Mark Coleman Wallace PhD Thesis - University of St Andrews

If this is indeed the case, much then still hangs on the question: “was
there really a danger of revolution or, possibly, of insurrection in the 1790s?
With the benefit of hindsight we can, of course, argue that there was not.” 146
Masonic emphasis on charity and self-improvement did little to sustain
its image or position among the upper-echelons of the government. Although it
was eventually reclassified as an organization unlikely to pose a threat to the
stability of the country, it suffered much at the hands of the legislation.
Certainly, as lodge trends indicate, numbers steadily plummeted throughout the
1790s. 147 Accompanying the reduction in lodge numbers due to the revocation
of charter-granting powers was a decrease in new members, and thus a reduction
in charitable funds. Furthermore, masonic autonomy was compromised, as it –
more specifically the Grand Lodge of Scotland – was now answerable to the
national government.
McElroy and Clark each raise interesting points in their respective
studies of clubs, societies, and freemasons, with both coming to similar
conclusions. McElroy notes that “not until the end of the century did social
clubs seek their own buildings, and even then some of their arrangements seem
strange to an age in which conviviality in the old style [was] dead.” 148 Clark
echoes this argument, particularly emphasizing the role of the Secret Societies
Act:
By 1800…there were signs that freemasonry was becoming less
open…There was a growing trend towards local lodges renting or
building dedicated premises, instead of gathering in public drinking
146 O’Gorman, “Pitt,” 33-34.
147 See Chapter 3, Tables 3.6 and 3.7, pages 89-90.
148 McElroy, Age of Improvement, 144.
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