ua,.w ^.A aiA .\ \ r .'^^ Hi . .1 'I' ANNEX #»■ ^''-^^^ - LIBRARY I c 018084 CORNELL UNIVERSITY LIBRARY THIS BOOK IS ONE OF A COLLECTION MADE BY BENNO LOEWY 1854-1919 AND BEQUEATHED TO CORNELL UNIVERSITY %obQC ot IResearcb. IRO. 2429. 57 Regent Road, Leicester, September, 1910. Dear Sir and Bro., I have much pleasure in handing you a copy of Bro. Hughan's "Jacobite Lodge at Rome, 1735-7," just published by this Lodge, and shall be glad if you will acknowledge its receipt by post card. At the same time I beg to draw your attention to this literary Lodge, which works on the same lines as the famous " Quatuor Coronati " Lodge of London. Subscribers to the Correspondence Circle pay five shillings yearly, and receive the Annual Transactions in August. I shall be pleased to hear from you and give any further information you may desire. Yours fraternally, JNO. T. THORP, Secretary. Cornell University Library The original of this book is in the Cornell University Library. There are no known copyright restrictions in the United States on the use of the text. http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924030311595 Cornell University Library HS615.R7 H89 + The Jacobite lodge at Rome. 3 1924 030 311 595 olin,anx Overs ri-tt /l^kW^ 'iJ^^At^Y' ' THIS WORK is fraternally dedicated to the Most Honourable THE MARQUESS OF TUI.LIBARDINE, M.V.O., D.S.O., M.P., &c., &c., &c., M.W. Grand Master Mason OF Scotland. Torquay, August i4.th, igto. MEMORANDUM. I am very pleased to be able to announce that Brother W. J. Hughan, the eminent Masonic Historian, has kindly presented the copyright of "THE JACOBITE LODGE AT ROME, 1735 - 7," to the " Lodge of Research," No. 2429. This Lodge, therefore, possesses the copy- right of all Bro. Hughan's Masonic Works, published tinder his own auspices, from 1869 to 1910. JOHN T. THORP, P.M. and Sec. 2429. Leicester, August i8th, igio. CONTENTS Chapter I.— The "Roman Lodge" and its Minute Book. Chapter II. — The Records 1735 7. Chapter III. — Prince Charles and Freemasonry. Reproduction of the Minute Book of the Roman Lodge of Jacobites, 1735-7, 'verbatim et literatim. Addition to Page 17. The late Mr. James Smith cites still earlier instances of the use of the term " Grand Master " in his History of No. 53, Dumfries. On 27th Dec, 1736, the Master then elected is described as '■'•late Grand Master"; the Lodge electing "a Grand Master and Grand Warden" in addition to the ordinary officers at that period. Chapter n, THE ROMAN LODGE AND ITS MINUTE BOOK. OMETIME ago, Mr, William Officer, S.S.C, of Edinburgh, expressed an earnest desire for me to bring out a History of the "Jacobite Lodge at Rome, 1735-7," 3"^ a* ^^^ same time placed in my hands a number of particulars concerning the members, which he had collected as a contribution towards the work. Knowing as I did the erroneous views which were prevalent as to the character of that Masonic organization, the publication of precise information on the subject seemed to me very desirable, and therefore it afforded me much pleasure to promise my friend to carry out his wishes. Whilst engaged in preparing material and seeking to discover any additional facts on the subject, the decease of my esteemed collaborator occurred with tragic suddenness on the nth April, igo6, and in consequence the matter was dropped because of its painful associations. Recently, however, it has occurred to me that it is high time the task was acomplished ; the accompanying Historical Sketches being the result of such cogitation. The following excerpt from the minutes of the Grand Lodge of Scotland, of date loth November, 1800, duly certified by Mr. David Reid, the present Grand Secretary, tells its own tale: "The Substitute Grand Master stated that he had in his hand a Book containing the minutes of a Lodge of Free Masons, held at Rome in 1735, under the auspices of Lord Winton ; that this Book had been presented to the Most Worshipful Sir James Stirling, Bart., Grand Master, by John McGowan, Esq., for the purpose of being deposited among the archives of the Grand Lodge of Scotland ; that the Substitute Grand Master was authorised by Sir James Stirling to offer in his name this Book for the acceptance of the Grand Lodge — 10 The Grand Lodge accordingly accept of this most valuable deposit, and desire the same may be kept among the other valuable records and papers belonging to them." "Right Worshipful Brother Lawrie moved, and it was unanimously agreed to, that the thanks of the Grand Lodge be given to John McGowan, Esq., for the handsome manner in which he had presented them with the above valuable and curious record, and the Substitute Grand Master was requested to offer thanks in the manner he thought proper." In the " History of Freemasonry and the Grand Lodge of Scotland" (1859), by William Alexander Laurie, this gift is recorded at page 163, and a foot note added : " This is the Lodge over which Prince Charles Edward presided as Right Worshipful Master." There is not the slightest justification for such a statement, either as respects the original Records or any other documents, and it is much to be regretted that the then Grand Secretary — successor to his father in that important office — did not consult the actual minutes prior to writing the brief account for his well known volume. The valuable and curious Book is of quarto size, and now consists of twenty-one leaves (about gin. x 6^in.), paged consecutively 1 to 42 by a later hand, the leaves being sewn together with strips of leather, and twine has also been used, apparently, for additional security. The vellum cover is slightly larger, and has a pointed flap, with leather ties. I could not understand there being only twenty-one leaves now, as there should have been twenty-two or some even number, according to the ordinary folding of the sheets, an opinion confirmed by my discovery pf a small portion of the missing leaf between pages ten and eleven, the removal having been effected evidently prior to the existing pagination. One naturally wonders what was the object of such abstraction, and I am surprised that it had not previously been detected. Eighteen pages have been utilized by the various