Lord Panmure GMM of Scotland

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.

During his term as our Provincial Grand Master, he also held the offices of Depute Grand Master of the United Grand Lodge of England (1857-61) Grand Master Mason of Scotland (1867-70) and the First Grand Principle of the Supreme Grand Royal Arch Chapter of Scotland (1869-1871). It was whilst serving as Captain in the 79th Cameron Highlanders on the staff of his uncle, the Earl of Dalhousie, that he was initiated at Quebec into the Lodge Merchanes et Freres, No. 77 (under the Grand Lodge of England) in April 1824. Four years afterwards on his return to Scotland he affiliated in the Lodge of St. John, Haddington and shortly afterwards joined Lodge Perth St. Andrew.

In 1846—52, he was Secretary of State for War under Lord John Russell and then in 1855—58 he was appointed by the new Prime Minister, Lord Palmerston as Secretary of State for War (in the middle of the Sebastopol campaign in Crimea). It was Lord Panmure who realised how unsuccessful the 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 officers 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 first medals.

Among the notable functions he performed as Grand Master were the laying of the foundation stone of the Glasgow Industrial Schools, at Mossbank in August 1868, the Free Library and museum, Paisley, in April 1869 and the Albert Bridge over the Clyde in June of 1870. His last public act as Grand Master was laying the foundation stone of the new lodge room of the Lodge “Journeyman” Edinburgh on 30th November 1870. It is also recorded that he was responsible for introducing King Edward VII to Scottish Freemasonry. Fox Maule died on 6 July 1872, without issue, at Brechin Castle, aged 73, and was buried eight days later at Panbride, when the Barony of Panmure became extinct, but the Scottish dignities devolved on his cousin, Admiral George Ramsay, CB (1806-1880), as 12th Earl of Dalhousie.

Thanks to Iain D McIntosh and the PGL Forfarshire for providing much of the information.