Mark Coleman Wallace PhD Thesis - University of St Andrews

suffered a crushing defeat, confirming the overwhelming Whig presence in the
Grand Lodge. 44
This entire fiasco made it obvious that “politics were to be dragged into
the matter and used to inflame the righteous indignation of the Lodge of
Edinburgh over the manner in which it had been treated.” 45 Regardless of a
warning from Mary’s Chapel that it was determined “neither to be sold nor
compelled to resign [its] seniority, to attempt either of which will undoubtedly
lead to a secession, in reality much to be dreaded, under the nose of the Grand
Lodge, and which will ultimately lead to the fatal consequences which have
taken place in England – namely, the formation of a new Grand Lodge,” 46 the
threats were dismissed as meaningless at best.
The Unexpected Tory
The Whig presence within the Grand Lodge had forced through the
union with Kilwinning 47 and had effectively guaranteed that any Tory candidate
nominated for the office of Grand Master would be defeated. Leaving aside the
problem of a disgruntled Mary’s Chapel, the Grand Lodge of Scotland alone
242
controlled the right to grant charters. Victory, however, was short-lived. During
44 Lindsay maintains that the “Master of St Luke’s and several other Whigs…had seen him
acting there as Grand Warden on several occasions, when his brother, The Earl of Dalhousie,
was Grand Master. ‘Notwithstanding these incontrovertible facts and even although he saw it to
be almost the unanimous wish of the Grand Lodge that Mr. Maule be appointed,’ Bro.
Cunningham proposed in opposition The Earl of Haddington, and…this nomination was
defeated by 110 votes to 7,” Holyrood House, 296-297.
45 Ibid, 296-297.
46 Ibid, 271.
47 Ibid, 299.