The dedicated Lodge for Coldstream and surrounding area.
Unlike the single, one Grand Lodge in Scotland, England in the 18th Century comprised two equally strong and rival Grand Lodges. One was dedicated to the more traditional and religious leanings and the other sought to promote a new and some might say, enlightened methods of Ritual.
After four years of negotiations (the Brexit equivalent of the time brethren) those two rival Grand Lodges in England united on the 27th December 1813 to form the United Grand Lodge of England.
At that time, in 1813, one in every 12 Lodges operated via a Military Warrant, which gave them an ability to work their Lodge wherever they were garrisoned.
And brethren, think about the events that were taking place at that time in our history – No Football brethren…No Rugby, the Militia, our Masonic forefathers at that time fought in an almost perpetual state of war.
- Fighting to take control of the Indian continent on one side of the World.
- Fighting to lose America on the other side.
- But where the loss of America would only lead to increased military activities in Canada and Australia.
- The French Revolution in 1789 would lead to the rise of Napoleon Bonaparte and plunge Britain into a continuous war with France until Napoleon’s final defeat at Waterloo in 1815.
- Rebellions in Ireland, temporality squashed by the militia are not going to go away
All of these happening brethren at the start of our Masonic History and Journey;
In 1780, The Berwickshire Militia was granted a Military Warrant by the Antient Grand Lodge of England to Consecrate the Hirsel Lodge No 237.
We know for definite that the last Recorded meeting place of the Hirsel Lodge was in 1811 when the Berwickshire Regiment of Militia was stationed in the Town of Woodbridge on the Suffolk Coast.
We also know, for definite, that on the 2nd of March 1811, for whatever reason, possibly because it had been lost on some battlefield or other, the Berwickshire Militia submitted a petition to the Antient's Grand Lodge for a new Warrant and this would be granted under the Number 237B – which appears to confirm that it was a replacement rather than a new Warrant.
Brethren, there were two remarkably interesting factors to that Petition for a Warrant in 1811.
1) Firstly, the Petition was sanctioned by the Regiment’s Commanding Officer, Alexander, the 10th Earl of Home. Alexander was the Great, Great grandfather of Alexander Douglas-Home, 14th Earl of Home, Lord Home of the Hirsel who would become the British Prime Minister in 1964.
2) Secondly, the Senior Warden, named in that Petition in 1811, was one John Wallace. John Wallace would become the First RWM of Lodge St. John in 1819
We also know for certain that on the 24th March 1811, the Secretary of the Hirsel Lodge wrote to the Grand Secretary of the Antients Grand Lodge, informing him that the Berwickshire Militia were expected to relocate and hoped that the Warrant be issued as soon as possible.
Correspondence records held at the Grand Lodge of England indicates that the Regiment and therefore the Hirsel Lodge was in Edinburgh during 1812 and Kilmarnock in 1813.
Following the Union of the two Grand Lodges in England in 1813, the Hirsel Lodge was renumbered No 297.
Thereafter brethren there are no records of the Hirsel Lodge No 297 WITH ONE SIGNIFICANT EXCEPTION and which I am going to come back to later.
Brethren, 1819 Sponsored by Tweed Lodge No 261, Lodge St John, Coldstream was granted a Charter by the Grand Lodge of Scotland. Originally numbered 284, it changed to No 280 in 1826.
Records show that from 1819 until 1860 the Lodge met in numerous Inn’s, and the fundamental reason for every move appears to be the Annual Rent charged by those Inns and the attraction of moving to an Inn with a lower payment.
In 1857 and not for the first time, the Lodge agreed a one-year rent at the Newcastle Arms.
The Lodge renewed that rent for a further year in 1858 and at the July Meeting voted to look for a permanent home.
The rent was renewed at the Newcastle Arms again in 1859 and during that year an opportunity arose to purchase land on Duke Street at the rear of the Newcastle Arms.
The land was purchased for £50 from one Samuel Ewart, a Spirit Merchant and the following year plans were submitted for a building to be erected.
Following approval of those plans, £200 was borrowed from William Baird it’s not clear from the records whether he is a Past Master of the Lodge or a relative of a Past Master.
Brethren our Spiritual Masonic home in Duke Street was completed in November 1860 and the first meeting in that new building took place on 27th December 1860.
