Sir Robert Moray
The Minute book of the Lodge of Edinburgh (Mary’s Chapel), No 1, has two entries showing the admittance of two Generals in the Scottish Army. The second is the first record of someone being made a Freemason on English soil. Once again, John Mylne, Master Mason to Charles I and Charles II, was present and is believed to have invited the Generals to join the Lodge. Sir Robert Moray, later went to London and was a founder of the Royal Society along with Sir Christopher Wren. Could Moray be responsible for transmitting Freemasonry to London and perhaps Moray and Wren were the founders of the Lodge of Antiquity in St Pauls Churchyard.
The 20 day of May 1641
“The quhilk day James Hamiltone bing deken [being Deacon/Master] off the Craft and/ Johne Megenes Warden and the rest off Ms off mesan [Masters of mason] off Edinbr conuined/ doeth admit inamangst them the right honerabell Alexander/ Hamilton generall off the artelerie off thes kindom to be felou/ and Mr [Fellowcraft and Master Mason] off the forsed Craft and therto wie heawe set to our/ handes or Markes.”
At Neucastell the 20 day of May 1641
“The quhilk day ane serten nomber off Mester and other bing lafule/ Conuined doeth admit Mr thie Right honerabell Mr Robert/ Moray Generall quarter Mr to the Armie off Scotlan and/ the sam bing apreuen be the hell Mester off the mesone/ off the Log off edenbroth quherto they heaue set to ther/ handes or Markes.”
Further reading on Sir Robert Moray:
- Sir Robert Moray | The Civil War Years – http://www.freemasons-freemasonry.com/robert_moray.html
- Sir Robert Moray – The Square Magazine
- MORAY, ROBERT – St-Andrews.ac.uk
- Sir Robert Moray
- Letters of Sir Robert Moray to the Earl of Kincardine, 1657–73: Amazon.co.uk: by Stevenson, David.
- The life of Sir Robert Moray, soldier, statesman and man of science, 1608-1673 : Robertson, Alexander, 1882-1916 : Internet Archive
- Robert Moray – Wikipedia
- Robert Moray by David Stevenson
- The First Freemasons, Scotland’s Early Lodges and their members, by Prof. David Stevenson. 1988.
- The Origins of Freemasonry, by Prof. David Stevenson. 1988.