A RETROSPECT (The first 100 years)
ONE HUNDRED AND SIXTY FIVE YEARS have elapsed since the Grand Lodge of Scotland granted a Charter to the Neptune Lodge of Aberdeen, assigning to it number Three Hundred and Seventy-five. The Charter bears the signature of Bro. His Grace The Duke of Athole, K.T., M.W. Grand Master Mason of Scot-land, and is dated 4th August, 1856. At that time there were in the City Province of Aberdeen eight masonic lodges-Neptune being the ninth ; three others were subsequently erected, one of which is now dormant.
The proposal to form a Lodge primarily for those that go down to the sea in ships or with maritime connections had often been mooted, but nothing definite was done until 20th May, l 856 when at a meeting of the seafaring Master Masons of Aberdeen-mostly members of St. George's Lodge No. 190-it was resolved to apply to Grand Lodge for a Charter, very appropriately choosing Neptune as the name of the new Lodge. The application was recommended by Provincial Grand Lodge, of which Bro. Alexander Hadden of Persley was P.G. ]\,faster, and by Lodges St. Machar No.54 and St. Nicholas No. 93. At that meeting it was agreed that "each member presently joining the Neptune Lodge pay the sum of Five Shillings Sterling towards the expenses of the new Charter, etc., and all those not having paid before getting said Charter to be balloted for and to pay such Entry Money as maybe afterwards agreed upon."
Bro. Robert Youngson, Shipowner, was nomin-ated Master of the Lodge. Of the other office-bearers, 8were shipmasters, 2 were ship carpenters, 1 was a ship chandler, and 1 a carver; and of the originalmembers 15 were shipmasters, 1 was a ship carpenter, and 1 an overseer. The first meeting was held on1st September, 1856, and in ten years over 100 shipmasters had joined, followed by as many more in the next decade, besides seamen, stewards, sailmakers, etc. This is not surprising as at that time no less than 216 sailing vessels (excluding fishing craft) were registered at the port of Aberdeen alone.
The meetings were held in the Masonic Hall, 115 Union Street, and the brethren were set the task of seeing that their Lodge was properly equipped prior to its consecration. Expenditure on specified paraphernalia was sanctioned, while gifts of various essentials' were gratefully received. Bye-laws, too,were necessary for good government and a Committee was appointed to prepare these.
The consecration and dedication took place on 12th September, 1856, and was carried out by the Provincial Grand Lodge in the customary form. Bro. Dr. Robert Beveridge, Master of St. Machar Lodge No. 54, was appointed Acting P.G. Master for the occasion and, as the Minute says, the ceremony was conducted with the greatest order and regularity and much to the satisfaction of those present. Subsequently, Bro. Beveridge accepted Honorary Membership of the Lodge and afew years later he was elected Master thereof.
The first annual meeting of the Lodge was held on St. John's Day (27th December) atwhich the Treasurer's accounts for the preceding four months were submitted and approved. They showed :-Receipts, £30 1s. ; Expenditure, £30 17s. 6d. ; Dr. Balancedue Treasurer, £0 16s. 6d.
Bro. James Harvey succeeded Bro. Youngson as Master of the Lodge, an office which he held for several years, and 0n his retiral he was presented with a gold watch and chain, while a new hat was to be given to the Secretary as a mark of esteem for services rendered. Thus, early did the brethren reward merit. Soon, too, did they practice beneficence and charity, for, despite their meagre funds, they voted a sum of two guineas to the Soup Kitchen and the like sum to theFund for the Relief of the Distressed Operatives in Lancashire.
They also affirmed "that it should be the care of Neptune Lodge to enquire into the wants of any distressed brethren." At this time celebrations were taking placethroughout the world in commemoration of the hundredth anniversary of the birth of our National Bard and the following note tells how his brothers of the mystic tie celebrated the event :-
On 25th January, 1859, the centenary of the birthday of Robert Burns was celebrated by allthe Lodges in Aberdeen by a Grand Festival. They assembled in the hall of the Queen's Hotel, Union Street, and marched in Masonic costume to the Masonic Hall, headed by two pipers of the 78th Regiment (Seaforths) who were kindly sent by Lt.-Col. Gordon of that Regiment, he being also a brother. A plentiful supper, also refreshments, followed by speeches, toasts, and many of Bums's choicest songs were enjoyed by all.
