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Brief History of the Royal Order
uthentic documentary proof in the archives of the Grand Lodge of the Order in Edinburgh, gives rise to the popular assertion that the Royal Order of Scotland is senior to every other masonic system, with the exception of the Craft. There is written and printed evidence that a number of Lodges of the Order were active in London as early as 1741.
some 75 Provincial Grand Lodges situated in many different parts of the world. Additional Provinces are constantly being Erected as the Order is very popular. The Royal Order of Scotland contains two degrees, namely:1.
The Heredom of Kilwinning: Provincial Grand Chapter Knighthood of the Rosy Cross: Provincial Grand Lodge
A zealous Mason by the name of William 2. Mitchell, then living in the Low Countries, applied to the authorities in London in 1750 for a Charter to hold a Lodge of the Order at the Heredom of Kilwinning: According to tradition this degree originated during the reign of David I Hague, and while this Charter in the twelfth century and is nowas granted it is doubtful if the ticeably Christian in character, Lodge ever worked. The Chardepicting Freemasonry in a pureter was however signed by the ly Christian aspect. Most of the then Provincial Grand Master ritual is couched in quaint old as “in the ninth year of his ofdoggerel verse and is worked in fice”. catechetical form, as in the Craft lectures, but embracing elements and references found in many About 1752 or 1753 Brother other degrees. Mitchell moved to Edinburgh, taking with him the Charter Choice of a characteristic, typiissued to him as Provincial cal of some moral attribute or Grand Master at the Hague, and virtue, or appertaining to the Candidate's profesby virtue of this document he set up a Lodge sion, is one of the peculiarities of the Order. of the Royal Order in Edinburgh. In due Armed with his particular characteristic, the course this body was to elevate itself to the Candidate is sent forth in search of the lost word. rank of Grand Lodge of the Royal Order of Knight of the Rosy Cross: This degree of Scotland in July 1767. Knighthood is said to have been instituted by A period transpired in the early 1800s when King Robert the Bruce immediately after the the Order nearly became extinct for few battle of Bannockburn in 1314, to commemorate meetings were held, but in 1839 efforts at re- the valour of a band of Knights and Masons who had signally aided him in the great victory. suscitation were successful and by1843 Grand Lodge was granting Warrants for the He revived the older Degree and incorporated Erection and Consecration of Provincial the two under the title of the Royal Order of Grand Lodges. Scotland and traditionally he established the chief seat of the Order at Kilwinning. From the earliest written records of meetings, the Order claimed that the King of Scots was This Degree traces its course from the Old to the the Hereditary Grand Master and a seat in the New Testament and finally culminates with the East is always kept vacant for him at every secret doctrine inculcated in the Life and Death of our Saviour. meeting of each Provincial Grand Lodge and at all meetings of Grand Lodge. An ermined Understandably, membership of this elite OrRobe hangs over the back of the chair and a der is highly prized, admission to the Order Crown rests on the seat. being by invitation only. The Grand Lodge at Edinburgh today controls Cross Keys March 2022
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