HISTORY of THE LODGE AT HAUGHFOOT

The original Haughfoot Lodge is a unique piece of Scottish Masonic History.
Founded in 1702 it was the World's first Lodge of non-operative Masons and although The Grand Lodge of Scotland was founded in 1736 the Haughfoot Lodge remained independent during it's existence from 1702 - 1763.
The Original Haughfoot Lodge Minute Book shows that the Lodge operated from 1702 - 1763. We also know that part of the ritual was hand written into that minute book - It is known as "The Haughfoot Fragment", it matches up with the Edinburgh Register House Manuscript (see below).
We also know that at that time a bigradal system was all that was known for the ceremony when a man was made a mason. This also ties in with other evidence in the minute book
EARLIEST MASONIC RITUAL OF TWO DEGREES
The Edinburgh Register House Manuscript dated 1696 was found in the Public Record Office of Edinburgh and is the earliest evidence we have that at that time a two degree system was being worked.

It begins with the ceremony which made an apprentice (operative mason) into an entered apprentice (usually about three years after the beginning of his indentures), followed by the ceremony for the admission as a master mason or Fellow of the Craft - the title of the second degree.

In these early days of masonry, lodges were often held in a small room at the back of or above a public house, or in the case of Operative Masons it could even have been a shed on or near to the site of the building being constructed. The exact nature of the type of building that Haughfoot originally met in is unknown but these descriptions fit with what we might expect in with this very rural location. Brother Harry Carr's observation that in 1702 people would have travelled distances on horseback or by stage coach also fits in with the Haughfoot location as an old stage coach road is nearby. Also nearby is "Stagehall Farm" a known stopping on the road north to Edinburgh for refreshments where there were horse facilities.

ADMISSION OF NON OPERATIVES AS LODGE MEMBERS
Masonic scholars know that present day Freemasonry has it roots in Operative Masonry.
All of the Lodges in existence before The Grand Lodge of Scotland was formed were primarily operative Lodges.
The Lodge of Edinburgh Marys Chapel whose first Minute Book dated 1599 shows this clearly.
It was not until 1634 when a Non-operative or Speculative Mason; was admitted to that Lodge that this trend evolved.