Haughfoot

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	The Clan Pringle Association

St. John’s Lodge of Haughfoot has the distinction of being the first ‘Speculative’ or ‘Geomatic’ Lodge of Gentlemen masons (as opposed to a ‘Domatic’ or ‘Operative’ Lodge of stonemasons) lodge in Scotland and the World!

The first minute of the Lodge dates from 22nd December 1702 and records the names of the founding members:

John Hoppringle of that ilk (Laird of Torsonce the ‘Master Mason’ or ‘Preses’)
Andrew Thomson (a local lawyer and Lodge Boxmaster)
James Pringle (Brother of the Laird of Torsonce)

The first to be entered (‘Admitted to the Society of apprentice and fellowcraft’) were:

Sir James Scott of Gala M.P. (Laird of Galashiels) [Torsonce was married to Gala’s sister].
Thomas Scott (his brother)
David Murray (in Philiphaugh)
James Pringle (in Haughfoot)
Robert Lourie (in Stowtounhead)
John Pringle (a wright)

William Pringle in Burnhouse was admitted on 27 December 1706, and James Pringle of Torwoodlee was admitted in 1709.

A list of some of the first Masters of ‘The Sd Society of Mason and Fellow Craft’ or ‘The Society of St. John's Lodge at Haughfoot’:

John Hoppringle of that ilk and Torsonce: 1702 - 1706
James Pringle [brother to Torsonce], chosen preses: 1706 - 1707
Sir James Scott of Gala, chosen preses: 1707 - 1708
James Pringle of Torwoodlee: 1709 - 1710
Hugh Scott of Gala: 1728 - 1729

John Hoppringle of Torsonce (Haughfoot was located on his estate) died in Edinburgh on 21st December 1737, and the last time the lodge met at Haughfoot was on the 27th December 1738. They next met at Galashiels on the 6th January the next year, and after that they agreed to meet on St Johns day at Stow and then thereafter to meet alternately at Galashiels and Stow. However due to bad weather and the distance needed to travel, the lodge split into two, and became:

The minutes (of the Haughfoot lodge) record: ‘Galashiels Jany 20 1742, The Masons of Galashiels seperat from the brethren at Stow being met day forsd and rols made and marked as follows.’

In 1898-99, James L Pringle was Master of Galashiels Lodge No 262.

The Lodge of Galashiels met many times in Selkirk between 1753 and 1763, which was year of the last entry in the Minute Book of the Lodge of Haughfoot. The book became a possession of the Lodge of St John, Selkirk, No. 32.

For more information visit: The Pringle’s Lodge - Lodge of Haughfoot, No. 1824 - Haughfoot.co.uk

Other Lodges with Pringle connections

The Lodge of Edinburgh, St. Mary’s Chapel, No. 1:

Walter Pringle of Graycrook [Craigcrook Castle, Edinburgh] (an Advocate, and uncle of Sir Robert Pringle of Stitchill, 2nd Bart.) was initiated on the 24 June 1670, into of the Lodge of Edinburgh, St. Marys Chapel, No.1.

The Lodge of Melrose, St. John, No. 1 bis:

From the minutes of the Lodge of Melrose, No. 1 bis, dated 1675, we see that James and Robert Pringle were members. Andrew Pringle was Master of Melrose Lodge in 1755.

The Lodge of Kelso No. 58 (founded before 1701):

According to the minute dated 2 June 1702, Sir John Pringle of Stitchel, 2nd Bart., was elected as the second recorded Master of the Lodge of Kelso. Robert Pringle of Clifton was also Master of this lodge in 1707.

Canongate Kilwinning Lodge, No. 2:

On the 13th December 1843, James Pringle Esq. of Stichell was initiated into Canongate Kliwinning lodge. William Pringle served as Poet-Laureate of the lodge from 1854 until 1859 (a role that Robert Burns had from 1787 until 1796). [William Pringle - this is probably the Rev. William Pringle of Auchterarder]

Pringles and other Masonic Orders

The Minute of 27th March 1813 records the admittance to the Chapter [Edinburgh RAC, No. 1] of Brother Murray Pringle, Master Mason of the Lodge New Edinburgh Kilwinning, and Scribe E (Secretary) of the Chapter, and he became the first Grand Recorder of the Supreme Royal Arch Chapter of Scotland.

