Mark Coleman Wallace PhD Thesis - University of St Andrews

On 6 February 1797, Lodge Royal Arch Maybole successfully applied to
the Grand Lodge of Scotland for a working warrant and was designated as No.
264 on the Grand Roll. Nine days later, on 15 February, the lodge held its first
official meeting. 87 The speed and alacrity with which the working warrant was
granted attests to the efficiency of the Grand Lodge in establishing new lodges.
The haste with which it expedited the creation of No. 264 also, however,
prevented the Grand Lodge from considering the likely consequences of the
practice of unsanctioned masonic degrees.
Four days after the first quarterly communication of the Grand Lodge of
Scotland in 1797, a letter written by an Ayrshire minister was read before the
Grand Committee. The author, Reverend William Wright of Maybole, objected
to the creation of Royal Arch Maybole and alleged that its members “behaved
very superciliously, that they also gave out that their Lodge is of a different
Order of Masonry from that of other Mother lodges, that they say they have
higher mysteries in which they instruct their entrants, and that they have new
and much more numerous ceremonies.” 88 Reverend Wright’s accusations,
however, failed to arouse the suspicion of the committee and were simply
passed to the Provincial Grand Master of the Southern District. 89 Eventually, as
87
No. 264 Lodge Royal Arch Maybole was not officially granted a charter until November
1798.
88
Ibid, 64-65.
89
Wartski is most likely referring to the Ayrshire District. As specified in Chapter 3, page 77,
this would have District 4 or the South Ayrshire District, including Maybole and Kirkcudbright
and superintended by Collector Malison.
210