Mark Coleman Wallace PhD Thesis - University of St Andrews

control of it.” 89
In an entry dated 10 November 1763, the lodge in no uncertain
terms expressed its scepticism over the admission of too many non-operative
masons:
The Lodge having taken under their consideration the present state they
are now in with respect to their Constitution as an Operative Lodge,
They find that through inadvertency of their managers there are now
about fifteen non operatives received into their community tho by the
Rules of the Lodge they ought not to exceed eleven. Beside that there
are severall non operatives who have enter’d and allowed themselves to
be scored out by running Three years in arrear of Quarterage. And That
by an act in the Books members may again Claim to be received
although scored out upon payment of a small donation and by gone
Quarters and Absences. Therefore they being Apprehensive of the
prevailing power of the Non Operatives a Danger they Cannot too
Cautiously avoid Considering how many Operative Lodges have been
overwhelm’d by that Faction, Did and hereby Do Statute and Ordain that
non operatives shall not be received in to this Lodge Untill that number
already received be reduced below Eleven and that all and every member
whether Operative or Non Operative that are presently resting three full
years Quarter accounts are hereby declared scored out and deprived of
all priviledges as a member and never again to be received upon any
condition whatever. 90
By the end of the eighteenth century, it was clear that No. 8 was intent
on maintaining operative dominance in all lodge affairs. On 20 December 1787,
the members “agreed to receive unoperative members as Master Masons on
89 Ibid.
90 No. 8 Journeymen Lodge Minutes, 10 November 1763. The full provision in the Lodge
Constitution states that “in all time coming There should not be admitted above Eleven persons
in all into the numbers of the lodge that are not Operative Masons, but have agreed that when
those eleven are made up on the Lodge, and when any of their number dyes or goes our of the
Lodge, It shall be in the power of the Lodge to make up the forsaid number by one or more But
not to acceed the number now agreed on. And any of those to be admitted for the future are to
bring in a Petition to the Lodge at their private meeting and the same to be approven of by the
whole Lodge before any such person shall be entered that is not an Operative, and it is also
agreed upon that none of those eleven shall carry any publick office in the Lodge,” 6 November
1753.
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