scribes, as will be fully explained, and on the cover it is stated that "this Parchment Book was delivered to me [Mr.. Lumisden] by Mr. John McGowan, who got it at Paris." Portions of the title are obliterated; but the interesting account (pages I and 2) written by Mr. Andrew Lumisden, dated at Edinburgh, 2oth November, 1799, supplies what is lacking, and is herein reproduced in due course. II The precious Volume was retained by the Executor (Dr. Irvin) of the Earl of Wintoun (who died in December, 1750) : "Dr. Irvin was the only Brother of that Lodge then remaining at Rome, and who, I believe, wrote its original statutes in Latin." (A. L.) On his decease it was handed to Mr. Lumisden by the widow, " as she had heard her husband call me Brother," by whom it was care- fully preserved until he gave it to Mr. McGowan to place in the hands of Sir Alexander Dick, Bart., who was known by the name of Alexander Cunningham until the decease of his brother Sir William Dick. That duty was duly discharged, apparently in 1778, but on Sir Alexander Dick's demise, his son, Sir William, entrusted it to Mr. McGowan, by whom it was presented to the Lord Provost of Edinburgh (M.W. Grand Master) in 1799, to place in the archives of the Grand Lodge as its permanent home, which, happily, was done accordingly. The earliest account in print of this Lodge, known to me, is to be found in the "Freemasons' Quarterly Review" for 1842 (pp. 393-6). It is fairly well done, and Mr. Lumisden's memorandum, which occupies the first two pages of the original, is given in full. The Author refers to the Earl of Wintoun as follows : " This nobleman had the misfortune to be engaged in the Rebellion of 1715, and was forced to surrender prisoner at Preston, in Lancashire, to the Generals Carpenter and Willis. He was brought to London, impeached, tried, and received sentence of death on the 19th March, 1716, but he escaped from the Tower soon after and took refuge in foreign parts. (The present Earl of Eglinton claims to be representative, and was served heir to the Earl of Wintoun in 1840.) In consequence of his attainder, the once magnificent Mansion of Seton, and other property of Lord Wintoun, became forfeited to the Crown." A more detailed report appears in the " History of the Lodge of Edinburgh (Mary's CJiapel) No. i," by Mr. D. Murray Lyon, 1873 and 1900, and a facsimile is given of the last Minute of 28th August, 1737 (Chapter xxxiii., 2nd Edition). A condensed description was inserted in the "Proceedings of the Grand Lodge of Scotland for 1898-9," at the request of the Grand Master and other members of the committee, which had been written by the Grand Secretary (Mr. Lyon) for a volume entitled " Scottish National Memorials," illustrative of the Historical and Archaeological Collection in the Great Exhibition at G'lasgow in 1888. Cbapter flU. THE MINUTES, 1735-7. hHE Minutes of the Lodge are remarkable for their brevity, and combine records with the autograph signatures of those who attended as members or visitors. I consider there were meetings prior to the first entry of August i6th, 1735, because that Minute is more suggestive of such than of an entirely new Lodge, and the Register, at page 3, contains sixteen members, "William Howard, Master," being at the head; the Master at the first recorded assembly being John Cotton, thirteenth on such List. There is no word of the election of either of these Masters, and, moreover, at the Lodge held on September i6th, 1735, M. Le Wick, with two others, were fined by the " Grand Master " for non-attendance, after due warning, "being contrary to the laws of Masonry." This name is not in the Roll of Members, and as it is not likely a fine would be inflicted on an occasional visitor, the probabilty is that the omission from the Register was an error. No reference occurs to him later on. Twelve meetings are recorded, and a reference made to another held 3rd April, 1736, for electing the Earl of Wintoun as W.M., making thirteen in all. It is likely others were also held, as the clerical duties generally were very carelessly discharged, a fact much to be regretted. The average attendance was about eight per Lodge. Another member, apparently, De Bandy de Vis, but not mentioned in the Register, was present on September 21st, 1735, and also on the 4th of January in the year following; the only "Visiting Brother" recorded at any time as such being JO. FORBES, whose name occurs in the Minutes for 6th August, 1736. The total receptions, or initiations, numbered fourteen in all. I noticed that the name of the Master, which heads the List of Members, was written over another which I could not decipher ; 14 but Mr. David Reid has succeeded where I failed, and discovered it is Howard Anderson, so that this is still another indication of an earlier existence of the Lodge, the name not occurring in the oldest preserved Roll of Members, nor in any of the Minutes; nor did Mr. Howard attend any of the recorded meetings. Other absentees, though on the Register of 1735 (circa), were Richard Younger (J.W. on the Register), James Dashwood, Thomas Lisle, Wm. Sheldon, Sir Marmaduke Constable (of Eveningham, " a member of the family who ultimately succeeded to the Herries title ") — who was fined once for non-attendance — and Daniel Kilmaster, making seven in all. The By-Laws, undated, are in Latin, but as several of the letters were not easily recognised, I consulted Dr. W. J, Chetwode Crawley, of Dublin, who kindly favoured me most promptly with what he thought was the intention of the author. Dr. James Irvin. The Rules occupy three pages (9 to II inclusive), with a translation in English "for the use of the Free Masons of the Roman Lodge." Not a word is said as to fees, neither is there any remark as to any superior or controlling authority; any appeal from the Master's decision being to "the whole Lodge." Rule 9 doubtless means that the Master and Wardens were to be owners, or trustees, of the Archives on behalf of the Lodge; and the Junior Warden was also to be the Secretary, the latter being a most unusual and unsuitable combination of two important offices. The "Roman Eagle Lodge," No. 160, Edinburgh, started in 1785, had not only its By-Laws, but also its Minutes, written in Latin, the object of Dr. John Brown, the first Master, and its other promoters, being "to erect and maintain a Lodge whose working and records should be in the classical Latin tongue." This unique arrangement was continued to 1794, when the election of an "English Secretary" led to the Latin language being wholly discarded. Valuable information is afforded as to this remarkable Lodge, "its connection with the Medical profession, its interesting and picturesque records, and its splendid List of Members," in charming " Historical Notes," by Mr. Alfred A. A. Murray, LL.B., W.S., of Edinburgh (1908). 