The Origins of Freemasonry
(A brief summary)
There is little doubt that in the
15th century craftsmen had real grievances with merchants, who
hired their services, and the local town councils. With differing success
they formed associations of their own which sometimes appeared to be so
menacing that laws were passed restricting their activities. Notwithstanding
these laws, by 1475, the Masons and Wrights of Edinburgh were strong enough
to secure a 'Seal of Cause' or Charter from the city of Edinburgh
authorities. 
This created an
Incorporation, roughly equivalent to an English Trade Guild, which laid down
rules for the governance of the Craft. In 1489, Coopers were included and
later other groups of tradesmen joined. These incorporations framed rules,
resolved trade differences, dispensed charity and controlled entry to the
trade. Such incorporations were not unusual in Scottish Burghs and most of
the larger trades and crafts had an incorporation. Examples of such
'incorporated trades' include: Wabsters (weavers), Cordiners (shoemakers),
Baxters (bakers), and Hammermen (metal workers). The essential difference
between the craft of stone masonry and these other crafts and trades was
that stones masons had another level of organisation - the Lodge. Thus we
find, in 1491, that the Edinburgh authorities granted the masons the right
'to gett a recreation in the commoun luge'. This shows that masons used the
Lodge for something much more than storing their working tools. The
existence of Lodges in Scotland is known, therefore, from at least the 15th
century but little can be said regarding the activities of masons. It is
likely that Lodges were not organised on a rigid, formal, basis but that
meetings were called as and when necessary. The reasons why another level of
organisation was required raises many interesting questions.
In 1583, William Schaw was appointed by King James VI as Master of the Work
and Warden General with the Commission of re-organising the Masonic craft.
In 1598, he issued the first
of the now famous Schaw Statutes which set out the duties of all members to
the Lodge and to the public. It also imposed penalties for unsatisfactory
work and inadequate safety during work. More importantly, for Freemasons
today, Schaw drew up a second Statute in 1599. The importance of this
document lies in the fact that it makes the first, veiled, reference to the
existence of esoteric knowledge within the craft of stone masonry. It also
reveals that The Mother Lodge of Scotland, Lodge Mother Kilwinning, No.0,
was in existence, and active, at that time. The impact of these statutes was
dramatic. His instructions, to all LODGES (not incorporations), that they
must begin to keep written records, meet at specific times, test, annually,
members in the 'Art of Memory' and enter apprentices in the Lodge records
meant that Lodges became fixed, permanent, institutions.
It is also why the earliest known masonic records date from this time. It
can safely be said, therefore, that William Schaw was the founding father of
modern Freemasonry. In the late 16th and early 17th Centuries important men,
who were not Masons to trade, were admitted to Scottish Lodges. Exactly why
such men were attracted to Scottish Freemasonry is not known. It may have
been simple curiosity. In any event their social position gave Lodges an
element of legitimacy and status. Others joined as literacy and education
spread throughout the country which assisted Lodges to maintain funds. It is
often said that Sir Robert Moray was the first known non-operative member of
a Lodge. Whilst important, (he was the first to be recorded as being
initiated on English soil) his initiation, in 1641, was not the first
initiation of a non-stonemason into a Lodge. Others who preceded him
probably include: William Schaw himself, and his assistant, James Boswell of
Auchinleck. They are believed to have been initiated in 1598.
In 1634, William, Lord
Alexander, his brother, Anthony Alexander and Sir Alexander Strachen of
Thornton were initiated in The Lodge of Edinburgh (Mary's Chapel), No.1.
These men were some of the first non-operative stone masons to join Scottish
Lodges.
From Schaw to the early 18th Century, masonry underwent a change. Schaw had
legislated for operative masons but by the early 18th Century Freemasonry
was being led, mainly, by the new non-operative masons and it was this group
which was to develop and expand within the Lodges. It seems that only the
degrees of Entered Apprentice and Fellow Craft were worked in Scotland
during the 16th, 17th and early 18th centuries.
