1815 Dundee's New Harbour

1815 Laying the Foundation Stone

From the Provincial Minute Books - Laying of the Foundation Stone of the New Harbour at Dundee 9th October 1815

At a Provincial Lodge of Freemasons of the County of Forfar held at Dundee on Monday the ninth day of October one thousand eight hundred and fifteen in consequence of a circular summonses issued by command of the Most Worshipful Provincial Grand Master of the County of Forfar requiring the attendance of the several Lodges this day.
Present
The Honorable William Maule of Panmure M.P. for the County of Forfar and Most Worshipful Provincial Grand Master.
The Right Worshipful, the Honourable Colonel John Ramsay, Provincial Senior Grand Warden.
The Right Worshipful Patrick Carnegie of Lower Esquire Provincial Junior Grand Warden.
The Right Worshipful James Burnes Master of St. Peters, Montrose, Provincial Grand Secretary.
The Right Worshipful and Reverend Heneage Horsley M.A. Oxon. Clergyman of the Episcopal Chapter at Dundee, Provincial Grand Chaplain.

For the Lodge Montrose Kilwinning No. 18.
The Right Worshipful James Duirs – Master
The Worshipful John Valentine – Senior Warden.
The Worshipful John Christie – Junior Warden.

For the Lodge Bervie No. 33
No representative appeared.

For the Operative Lodge Dundee No. 52
The Right Worshipful William Key – Master
The Worshipful Alexander Anderson – Senior Warden.
The Worshipful David Ferguson – Junior Warden
And ten of the Brethren

For the Lodge Saint Thomas, Arbroath No. 44.
The Right Worshipful John Croal – Master.
The Worshipful John Simpson – Senior Warden.
The Worshipful Donald McKay – Junior Warden.
And Three of the Brethren.

For the Ancient Lodge Dundee No. 54.
The Right Worshipful Alexander Urquhart – Master.
The Worshipful Roderick Ormond – Senior Warden.
The Worshipful Robert Whitton – Junior Warden.

For the Lodge St. Ninian’s, Brechin No. 79
No. Representative appeared.

For Saint David’s Lodge Dundee No. 96.
The Right Worshipful Brother William Scott – Master.
The Worshipful Brother Henry Blyth – Senior Warden.
The Worshipful Brother John Scott – Junior Warden.

For the Lodge Forfar Kilwinning No. 114.
The Right Worshipful Alexander Gray – Master.
The Worshipful Alexander Hastings – Senior Warden.
The Worshipful George Gall – Junior Warden.
And eleven of the Brethren.

For the Glamis Lodge No. 126
The Right Worshipful C. Paterson – Master.
The Worshipful James Barrie – Senior Warden.
The Worshipful James Souter – Junior Warden.
And eleven of the Brethren.

For the Lodge Saint Vigean’s Arbroath No. 127.
No representative appeared but a letter of apology was produced from Brother John Lowson the Master.

For the Lodge Saint Peters Montrose No. 134.
The Right Worshipful David Alexander – Master.
The Worshipful John Myers – Senior Warden.
The Worshipful Robert Munro – Junior Warden.
And six of the Brethren.

For the Lodge Johnshaven Saint John No. 152.
No representative appeared.

For the Lodge Saint James’s Brechin No. 126
The Right Worshipful David Alexander – Master.
The Worshipful John Christie – Senior Warden.
The Worshipful James Walker – Junior Warden.
And four of the Brethren.

For the Lodge Saint Laurence Laurencekirk No. 180.
No representative appeared but a letter of apology from the Master was produced.

For the Thistle Operative Lodge Dundee No. 210.
The Right Worshipful George Cameron – Master.
The Worshipful John Benvie – Senior Warden.
The Worshipful Thomas Bisset – Junior Warden.

For the Montrose Kilwinning Incorporated Lodge No. 246.
Brother James Burnes P.G. S. as proxy Master.

For the Forfar and Kincardine Lodge No. 292.
The Right Worshipful John Low – Master.
The Worshipful George Molison – Senior Warden.
The Worshipful Robert Slidders – Junior Warden.

For the Caledonian Lodge Dundee No. 330.
The Right Worshipful John Stevens – Master.
The Worshipful James Kinnear – Senior Warden.
The Worshipful James Hodge – Junior Warden.

The Grand Lodge having been properly constituted in due Masonic form the Most Worshipful Master presented a commission dated the …………. Day of …… from the Grand Lodge of Scotland, constituting him and creating him Grand Master of the Province of Forfar and committing to his charge and government the several Lodges situated therein which commission having been read aloud was ordered to be engrossed in the records of the Provincial Lodge.
The Most Worshipful Grand Master then announced that in virtue of the powers conferred upon him by his commission, of the constitutions of Masonry, and of his instructions from the Grand Lodge of Scotland he had nominated and appointed the following brethren to be office bearers of the Provincial grand Lodge of Forfarshire after having duly tried and ascertained their proficiency in masonry and their abilities to discharge the duties of their respective offices.

Brother the Honorable Colonel John Ramsay of Kelly to be Provincial Senior Grand Warden.
Brother Patrick Carnegie of Lower Esquire to be Provincial Junior Grand Warden.
Brother James Burnes at present Master of Saint Peter’s Montrose to be Provincial Grand Secretary.
Brother The Reverend Heneage Horsley at present residing in Dundee to be Provincial Grand Chaplain.

These appointments having been received with every mark of approbation by the Grand Lodge these brethren were successively presented to the chair and invested in proper form with the insignia of their respective offices.
The most Worshipful acquainted the Grand Lodge that he had taken this opportunity of assembling them together to assist him in laying the foundation stone of the new works at the Harbour of Dundee.
The he had been requested by the parliamentary commissioners and magistrates to perform this ceremony and he had no doubt but that the representatives of the Lodges here present would cheerfully assist him in his labours; of which all present testified their high approbation and resolved to accompany the Most Worshipful Provincial Grand Master in procession with the whole resident Lodges in Dundee, The Parliamentary Commissioners, Magistrates, Council, Guildry, Trades and other public bodies in Dundee now assembled to partake in the commencement of a work of such high importance, not only to Dundee, but to the County of Forfar and Kingdom at large.
Before adjourning it was ordered that the Secretary shall in the beginning of November next, issue circular letters to each of the Lodges in the Province directing the Master annually to notify by letter his election and that of his other office bearers to the Secretary of the Provincial grand Lodge, that the Provincial Master may be at all times acquainted with the state of the Lodges placed under his superintendence and be ready to report if required to the Grand Lodge thereupon.

The Lodge then adjourned in procession with the other public bodies to the Harbour of Dundee where the Provincial Grand Master laid the foundation stone of the new works in due Masonic form amidst the acclimations of at least fifteen thousand spectators.
The procession which comprised about two thousand persons having then returned to the place of assembly, dispersed but the Provincial grand Lodge were entertained by the Most Worshipful Provincial Grand Master in open Lodge.

The Lodge was then closed in due form and adjourned to such other time and place as the Most Worshipful Master shall hereafter think proper to fix.
(Signed) - W.M. Maule P.G.M.

Transcribed by Iain D. McIntosh, Jan 2014