15 First existing Minute, August i6th, 1735. The Minutes of this meeting are most important, because they not only introduce a new Master (without any statement as to his election) with his Wardens — the Senior previously becoming the Junior Warden, and Cha. Slezer taking the chi^ position— but mention is made of " G. Seton Wintoun, who was received that day," and signed his name accordingly, with the eight others who were present. If the second By- Law was observed, the Earl of Wintoun must have been balloted for at an earlier meeting, not recorded in this Book. The description also of a "compleat Lodge" being held is peculiar to this entry, the term subsequently employed being "true and perfect." The Master is described in " Patten's History of the Rebellion of 1715 " as " Mr. John Cotton of Cambridgeshire," who joined the Rebel Army at Preston along with his father, " Robert Cotton, a gentleman of very good family. He is a non-juror; both Protestants." [W. OFFICER.] "CHARLES SLEZER was the second son of John Slezer, a Captain of Artillery, a friend of Charles the Second, and a strong supporter of the Stuart family and the Jacobite cause. He was the author of a book of national interest, entitled The Theatrum Scotia, or State of Scotland, containing engravings of the principal castles and houses in the kingdom. This work was undertaken at the request and expense of the Government. Charles Slezer (who was a member of the Roman Lodge), along with his mother, raised an action against the Government for the balance of the debt due by the Crown to his father, and obtained under that action payment of various sums of money." [W.O.] Cha. Slezer was a very regular attendant, not missing one meeting of those fully reported, and was described either as the elder Warden or Deputy Master throughout. JAMES IRVIN, Junior, only attended the next Lodge, and then did not occupy the Warden's Chair, though S.W. on the Roll at page 3, and J.W. at the first recorded meeting. DR. JAMES IRVIN (or Irvine) was senior Physician to the Chevalier St. George (James III.), and was a member of the Company of Royal Archers from 1715. He died in 1759. His presence at the Lodge is noted but three times, as an ordinary member only. i6 THOMAS TWISDEN "is supposed to have been the son of Sir William Twisden, fifth Bart., of Twysenden, Kent, and became Lieut.- Colonel in the First Regiment of Life Guards. His death occurred in 1784." [W.O.] For the following meeting his name is registered, but never subsequently. WILLIAM HAY, "taken prisoner near Dunfermline, 1715, tried for treason at Carlisle 1716; said to be Mr. Hay, son to Arbroth — see CampeU's Life of John, Duke of Argyle, pp. 187 and 273." [W.O.] Mr. Lyon mentions that this Colonel Hay "was third and youngest son of the sixth Earl of Kinnoul, and took an active part in the Rising of 1715. Created Earl of Inverness by the Chevalier de St. George at Rome, and acted as Guardian to the Chevalier's two sons. Prince Charles Edward Stuart and Henry Duke of York. Died in 1740." (p. 350, History, 1900.) JOHN STEWART, of Grantully. "In Mr. Edgar's letter to Mr. Murray, of Broughton, dated 27th April, 1741 (Memoirs, p. 362), John Stewart appears to be the one referred to in that epistle. He was bom in 1689, and engaged in the Rebellion of 1715 was also present as an Officer of Cavalry at the battle of Sheriffmuir, suffering both fine and imprisonment. Died 25th September, 1770." [\A^.O.] Mr. Lyon states that Mr. Stewart was brother to the Earl of Traquair, but Mr. Officer thought not. GEORGE, 5th EARL OF WINTOUN, succeeded to the family title and estates on the death of his father in 1704. He joined the Jacobite rising in 1715, and held a command in the rebel army, of a party of gentlemen who were drawn up in the churchyard of Preston, at the battle which took place there between the Highland and Royal Armies. He was taken prisoner, tried and condemned to death on 15th March, 1716, but found means to escape out of the Tower of London on 4th August following, and fled to France. He died unmarried at Rome, 19th December, 1749, aged upwards of 70 years." Lyon gives the date of his decease as December, 1756 (p. 353). [W.O.] Lord Wintoun (or Winton) was most devoted to his Masonic duties, and was never absent once from any of the fully recorded meetings, his remarkable signature being always appended in evidence thereof. His first appearance as Master was on August 6th, 1736, and he held that office during the subsequent existence of the Lodge, retaining the Minute Book thereof, after it ceased to work, until his decease. I? Second Meeting, September i6tk, 1735. The record is noteworthy for the use of the title "Grand Master" being applied to the Master. A similar designation is to be found in the Minutes of the Lodge of Edinburgh, No. i, December 31st, 1731, the earliest of its kind traced in Scotland, and used only for that organiza- tion ; the general title of Grand Master not being met with in that country until the formation of the Grand Lodge of Scotland on 30th November, 1736. The first time it is heard of in print was to describe the Chief or Head of the premier Grand Lodge of England, the example being quickly followed by the Grand Lodges of Ireland and at York during the same decade. The "true and perfect Lodge" then held consisted of seven members only. JO. STEWART occupied the Junior Warden's Chair then and several times since, and once was the acting S.W. WILL. MOSMAN was present at several of the meetings, and once