Sadly, brethren, the Lodge at that time didn’t have the great talents of our current Treasurer, Bro Bill Purvis. Those early years of joy and euphoria in owning our own home, very quickly led to stress and great financial difficulties. That private borrowing of £200 to build the Duke Street property went on to become a £250 Commercial Loan with the British Linen Bank.
At the Meeting of the Lodge on 4th June 1866 the Minutes confirm that it had been called to discuss the financial state of the Lodge and following the disclosure of the Lodge debts and liabilities it was agreed that the Duke Street property be advertised for sale.
The Minutes of the next meeting in July 1866 state that the highest Offer received was £315 from Mr. A. Davidson a local Merchant & Brewer. The brethren agreed to the sale.
Brethren, within six years of building their own Masonic Home, the Lodge was completely broke.
Worse brethren, although the Lodge ‘plodded on’ for the rest of that calendar year, the Minutes for the 31st December 1866 states that the Lodge could not be opened owing to the room being under repairs. Sadly, it doesn’t say which room BUT from that meeting.
The Lodge fell into Abeyance until the 17th February 1881 when, under a grant of authority from The Grand Lodge of Scotland, Bro Fred Vernon, Depute Provincial Grand Master and a Deputation from Kelso Lodge No 58 re-instated the Lodge and installed the new Lodge Officers.
At the next meeting on March 1st, 1881 the Treasurer confirmed that all arrears with the Grand Lodge of Scotland had been settled and that he had received a renewed Charter from the Grand Secretary authorizing the Lodge to operate as usual.
The Lodge retuned to its historic nomadic lifestyle, operating out of a number of different locations and venues. But then, in 1914, 48 years after the Duke Street property had been sold under a burden of debts and liabilities the Lodge was given an opportunity to purchase it again. The brethren of Lodge St John 280 were determined to take advantage of that opportunity and to ensure that the lessons of their masonic forefathers had been well and truly learned – testimony, of course, being that we occupy that Property to this very day.
The Lodge Centenary was held on 27th November 1919. Sadly, there are no longer any Minutes of that Centenary Meeting, but the Attendance book is still with us and confirms that 87 Brethren attended that celebration – 69 Members and 18 visiting brethren. One interesting Visitor being Hugh Park Reid, a member of Dunse 23, Provincial Grand Chaplain at that Meeting but will go on to be the Provincial Grand Master for East Lothian & Berwickshire, 4 years later in December 1923 and as PGM would sign off our Lodge Books for well more than 20 years.
On the 20th January 1925 the Lodge was honored by the presence of Bro, The Right Honorable, The Earl of Elgin & Kincardine, Past Grand Master Mason from 1921 to 1924 whose purpose was to undertake the duties of Installing Master for our new RWM, Robert Edward Fairnington.
I’m still trying to find out the significance of such a high-ranking Mason coming to Lodge St John for an Annual Installation but understandably Brethren, everything there after can be seen as a bit of an anti-climax.
That said brethren during the years 1925 to 1926 the building underwent substantial renovation works – the likes of which would not be seen again until the Lodge Harmony Room was transformed in 2018 by our RWM, PM Bro Eric Hoare and our great friend from Lodge St Luke 132, Bro Ian Brotherston. And brethren nor must we forget Bro. Len Melrose, our RWM in 1923 who would rise to the Distinguished Rank of Grand Treasurer.
Brethren, we are today celebrating the 200th Anniversary of Lodge St John No 280 and in conclusion I want to refer to the Year 1819.
I mentioned at the start of this History that, except for one significant fact, the records of Lodge Hirsel No 297 appear to end in 1814.
The one, definite additional fact lies in the Register of the Grand Lodge of Scotland in its Listing of Chartered Lodges – the entry on the 30th November 1819 reads – St. John, Coldstream, originally Lodge Hirsel No 297
We also know for certain Brethren that the last recorded Senior Warden of Lodge Hirsel No 297 became the first RWM of Lodge St John 284 – now of course, 280.
Brethren, in celebrating our 200th Anniversary I would say that there are strong grounds to claim that our Lodge history has an even richer inheritance.
Attracting members from a wider catchment both in England and Europe the membership has increased and introducing new skills. Recent developments over the renovation of the building have been facilities open to the community, a Lodge website, and a comprehensive masonic library. The latter being open for those joining Freemasonry to develop knowledge and be more serviceable to their fellow mankind.
The Masonic future is bright and well-lit in Coldstream.
Last updated August 2023