Mark Coleman Wallace PhD Thesis - University of St Andrews

By 1799, the Grand Lodge of Scotland had come to view itself as the
final voice in all masonic affairs, also reserving the power to sue any lodge
failing to adhere to the stipulations set forth by the Secret Societies Act. The
heavy-handed tactics displayed by the Grand Lodge – including threats of
suspension, exclusion from the Grand Roll, and legal action – undoubtedly
played a key part in forming the popular resentment which ultimately resulted in
the Masonic Secession of 1808.
Conceivably disenchanted and frustrated by the rising tide of scrutiny,
the Grand Lodge replaced moderation and reason with an overzealous need to
assert itself in the volatile environment created by the French Revolution.
Essentially, the futility of the government to regulate radical societies and the
“failure of the state to respond to the problems and challenges” posed by
seditious organizations mirrored the failure of the Grand Lodge of Scotland to
mediate masonic conflicts and command respect from its lodges. 9
Motivated by fears of government reprisal and at times a malicious
enthusiasm to enforce the Acts of Parliament, the Grand Lodge used the
backdrop of the French Revolution and the uncertainty surrounding the
freemasons to augment its power. This is clearly evident during the Mitchell
Trial and the dispute with Kilwinning Lodge. Yet even as the Grand Lodge
pursued noncompliant lodges, its actions were largely superficial.
Noncommittal in its decisions, ignoring the simmering tensions between the
Kilwinning and Edinburgh lodges which had existed for the better part of a
century, and attempting to arbitrate fraught judicial proceedings, the Grand
9 Clark, British Clubs, 468.
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