Inveraray St. John No.50

Unfortunately the history of Inveraray Lodge from its. beg-inning-is unknown. The Charter granted by the Grand Lodge of Scotland is dated 23rd February, 1747, and was granted on the application of the office-bearers of “Inveraray Masons' Lodge” which had been working for many years presumably it was a self-starter similar to Johnstone Kilwinning in 1753, the forerunner of 242. The first minutes of the lodge begins 17th July, 1779, thirty-two years after the date of the Charter. All previous records are lost which is not only regrettable, but remarkable, as since the last mentioned date, the Minutes are continuous, and almost unbroken. By the kindness of Sir Charles Dalrymple (PGM Argyll & The Isles) a few years ago, it was restored .and renovated. This Bible bears the name of the Lodge and the date 1749. Bro. Dalrymple was made an Honorary Member in 1900. The first Master of the lodge was Captain Duncan Campbell who according to Murray Lyon the Masonic Historian and was a descendant of Colin, 3rd Earl of Argyll, and a confidential friend of Bonnie Prince Charlie, and the first person to make that Prince's arrival known to the Jacobites in Edinburgh. At the time of his initiation, he was a confidential adviser to Queen Anne. He was captain of one of the six independent companies of Highlanders embodied by the Government as the 42nd Regiment of Foot (The Black Watch). Bro. John, Earl of Crawford of Mary’s Chapel No.1 was their first Colonel.

On the 19th December, 1780 Ensign James Campbell of the 1st Regt. of Foot, was entered an apprentice of this Lodge so any Jacobite influences must have been disappearing due to the Napoleonic threats. On St. John's night in 1786 we find, "that it having been reported to this lodge that John Dawson, wright, an apprentice of this lodge has for some time, taken upon himself to admit several people as members, without either reporting to the lodge, or getting payment of their admission fees, we unanimously disapprove of Bro. Dawson's conduct, not only for the foregoing reasons, but as being irregular, he being no more than an apprentice.” This might be one of the first cases of brethren ‘peddling’ degrees. At a meeting in February the following year, the minute states “that it having been represented to the lodge, that it is customary in other lodges to make their Chaplain some present . . . to furnish the Chaplain with a pair of silk breeches, waistcoat and a pair of silk stockings.” Certainly a nice touch and it seems clear the lodge did not scrimp of the gift. To finish, the lodge produced an erroneous plate for summons using a wrong name— indeed this name was never used by the lodge.