was " Deputy ^Va^den." Mr. A. M. Mackay, Historian of Lodge St. David, Edinburgh, tells me of a visit paid thereto " by Br. Mosman, from the Scots Lodge in Rome," on February 13th, 1754; and that William Hay, of Crawford Town, Clerk to the Signet, affiliated to the same Lodge, gth September, 1765. Fines inflicted by the " Grand Master " on absentees appear to have been omitted subsequently. Third Meeting, September 21st, 1735. Two candidates "were received," and the name of DE BANDY DE VIS is placed with the members, though not on the Register as such ; and he was present once more. MARK CARSE, of Cockpen, " the Lairds of which are made famous by a popular ballad written by the Baroness Nairne, the first verse of wnicn is Yjj^ jgjj.j ^, Cockpen, he's proud and he's great, His mind is ta'en up wi' things o' the State; He wanted a wife, his braw house to keep, But favour wi' wooin was fashious to seek. He joined the Rebel Army and was taken prisoner at the Battle of Preston. Though removed to London and confined there, he was not brought to trial " [W.O.] . He simply attended the two following meetings, and the Count Soudavini only the one on 4th January, 1736. i8 Fourth Meeting, St. Johris Day {Winter), 1735. Mr. Cotton was re-elected "Grand Master" during the remainder of his stay in the City. HEN. FITZMAURICE was of the number present, and also at six assemblies later, including the last, held on 20th August, 1737. Fifth Meeting, /^th January, 1736. At this assembly CHA. SLEZER was the Deputy Master, the number present being more than usual, and Capt. Thomas Archdeacon was received, having passed a favourable ballot at the previous meeting. His name is not met with again. Sixth Meeting, February 18M, 1736. The sparse particulars afforded are written in French, and evidentiy the intention of the Scribe to complete the list of members who attended was not carried out, as, excepting " Jean Cotton, Maitre," only one name is appended (De Pandy de Vis), though three candidates were received and duly signed the Minutes. This time the meeting assembled at Chesi Dion, those previously being at Joseppies in the Corso. Seventh Meeting, 19M March, 1736. Only five members attended, when the Earl of Wintoun was received a Master Mason. This is the only record that refers to any ceremony other than the ordinary reception or initiation. The " Third Degree " is not mentioned in Scottish Lodge records before A.D. 1735. The Lodge had removed to the "Three Kings, Strada Paolina," "John Cotton, Master" being in the chair. 19 Eighth Meeting, August 6th, 1736. At "a Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons, held at the Three Kings" aforesaid, the Right Honble. the Earl of Winton was announced as Master, "having been elected as such on the 23rd of April of the same year" (about which nothing else is added), Mr, Charles Slezer and Mr. William Hay being W^ardens. *' Mr. John Forbes came, and was received as a Visiting Brother"; but no particulars are given. His autograph, as visitor, is not quite the same style as that appended to the Roll of Members of the R, Comp. of Archers, agth July, 1734, or elsewhere of later dates. According to Mr. Officer's notes, Captain Forbes challenged Wilkes, because of his aspersions on the Scottish Nation, but he shewed the white feather. Full details will be found in the Scots' Magazine for 1763. The J.W. " was the son of Mr. Hay, of Drumelzier, in the County of Peebles. He joined the Royal Company of Archers at Edinburgh." [W.O.]. Ninth Meeting, January 2nd, 1737. Lord Wintoun is described as " Great Master," and as such " received with all the due forms Alexander Cunningham and Allan Ramsay." The former attended once and the latter twice afterwards. DR. CUNNINGHAME, born in 1703, "was a son of Sir William Cunninghame, of Caprington, by Janet, only child of Sir James Dick, Bart,, of Prestonfield, near Edinburgh. The paternal estates descended to an elder brother, but, under the special provisions of Sir James Dick's patent, his daughter's issue succeeded to his title. Both Baronetcies merged in Dr. Cunninghame's son. Dr. Cunninghame became a F.R.C.P., Edinburgh, in 1727, and was elected for the seventh time President of that College. Mr. Andrew Lumisden was his cousin. In 1736-7 he took a lengthened Continental tour, chiefly in Italy, in company with Mr. Allan Ramsay, and when in Rome they both joined the Roman Lodge, Dr. Cunninghame forming the acquaintance of the Stuart Family, and thus came a good deal in contact with Prince Charles Edward. He died in 1785." [W.O.] On the 29th November, 1756, "the R.W. Bro, Frazer, D,G.M., at the meeting of the Canongate Kilwinning Lodge, No. 2, proposed that 20 Bro. Sir Alexander Dick, of Priestfield, Bart, [formerly Dr. Cunning- ham] , from the Lodge at Rome, should be admitted a member, he having requested Bro. Eraser to ask that favour, and he was accordingly admitted and paid the usual dues" (History of No. 2 by Allan Mac- kenzie, Edinburgh, 1888, p. 83.) In the " Lives of the Lindsays " he is described as " one of the worthiest, kindest, and most intellectual men of the day." ALLAN RAMSAY, "born in 1713, was a son of the eminent Scottish poet of that name, and wig maker, of Edinburgh. Although exercising that vocation he was a man of good family, and was admitted as an honorary member of the Company of Royal Archers, by whom his association with the Body was highly valued. Both he and his son were ardent Jacobites. The latter was a celebrated portrait painter, and studied his profession under distinguished artists in London and Italy, He became Portrait Painter to the King and Queen in 1767, which brought him immense employment. He died in 1785." [AV.O.] Mr. Mackenzie (before noted) states^ '.'itjs believed that the portrait of William St. Clair, of Rosslyn, was painted by Allan Ramsay, son of the Author of The Gentle Shepherd." Tenth Meeting, yanuary 22,rd, 1737. The only business transacted at this assembly, apparently, was the initiation of the Marquis C. A. De Vasse, Brigadier of the French Army, &c., whose name does not occur again. Eleventh Meeting, ()th May, 1737. Three more receptions of candidates are recorded, who duly