Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Scotland.
with a purse * in which to hold their money—certainly a most emphatic indication that they approved of their designs and proceedings , and wished them to exist and prosper as a constituted fraternity It is far from unlikely , that a sort of compromise was in the end agreed to between the two contending parties . Tt is certain that the parent Lodge ere long abated much of its rigour against the journeymen , and in & ct admitted them again to their former privileges . This is established by
the folio wing minute in the records of the Lodge of Mary ' s Chapel , dated the 17 th day of December , 1718 . In reference to this matter , it says , ' the same day the Societie by plurality of voices rescinded the act formerly made by them , secluding the entered journeymen masons from their Societie , and readmitted them thereto on certain conditions mentioned in a paper , or parchment , signed and approved of by both masters and journeymen , who also unanimously made choiss of the following journeymen , who are authorised to meet with the Deacon , Warden , and
Masters , and joy utly with them to oversee the affairs of the Society , viz ., William Brodie , Michael RTaysinith , Geo .. 'Johnston , and ^^ William Fulton , who being present , accepted of their offices , gave yr oaths to be faithful yrin , and were authorised accordingly . ' The same day , the Society , ' also unanimously approved of James Cumming , Patrick Mitchell , Matthew Moffat , Peter Stewart , and David Leslie , journeymen , who had all been received and admitted Fellow Crafts by the Society of Journeymen , since they left the Deacons , Wardens , and Masters , and authorised them to be members of the Societie equally with the other journey men . '
"On St . John ' s day of the following year , that is , in 1719 , James Watson , who had left the Lodge of Mary ' s Chapel along with the journeymen in 1712 , was once more elected to the office of Deacon of the incorporation , and preses of theLodge ; and at the same time , four journeymen , out of a leet of ten given in by the Journeymen Society , were chosen as joint managers of the affairs of the parent Lodge ; and that same day it was statuted and ordained , for the benefit and advantage of the Societie , that such journeymen masons that hereafter shall be allowed to work
within the city and privileges thereof , who is not entered Fellow Craft in this house , shall pay 12 shillings Scots money quarterly to this Societie , otherwise , not to be employed by the masters thereof , nor allowed to work therein . ' It is evident from this that the parent Lodge was determined , if possible , to uphold her supremacy . This enactment seems calculated to affect the new society , by making every one that entered it pay a quarterly contribution to the parent Lodge , in the same way
as a freeholder would exact feu-duty from a vassal . Whether any member of the Journeymen Lodge complied with it or not , 1 have not been able to ascertain . It is certain that some unentered journeymen paid the 12 s ., but they of course did not belong to the Journeymen Society . It is very likely that the law only virtually affected journeymen woxddng inEdinburgh , who were not Freemasons at all , although from the terms of it we might conclude that it struck at all who were not entered
and passed in Mary ' s Chapel . "The minutes of our own Lodge leave us in no doubt that the members of Mary ' s Chapel never fully complied with the terms of the decreet . It is there stated , that though the freemen of that Lodge had often been called on under form of instrument to implement the terms of the decreet , yet none of them appeared to see the oversman , warden , and cashier of the journeymen chosen , or
to receive and keep a key of their box . The journeymen in the main were most likely very well pleased that the system of surveillance laid down by the arbiters was not pursued . They were thus left to manage their affairs without let or hindrance ; but for some years they had doubts whether , in consequence of the terms of the decreet not being observed by Mary ' s Chapel , they were a legally
constituted body , and could prosecute before a court of law any person that might be in their debt . However , they plucked up courage on St . John ' s Day , 1726 , and resolved that one key should be delivered to Thomas Brownlee , their Deacon , and the other to Andrqw Brodie , their Warden , with instructions to the latter * to uplift and receive for the use of the society all such sums of money which are due and indebted to them or their former box-masters or predecessors in office
: This purse is still preserved in the hall of tho Lodge
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Scotland.
with a purse * in which to hold their money—certainly a most emphatic indication that they approved of their designs and proceedings , and wished them to exist and prosper as a constituted fraternity It is far from unlikely , that a sort of compromise was in the end agreed to between the two contending parties . Tt is certain that the parent Lodge ere long abated much of its rigour against the journeymen , and in & ct admitted them again to their former privileges . This is established by
the folio wing minute in the records of the Lodge of Mary ' s Chapel , dated the 17 th day of December , 1718 . In reference to this matter , it says , ' the same day the Societie by plurality of voices rescinded the act formerly made by them , secluding the entered journeymen masons from their Societie , and readmitted them thereto on certain conditions mentioned in a paper , or parchment , signed and approved of by both masters and journeymen , who also unanimously made choiss of the following journeymen , who are authorised to meet with the Deacon , Warden , and
Masters , and joy utly with them to oversee the affairs of the Society , viz ., William Brodie , Michael RTaysinith , Geo .. 'Johnston , and ^^ William Fulton , who being present , accepted of their offices , gave yr oaths to be faithful yrin , and were authorised accordingly . ' The same day , the Society , ' also unanimously approved of James Cumming , Patrick Mitchell , Matthew Moffat , Peter Stewart , and David Leslie , journeymen , who had all been received and admitted Fellow Crafts by the Society of Journeymen , since they left the Deacons , Wardens , and Masters , and authorised them to be members of the Societie equally with the other journey men . '
"On St . John ' s day of the following year , that is , in 1719 , James Watson , who had left the Lodge of Mary ' s Chapel along with the journeymen in 1712 , was once more elected to the office of Deacon of the incorporation , and preses of theLodge ; and at the same time , four journeymen , out of a leet of ten given in by the Journeymen Society , were chosen as joint managers of the affairs of the parent Lodge ; and that same day it was statuted and ordained , for the benefit and advantage of the Societie , that such journeymen masons that hereafter shall be allowed to work
within the city and privileges thereof , who is not entered Fellow Craft in this house , shall pay 12 shillings Scots money quarterly to this Societie , otherwise , not to be employed by the masters thereof , nor allowed to work therein . ' It is evident from this that the parent Lodge was determined , if possible , to uphold her supremacy . This enactment seems calculated to affect the new society , by making every one that entered it pay a quarterly contribution to the parent Lodge , in the same way
as a freeholder would exact feu-duty from a vassal . Whether any member of the Journeymen Lodge complied with it or not , 1 have not been able to ascertain . It is certain that some unentered journeymen paid the 12 s ., but they of course did not belong to the Journeymen Society . It is very likely that the law only virtually affected journeymen woxddng inEdinburgh , who were not Freemasons at all , although from the terms of it we might conclude that it struck at all who were not entered
and passed in Mary ' s Chapel . "The minutes of our own Lodge leave us in no doubt that the members of Mary ' s Chapel never fully complied with the terms of the decreet . It is there stated , that though the freemen of that Lodge had often been called on under form of instrument to implement the terms of the decreet , yet none of them appeared to see the oversman , warden , and cashier of the journeymen chosen , or
to receive and keep a key of their box . The journeymen in the main were most likely very well pleased that the system of surveillance laid down by the arbiters was not pursued . They were thus left to manage their affairs without let or hindrance ; but for some years they had doubts whether , in consequence of the terms of the decreet not being observed by Mary ' s Chapel , they were a legally
constituted body , and could prosecute before a court of law any person that might be in their debt . However , they plucked up courage on St . John ' s Day , 1726 , and resolved that one key should be delivered to Thomas Brownlee , their Deacon , and the other to Andrqw Brodie , their Warden , with instructions to the latter * to uplift and receive for the use of the society all such sums of money which are due and indebted to them or their former box-masters or predecessors in office
: This purse is still preserved in the hall of tho Lodge