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Bro. Thomas Hyslop
Question What is a Cowan?
Answer
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The Cowan is perhaps the most misunderstood individual in Freemasonry. The word comes straight from Scots operative Masonry of the late 16thCentury and was not used in England until after 1738 when Anderson introduced it into his 1stConstitutions.
A Cowan is a dry-dyker or dry stone waller who did not possess the skills of a time served Mason. From old records a Cowan was permitted to do much of the unskilled work of a regular Mason, who was thus left free for tasks of a higher order. A Cowan was ‘a mason without the word’, probably a labourer or an apprentice who had not fully served his apprenticeship but had acquired some skills and when in search of work ‘without the word’ was not allowed to affiliate with the genuine craftsmen and had to be content with any class of work that fell to him.
The stringent rules under which he was employed were designed to prevent him acquiring either full craftsman’s skill or any technological understanding of his craft. Probably the origin of the ‘closed shop’ Keeping off all Cowan’s and intruders to Masonry was a way of preserving the skills of those who had completed a 7 year apprenticeship on low wages, from those who just tried to muscle in on the Craftsman’s higher status and pay.
Thanks to the PGL Warwickshire.
From Lodge Greyfriars No.1221 which used to meet in Dennistoun is now defunct. The jewel on the left would probably have been on the ribbon of a PM’ s jewel while the jewel on the right probably hung from an anniversary medal.
The following appeared in the Johnstone Advertiser, Friday, 11th June 1965:
A former Chief Inspector of Renfrew & Bute Police, Mr Thomas Broadfoot Hyslop, 73, of 3 Westwood Road, Thornliebank died in the Victoria Infirmary, Glasgow. The Chief Inspector, a native of Dumfriesshire, was appointed to the old Johnstone Burgh Police in 1912 and held the rank of Sergeant when the town’s force was amalgamated with the County Force (Renfrewshire Constabulary) in 1930. He continued in Johnstone until 1934 when he was promoted Inspector and transferred to Giffnock where he remained until his retiral with the rank of Lieutenant (now Chief Inspector) in 1952.
Thomas Broadfoot Hyslop was born on 3rd October 1891, at Burnbank, Penpont, Dumfriesshire. Thomas joined the Johnstone Burgh Police as a Police Constable in 1912, the police station being located at Collier Street.
After the outbreak of war, 4th August 1914, he volunteered for enlistment in the Queens Own Cameron Highlanders, joining at the recruiting office in Glasgow on 11th January 1915, with the rank of Private, service no. S/16774. Part of his record as an other rank still survives, and shows that he joined his regiment at Inverness on 13th January 1915, being posted to the 8th (Reserve) Btn. Cameron Highlanders, C Coy. His age was given as 23 years, 2 months, on enlistment, his home address being 7 Ferguson Street, Johnstone. His next of kin was his father Andrew, Burnhead, Thornhill, Dumfries.
He was promoted L/Cpl, 15th Feb 1915, which was reported in the Paisley and Renfrewshire Gazette, Sat., 20 March 1915 -Johnstone. Constable Hyslop who recently joined the Cameron Highlanders, paid a brief visit to the town on Tuesday. He has the rank of Lance Corporal and is stationed at Inverness.
Bro. Hyslop was transferred to the 6th (Service) Battalion, Cameron Highlanders, embarking at Folkestone, 6th August 1915 for France, to serve with his battalion on the Western Front, his battalion being part of 45th Brigade, 15th (Scottish) Division. Further promotions followed - Acting Cpl 27.9. 1915, Cpl 6.10.1915, Sgt 8.12.1915. He received a Mention in Dispatches (per London Gazette, Supplement, 15.6.1916).
On 30th June 1916 he was sent to England from 18th General Hospital, Camiers, suffering from Trench Fever. On recovery he was posted to the 3rd (Reserve) Btn. Cameron Highlanders, D Coy. at Invergordon, 9th October 1916. On 1st February 1917, Bro. Hyslop was posted to the MEF, Salonika, embarking at Southampton, 2.2.1917, and arriving at Salonika, 16.2.1917, being posted to the 2nd Btn. Cameron Highlanders.
Selected for a Temporary Commission on 20th October 1917 he was sent to England, being attached to the 9th Reserve Brigade at Stirling, 6.11.1917 whilst undergoing training. He was commissioned 2nd Lieut. on 26th June 1918 and sent to the 3rd (Reserve) Btn. Cameron Highlanders at Ballyvonare Camp, Co. Cork, Ireland.
Here his other ranks service record ends, but the Army List for Nov. 1918 shows him serving in one of the two Regular Army Battalions, 1st or 2nd, as 2nd Lieut, but does not specify which. He was discharged after the war and returned to duty as a Police Constable in Johnstone Burgh Police (crest over).