The.Lodge had by this time introduced a musical service and had acquired a harmonium which they hired to the less fortunate Lodges "on the condition of their supplying their own performer with ,vhom they can make the best bargain they can." Bro. James Marr, Pianoforte-maker, was appointed Director of Music, and was invested with the appropriate regalia.
For years prior to 1862 Lodges used to give to entrants a diploma or certificate of membership but early that year Grand Lodge enacted that every entrant should be supplied with a Grand Lodge diploma for which a charge of 2/ 6d. would be made. The issuing of diplomas by the various Lodges therefore ceased.
Early in 1864 the mason craft in Scotland suffered the loss of the M.W. Grand Master Mason, Bro. His Grace the Duke of Athole, and the Lodges were ordered to go into mourning until the day preceding St. An4rew's Day. In the following year the Lodge changed its meeting-place to 41 Queen Street which had been "fitted up for use by all the Lodges.”
In the Minutes of date 25th October, 1868, reference is made to the wreck of the ship "Cora," of Aberdeen, off Johnshaven, Captain Barbour, a member of the Lodge, and all hands having perished.The funeral expenses of Bro. Barbour were met by the Lodge and the immediate wants of his widowwere also supplied. At a meeting on 3rd October, 1870, a sum of two guineas was voted in aid of a fund for assisting the families of the killed and wounded in the Franco-Prussian war, subscrip-tions having been· solicited by Grand Lodge. A sword brought from Abyssinia was presented to the Lodge as were also a flag and flag-staff. The sword is still in use.
On 4th June, 1872, the Lodge met for the first time in the new Masonic Hall, 12 Exchange Street, where it remained until 1911 when the handsome Temple in Crown Street was opened. Up till now the Lodge had drawn its working material almost exclusively from the seafaring class but gradually candidates from other sources were being admitted and the chief characteristic of the Lodge was inevitably waning. Nevertheless, a shipmaster, Bro. William Milne, was elected Master of the Lodge in 1874.
The position of the Lodge's finances was causing anxiety to several of the members and was discussed at a meeting in January, 1879, when it was resolved to transfer· the bank account from the City of Glasgow Bank to the Union Bank of Scotland. This was a very wise step in view of the failure soon after of the first-named bank.
In 1882 a Committee was appointed to enquire into the formation of a Benevolent Fund; while in 1884 it was agreed to purchase a new organ and to hire it to the other masonic bodies as formerly. A concert was given by the Lodge in May, 1893, in aid of the Fresh Air Fund and raised £22 17s. 9d.
The question of the number of organs in use in the halls was discussed by the Provincial Grand Lodge when it was arranged that the best one be put in the small hall and that the three others, including Neptune's, be sold and the proceeds applied towards the cost of a new one for use in the large hall. Neptune Lodge acquiesced in this arrangement although -it meant a loss of income to them.
The war in South Africa broke out in the end of 1899 and many members at oncevolunteered for service. The Lodge voted £ 1O towards the Fund being raised for those left behind; a further sum of £6-odds being contributed by the individual members. Sympathetic reference to the death of Her Majesty Queen Victoria was made at a meeting on 4th February 1901,and the Dead March in '-'Saul" was played on the organ. The accession of King Edward VII to the Throne was acclaimed with the singing of the National Anthem.
The fiftieth anniversary of the Lodge was allowed to pass without any particular celebration except that a day's excursion on Royal Deeside was arranged for members and their friends. Luxury motor coach tours were not then in vogue, so the company went by train to Ballater thence merrily on to Braemar by picturesque four-in-hand. The going may have been slow but certainly one had time to view the landscape and enjoy the scenery.
