Grand Masters of Scotland - Onondaga and Oswego Masonic ...

property? As we detest the principles of slavery so we abhor this flagitious rebellion Strong and honest words from courageous and
upright men.
Provost Stewart was arrested and held till August 1747 when he was acquitted, by which time Drummond was again elected
Provost. It may be unfair to say that the motion to improve the town and placate the citizens was one of the unexpected results of
the "45", but certainly the condition of the city was deplorable and its public buildings were inadequate for their purpose. An article in
the Annual of the Old Edinburgh Club for 1911 states "Means of communication, postal facilities, the popularity of Freemasonry, the
cultivation of music, and the rise of the concert hall, the growth of a literary spirit in the Capital and the general desire for better
living, were marked features of the new life of the second half of the century."
Drummond became Provost for the third time in November 1750 and at the time much of the High Street was in ruins. It was
proposed to erect an Exchange or market place opposite St Giles Church and, as the Parliament Close was also in ruins, to rebuild
the Square to accommodate the Courts of Justice, the Town Council and the Advocates' Library. It was further proposed to extend
the town to the north and south, canalise the North Loch and build the North Bridge. The Foundation Stone of the Royal Exchange
was laid on 3rd September by George Drummond in his capacity as Grand Master Mason. He was not Provost at the time.
His remaining terms of office and the many works which he initiated were to change the face of Edinburgb, and when he died in
November 1766, this is what was said of him . . . "No magistrate of any city ever left behind him more lasting monuments of patriotic
spirit, or held that dignity with more activity for public good. The Royal Infirmary, the Royal Exchange, the new town of Edinburgh
were executed or planned when he was in office. He changed the face of the metropolis from a mass of ruined and neglected
buildings and brought it into rivalship with the first cities of Europe. He established Edinburgh's Medical School and five
Professorships in the University, that of Chemistry, Theory and practice of Physic, Midwifery, Belles Lettres and Rhetoric all owe to
him their establishment and endowment . . . Who can say more? As was said nearly a century ago by William Baird, as a man and a
Mason, George Drummond discharged his many duties with a care and zeal which few have possessed and none have equaled.
Extracted from the Grand Lodge of Scotland Year Book. 1988.
18. Charles Hamilton Gordon, Advocate 1753-54
son of Sir William Gordon
http://www.stirnet.com/HTML/genie/british/ll/lockhart03.htm
Thomas Lockhart m. (11.12.1766) Henrietta Hamilton (dau of Charles Hamilton Gordon of Newhall)
http://www.thepeerage.com/p3692.htm
of Dalpholly, later 1st Bart of Invergordon (previously Inverbreakie, co. Ross)
http://www.invergordon.info/history-g.asp
Invergordon Castle
The earliest mention of Inverbreakie occurs in the thirteenth century when the Castle, about a mile inland from the Firth, was
occupied by a Fleming, placed there, it is said, by William the Lion. From a very early period there were a few thatched houses near
the spot where the harbour now is. The estate was purchased by Sir William Gordon about the beginning of the eighteenth century.
Born in Caithness, Sir William represented Sutherland in five Parliaments (1708-1727) and Cromartyshire, as it was then called, in
1741-42.
The Castle, originally a stone tower, was enlarged or rebuilt by him, and plans were laid for the building of a new town near the
Ness. His son, Sir John, was M.P. for Cromartyshire from 1742-1747, and again from 1754-1761. He became Secretary of the
Principality of Scotland and may be regarded as the real founder of Invergordon.
http://www.stirnet.com/HTML/genie/british/zworking/temp19.htm#ginv1
Sir William Gordon m. Christian or Isabel Hamilton (dau of Sir John Hamilton of Halcraig)
A. Sir John Gordon, 2nd Bart of Invergordon (dsp 25.05.1783) m. ?? (d 22.08.1775)
B. Isabella Gordon (b c1705, d 23.04.1769) m. (23.09.1724) George Mackenzie, 3rd Earl of Cromarty (b c1702, d 28.09.1766)
George Mackenzie, 3rd Earl of Cromarty [Cromartie], was GM Scotland 1737-38, who was captured just before the
Battle of Culloden but was reprieved and ultimately pardoned, unlike some of his contempory GMs who were executed.
C. Anne Gordon
TCP (Melville) notes that Anne's father is sometimes called Robert or John, as well as William, but confirms that she was probably
sister of Isabel. m. Robert Dundas of Arniston (b 09.09.1685, d 1753, Lord President, judge as Lord Arniston)
D.+ other issue (a 02.1745/6) - George, Charles Hamilton of Newhall
http://ads.ahds.ac.uk/catalogue/adsdata/PSAS_2002/pdf/vol_111/111_454_492.pdf
Sir William Gordon of Invergordon was greatly concerned in 1719-20 in the purchase of stock in the Mississippi Company - the
French equivalent of the Darien Scheme and promoted by John Law, an enterprising fellow Scot - and on his return to London from
Paris Sir William left his affairs in the hands of Robert Gordon. According to Kenneth Gordon's memorial to Lord Streichen
(apparently written in 1750, but the date has been eaten by mice) Sir William Gordon '. . . gave him powers which Mr Gordon of
Cluny thought at that time was sufficient to make the loss in that trade if such should happen fall upon Sir William Gordon - But as
his powers were not so clear and that Cluny had really dealt a little for himself - and Sir William had advanced Cluny considerable
sums . . .'
The upshot was that when the Company crashed in 1721 Sir William claimed that Robert Cluny's dealings on his own account had
been somewhat extensive and there was a sum of which totalled £426.14.6 Scots. This claim had not been settled by the time of
Robert Gordon's death in 1729, and Sir William Gordon and his son John assigned £2,450 of this debt to their creditors.
This assignment was obviously considered to be of value and secured against the Cluny estate for in 1730 it had come into the
hands of Sir Archibald Grant of Monymusk. He passed it the same year to an Edinburgh merchant, John Thompson. On his
bankruptcy it passed in 1732 to Christian Cole and William Wilkinson in trust for the use of the Charitable Institution. From there it
passed in 1736 to Samuel Groves of the parish of St James, Westminster; he passed it in 1743 to Adam Gordon of the Middle
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