THE OLDEST LODGES IN THE WORLD
Minute Books and written records as forms of Proof of Existence
The world’s oldest masons lodge meeting that can be proven
is the Lodge Aitchison’s Haven. The earliest Minute that exists is dated
January 9th, 1598.
This is the earliest known Minute in the World for a
Lodge of Masons.
Two other Lodges have over the years professed to be the world’s first.
However, there is no written evidence in the form of Minute books to back
up the claims of (1) The Lodge of Edinburgh (Mary’s Chapel) No.1, and (2)
Lodge Mother Kilwinning, No. 0.
Aitchison’s Haven cannot be found on today’s maps. It lay to the east of
Musselburgh between Levenhall and the little harbour of Morrison's Haven,
on the outskirts of Prestonpans. There is much to be learned from the 80
or so words of this earliest minute.
The candidate, Robert Widderspone, was already an Entered Pentis [Apprentice]
on the day of the meeting, before he was made a Fellow of Craft.
It therefore must follow, that this cannot have been the first meeting of
the Lodge but, rather, the first record of a Lodge meeting. There must have
been a previous meeting, at which Robert Widderspone had been Initiated.
In fact, there must have been more than just one meeting, because it is
highly unlikely that all eight Fellows of Craft, who are named, would have
been Initiated and Passed to the Fellow of Craft in a single, earlier meeting
of the Lodge. In short, it is clear the Lodge had multiple meetings prior
to January the 9th 1598, but we cannot know when, nor how many, due to a
lack of records.
Here is the Minute in full: The IX day of Januerie the Zeir [year] of God
upon ye quhilk [which] day Robert Widderspone was maid [a] fellow of Craft
in ye presens [presence] of Wilzam Aytone Elder, Johne Fender being Warden,
Johne Pedden Thomas Pettencrief John Crafurd George Aytone Wilzame Aytone
younger Hendrie Petticrief all fellowis of Craft upon ye quhilk day he chois
[chose] George Aytone Johne Pedden to be his intenders [attenders] and instructouris
[instructors] and also ye said Robert hes [he has] payit [paid] his xx sh.
[twenty shillings] and his gluffis [gloves] to everie Maister as efferis
[afterwards].
The XI day of Januarie 1598 Upon quhilk day Alexander Cubie was enterit
[entered] prenteis [apprentice] to Georg Aytone the quhilk day George Aytone
ablishit [obliged] himself to haif [have] no mo [more] prentissis withput
[without] the license of the brither [brethren] of ye Ludg in presens of
Johne Fender Warden for ye present Wilzame Aytone elder deacone Johne Pedden
Johne Crafurd Thomas Petticrief Wilzam Aytone zounger Hendrie Petticrief
Georg Aytone clark for ye present Robert Widderspone enterit prentises Richard
Petticrief Archibald Glene Ninian gumerie James Petticrief of ye quhilk
enterit prentiseis Alexander Cubie chois Archibald Glene and James Petticrief
to be his instructoris also ye said Alexander Cubie hes payit xx sh and
his gluifis.
Upon the XXVIII day of May Johne Petticrief hes payit his x sh to ye buiking
[booking] of himself his prentischip being expyrit [expired] upone ye viii
day of Mairch ye zeir of God 1599 and hes payit bot [but] x sh becaus he
was ane [a] free manys sone [free man son – son of a free man] and hes payit
his gluifis to ye cumpanie [company] yat was conwinit [convened] Johne Fender
Wairden for the present Wilzame Aytone elder deacone Johne Crafurd Thomas
Petticrief George Aytone Hendrie Petticrief enterit prentiss Ordainit [illegible]
James Petticrief Wilzame Petticrief [illegible] the said James Petticrief.
*Notice that there are two years given – 1598 and 1599. This is because
James VI (1566 - 1625) proclaimed that Scotland should start the year on
1 January from 1600. Following the Union of the Crowns in 1603 he became
James I of England, but no such legal change took place south of the border
where the new year began on 25 March until 1752. As a result, the same day
in January, February or March (up to 24th) can be in different years. In
the case of the Aitchison’s Haven Minutes the date 9 January 1598 is, in
today’s dating system, 1599. These Minutes were written in what is known
as Middle Scots. We have inserted clarification in parentheses i.e. ‘[ ]’
but where ‘[illegible]’ is given this indicates that there is a word that
cannot be read
Let us now refer to The Lodge of Edinburgh. It's earliest Minute (still
existing) is dated - 31 July 1599.
The next Lodge that claims earlier antiquity (without proof) is - The Lodge
of Kilwinning whose earliest Record is dated December 1642
Below is a list of Old Lodges and the date of their earliest written record:-
Lodge of Scoone December 1658
Lodge of Dundee March 1659
Lodge of Aberdeen 1670
Lodge of Dunfermline December 1673
Lodge of Melrose December 1674
Lodge of Inverness December 1678
Lodge of Haddington February 1682
Lodge of Glasgow 1686
Lodge of Dumfries May 1687
Lodge of Hamilton March 1695
Lodge of Dunblane January 1696
Lodge of Kelso December 1701
Lodge of Haughfoot December 1702
Lodge of Banff 1703 (destroyed by fire)
Lodge of Kilmolymock December 1704
Journeymen Masons 1707
Lodge of Canongate February 1735
A claim made by some Lodges is that where significant buildings were being erected and Operative Masons were employed in numbers then the Masons located there would have formed themselves into Lodges at those sites.
Whereas, this proposition is quite plausible, it is regrettably not provable.