Early in 1907 the Lodge was called upon to consider a letter from the Provincial Grand Secretaryregarding the proposed erection of a Masonic Temple in Crown Street and enquiring what sum the Lodge would contribute within the next two years towards its cost. The Lodge desired further information and at a meeting, at which the Provincial Grand Master was present and gave full details ofthe project, it was resolved to give a loan of £200 free of interest. Later a further sum of £100 was given along with the amount subscribed by the members individually.
The corner-stone of the new building was laid on Saturday, 7th November, 1908, by RWM Bro. Alexander Wilson, P.G. Master, who had just been elected Lord Provost of the City. The brethren assembled at the Masonic Hall in Exchange Street at 2.30 p.m. and marched tothe site in Crown Street where a large crowd had gathered to witness the ceremony.Next day the brethren attended a service in the East Parish Church when an approp-riatesermon was preached by Bro. the Rev. George Walker, B.D., P.G. Chaplain.
Intimation of the death on 6th May, 1910, of H.M. King Edward VII, Grand Patron of Scottish Freemasonry, was received with profound sorrow by the Lodge, and the Dead March was played on the organ. By instructions of Grand Lodge mournings were to be worn for six months. The accession of King George V was loyally greeted by the singing of the National Anthem.
The Temple in Crown Street was nearing completion and it was decided to install a pipe organ inkeeping with its elegance, the cost to be met by the several Lodges. A member of Neptune Lodge had been chosen as caretaker of the new building, a post which he held until his retiral forty-one years later.
The consecration of the Temple took place on Saturday, 7th January, 1911, at 3 p.m., the cere-mony being conducted by the Most Worshipful The Grand Master Mason (the Marquis of Tullibardine) and officers of Grand Lodge. The Craft Hall was crowded and the ceremony was very impressive. A banquet followed in the Imperial Hotel. On Sunday, 8th January, a special service was held in East Parish Church when an eloquent address was given by the Provincial Grand Chaplain (Bro. Walker).
It so happened that Neptune Lodge was the first to meet in the new Temple-on Monday, 9th January-and the R.W.M. (Bro. R. W. Wishart) in referring to the auspicious occasion welcomed the large attendance of members, including many visiting brethren. Two candidates were admitted and thereafter the office-bearers were installed by Bro. Wm. Duncan, P.M.
A proposal to present a testimonial to theR.W.P.G.M. to commemorate his eminent services to Masonry was received with genuine pleasure and the Lodge very cordially agreed to subscribe thereto. The testimonial took the form of a bronze bust of Bro. Wilson, set on a granite plinth, and stands within··the entrance to the Temple.
What was to be done with the old group-photographs left in Exchange Street was giving some thought and three members of Neptune Lodge were deputed to confer with representatives of the other Lodges as to the practicability of having these pictures hung in the new Temple. The decision of the Board of Management was against the proposal and, as the old Hall had been sold, the pictures which, to the older generation of masons had become landmarks had to be removed and disposed of by the various Lodges.
At a Special Meeting on 24th August, 1914, the R.W.M. made reference to the outbreak of war in Europe in which Britain was involved and which in the future was to be known as World War I. In response to an appeal by the Grand Master, supported by the P.G. Master, the Lodge contributed to H.R.H. the Prince of Wales' National Relief Fund. At a subsequent meeting a letter was read from the Past Grand Master (the Marquis of Tullibardine) as to a supply of field glasses which were desired for the new Regiments oi Scottish Horse which he had raised and suggesting that the brethren of the Lodges in Scotland might be able to obtain gifts of reliable old Zeiss field glasses from sportsmen and others. The result of this patriotic appeal is not recorded.
