Mark Coleman Wallace PhD Thesis - University of St Andrews

expelled lodges for much less; thus, it is apparent that the Scottish Grand Lodge
was ready and willing to delete lodges from the Grand Roll.
The majority of lodges make no reference to the Act of Parliament, but
those that did clearly supported the new legislation. No. 49 Dundee Lodge
reported that it had received a letter from the Grand Lodge of Scotland on 22
August 1799 requesting that “two Members belonging to this Lodge shall Make
Oath before a Magistrate that our said Lodge was in being before said Act of
178
Parliament was pass’d as to Societies Meeting. Agreeable to which, the Meeting
appointed Brothers John Scott and Peter Geddes to make such affidavit.” 138
No. 1(3) Aberdeen also reported having received a communication from
the Grand Lodge, and thereafter appointed several members to
see the injunctions mentioned in the said Act complied with, by getting
the Certificate required, Lodged with the Clerk of the Peace of the
County of Aberdeen, and also a Certified List of the names and
designations of the present members of this Lodge, Name of the Place,
and days of meeting to be at same time Lodged with the Justice of Peace
Clerk in terms of said Act of Parliament, And that as soon as possible. 139
up, and none permitted to stand thereon but such as are deserving of the Countenance and
protection of the Grand Lodge.”
138 No. 49 Dundee Lodge Minutes, 22 August 1799. No. 198 Roman Eagle Lodge also reported
having received a communication from the Grand Lodge respecting the Act of Parliament, 21
August 1799: “The Master in the Chair he Informed the meeting that they were called together
In Consequence of Some notice from the Grand Lodge of Scotland. A Letter from Mr. John
Clerk Substitute Grand Master…narrated in last minute And a printed letter was produced from
the Grand Lodge of Scotland with Acts and Statutes Contained in the Act of Parliament Annent
free Mason Meetings, 21 August 1799.”
139 No. 1(3) Aberdeen Lodge Minutes, 6 September 1799. A subsequent meeting on 27
December 1799 noted that “a Certificate from the Clerk to the Justices of Peace of the County of
Aberdeen, showing that a List of the Members of this Lodge had been given in to him, in terms
of the late Act of Parliament, along with a Certificate Agreeable to the directions of said Act.
Which Certificate was ordered to be transmitted by the Secretary to the Grand Lodge at
Edinburgh in Obedience to the Grand Secretarys letter of the 12 th August last ingrossed in the
Sederint of the Sixth of September last,” Ibid.