Freemasonry In Kelso.

this old lodge is invariably spoken of as " St . John ' s Lodge , " and even in the minutes of Tweed Lodge it is so designated , although the Charter does not warrant the assumption of the name of our patron saint , it being there simply styled the Lodge " Kelso . " It may have been owing to the regular keeping of the festivals of St . John the Evangelist and St . John the Baptist that the lodge was so calledor it may have been a tradition handed down from the

, time of the building of the abbey of Kelso , which was dedicated to St . John the Evangelist <\ , nd the Virgin Mary . The very first minute we have , dated " Kelso , 27 th of December , 1701 , " seems to favour the latter idea , as it begins thus— " The whilk clay the companie of the honourable Lodg of Kelso , under the protection of Saint John , having met there and considered all former sederents . " Anyway , whether the lodge was originally called St . John ' s

Lodge or not , our ancient brethren kept both St . John ' s clays in proper style . We find frequent mention of their meeting in the lodge-room , and walking in procession to the church or Episcopal chapel , for with true charit y these brethren were not narrow-minded or bigoted , ancl could worship T . G . A . O . T . U . either in the homely Presbyterian form , or in the more ornate liturgy of the Episcopal church . St . John the Baptist ' s Day 1764 falling upon a Sunday

, , , the brethren met on the Monday , " ancl walked in procession to the chapel , " when the Rev . Bro . Richard Wallis ; assisted by the Rev . Bro . George Marsh , rector of Foord , conducted Divine service , an eloquent sermon being preached by Bro . Wallis from Ephesians ii ., 19-22 , "Now therefor ye are no more

strangers and foreigners , but fellowcitizens with the saints , and of the household of God ; Ancl are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets , Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone ; In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an hol y temple in the Lord : In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit . " On St . John ' s Day , 1769 , Bro . Wallis preached from I . Corinthians xiv ., 40 , " Let all things be done decently and in order . " On St . John ' s Day 1777 the Rev .

, , Bro . Marsh , rector of Foord , preached to them from I . Thessalonians iv ., 1 , " Furthermore then we beseech you , brethren , and exhort you by the Lord Jesus , that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God , so ye would abound more and more . " In 1789 the sermon was preached in the parish church by the Rev . Bro . Shiel , minister of Westruther , from Galatians vi ., 2 , " Bear ye one another ' s burdens , and so fulfil the law of Christ . "

With such a religious observance of Masonic festivals Masonry flourished , as it deserved , in those days . The sight of these worthy old brethren " busked in their braws , " walking in procession to the place of worship , must have impressed the outsiders and onlookers , ancl given them a favourable opinion of our Order . In fancy we picture these good old Masons , in their quaint and picturesque costume -. three-cornered hatstie wigsknee breechesblack silk

, , , stockings , burnished shoe-buckles , white gloves ancl aprons , bedecked with the insignia of their office , ancl green silk sashes , walking solemnly to church , headed by a band of " musick , " consisting of a " hautboy , drum , fife , ancl three fiddles . "

It is not worth while detailing here the numerous ceremonials the lodge assisted at , especially as I have already given copious extracts about some of these proceedings in the history of the lodge , published last year in the columns of the Scottish Freemason . Connected with one of these ceremonials , however , I find in the Kelso Mail of June 28 th , 1819 , the following lines , written by James Ruickie , Tyler of St . John ' s Loclge , Hawick , which were recited at the Kelso Loclge on the anniversary of St . John the Baptist 1819

, , on the occasion of laying the foundation-stone of the monument to Thomson the poet . Although these lines are not recorded in the Masonic books , yet , as they are connected with " Freemasonry iu Kelso , " and are of no mean order , I make no apology for introducing them here .