71st Highland Light Infantry

“Many of us know by experience that war consists of long periods of boredom, interspersed by brief intervals of intense excitement and terror.” Little wonder then, that, two hundred years ago, long before N.A.A.F.I. or E.N.S.A. had been dreamt of, the practice of Freemasonry solaced the soldier in out-ofthe-way stations, and its principles lifted him above the weariness, and even sordidness of his lot. Within the lifetime of many of us, for a large section of the population, to 'list for a soldier was the last disgrace a lad could inflict on his family. Two world wars, when the bulk of the fit population was called upon to serve in the fighting forces have proved that the Queen's coat is not the badge of the failure, the ne'er-do-well or the blackguard.

It was the Irish invention of the Warrant, which made the erection of travelling Lodges possible. There is little doubt that, to the soldier mason the Warrant of his Lodge held a place in his heart, second only to The Colours.” This is the introduction to an interesting article by Bro. R. E. Parkinson when writing about Irish warrants.

Looking closer to home, the Highland Light Infantry (HLI City of Glasgow Regiment) is known to most in the west of Scotland and further afield. The regiment was initially the 71st Regiment of Foot and a Scottish charter was issued in 1759 although at this stage it was probably the Fraser Highlanders rather than the HLI.

However, due to the regiment being stationed in Dublin in 1801, a charter from the Grand Lodge of Ireland was issued in 1801 as Lodge No. 895 and worked until the Commanding Officer issued an order to return it in 1833 and erased from the Grand Lodge roll in 1858. A duplicate was issued in 1808 (very common for military lodges to lose items due to fighting broad—the 71st was in Buenos Ayres at this time fighting the French) -it may have been to include the new name of the regiment which now had Glasgow in the title awarded by King George III. Sadly at this point, their silverware and other documents were also lost although a couple remain in the Buenos Ayres Museum. However, proof exists why.

Grand Lodge records note the events as to how this Lodge lost its Warrant as follows: "This Lodge and another Lodge associated with this action, No. 356 at this time in the 9th Dragoons (1760-1818) formed the army which in 1806 occupied Monte Video, and on the 27th June, General William Carr Beresford, subsequently famous during the Peninsular War as

Marshal Beresford, captured

Buenos Ayres with the 71st

Regiment. The Spaniards retook the town almost immediately, and the whole of the 71st became prisoners-of-war."

It is also believed the warrant is also preserved in the museum which has the guidon (hangs from bagpipes) below.

Apparently it it was captured in one of the forts, and the brethren may have been at labour when disturbed by Liniers and his gang of cowans and intruders. The 71st remained prisoners till July 1807 when a strong British force under Lieutenant-General John Whitelocke attempted to recapture Buenos Ayres. Although it failed, part of the agreement of withdrawal was the release of the 71st, but without the guidon and warrant of the lodge.

The regiment was stationed in various parts of the world and accredited itself with distinction. So why did the CO decide to return the warrant.

Another artefact of the lodge can be found in the display cabinet of Victoria Lodge No.56 (Ontario, Canada) -it is the lodge seal shown below and also right.

The Seal is circular, with a braided edge within the circumference. A large Triangle shape is inscribed 71st REGT LODGE No 895 MEMENTO MORI; which is Latin and is simply translated as “Remember your mortality”. The 3 spaces between the triangle shape and the edge each bear 4 identical emblems, for a total of 12 emblems. Within the triangle are recognizable symbols including a ladder of many staves, skull and bones, and a coffin, cable tow and Jacob’s Ladder.

The ribbon surrounding the seal are the colours of the Waterloo medal.

In 1827 the Duke of Cumberland had become overall Grand Master of the Orange Lodge. By 1836 he had dissolved all military lodges within HM Forces and resigned his position as Grand Master (this was the last Royal connection with the society), due to the embarrassing position in which he was placed by the subversive discipline of military Orangemen against the chain of command. This was a response to the Catholic Emancipation Law passed in 1829 to which the Grand Orange Lodge reacted with anger, saying it was a bad law. Later in 1832 "The Party Processions Act" was passed, which outlawed Orange Demonstrations, they rebelled against this Act by holding unlawful Parades, by this time the Orange Order was facing hostility from the Governing Classes. Sadly the distinction

between the Masonic and Orange was unclear to gentlemen of the outside world.

Part of the letter to the Grand Secretary stated: "Although as soldiers we cheerfully comply with all orders given to us by our commander, still we lament that we found it his bounding duty to allow no secret society to exist in the regiment under his command". Clearly the brethren were dismayed at the decision not to practise freemasonry. I wonder how many affiliated to lodges where the regiment was stationed?