Early in 1915 a letter was received from the United Grand Lodge of England transmitting -a copy of a communication from brethren of English and other Lodges interned in a concentra-tion camp at Ruhleben, Spandau, Germany, sending hearty good wishes to the Grand Master,Officers and Brethren in Great Britain, and hoping to have the pleasure soon of greeting them personally. The document was signed by 112 brethren, of whom 2 were members of Neptune Lodge, namely, James Clark and Francis Johnston, both seamen. Later in the same year there came a letter from Grand Secretary "as to the desirability of preparing a Roll of Honour containing the names of those brethren who are, or have been, engaged in the service of King and Country with the Imperial Forces at this momentous period in our Country's history, with particulars of deaths, honours, etc." A Roll of Honour was prepared for Neptune Lodge and contained the names of 153 brethren. These Rolls had to be sent to Grand Lodge at the end of the war.
At a meeting on 15th February, 1915, the brethren resolved to express their appreciation of the gallant action of Bro. Francis McRobbie in saving the life of a member of thecrew of a vessel which was wrecked at Peterhead. Soon thereafter the brethren learned with very deep regret tha·t Bro. McRobbie had been killed by an explosion while at work.
In 1917 the Lodge contributed £50 towards the cost of a fully equippedmotor ambulance to be presented to the Military Authorities by the Lodges within the Province. The dark days of war, however, were about an end, and an armistice was signed on 11th November, 1918, which meant the complete surrender of Germany and her allies. When paying his usual visit to the Lodge that year theR.W.P.G. Master expressed his warm admiration of the Roll of Honour and his deepsympathy with the relatives of those who had died for their country.
This was Bro. Wilson's last visit to the Lodge. At a meeting in December, 1918, there was read a letter from him intimating his resignation as Provincial Grand Master, an office which he had held for twenty-two years. Needless to say, this intimation was received with sincere regret by the brethren and an appreciation of Bro. Wilson's masonic work is recorded in the Minutes of the Lodge. Bro. Alexander L. Miller, a Past Master of the Lodge of Aberdeen No. 1 ter., was appointed his successor.
An "In Memoriam" Lodge for those brethren of Neptune Lodge who had giventheir lives in the war was held in the Temple on Sunday, 30th November, 1919. There was a very large attend-ance,-Bro. George Young, I.P.M., presiding. The oration was delivered by Bro. the Rev. D. Findlay Clark, B.D., John Knox Parish Church. At a subsequent meeting Bro. Clark was made an Honorary Member of the Lodge.
An application by St. Teman Lodge No. 443, Banchory, for a grant in aid of their Building Fund was considered and £25 granted.
A suggestion that a memorial in honour of those brethren who made the supreme sacrifice should be erected iii the Temple was remitted to P.G. Lodge to take up with the other Lodges. The result was that it was decided that the memorial take the form of an oak altar for the Craft Hall, the cost to be defrayed by the Lodges. On Sunday, 11th Novem-ber, 1923, the memorial was unveiled and dedicated.
The Lodges within the Province attended a service in the West Parish Church on Sunday, 9th March, 1924, the preacher being Bro. the Rev. A.
W. Scudamore Forbes, B.D., Provincial Grand Chaplain.
At a meeting on 29th March, 1926, the Lodge agreed to contribute £ 100 towards the endowment of a bed in the Royal Infirmary by the Masonic bodies within the City Province. The total sum subscribed was £1,400 apd was gratefully acknowledged by the Directors.
The Provincial Grand Lodge attained its centenary on 5th February, 1927, with the following celebrations: a Grand Centenary Ball in the Music Hall on 1st February; a commemoration meeting of Provincial Grand Lodge in the Temple at which Bro. the Right Honourable Lord Blythswood, M.W. Grand Master, and other Grand Officers were present, followed by a Banquet in the Palace Hotel on the 4th; and Divine Service in the West Parish Church on Sunday, 6th February. It was described as a Masonic red-letter week and Neptune Lodge was well represented.
Bro. John Collie was Master of Neptune Lodge at this time, he being the second shipmaster to hold that office. Bro. Collie was initiated in 1898 and had sailed all over the world. On retiring to his native city he became very active in his Mother Lodge_and at the age of eighty was installed as Masterthereof. He occupied the Chair for one year and in commemoration presented to the Temple a handsome oak show-case which is placed at the entrance to the Craft Hall, a worthy reminder of his generosity.
