge agreed to " write circular letters to all their Daughters for filial aid to repair or rebuild the said Court House . " Another pause in these proceedings took place , and in the interval the death of their generous Grand Master , by the hand of a poacher Avhom his lordshihad

atp tempted to disarm , led to the abandonment of the proposal to rebuild the " Garnel . " Subsequently , however , the offer of a 500 years' lease of the piece of ground upon Avhich the building stood , Avith a g ift of the old material of which it was composed Avas made to the lodge by the eleventh Earlwhich offer

, being accepted , the demolition of the court-house was speedily accomplished ; and upon its site was erected in 1779 the present hall , at a cost to the Mother Lodge of nearly £ 300—the payment of which not only exhausted their funds , but placed the lodge considerably in debt ; so much so as to lead to the

adoption of the resolution , " to retrench the charities considerably , on the account of the distress of the lodge , and to be continued till the funds are more flourishino-. "

Among the Daughter Lodges contributing of their means to aid the Mother Lodge in paying of the debt incurred in the building of the Freemasons' Hall at Kilwinning , appear the Canongate Kilwinning , Newmilns Kilwinuiug , Greenock Mountstuart Kilwinning , and High K . T . ol Ireland Kilwinning , each of whom

sent five guineas . The Greenock Mountstuart forwarded their subscription by the hand of their R . W . M ., Avho along with the two brethren accompanying him , Avere treated in the lodge to the extent of 8 s . 'kl . Avorth of toddy . In ordinary circumstances , about the period alluded to , it Avas usual for the lodge to

entertain brethren coming from a distance to attend meetings of the Craft . Four visiting brethren from the Canongate and Torphichen are in 1765 treated b y the lodge to a bottle of toddy each , and in some cases a bottle of porter is added to that alloAvance . The Lodge Canongate , when first applied to for their

contribution towards the Kilwinning Hall , were " much embarrassed " with their own affairs . Nevertheless Ave find the Right Worshipful the Master of that lodge , under date April 27 , 17 S 0 , thus addressing the Master of the Mother Lodge : — " ... I with pleasure acquaint you , R . W ., that the Lodge of C .

Kil . are Avell disposed to give you what assistance is in their power . . . . St . John ' s Chapel , our lodge , has cost us a deal of money—not less , as I am informed , Avith the different repairs , and including an excellent organ , than £ 1400 , Avhich has prevented us having any cash in handand depriving us of the

plea-, sure of assisting you in the manner Ave wish . . . We will send our mite as soon as we can . " We select a few sentences from the reply Avhich the Secretary of Mother Kilwinninc sent to Bro . Dr . Nathaniel

Spens' very fraternal letter : — " . . . Permit me , Rt . Worshi p ful , in name of my constituents and brethren , to- return our affectionate thanks for the attention you have been pleased to show for our undertaking , and your desire to promote a fund for so venerable an object as rearing an edifice for an assembly to the Mother ' s sonsand to perpetuate the

, memory of a Matron Avhose offspring has extended over Europe and America , and diffused a light , and boundless circle of charity to the indigent and distress . . . While Ave rank the Cann . Kilwinning Lodge an Honourable Daughter of the Mot . Kil . Lodge , it 2 'eflects the highest mark of her gratitude

and affection to the aged Matron , and binds us in indissoluble ties to pray for prosperity , unanimity , and harmony to the Can . Kil . Lodge . " We have already shovra the West Kilbride Lodge to have received a charter from Kilwinning within two years after the formation of Grand Lodge . The next recorded charter is that issued in 1746 to a number of " Gentlemen Masons" at Port Glasgow , erected into a lodge under the name of " Cumberland

Kilwinning ; " and in February of the same year the " Working Masons" in Loudoun obtained a charter for the Lodge "Loudoun Newmilns Kilwinning . " These were succeeded by many others , a list of Avhich Ave shall give in our next communication . Notwithstanding the numerous charters issued

by the Mother Lodge , it is not till 1777 that the brethren , desiderating the Avant of a Seal wherewith to stamp their charters and other official documents , " unanimously agree that there shall be cut into a Seel , consisting of the Masons Arms , for the public benefite of seeling Charters granted by the Lodge of

Kilwinning to any other bodie , to be incorporated by virtue of their authority , or any other paper extracted from said lodge . " Two years elapsed before the Mother Lodge accomplished their intention in regard to the procuring of a lodge seal . Under date Oct . 171779 the

fol-, , lowing entry occurs : — " Having this day received by the hands of Rob . Laughland , Secretary , a A ery fine Masonic Seel , engraved in silver , now deposited in our box , and to be used for the seeling of charters , diplomas , and other