His Medal Index Card confirms that 2nd Lieut. Thomas Broadfoot Hyslop was awarded the 1914/15 Star, British War and Victory Medals, and ‘emblem’ (oak leaf cluster) for Mention in Dispatches. These were sent to him at 5 Ferguson Street, Johnstone. On his return home, he joined the lodge on 27th March, 1919 as Police Constable.
Thomas B Hyslop married Jane McGregor Malcolm , Chapel Farm, Houston, on 26th August 1921 at the Village Hall, Houston. (According to the Church of Scotland).
Thomas B Hyslop was promoted to the rank of Police Sergeant, and the 1927 Paisley and District Directory shows him with that rank, residing at The Cottage, Hagg Road, Johnstone. On 16th May 1930 Johnstone Burgh Police amalgamated with Renfrewshire Constabulary, and Sgt. Hyslop continued in the new force at Johnstone until 1934 when he was promoted Inspector and transferred to Giffnock. During WW2 he became involved with the Rudolf Hess incident.
An article appeared in the Daily Mail newspaper, Wed.,27th January, 1999, with regards to Rudolf Hess having flown to Britain on 10th May 1941, allegedly wanting to broker a deal to end the war allowing Britain to emerge defeated with ‘dignity.’ A report written by Inspector Thomas B. Hyslop,
of Renfrewshire Constabulary, details how the drama started with a phone call reporting a German plane, crashing at Eaglesham, Renfrewshire. By the time Hyslop had arrived a Special Constable and a Home Guard Captain were already at the scene - along with 200 or so onlookers. ‘Sentries appear to have been fixed but I could not find anyone actually in charge’ Hyslop wrote. The mystery prisoner flying the plane had been taken to the 3rd Battalion Home Guard HQ at Busby Scout Hut. Hyslop continued ‘I saw that Lt. Col. Hardie had taken charge of the various productions which were found on the pilot’s person, and which included as far as I could see, a number of bottles, a syringe, a large map and part of a map showing the coast of Scotland to Ayr.’ The author James Leasor in his book ‘Rudolf Hess, The Uninvited Envoy’ , published 1962, actually spoke with Hyslop, and mentioned him in his book—Lt Tom Hyslop, a burly, good natured Officer in the Renfrewshire Constabulary, was driving home from Dumbarton, in his black Wolseley police car, with his daughter Nan, a Leading Aircraftswoman in the WAAF, home on weekend leave. Hyslop had been visiting the Dumbarton remand home, about a difficult case and his daughter had gone with him for company.”
Shortly after 10 o’clock a voice came through on the police car radio that an enemy plane had been spotted in the sky near Glasgow. It was near where they were and Hyslop stopped the car and turned off the engine. In the silence, they saw a plane fall from the sky a distance away and heard the sound of a crash and breaking metal. A figure dropped out of the plane by parachute, before it hit the ground. They raced up the Eaglesham Road arriving at the crash site . Some policemen had already arrived and Hyslop instructed them to guard the wreckage and keep everyone else away. Hyslop shone his shielded torch into the cockpit and around the engines. Then he saw something that surprised him. The muzzles of the machine guns picking out of the wings were packed tight with grease. They were not intended to be used.
Hyslop left the scene and went to the Home Guard HQ at Busby where the pilot had been taken to. When he arrived Hess stood up and bowed gravely to him, and to some other Army and RAF officers who came with him. Someone carried a small table into the Guard Room and each article they found on him was placed on it, like exhibits in a police court. Included was a letter addressed to the Duke of Hamilton. From there Hess, who gave the name Alfred Horn, was transferred to the HQ of the Home Guard in the Scout Hall at Florence Drive, Giffnock.
The first person to recognise him as Hess was Captain Graham Donald, DFC, who attended at Giffnock. Donald had been the main partner in the firm of Craig and Donald Machine Tool Company, William Street, Johnstone. Hyslop would therefore have known him.
Hess was subsequently taken to Maryhill Barracks, for his journey south to England, and was incarcerated for the return of the war. He was tried and convicted at Nuremberg for war crimes and given life imprisonment.
With regards to Thomas Hyslop, he served in the police after the war. Renfrewshire Constabulary was amalgamated with Buteshire Constabulary on 16th May 1949, and Thomas Hyslop continued to serve in the new Renfrew and Bute Constabulary at Giffnock, as Chief Inspector until his retiral in 1952.
He died on 5th June 1965 at the Victoria Infirmary, Glasgow, aged 73, from cardiac failure and related illnesses. His usual residence at the time of his death was 3 Westfield Road, Thornliebank. Most of his police service had been spent in Johnstone.
