Continued from page 1 ........

 

The committee having understood that it was the benevolent intention of My Lord and Lady Gwyder to paint all over the doors and the windows, throughout the village again. The commitee after examining the society's premises found a good deal of deficiency in the windows and broken panes. they accordingly sent for the tenants viz widow Faichney who acknowledged to put one pane in, and Peter White another. the committe ordered another five panes to be put in, making seven in all in front windows, and there appeared another two panes in the upper sash of Peter Whites room cracked, but they deemed it correct to let them remain as present & whatever was deficient in the back windows of stewards room, stairhead windows and lower back windows,to repair them with half panes, and to repair all with putty, and to paint the back windows high and low , within stewards room and stairhead one coat of white paint, the committee agreed with William Gentle, for repair with  putty, One day, 2/6d, for painting, 5 shillings in all 7/6d: in all. He william Gentle, furnishing paint of all of which was done agreeable to the tenur of his orders, & the treasurer was to pay Thomas Robertson for what windows, glass,.putty : except where two panes which the tenants paid themselves, and it like wise occured to the committee that a goodly number of houses in the town were painted out of their own pocket, on there Hewen stone doors and Lintels. the members of the committee thought that the lodge ought to do something of the kind both by whitewashing the front with lime and Gillon Ochre, accordinly they agreed with Willaim Gentle for whitewashing the front of lodge premises and with David Mann for painting of lintels and doors,& windows , and having agreed upon a price, expense thereof, asssertained in the treasurers book. ye ye ye

{ Lord an Lady Gwyder were the resident Nobility at Drummond Castle, he was Peter Robert Drummond Willoughby and his wife Clementina Sarah drummond, they gave their names to the two main streets in Muthill (Willoughby and Drummond) the lodge address is 40 Willoughby St, and to many streets and roads in Crieff, the Lodges present Tyler, Bro George Clark lives in Gwyder Rd, Crieff}                                                                                 

 

 

Drummond St , Muthill in the early 1900's, the church at the end of the street is the New Parish Church, where the lodge laid the Cornerstone, with full Masonic ceremony in 1826.

 

 

 

An early 1900 view of Willoughby St, the Lodge is the last building on the left hand side, on the right hand side of the girls playing is a triangular area of Parkland, known as the Highlandsmans Park, after the Important Cattle Trysts at Crieff diminished in favour of Falkirk, Muthill found itself once again on the equivalent of the M1.  For cattle, and their drovers the Park was a conveniant stop for Man and Beast, the original hitching posts and the Water Well known as the Dogs Head Well can still be seen at the Eastern end of the park                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            

October 8th 1825

Being convened in the hall , your commitee resolved unaminously, that a deputation consisting of the following members Viz John McIntyre Surgeon Muthill:John Ritchie: Jas Faicney:John Bayne Ochtermuthill: John Brydie, tenet, Mains of Drummond : James Millar,Wright, Balloch; and William Gentle  Sect.; shall wait upon the Right Honorable Lord Gwyder on Monday bring the first instance.

The purpose of which is to give his Lordship an invitation of becoming a member of this Lodge.

The Committee having understood that the Foundation Stone of the new Church of Muthill was soon

expected to be laid with all due Masonic Order, and in Consequence of this hope, they do hereby order that the whole Mentors of the Parish will receive circular cards of invitation to that effect.

and further, that a circular card shall be wrote to the following Lodges Vis; Crieff Auchterarder Comrie and Dunning, requesting a Deputation from each of these Lodges to assist the Brethren of this Lodge in the approaching Masonic Solemnities.   According to the above and foregoing resolutions, the deputation went to Drummond Castle, and by a card sent to his Lordship, by his Servant, thereby intimating the desire of this Lodge and hopes of the Committee, that His Lordship, might have an oppertunity of becoming an effective Member of thi Lodge, either by Entering or Initiation if one before. The which card was very acceptably received , and returned the Deputation his cordial thanks, for the attention they and the Lodge had done him, and that he would settle with these Gentlemen to that effect soon. Likewise all the other Heritors was to be waited on, by giving them the opportunity of becoming Members thereof either by Entering or Initiation if previously Masons Before.

[ with the impending laying of the foundation stone at the new parish church, the lodge appears to be trying to gain some respectability by recruiting Nobility, this they achieved later, as will be seen, suffice it to say; Lord Gwyder declined the invitation, but was a Generous patron to the Lodge via grants and privileges throughout his lifetime. Lord Gwyder died in 1865, exactly one month after his wife the Lady Clementina. The fact that the Deputation does not know whether Lord Gwyder is a Mason or not, and that all contact was done through his manservant, suggests that, at the time, the Gentry,[ Heritor or Mentor] did not fraternise, wirh the working class.The lodge membership book would show in years to come, many members from all the surrounding Stately homes and Castles]

 

 

This is one of the Lodges original hand painted aprons. The material is pure lambskin and dates back to the mid 1700's. The motif on the banner. encircling the two acacia plants ,reads

NOSTER DEUS Et SPES  and  translated reads, OUR GOD AND HOPE.

 

 

This is a similar Apron of the same era, this one is hand painted on fabric and has no motif.

::::::: To be continued::::::::