[COPY OF CHARTER.]
Date of Charter, 6th May 1811
To all and sundry to whose knowledge these presents shall come, Greeting in God Everlasting: Whereas , upon application to the Grand Lodge of Scotland upon the Sixth Day of May, 1811, the date hereof, by Duncan Grant, Robert Grant, Wm. M'Donald and others, residing in and near the Village of Grantown, craving a Charter of Constitution and Erection to hold a Lodge in that Town, under the name and title of The Craigelachie Lodge, Grantown, and they having proposed Duncan Grant to be Master, Robert Grant and William M'Donald, Senior and junior Wardens, John Grant, Treasurer, William Stuart, Secretary, Alexander Grant, Clerk, and John Anderson, Tyler, which application, with ample certificates, having been considered by the Grand Lodge of Scotland, they granted the desire thereof, and ordered a Charter accordingly.
Know YeTherefore, that the Most Worshipful the Grand Master Mason of Scotland and the Grand Lodge thereof, have assigned, transferred, and made over, and hereby assign, transfer, and make over the Charter number 317 on the Registry of the Grand Lodge of Scotland, which has been for some time dormant to and in favour of the Craigelachie Lodge, Grantown, with all the rights and privileges thereto belonging, and have constituted, erected, and appointed, and hereby constitute, erect, and appoint the Master, Wardens, and Brethren above-named, together with the whole other constituent Members of said Lodge and their successors, to be now, and in all time coming, a true and regular Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons, under the name style, and title of the Craigelachie Lodge, Grantown No 317, and appoint and ordain all regular Lodges to hold and respect them as such, giving, granting, and committing to them and their successors full power and authority to meet, assemble, and convene as a regular Lodge and to admit Apprentices, pass Fellow Crafts, and raise Master Masons, upon payment of such composition (not less than One Guinea) for support of their Lodge as they shall see convenient, and to elect and choose Masters, Wardens, and other Office-Bearers annually, or otherwise as they shall have occasion, recommending to the Brethren aforesaid to reverence and obey their superiors in all things lawful and honest as becomes the honour and harmony of Masonry:
The said Brethren, by accepting this present Charter, becoming faithfully bound in allegiance to the Grand Lodge as head of the Masonic Body in Scotland ; and at the same time, on no account to desert their own Lodge so constituted, nor upon any pretext whatever to make any separate or schismatical Meetings independent of the Grand Lodge, and of the Master and Wardens for the time of their own Lodge, to collect Money or other Funds separate from the common stock of their Lodge to the prejudice of the poor thereof:
They, and their successors in all time coming, being also obliged to obey and pay due regard to all Acts, Statutes, and Regulations of the Grand Lodge already made, or hereafter to be made, for the utility, welfare, and prosperity of Masonry; and to pay and perform whatever is stipulated or demanded from them for the support and dignity of the Grand Lodge;-and in particular thar they do account and pay into the Funds of the Grand Lodge at least half-a-crown for each Intrant and Member made in their Lodge from the date hereof and that the names of such Members be annually , transmitted to the Grand Clerk at Edinburgh to be , recorded by him in the Books of the Grand Lodge, with the usual fee of threepence for each name to the Grand Clerk; and that they record in their Books, which they are hereby authorised and enjoined to keep, this present Charter, with their own Regulations and Bye-Laws, and their procedure from time to time:
To the end the same may be more easily seen and observed by the Brethren, subject always to the review and control of the Grand Lodge; and also that the Brethren aforesaid and their successors are hereby required to attend the whole General Meetings and Quarterly Communications of the Grand Lodge by their representatives, being their Master and Wardens for the time, or by lawful proxies in their names, providing such proxy be a Master Mason of some established Lodge holding of the Grand Lodge, so that they may act and vote in the Grand Lodge, and be duly certiorated of the proceedings thereof:
DECLARING ALWAYS their precedency in the Grand Lodge to be from the date hereof. And that these presents may he more effectually kept and preserved, the same are hereby appointed to be recorded in the Books of the Grand Lodge.
Given at the Grand Lodge of Scotland, held in Free Masons' Hall, in the City of Edinburgh, upon the Sixth Day of May, One Thousand Eight Hundred and Eleven Years, and of Light 5811 by His Royal Highness George, Prince of Wales, Prince Regent of Great Britain, and Grand Master Mason, and Patron of the Order for Scotland; Right Hon. and Most Worshipful James, Earl of Rosslyn, acting Grand Master under His Royal Highness; The Right Hon. and Right Worshipful Robert. Lord Viscount Duncan, acting Depute Grand-Master under His Royal Highness; The Right Worshipful William Inglis, Esquire. Acting Substitute Grand-Master under His Royal Highness; Sir James Gardner Baird of Saughton Hall, Bart., Senior Grand Warden; Richard Wharton Duff, Esquire of Ortown, Junior Grand Warden; Sir John Hay of Smithfield and Hayston, Bart., Grand Treasurer; and the Seal of the Grand Lodge is hereto appended by and in presence of William Guthrie and Alexr. Lawrie, Joint Grand Secretaries, and James Bartram, Grand Clerk.
ROSSLYN, A.G.M
WILLIAM INGLIS, A.S.G.M.
JAS. G. BAIRD, S.G.W
R. WHARTON DUFF, G. W.
JOHN HAY, G. T.
WILLIAM GUTHRIE, J.G.S.
ALEXR. LAWRIE, J.G. S.
JAMES BARTRAM, G.C.
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‘FREE MASONS’ HALL, EDINBURGH,
November 1 1883
THE Grand Lodge of Scotland have at this date Re-Opened the within designed CRAIGELACHIE, LODGE, Grantown-on-Spey, under the Number 241.
D. MURRAY LYON,
Grand Secretary.