Mark Coleman Wallace PhD Thesis - University of St Andrews

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of the lodge No. 14 should satisfy themselves and agreed to give or lend them
part of the cloathing of the lodge for that purpose. Declares that he was present
when William Hamilton Mason and Quintin Stewart Taylor Hugh Niven Mason
John McClure Junior Mason all in Maybole & all Members of the Lodge No. 14
of Maybole were admitted to the degrees of Masonry of Arch, Royal Arch, and
Knight Templar as aforesaid. That sometime afterwards Dr. Logan discharged
them from having any further Meetings and the declarent never was present at
any afterwards.
Declares that soon after this the declarent and some others applied to the
Grand Lodge of Scotland for a Charter That they first obtained in a letter from
Thomas Sommers, Grand Clerk and afterwards a Charter from the Grand Lodge
in consequence of which they were instated & Erected into a regular lodge No.
264. Declares That after they obtained said Charter some of the Members of the
lodge No. 264 were raised to the higher degrees of Masonry above Mentioned,
Declares that some Members belonging to saint Davids Lodge Tarbolton entered
with the Maybole Lodge No. 264 and requested the assistance of some of their
Members to go to Tarbolton and assist them in going and obtaining the higher
degrees of Masonry above mentioned. That the declarent the said John Andrew
and John McClure Junior went to Tarbolton and assisted in initiating several of
their Members to these higher Mysteries of Masonry under the authority of their
own lodge, the Master, Wardens and whole of the office bearers so far as the
declarent recollects were admitted to these higher degrees of Masonry and being
Interrogated what are the particular ceremonys in initiating persons to the higher
degrees of Masonry above mentioned.
Declares that he does not think himself at liberty to divulge these to any
except Brethren of the same degree, and looks upon himself bound to Keep
every thing given him as a Mason Secret from an entered apprentice to a Knight
Templar, and being Interrogated if there was an oath or obligation administer’d
to him & others initiated into the higher degrees or Masonry above mentioned
Declared there were.
And being further interrogated if he can recollect and repeat that Oath &
obligation or the substance of it Declares that although he can repeat part of it he
does not think himself at liberty to do so, or any other part of Masonry for the
reason above given, Interrogated if in these higher orders of masonry there are
Signs, Symbols or materials used in compleating their instruction, different from
the other degrees of Masonry and if so has he any objection to Exhibite or
divulge the same, Declares that there are Symbols & signs used in the higher
orders of masonry other than that in the lower and that every degree of Masonry
has its own distinguishing Signs & Symbols. All of these he chuses to keep
secret for the Reason before Assigned, Declares that four or five years ago he
got the loan of Paine’s Age of reason from John Andrew above mentioned, That
he kept it some time in his possession and he thinks he gave it to John McClure
in New Daily to take back to Said John Andrew and he never saw it since until it
was Shown him this day, all which he declares to be truth.
[Signed] Robert Ramsay John Murdoch