Fox Maule, Lord Panmure Sir Fox Maule, later Maule Ramsay, 2nd Baron Panmure, KT, GCB, PC (1801-1874), became the 11th Earl of Dalhousie after the death of his cousin in 1860. Prior to becoming the Provincial Grand Master of Forfarshire (1852—74) after the death of his father, Fox Maule was Provincial Grand Master of Moray and Nairn, which post he held from 1838—52 when he took over Forfarshire after the death of his father.
ers and examinations were introduced into the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. Written examinations at both are still in place today. The purchase system was abolished in 1870.
Lord Panmure also abolished the lash and it was also during his tenure as Secretary of State for War that the ‘Victoria Cross’ was introduced for bravery in the field; he read out the names as Queen Victoria presented the During his term as our Provincial Grand Mas- first medals. ter, he also held the offices of Depute Grand Master of the United Grand Lodge of England Among the notable functions he performed as (1857-61) Grand Master Mason of Scotland Grand Master were the laying of the founda(1867-70) and the First Grand Principle of tion stone of the Glasgow Industrial Schools, the Supreme Grand Royal Arch Chapter of at Mossbank in August 1868, the Free Library Scotland (1869-1871). It was whilst serving and museum, Paisley, in April 1869 and the as Captain in the 79th Cameron Highlanders Albert Bridge over the Clyde in June of 1870. on the staff of his uncle, the Earl of Dalhousie, His last public act as Grand Master was laying that he was initiated at Quebec into the the foundation stone of the new lodge room Lodge Merchanes et Freres, No. 77 (under the of the Lodge “Journeyman” Edinburgh on Grand Lodge of England) in April 1824. Four 30th November 1870. It is also recorded that years afterwards on his return to Scotland he he was responsible for introducing King Edaffiliated in the Lodge of St. John, Haddington ward VII to Scottish Freemasonry. Fox Maule and shortly afterwards joined Lodge Perth St. died on 6 July 1872, without issue, at Brechin Castle, aged 73, and was buried eight days Andrew. later at Panbride, when the Barony of PanIn 1846—52, he was Secretary of State for mure became extinct, but the Scottish digniWar under Lord John Russell and then in ties devolved on his cousin, Admiral George 1855—58 he was appointed by the new Ramsay, CB (1806-1880), as 12th Earl of DalPrime Minister, Lord Palmerston as Secretary housie. of State for War (in the middle of the Sebastopol campaign in Crimea). It was Lord Pan- Thanks to Iain D McIntosh and the PGL Forfarshire mure who realised how unsuccessful the for providing much of the information. campaign was due to problems over transport, supply and medical care. He stated that “we have no means of making general officers or of forming efficient staff.” A Royal Commission was appointed by Lord Panmure in 1857 with the resukt of some damning evidence about army leadership which still had the purchase system (ie. officers bought their commissions and promotions and this was used as their pension). What did his report do? Amazingly, in 1858 Staff College was created to train senior offic-
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