The earliest known record of the degree of Master Mason, being conferred in
a Lodge, is to be found in the minutes, dated 29th January 1726, of
Dumbarton Kilwinning Lodge, No.18.
The Mark degree is recorded as early as 7th July 1778 in the minutes of
Lodge St John Operative, No.92.
The
Ceremony of Installed Master is of recent origin being introduced in 1858
and in 1872 revised to the form used today.
In 1717, the Grand Lodge of England was formed and three years later the
Grand Lodge of Ireland. In 1735, four Scottish Lodges discussed the
possibility of forming a Grand Lodge of Scotland. On the 30th November of
the following year representatives from thirty three Lodges met in
Edinburgh. Grand Lodge was formed and William St Clair of Roslin was elected
the first Grand Master Mason. The St Clair family had had long connection
with Masons having in earlier days been Patrons of the Craft.
From 1736, Grand Lodge chartered a steady stream of Lodges and even in 1745,
the year 'Bonnie Prince Charlie' attempted to regain the throne of his
ancestors, five charters were issued despite the unsettled conditions.
In 1747, Grand Lodge issued the first charter to an overseas Lodge situated
in Aleppo in Syria. With a large number of Lodge members serving in the
overseas army, Grand Lodge issued a few (England and Ireland issued many) 'travelling'
Charters to military regiments and these must be given credit for spreading
Freemasonry in the countries where the army served. Some of these Lodges
exist still although they are now 'stationary'.
Mother Kilwinning, an old and
independent Lodge, along with the Lodges it had chartered and which were
still operating, returned to Grand Lodge following the 1807 Agreement. The
numbering of Lodges was first undertaken in 1737, it was revised in 1771,
1816, 1822 and finally in 1826 after the admission of the Mother Kilwinning
Lodges, and these are the numbers used today. A few independent Lodges
joining up since have had a number inserted without altering the basic
number of the other Lodges. The last being in 1891 when the Lodge of Melrose
St John joined the Grand Lodge of Scotland and was numbered as 12
Membership and the number of Lodges increased in the 19th and early 20th
centuries, especially during or after war or unsettled times. The increase
in the number of Lodges placed a heavy supervisory role on Grand Lodge.
Geographical groupings of Lodges were made and Provincial Grand Lodges
formed in Scotland and District Grand Lodges overseas to supervise all the
Lodges in their immediate area.
Following the granting of independence to countries such as Egypt, the
United States of America, Canada, and Australia, the Lodges in these areas
formed Grand Lodges of their own and were joined by many Scottish Lodges
already established in those countries.
From 1598, benevolence was the responsibility of local Lodges but in 1846
Grand Lodge established the Fund of Scottish Masonic Benevolence, primarily
for Scottish Freemasons and their dependants. Heavy demands on the Fund, due
to the recession in 1875, led to the establishment of the General Annuity
Fund in 1888. This was boosted by the proceeds of the Grand Bazaar of 1891
amounting to £14,400, a very large sum in those days.
In 1899, Grand Lodge decided
that the collection taken at the Annual Installation Meeting of each Lodge
would be added to this Fund. To celebrate the centenary of the Fund of
Scottish Benevolence in 1946, it was decided to have a Home, initially for
elderly Freemasons and their wives, and Ault Wharrie in Dunblane was
purchased in 1950. Since then, further homes have been built with an
emphasis on smaller homes in convenient parts of the country to meet the
demand from our older brethren and their wives who wish to continue to live
near their friends, relatives and their Lodges. While these are homes
administered and maintained by Grand Lodge, there are homes also financed by
the Provincial Grand Lodge of Ayrshire and our District Grand Lodges abroad.
Those who have visited these homes report very favourably upon the
facilities they provide.
Scottish Freemasonry is in good heart. At the last count there were 665
active Lodges in Scotland and 499 overseas.
This page has been reproduced from the pages of the website of the Grand
Lodge of Scotland.