Old Records Of The Lodge Of Peebles.

January 6 th , 1798 . The following financial statement is submitted to ' . the lodge by Brother Thomas Grieve , Treasurer : Money reserved during the year ... ... ... ••¦ £ 50 2 4 ^ - Do . expended as per voucher ... ... ... ... 44 8 6

Leaving a balance due by Treasurer of ... ... ... £ 5 13 10 ^ .,, , ,, THOMAS GRIEVE , Treasurer . Attested by JA 3 IES GKAT ; Maste The next minute refers to the Master having to leave Peebles on account of

his going to reside in Dundee , and he calls a meeting on 23 rd May for the purpose of appointing a Depute Master , when Robert Scott , Mason , in Peebles , is appointed to preside over the lodge till St . John ' s Day next . The R . W . M , Bro . Gray , on this occasion presents the lodge with a copy of " The Young Freemason ' s Assistant . " June 25 th , 1798 .

This minute refers to the appointment of Mr . James Bartram , Writer , Edinburgh , as Proxy Master for the lodge , and a letter dated Deer . 12 th , 1798 , from Brother Bartram , is minuted thanking the brethren of Lodge Kilwinning , No . 25 , for the high honour thus conferred , concluding with the followingparagraph : " It mayperhapsbe expected that I should ive you some account of the

, , g business of St . Andrew ' s Day . Suffice it to say , that the Peebles Lodge appeared , as she has hitherto done , in that respectable light amongst her sister lodges , which she has uniformly desired , and which , while I have the honour to represent her , no efforts of mine shall be wanting to support , etc . " Signed JAS . BARTRAM . " *

Peebles Deer . 27 th , . 1798 . Which day being the anniversary of St . John the Evangelist the Hon . Lodge of Masons of Peebles Kilwinning convened & c . Follows list of 36 members marked paid and 5 unpaid , and at the election Robert Scott is chosen Master . At this meeting there was laid before the Lodge the followingcongratulatory letter from Brother James Reid , Provost of Peebles , which was unanimously agi-eed to be recorded in the minute book . Brother Reid was an old member of the Craft , and at this period , when free thinking and seditious tenets were prevalent , this letter is worthy reproduction .

" Peebles 27 th Deer , 1798 . " Brother Reid greets The Right Worshipfull Master , Worshipfull Wardens , and Worthy Brethren with his best wishes for their lasting felicity , but now in the 46 th revolution of the all Chearing Luminary since Brother Reid joined the Craft , he must be excused the Labours of the Day . " He is happy to congratulate his Brethren here as being of the old stock

who still devoutly Venerate the all Powerfull Architect of the Glorious Wonderful Universe , and hopes never to see his Bretheren tainted by the fascinating attempts of assuming Illuminati , who b y specious reasoning to remove prejudices , try to Divert men of all principles , either religious , moral , or humane , thereby to turn the world into a waste of savage monsters , whose views end in the grave .