signed their names to the Minutes. Mr. Halliburton, one of the trio, "was a Merchant at Edinburgh, and took an active part in connection with the Rebellion of 1745. In the Memoirs of the Chevalier de Johnstone, he appears to have repaid an advance of £"3800, made by two Merchants in Dunkirk, to the Chevalier de St. George, by a Bill upon John Haliburton, at Dunkirk, and in one of the examinations of Mr. Murray, of Broughton, at "the Tower of London he states That one John Haliburton came to Inverness, from France, about two days before the battle of Culloden." [W.O.] 21 Twelfth Meeting, August 20th, 1737. At this last recorded meeting, "John Murray, Esq., was received in all due form " ; the Earl of Wintoun, as usual, being in the chair as " Great Master," and supported by his two attentive Wardens, Cha. Slezer and Jo. Stewart; there being three other members present. "JOHN MURRAY, of Broughton, a cadet of the family of Murray, Baronets of Stanhope, in the County of Peebles, owned the estate of Broughton in that County. He visited the Stuart family at Rome several times prior to the Rebellion of 1745, was one of seven individuals who were primarily responsible for that outbreak, of whom only three joined the Forces of Prince Charlie, and considered to be the moving spirit of the Rising, acting as Secretary to the Prince during the Campaign. [W.O.] On the 6th December, 1738, Lodge " Canongate Kilwinning," No. 2, was visited by quite a number of Brethren hailing from a dozen Lodges, including the one at Rome, and on the celebration of St. John the Evangelist, 27th December of that year, Mr. Mackenzie thus quotes from the records (p. 57) as to "the initiation of a gentleman who obtained an unenviable notoriety, subsequent to the Insurrection in 1745." " The Lodge, having mett upon the Anniversary of St. John the Evangelist's Day, according to the usual custom, and being duly formed, they unanimously admitted John Murray, Esq., of Broughton, a member of this Lodge." It will be seen, by reference to the reproduction of the " Roman Lodge" Records, 1735-7, and of the facsimile of the Minutes of August 20th, 1737, that Mr. Murray was initiated in that Lodge, and not in Lodge No. 2, as some have declared, the latter simply affiliating him as a joining member. The members of this venerable body, however, soon regretted their decision, for though the R.W. Master appointed Mr. Murray, of Broughton, Junior Warden pro tern, on December ist, 1742, on the visit of the Right Hon. the Earl of Kilmarnock, G.M., and Other Grand Officers, "his name was afterwards defaced, as well as his signature to this minute," in terms of the resolution of the Brethren as recorded, "Expunged by unanimous consent of the whole Lodge." The (4th) Earl of Kilmarnock was an enthusiastic craftsman, and was a founder and first Master of St. John, Kilwinning, Kilmarnock, 22 warranted in 1734 ; becoming, also, the R.W.M. of " Mother Lodge, Kilwin- ning," No. o, in 1742. Whilst in the chair of No. 22, Kilmarnock, his Lordship joined the " Old Falkirk," No. 16 ; was chosen Master 27th December, 1740, and was re-elected to St. John's Day, 1743. He was executed for complicity in the Rising of 1745 ; Sir Archibald Primrose, who was initiated in No. 16 during Lord Kilmarnock's Mastership, sharing the same fate. Owing to the connection of several prominent members of this Lodge with the Stuart Cause it was dormant for a few years ; but soon tranquillity was restored, and sons of the unfortunate Earl were appointed to the Chairs of the Master and Wardens. (See Mr. William Black's History of the Lodge.) Mr. Murray was elected J.G.W. of the G.L. of Scotland in 1743, and stood high in the Craft for so young a Mason. After the Battle of Culloden " he was apprehended near his own Estate, and, in order to save the penalties attaching to the part he took in the Rebellion, became a witness for the Crown, and thus became a subject of detesta- tion by the Scottish people, the great majority of whom, at that date, were Jacobites. In 1733 Mr. Murray became a member of the Royal Company of Archers, the body guard of the King of Scotland ; becoming one of its Councillors and Brigadiers. The origin of this Body is lost in antiquity. Its members have been throughout, and are still, the elite of the Scottish people. Its Captain-General at present is His Grace the Duke of Buccleuch, K.G. The Records of the Company state," [W.O.] " Upoh serious deliberation and weighty considerations it deleted Mr. Murray's name from all the Records of the meetings of the Council which he attended." The Crown took possession of Mr. Murray's Estate and property generally, for although ultimately pardoned he experienced much difficulty in obtaining possession. He employed as his man of business Mr. Walter Scott, W.S., father of Sir Walter Scott, Bart., of Abbotsford — both members of the "mystic tie," "The engagement was distasteful to Mr. Scott, and his client's visits to his house were clandestine and under the cloud of night. Miss Rosaline Masson, in her interesting description of Edinburgh (A. & C. Black, 1904), states that Mrs, Scott's curiosity had been aroused by the visits, night after night, of a mysterious stranger, who remained ploseted with her husband long after the household had retired. Mr. Scott preserved a stern reticence, but woman's wit found out a way. One night, very late, Mrs. Scott entered 23 the business room with two cups of tea, assuming they would be glad of some refreshment. Her husband neither drank his tea nor introduced his guest, but, after having shewn his client out, took the empty cup, and, throwing up the window sash, flung it out, saying, "Neither lip of me or mine comes after Murray, of Broughton." The widowed saucer of this cup formed one of Sir Walter Scott's most favoured treasures." [W.O.] In the Memorandum dated " Edinburgh, 20th November, 1799," written by Mr. Andrew Lumisden inside the cover of the MS., it is stated that "Pope Clement the XII., having published a most severe edict against Masonry, the last Lodge held at Rome was on the 20th August, 1737, when the late Earl of Wintoun was Master." Th^ last recorded meeting was held nearly a