John William Ramsay (Lord Ramsay)

Afterwards 13th Earl of Dalhousie

Provincial Grand Master 1876 to 1880

When Fox Maule, the 11th Earl died, he had no son to succeed him, so the title of Earl of Dalhousie went to his cousin, Admiral George Ramsay, who now became the 12th Earl. It was his son John William Ramsay, titled Lord Ramsay, who now becomes the new P.G. Master. The title of Lord Panmure ceased.

I have as yet, no information regarding Lord Ramsay’s Masonic background, or when or where he joined Freemasonry. There was also a suggestion at his selection meeting of dividing the Province into two or more Provinces. This proposal was moved by a Brother J.H. Mackay, R.W.M. of Lodge St. David No. 78 and seconded by a Brother William Smith R.W.M. of Lodge Panmure No. 299. However, at a subsequent meeting this suggestion was by common consent withdrawn.

Lord Ramsay was installed by the acting Grand Master, Major Hamilton Ramsay of Garion, at that time Senior Grand Warden in the County Buildings Forfar on 26th March 1876. His Depute P.G. Master was again Sir John Ogilvie of Inverquharity. His Substitute P.G. Master was the Right Honourable Algernon Hawkings Thomond Keith Falconer, commonly called, Lord Inverurie. Lord Ramsay’s other commissioned office bearers were: -

On the 29th September 1876, Lord Ramsay consecrated the Lodge room of Lodge Ancient, No. 49, Dundee, situated in Rankine’s Court. Afterwards he was made an honorary member and presented with a diploma and a Master’s Jewel, suitably inscribed, in commemoration of the ceremony.

Laying of the Foundation Stone of Dundee Asylum, Westgreen, Liff. 17th Sept 1879

The following information was taken from the current minute book. The Provincial Grand Lodge of Forfarshire met on the17th September 1879 in the Lodge room of “Ancient” Dundee No. 49. After the roll was called representatives of 21 Lodges in the Province answered to their names and two deputations from Lodge “Coupar Angus” No. 105 and Lodge “Perth Royal Arch” No. 122, both in the Province of Perthshire East, were received. The Provincial Grand Master Lord Ramsay having opened Provincial Grand Lodge in due and ancient form intimated how pleased he was to see so large a gathering. He then proceeded to address the Brethren on the duties of the day. These were the perfecting of the request of the Directors of the Dundee Royal Asylum that Provincial Grand Lodge should lay the foundation stone of the new buildings at Westgreen, near Liff.

After instructing the various Office-bearers on their respective duties, the Provincial Grand Master adjourned Provincial Grand Lodge, which along with the Master’s, Office-bearers, and members of the Lodges proceeded by the advertised route. They marched to the West station and took the train to Liff and then again marched to the Asylum buildings where the Provincial Grand Master, Officers and Brethren were received and conducted to the Foundation Stone by Sir John Ogilvie, Chairman of the Board of Directors. A fine display of flags, Masonic Emblems, etc., was made by the various lodges and huge crowds viewed the procession and the ceremonial. Dean of Guild Edwards presented Lord Ramsay, Provincial Grand Master, with a silver trowel with ivory handle engraved with Masonic devices and the following inscription “Presented by Messrs. Edward and Robertson, Architects to the Right Honourable John William, Lord Ramsay, Provincial Grand Master for the County of Forfarshire on the occasion of his laying the Foundation Stone of the Dundee Royal Lunatic Asylum 17th September, 1879”. The Provincial Grand Master, thereafter in due form well and truly laid the Foundation Stone and having suitably addressed the large gathering and reply having been made by Brother Sir John Ogilvy, the Provincial Grand Lodge returned by rail from Liff Station to Dundee, where in the premises of Lodge Ancient the Provincial Grand Lodge was closed.

The Resignation of Lord Ramsay

In April 1880 the Provincial Grand Secretary, Brother David Small received a letter of resignation from Brother Lord Ramsay from which the following is an excerpt. Having given the matter serious and thoughtful consideration, I have come to the conclusion - painful though it is - that I must resign my office of Provincial Grand Master of Forfarshire. I do not see that I have any honest choice in the matter. And I now ask you to be so good as to place my resignation in the hands of the Brethren. I fear I have been to them a most unsatisfactory head. But if I could have foreseen that I was to serve on board ship (he was Commander Lord Ramsay on S.L. “Britannia”) for two and a half years, and then become Member of Parliament for the largest constituency in the Kingdom, (Liverpool), I should not have undertaken the great Masonic responsibility with which the Brethren honoured me four years ago. The resignation was reluctantly accepted and Lord Ramsay was most cordially and fraternally tendered the best thanks of the Brethren for the invariable kindness shown by him and for the very great consideration and attention he had uniformly exhibited for the interests of the Craft.

Lord Ramsay eventually succeeded to his father’s title in 1847 and became the 13th Earl of Dalhousie. Tragically both Lord and Lady Dalhousie died within 24 hours of each other in December 1887. The funeral Lodge held for him in the Thistle Hall, Union Street, was a very large and well-attended event. The archway at the entrance to the village of Edzell was built as a memorial to them. During Lord Ramsey’s term as Provincial Grand Master only one new Lodge was constituted in the Province and that was Lodge The Bruce No. 593 in Froickheim, chartered on the 6th Nov 1876. Also during his term the Province of Kincardineshire was erected and the Lodges in Johnshaven, Laurencekirk and Inverbervie were moved from the jurisdiction of Forfarshire to Kincardineshire. The first Provincial Grand Master of Kincardineshire being Lord Inverurie who was still at that time, the Substitute P.G. Master of Forfarshire.

©Research by Iain D. McIntosh, 2014