Mark Coleman Wallace PhD Thesis - University of St Andrews

significant consolidation of power among Grand Lodge officers. Although the
terms of the Grand Master of Scotland were considerably shorter than those of
the Moderns in England, it was increased from one year to two; on several
occasions, the Grand Master of England served as the Grand Master of
Scotland. 191 Secondly, and similar to the Grand Officers of the Modern Lodge
in England, “there was a parallel tendency for senior officers to serve for
extended periods.” 192 In Scotland, John Douglas acted as Substitute Grand
Master from 1737 to 1751, while Nathaniel Spenser held this office between
1776 and 1781. William Mason was Junior Grand Warden from 1774-1794,
James Hunger was the Grand Treasurer between 1765 and 1779, and Robert
Meikle functioned as the Grand Clerk from 1779-1794.
Closer examination of Appendix 2 reveals that many of the higher-
ranking Grand Officers worked their way through the ranks of masonic
organization. Indeed, ten of the forty-two Grand Masters listed (24 per cent)
held at least one other Grand Office, while on average 15 per cent of the Deputy
Grand Masters and 30 per cent of the Substitute Grand Masters also served a
minimum of one term as another officer. Significantly, forty-two masons (25
per cent) belonging to other clubs and societies (Appendix 2) were elected to
serve as a Grand Officer. It must be noted, however, that no mason serving as
the Grand Treasurer, Chaplain, Clerk, or Tyler ever progressed beyond these
four offices, and none of the forty-two freemasons enrolled in other associations
held an office below the station of Junior Grand Warden.
191 The term of the Grand Master of Scotland was lengthened on 30 November 1756. See
Appendix 4 for a complete listing of Grand Lodge Officers.
192 Clark, British Clubs, 343.
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