year before the issue of the first Bull fulminated against Freemasonry, and consequently the Lodge may have assembled in the interim, even if no minutes are preserved. We learn from the same source that "The officer of the Lodge \i.e. Tyler], who was a servant of Dr. James Irvin, was sent, as a terror to others, prisoner to the Inquisition, but was soon released. This happened about twelve years before I went to Rome, otherwise I should no doubt have been received, as I was a Brother of the Lodge of Edinburgh — Dunfermline." [No. 41, Edinburgh, formed in 1739.] " Mr. Lumisden was a descendant of an influential County family in Scotland. His grandfather became Bishop of Edinburgh ; his father (William) carried arms for the Stuarts in 1715, and declined to take the oath of allegiance to the King, so could not pass at the Scottish Bar for which he had been destined. Mr. Andrew Lumisden had been educated for the Law, and was 25 years of age when Prince Charles Edward Stuart raised his Father's standard in Scotland. Dr. Cunninghame did not accept the offered appointment of Private Secretary to the Prince, but suggested Mr. Andrew Lumisden, his second cousin, for the situation, being a man possessed of a cool head, urbane manners, and punctilious accuracy, combined with singular discretion and unsullied honour. He went through all the Rebellion, and after the Battle of Culloden escaped to Prance, later on reaching Rome, becoming Assistant Secretary to the Chevalier de St. George, and /Chief Secretary on the death of Mr. Edgar, continuing to act in such capacity to the Prince on the decease of his Father. In 1768, after many years of difficult service in that capacity, he removed to Paris, and there resided until 1773, when he was permitted to return to Edinburgh, his friends obtaining for him a full pardon and 24 remission of his attainder in 1778, He was a member of the Royal and Antiquarian Societies of Edinburgh, his chief literary work being Remarks on the Antiquities of Rome and its Environs. He died of apoplexy in his 82nd year at the house of Mr. John McGowan, who had been the friend and companion of his youth." [W.O.] No evidence has been discovered as to the origin of the " Roman Lodge," but it seems most probable, in accordance with long usage, that the founders were Scottish Brethren, who felt justified in assembling as a Lodge in the City of Rome, being sufficient in number and having the necessary knowledge for the purpose. Under the Grand Lodge of Scotland, the Warden qualification for a Master's Chair has never prevailed, and though the Earl of Wintoun took the degree of a Master Mason prior to becoming the Master, it is not likely that even that Ceremony was obligatory at that period on the presiding officer of such a Lodge, though doubtless desirable. There is no mention of a Masters' Lodge in the Records, nor indeed of any Degree other than the First, save the solitary reference to the promotion of the zealous Craftsman, Lord W^intoun. Evidently the membership of the Lodge was mainly, if not exclusively, composed of Jacobites, who thus pleasantly spent a portion of their exile in working the same Ceremonies as the Fraternity did in Scotland and elsewhere. There is no reason to suppose that the Lodge was ever used but for strictly Masonic purposes, and I take it the meetings were as much open for visitation by those who favoured the Hanoverian succession as for partisans of the unfortunate Stuart Family ; indeed, unless such had been the case, the " Roman Lodge " could not have been deemed to belong to the Free and Accepted Masons. Cbapter imn. "PRINCE CHARLIE" AND FREEMASONRY. J ANY statements have appeared from time to time respect- ing Prince Charles Edward Stuart's connection with Freemasonry, documents being submitted to prove that he even held the highest possible rank in the Craft; but, so far as I have been able to discover, all such claims are of an apocryphal character : some are most absurd, while others are directly opposed to the actual facts of the case. One of the earliest references to the Prince relates to the Order of the Temple, and is to be found in the Statutes of that Organization for Scotland (Edit. 1897). The following occurs in the Historical Notice appended thereto by Professor Aytoun : — " From a letter in the archives of an old and distinguished Scottish family, which has been repeatedly published, we learn that John, Earl of Mar, succeeded Lord Dundee in the Mastership [of the Temple] ; that on his demission the Duke of Athole assumed the administration of the affairs of the Order as its Regent ; and, finally, that in 1745 Prince Charles Edward Stuart was elected to the high office of Grand Master, in a solemn Chapter held in the Palace of Holyrood. This letter [dated 30th Sept., 1745] is written by the Duke of Perth to the Lord Ogilvy, eldest son of the Earl of Airlie." As to this statement, the "Edinburgh Advertiser" for December ist, 1843, and Memoirs of Sir Robert Strange, K.T., the eminent Engraver, and his brother-in-law, Mr. Andrew Lumisden, Private Secretary to the Stuart Princes at Rome, Vol. I., should be consulted. Dr. George Emil W. Begemann, of Charlottenburg, has most thoroughly tested the Templar incident, and has failed to find any evidence in its favour. He has written me on the subject as follows : — " Nowhere before 1843, when the letter appeared in the Statutes of the Temple, is any trace of it to be found, and from the numerous 26 authorities consulted it is quite certain that no Duke of Athole could have been present in Edinburgh on the 24th September, 1745. When the Prince came to Scotland the younger brother was Duke of Athole, and resided in the Castle of Blair, and when the Prince came near that Castle, the Duke, who had no mind to be mixed up with H.R.H.'s affairs, left Blair and went to the South (see /. H. Jesse's ' Memoirs of the Pretenders,' 1845, Vol. I., p. 224; Mrs. Thomson's 'Memoirs of the Jaco- bites,' 1845-6, Vol. II., p. 115 ; A. C. E-wald!s ' Life and Times of Prince Charles Stuart,' 1875, Vol. I., p. 162; W. Von Hassell on the Pretender, Leipsic, 1876, p. 105.) His elder Brother attended the Prince as Marquis of