Mark Coleman Wallace PhD Thesis - University of St Andrews

Societies Act and the laws of the Grand Lodge of Scotland. Furthermore, it
threatened to withdraw the charter of any lodge that “interfere[d] with
politics,” 118 and all meetings would then be “interdicted by the civil
magistrate.” 119 Lulled into a false sense of confidence through the assurances of
Moira, the Grand Lodge concluded its resolution by stating that “it is impossible
to conceive, that the laws of any country could permit meetings of persons,
bound by an oath of secrecy, were even a suspicion to be entertained, that
politics were discussed at them.” 120 The decision to expel all members of the
newly formed Associated Lodges and the subsequent referral of the case to the
Civil Magistrate were the direct result of Moira’s involvement. Eventually the
case went to court, although it ended in an embarrassing defeat for Moira and
the Grand Lodge of Scotland. 121
The application for the interdict resulted in an interlocutory against the
officers of the Associated Lodges and the Grand Lodge of Scotland. Feeling
that a minor victory had been achieved, Moira sent a letter to James Clerk,
Sheriff Depute of Edinburgh. Assuring Clerk of his intentions, Moira stated that
he had ordered the Substitute Grand Master of Scotland to present a complete
list of all masons expelled in connection with the Associated Lodges. Drawing
authority from the Secret Societies Act, Moira asserted that he “spoke…with
decisive confidence because the exemption in favour of Masonic meetings was
118
Grand Lodge of Scotland Minutes, 29 June 1808.
119
Ibid.
120
Ibid.
121
Appendix 13 chronicles the National Archives of Scotland Papers CS/235/M39/2, which
details the case against the Grand Lodge of Scotland the sworn Certificate of Mary’s Chapel
Lodge.
266