Mark Coleman Wallace PhD Thesis - University of St Andrews

lodge had “now become of some consequence” – raised the sum to one pound
one shilling sterling. 168 Another good example is No. 8 Journeymen in
Edinburgh. Originally, the lodge stipulated in its bye-laws that “none shall
come into be members with that Company after the date hereof [1 November
1709] Except they pay five shillings for their Donation and Six pence each
Quarter except the Winter Quarter.” 169 By 1783, the entry fee for entered
apprentices had risen to fifteen shillings. 170 Only three years later, the entrance
fees had more than doubled to two pounds. 171 Compared to Mary’s Chapel the
fees are relatively high, as No. 1 charged one shilling six pence for new
entrants. 172
127
Overall, the fees charged by speculative lodges were comparable to those
fees required by operative lodges. In 1729, No. 27 Glasgow St Mungo’s
charged “Five Merks of money and one shilling Sterling to the Secretary and
another shilling like money to the Tyler, besides a moderate treat to the Quoram
present, and four Merks Money foresaid to the Lodge at passing.” 173 However,
by December 1769, the admission fee had been raised to one pound one shilling,
with an additional one pound contributed to the general use of the lodge,
168 No. 25 St Andrews Lodge Minutes, 12 December 1797.
169 No. 8 Journeymen Lodge Minutes, 1 November 1709.
170 Ibid, 9 May 1783. This same trend is apparent in the minutes of No. 6 Inverness. On 7 April
1772, the lodge recorded “that the Dues of an Entered Apprentice shall from this time be one
pound one shilling Sterling over and above the Grand Lodge dues And that of a Fellow Craft and
Master Mason ten Shillings and Sixpence Sterling for each Degree for the Benefit of the publick
funds of the Lodge.” Five years later, the lodge “unanimously agreed upon that no opearative
Mason shou’d be admitted without paying One Guinea and the ordinary dues of the Lodge,” 7
February 1777.
171 Ibid, 20 October 1786.
172 No. 1 Mary’s Chapel Lodge Minutes, 16 April 1759.
173 No. 27 Glasgow St Mungo’s Lodge Minutes, 6 February 1729.