Royal Arch Jewel Follow Up

In November 1814, a meeting of the lodge was called to choose office-bearers for the ensuing year—today it would be our AGM. The only offices to be elected were: master, wardens, secretary, treasurer, deacons and steward. The Depute Master was agreed on the night of installation. In 1815, only seven meetings of the lodge took place. This may have been the turmoil in which the Napoleonic Wars between Britain and France ended in 1815 although the US Wars of Independence continued.

The Royal Arch Jewel—Follow Up

This is the only degree in Freemasonry in which we find any reference to the signs of the Zodiac, though, in the Chapters of to

day not directly, but by symbols substituted for them. Bro. J. T. Thorpe stated “these

twelve signs of the Zodiac were at one time much more important in Masonic teaching

than they are today, although they still form an interesting link between the Brethren of today, and their forefathers of

thousands of years ago.” In the 18 th Century, the original 12 points of masonry referred to the 12 tribes of Israel which were represented by the 12 signs of the Zodiac. The zodiac is a

prominent feature of the Scottish RA, but not the Thomas Harper RA jewels made in London in 1816.

This is a very fine example of a RA jewel showing common features, but the craftsmanship is second to none. Thomas Harper was a well known masonic jeweler at the time and it has been proposed that the triple tau (T over the H) actually represented his initials! However, that was more tongue in cheek.

The Lodge wasChartered on 5th February,1877 and named after Blantyre’s most famous son, David Livingstone. The lodge’s original temple was on Glasgow Road above the Co-Op then moved to a new temple in the upstairs of the building at the corner of Elm Street and Glasgow Roadin 1981. Next month will feature on the building itself. That building is now a block of flats and the meeting place is now357 Main Street in High Blantyre.

The Life Member certificate shown shows the iconic image of David Livingstone.

King Christian X of Denmark

Christian X (1870–1947) was King of Denmark from 1912 to 1947, and the only King of Iceland (where the name was officially Kristján X) between 1918 and 1944. He was a member of the House of Glu cksburg and the first monarch since King Frederick VII to have actually been born into the Danish royal family; both his father and his grandfather were born as princes of a ducal family from Schleswig. Among his siblings was King Haakon VII of Norway.

He was Grand Master of the Order of Danish Freemasons and laid the cornerstone of the current Grand Lodge building in 1924. Pictured here with the regalia of the Swedish Rite which is heavily influenced by Templar themes.