TuUibardine, and occupied the Castle of Blair, and he was styled Duke of Athole by the Jacobites (see John Home's ' History of the Rebellion, 1745,' p. 13a ; Chambers' ' Memoirs of the Rebellion of 1745,' pp. 2 and 9; 'Narrative of Charles, Prince of Wales', Expedition to Scotland, 1745,' by James Maxwell, p. 31 ; Thomson, Vol. II., p. 114; Hassell, p. 105). He reached Blair Castle on 30th August, but while the Prince went on the day following, the pretended Duke of Athole remained there until the middle of October (Thomson, Vol. II., p. 114; R. F. Bell's 'Memorials of John Murfay, of Broughton, 1740-1747,' pp. 188 and 219). There are also three letters, two of Lord George Murray's, dated 7th September, from Perth {Chamber^, p. 75), and the 29th September, from Edinburgh (Chambers' Memoirs, 1834), one of James Frazer, dated gth October, from Edinburgh {Home, pp. 132 and 327). These three letters are addressed to the Jacobite Duke of Athole, then at Blair Castle. From all these evidences, it is certain that no Duke of Athole could have been in Edinburgh on September 24th, and it is quite beyond all possibility that a Duke of Athole could have ' demitted as Regent,' as stated. The historical facts, as ascertained from reliable sources, do not favour the genuineness of the letter in question." " It is stated that the Lord of Mar was predecessor of the Duke of Athole, and successor to the Lord Dundee. But the latter was killed in the Battle of Killicrankie in 1689, and the Lord of Mar was not of age before 1696 {Thomson, Vol. I., p. 8), so it was impossible that he could have become Grand Master in 1689, besides which he was deeply in debt and not noted for his morality {ibidem). He raised the Rebellion in 1715, and fled from Scotland with the Pretender, and died in 1732. (See Home, p. 16 ; Jesse, Vol. I., p. 140 ; Thomson, Vol. I., p. 220 ; Hassell, pp. 13-19 and 28). The Marquis of TuUibardine, who adopted the title of Duke of Athole in 1745, had been abroad from 1715 to that year, so it is 27 most unlikely that he could have succeeded the Lord Mar in a Foreign Country. Besides, there is a letter of Murray's, of Broughton, containing a description of the Duke of Perth, and stating that he was bred in France until nineteen years of age ; he never attained perfect knowledge of the English language, partly because of his extreme fondness to speak broad Scotch [Bell, p. i88), so that the Duke of Perth is not at all likely to have written the letter in question in plain English." In Thory's " Annales Origines magni Galliarum " (Paris 1812, p. 63) mention is made of a Rose Croix Chapter at Arras " constitue en 1745 par une chartre sign6e de la main de Charles Edouard Stuard, roi d'Angleterre." The " Bulle d'institution du Chapitre primordial de Rose-Croix Jacobite d' Arras" occurs in Appendix VIII., from a certified copy supplied to M. Thory by M. Delecourt, and is dated " le jeudi 15^ , jour du 2^ mois, I'an de I'incarnation 5747, sign6 Charles-Edouard Stuard de par le Roi, signe lord de Berkley, Secretaire." M. Jouart gives the Prince's title as pretendant roi d'Angleterre, which savours of the ridiculous, as assuredly no one would thus acknowledge the hoUowness of his own claim, and certainly he was not likely to proclaim such sovereignty whilst his Father was alive. Mr. Lyon, in his History of St. Mary's Chapel Lodge, No. i, A.D. 1910, (p. 192) declares that "in no respect do these records show that the Lodge of Edinburgh has ever been used as a rendezvous for the promo- tion of the Jacobite cause." In fact the same may be affirmed of all the Scottish Lodges, for both sides were represented in the membership, and a truce was observed when assemblies were held under the aegis of the Craft. The same author (who had special sources of information) also states "nor has any evidence from a Scottish source ever been produced of Prince Charles Edward being a Freemason." Mr. George W. Speth, F.R.Hist.S., &c., one of the Founders of the " Quatuor Coronati Lodge, No. 2076," London (the Literary " blue ribbon" of the Fraternity) advises the students to "put no trust whatever in accounts connecting the Stuarts with Freemasonry. We have it in the Young Pretender's own written and verbal statements that they are absolutely baseless, pure inventions." In "Notes and Queries" for 1866 occurs the statement that "the original warrant of the Derbyshire Lodge 28 of Ancient Freemasons, whose head-quarters are at Longnor, was signed by Charles Edward, as Grand Master, while at Derby, in 1745." Mr. John Sleigh vouches for this, but is discreetly silent as to the whereabouts of the original document. (" Freemason," June 12th, 1869). Spurious charters exist in which the Chevalier St. George actually styles himself Pretender, a glaring proof of the forger's clumsiness. (" Freemason," April i8th, 1885). It may be urged that the Prince might have forgotten the fact of his Initiation (and Grand Mastership), just as the Duke of Wellington did, but they are not parallel cases, as there is quite abundant evidence of the Duke's reception, as demonstrated by Dr. Chetwode Crawley in his admirable paper, Ars Qunttior Coronatorum (" Notes on Irish Freemasonry, No. VI."), Vol. XV., 1902. Mr. Robert Freke Gould, in his "Concise History of Freemasonry," 1903 (p. 324), remarks, "By others it is affirmed (and with perhaps the greater share of reason) that the Prince was compelled, by the altered circumstances of his cause, to repudiate any relations with Freemasonry." That gives another view of the matter. Mr. J. T. Thorp, F.R.S.L., &c., possesses two very curious Certificates, of 1758 and 1772 respectively, the junior parchment of the two being quite a gem, because of its ornate border and elaborate figures and seals. The senior document bears date, "le 27 Si"*' 1758," and is headed : " Nous Charle Frangois de Beauchene, Maitre de Loge et elu Ecossois francois Trinitaire, Chevalier Victorieux du Soleil, et parfait Maitre Anglois, en vertu des pouvoirs qui nous ont htk devolus par notre trfes cher frere et bon ami a jamais I'infortune Prince Charles Stuard Edouard, Legitime Roy d'angleterre, d'irlande, et d'ecosse, grand Maitre et protecteur des