Murray Pringle was also the Grand Treasurer of the Royal Grand Conclave (now the Great Priory) of Knights Templars of Scotland from 1825 until 1830. William Pringle was the Chancellor of the Canongate-Kilwinning Priory, No 8.

Colonel James Pringle of Stitchill, 4th Bart., in 1768–1809 was the Master of Works to the Crown of Scotland, and was responsible for the construction, repair and maintenance of royal palaces, castles and other crown property in Scotland.

Further Reading:

Memorials of the Haughfoot Lodge, by Brother Harry Carr.

The First Freemasons: Scotland’s Early Lodges And Their Members, by Professor David Stevenson. Edinburgh 2001.

The Origins Of Freemasonry, by Professor David Stevenson. Cambridge University Press 2005.

History of Freemasonry in the Province of Roxburgh, Peebles and Selkirkshires, from 1674 to the present. by Brother W. Fred Vernon. London 1893.

Freemasonry in Scotland: The History of the Lodge of Edinburgh (Mary’s Chapel) No. 1. - Embracing an account of the rise and progress of Freemasonry in Scotland. By David Murray Lyon. Edinburgh 1873.

The Lodge of Edinburgh (Mary’s Chapel) No. 1.: Quatercentenary of Minutes 1599-1999. By Brother Joseph Ewart McArthur.

Historical Sketch of the Grand Lodge of Antient Free and Accepted Masons of Scotland 1736-1986. By the G. L. of Scotland.

The constitution and laws of the grand lodge of Scotland (1881)

The laws and constitutions of the Supreme grand royal arch chapter (1878)

The history of Free Masonry and the Grand Lodge of Scotland, with chapters on the Knight Templars, Knights of St. John, Mark Masonry, and R.A. Degree. (1859) by William Alexander Laurie

History of The Antient Mother Ludge of Scotland: Mother Kilwinning No. 0. By Brother John A. Ness. Glasgow 1995.

History of the Lodge Canongate Kilwinning, No. 2. Compiled from the records, 1677-1888. By Brother Allan MacKenzie. Edinburgh 1888.

Freemasonry in Inverness: being an account of the ancient lodges of St John’s Old Kilwinning, No 6 of Scotland, and St Andrew’s Kilwinning, No 31 of Scotland. Compiled from minute books of the lodges, by Alexander Ross. Inverness, 1877.

Sketch of the Incorporation of Masons; and the Lodge of Glasgow St John [No. 3bis]; with much curious useful information regarding the Trades’ House, and Glasgow past & present. Compiled by James Cruikshank. Glasgow, 1879.

The Scottish Mason and the Mason Word. By Brothers Professor Douglas Knoop and G.P. Jones. Manchester University Press 1939.

The Story of the Royal Arch, by Brother William Harvey. Dundee, 1919.

The Triple Tau: An outline of the History of the Supreme Grand Royal Arch Chapter of Scotland. By Brother George S. Draffen. Edinburgh 1956.

History of the Edinburgh Royal Arch Chapter, No. 1, as extracted from the records of its minutes, from the date of its foundation in 1778 to the present time. By Brother William A. Davis, Scribe E. Edinburgh 1911.

Sketch of the history of the Knights Templars (1840), by the Chevalier James Burnes K.H.

Pour La Foy: A short history of the Great Priory of Scotland. By Brother George S. Draffen. Dundee 1949.

Brethren in Chivalry: A celebration of the two hundred years of the Great Priory of the...Orders of the Temple and of St John...of England and Wales...1791-1991. By Brother Frederick Smyth.

The Royal Order of Scotland. By Brother Robert Strathern Lindsay. Scotland 1971.

The Royal Order of Scotland: The Second Hundred Years. By Brother George Draffen of Newington. Edinburgh 1977.

Rose Croix: The history of the Ancient and Accepted Rite for England and Wales. By Brother Brig. A.C.F. Jackson, 33°.

The Scottish Rite for Scotland. By Brother R.S. Lindsay, 33°. Published for the Supreme Council for Scotland Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite. Edinburgh 1958.

The Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite. Illustrations of the Emblems of the Thirty-Three Degrees: with a short description of each, as worked under the Supreme Council of Scotland. By Brother J. T. Loth, 30°. Edinburgh 1875.

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