The Lodge mourned the sudden death of its Master-Bro. James Fraser-who had filled the office for one year and had been re-elected for 1929.
On 21st May, 1929, the Lodge recommended the appointment of Bro. George Robb, a P.M. of St. Machar Lodge No. 54, as Provincial Grand Master, in succession to Bro. A. L. Miller.
In the Minutes for 1936-37 reference is made to the nation's great loss through the passing of H.M. King George V, for whom the usual period of mourning was observed, and also to the coronation of King George VI, to whom were extended loyal and fraternal greetings.
Bro. Robb, having held office as P.G.M. for ten years, was succeeded by Bro. WilliamSimpson, a P.M. of Bon-Accord Lodge No. 669, whose term of office coincided with World War II. On 3rd September, 1939, war was declared-the aggressor again being Germany-and was ruthlessly waged for about six years.
It is recorded in the Minute Book of the Lodge, of date 8th September, 1941, "that during the degree the alert signal was sounded at 8.30 p.m. notifying the citizens of Aberdeen that an air-raid was expected and that Bro. Duncan immediately proceeded to the post on the veranda as spotter ; the working went on smoothly and it was only during the adjournment that the all clear was sounded, the alert having lasted 1 hour 25 minutes.
The R.W.M. thanked Bro. Duncan for his services and expressed the Lodge's appreciation for having a brother willing to take up such a position in any kind of emergency irrespective of weather conditions.''
Bro. John Thomson, P.M. of Operative Lodge No. 150, who for some years had been Installing Master in Neptune Lodge, was made an Honorary Member in 1942.
Throughout the, war period the Lodge contributed to Grand Lodge War Distress Fund as well as made claims on behalf of members whose homes had been damaged through enemy action. In 1943 the R.W.M. in reviewing the progress of the Lodge during the past three years gave details and stated that it was ·fitting at this time to remember with pride all those brethren who had been lost in the services at home and overseas. Nevertheless, it was gratifying to learn that a number of the brethrenhad been awarded medals and decorations for gallantry.
The war was nearing an end and many of the brethren had presented various mementos to the Lodge and narrated their individual experiences during their period of service. One, wjio was a prisoner in Germany for five years, gave an account of how a number of brethren managed to form a Lodge and to hold monthly meetings. As the Minute states : "It seems incredible that Freemasonry could still carry on in a country from whence it was banned, especially in a prisoner of war camp."
The appointment in 1944 of one of their own number (Bro. John T. Boyd, P.M.) as Provincial Grand Master was noted with satisfaction, but unfortunately a sudden break-down in health caused his resignation a year later. He was succeeded by Bro·.Robert P. Masson, P.M. of the Lodge of Aberdeen No. 1 ter., who served for five years and was followed by Bro. G. Gordon Nicol, a Past Master of the same Lodge. His successor in 1955 was Bro. Marcus K. Milne, P.M., Lodge St.Andrew No. 110.
In 1947 Grand Lodge intimated its decision to establish homes for aged brethren and their dependents and subsequently the property Ault Wharrie, Dunblane, was acquired and equipped for the purpose. An appeal by the Grand Master for donations to a Special Fund was readily responded to by the members personally, supplemented by a grant from the Lodge funds.
On 11th November, 1951, the Altar which had been placed in the small hall of the Temple in memory of those brethren who gave their lives in the 1939-45 war was unveiled, the dedicatory prayer being offered by Bro. the Rev. A. J. Easton, P.G. Chaplain, who also gave an excellent oration, "And David built there an altar unto the Lord." 1st CHRONICLES, C. 21 : V. 26.
The unexpected death ofH.M. King George VI,Past Grand Master, on 6th February, 1952, cast a gloom over the whole world and much sympathy was felt for the Queen and her family. Grand Lodge instructed the Lodges to observe three months' mourning.The King's elder daughter succeeded to the Throne and her coronation in Westminster Abbey as Queen Elizabeth II was one of majestic splendour.