Loges Legitimes Ecossois," &c. The other Certificate is dated " 13th of the second month of the Year of Grace 1775," and declared to have been granted by " I'oteritfe D.N.T.C.T.R. & T.R.F. Charle-Stuard-Edouard, G.M.D. Fj Anglia \A. Edimbourg] in favour of '• frere Candy * * * V6n6rable de la loge des vertus et des arts r6unis sous le titre de I'Elephant Blanc. * * See Transactions "Lodge of Research," Leicester, 1893-4, edited by J. T. Thorp, F.R. Hist. S., and " Ars Quatuor Coronati," Vol. XV., 1902, edited by Mr, W. H. Rylands, F.S.A. 29 The genuineness of the Certificates is admitted, but the state- ments affecting the Prince are, emphatically, both doubtful and misleading, as are all others of the kind. But it is not my intention to prosecute the enquiry as to Prince Charles and the Craft any further at present, my purpose having been achieved through proving conclusively, by the publication of its Records, that the Prince was neither a member nor ever the Master of the " Roman Lodge." I desire to express my warmest thanks to the Grand Secretary of Scotland, for the loan of the precious Volume of Minutes, which enabled me to carefully test the type-written copy sent me by the late Mr. W. Officer, and to have fascimiles * made of two of the chief pages to be photo-etched. I am obliged to Mr. W. L, Officer, W.S., for additional notes and papers presented to me, which had been prepared by his lamented Father, as possible material for my historical sketch. Dr. Begemann's communication as to the Grand Mastership of the Temple by the "Pretender" has also been gratefully accepted and duly reproduced. ' By Messrs. Dinham & Son, Torquay, Court Photographers THE REGULATIONS, ROLL OF MEMBERS, AND RECORDS OF THE ROMAN LODGE, A.D. 173B-7. Verbatim et literatim. 5/ fUg(4 '^^ ct^ ^^ /A*^tf^ ^Lf-f &^y^€J (f'aJ-^v^^^ , ^ ; /i^/^^^ /t/ac,^ ■epyy 33 \_Tkis Book is encased in a Vellum Cover, on which is written the following: — ] This Parchment Book was delivered to me by Mr. John McGowan, who got it at Paris, I presume from [?] to deposit it in my hands, 1778. ROMAN LODGE FREE MASONS. Dr. Cuninghame 1736. Prestonfield, 8th April, 1787. This Returned by Sir William Dick to Jo. McGowan. To be Deposited among the Archives of the Grand Lodge of Scotland. 34 35 Edinburgh, 20th November, 1799. Memorandum. " Pope Clement the XII., having published a most severe edict against Masonry, the last Lodge held at Rome was on the 20th August, 1737, when the Earl of Wintoun was Master. The Officer of the Lodge, who was a servant of Dr. James Irvin, was sent, as a terror to others, prisoner to the Inquisition, but was soon released. This happened about twelve years before I went to Rome, otherwise I should no doubt have been received, as I was a Brother of the Lodge of Edinburgh — Dumfermline." " This record of the Roman Lodge remained, after its suppression in the hands of the Earl of Wintoun, till his death in December, 1750, when it was given by his Lordship's Executor to Dr. Irvin, the only Brother of that Lodge then remaining at Rome, and who, I believe, wrote its original Statutes in Latin." " After the death of Dr. Irvin, his widow gave the record to me, as she had heard her husband call me Brother." " I carefully preserved it, till I delivered it, at Paris, to John Macgowan, Esqr., to be by him given to my cousin, Sir Alexander Dick, of Prestonfield, Baronet, who, before the death of his brother Sir William Dick, known by the name of Dr. Alexander Cuningham, and belonged to the Roman Lodge." 36 " After the death of Sir Alexander Dick, his son, the late Sir William, returned it to Mr. Macgowan, who now puts it into the hands of the Right Honble. Sir James Stirling, Baronet, Lord Provost of Edinburgh, and Grand Master of Scotland, to be, by his Lordship, deposited among the Archives of the Grand Lodge." " Such is the progress of this record, which is attested by ULi^dLx^&AV- i^u./w.'Z^cLe^i^ 37 CrcuvK^e^^ c/^Vivt-ft-^ ^e^HA^o-'x^ ^e^i^e^'L^ yO-ny ,0^1/t. ^e^Xy 38 [Blank pages 4 to 8 inclusive.] 9. Staiuta ad Romanam liberorum muratorum Lodgiam demissa. 1. Ne quis sine ostracismo admititor. 2. Candidatus quisque a nocte, qui fuerit electus, ad proscimum Conventum Probationarius esto. 3. Peregrini rejiciuntor si linguam Anglicam non intellegunt. 4. Magister Magistratus creato ; Lodgiae leges ferunto. 5. In omni causa decernendS penes magistrum duo sufTragia sunto. 6. Magistro in fratres jus esto convocandi et contumaces mulctandi. 7. Fratres sub pcEna forsan nimis severt laborantes a magis- tro ad Lodgiam Appellanto. 8. Mulctas pauperibus largiuntor. g. Sacra Archiva Magistri & Guardiani custodiuoto. 10. Magister post cenam non sine debitis libationibus, scilicet propinationibus Masonicis Lodgiam claudito. 11. Guardianus Senior sufTragia Colligito ; junior Lodgiae a secretis esto ; legum tabulas facito. 12. Quisque frater electus binis vestimentis muratoriis (scilicet quatuor Chiro-thecis) totam fraternitatem donato. 39 10. A translation of the original Statutes brought down .... for the use of the Freemasons of the Roman Lodge : — 1. No persons to be admitted without balloting. 2. No person to be admitted the same night as proposed. 3. All foreigners to be excluded except they talk the language. 4. All Officers shall be created by the Master and all Laws enacted by the Lodge. 5. The Master has two votes. 6. The Master has the power of calling a Lodge and fining unruly & refractory Bre. 40 11. 7- Any Brother that thinks himself aggrieved may appeal from the Master to the whole Lodge. 8. All fines to be employed in charitable uses. g. The Master & Wardens are keepers of the Archives. 10. The Lodge shall not be closed till after Supper. 11. The elder Warden shall gather the votes of the Lodge, and the younger to have the office of Secretary. 12. Every Brother on his admission shall present the Brother- hood with two pair of gloves. [The following note is in pencil, of much later date ; ] " The Master to close the Lodge after Supper not without proper libations — ^to wit — Masonic Toasts." 41 [12th page is blank.] 13. '^uesdaif, \- ^«! ■v.>'s \.'*'.'?^ ..„..■ ^ v^^'^'^>^^.^\ ]t v^ ■■ a^'!^\\a.\-vn.^-^j^-'?^..'j^ .l-^w.^W—y.^