Schaw Statutes 1598 and 1599

A Background to the Holyrood Connection

Modern Feemasonary in Scotland / The World, has developed over a millennium. One of its most important milestones, was the second of the SCHAW STATUTES, which state at its completion that it was issued 28/12/1599 from THE PALACE OF HOLYROODHOUSE.

Much of early Scots history relies on our oral tradition , as that which was written was often lost, through "scorched earth" tactics in warfare, whether local clans fighting greedy neighbours, or Scotland fighting greedy neighbours. Prior to and around the 10th century, important buildings in Scotland began to be rebuilt, in stone, with methods copied from elsewhere in Europe, often with masons from France and Italy. It is my opinion , that even at this early stage, the builders and their patrons had to be aware of each others' requirements and the technical abilities and methods used, and the only way the Lords and Abbots could share the information was to join the craft guilds ( unions) which was the beginning of the evolvement from Operative to Speculative Freemasonary.

In 1118 and 1307, other international developements had a huge influence in history. The Knights Templar, and The Knights of St John, have been written about ad nauseum. But only recently. The history of their founding and dispersal is much argued about and is the focus of another new book this year "The Rosslyn Hoax" by Bob Cooper, curator of The Grand Lodge of Scotland museum and library. In telling his version of the story, Bob relies on written evidence and ignores Scots oral history. Its huge bibliography and appendices show the large amount of academic research he has done apparently without coming to complete conclusions as shown in the title's "?" Part of this could be explained by the oral traditions and loss of written material.

Included in the appendices are full copies of both SCHAW STATUTES of 1598 and 1599 which were written in , and issued from THE PALACE OF HOLYROODHOUSE. WILLIAM SCHAW was the Kings "MAISTER O' WORKS" attending to all the royal residences and castles in Scotland and being the King's spokesman to the Lodges. Brother King James VI was influenced by his mother lodge. The Lodge of Edinburgh , Mary's Chapel, now number 1 on the roll of The Gand Lodge of Scotand., who, because of their riches and political involvement in the capital, wanted to be known as Scotlands Premier Lodge.

It must be noted, that the word PREMIER in this connotation, refers to that affluence which still abounds in No 1 and its influence in the Capital, rather than it being "first". For centuries before and after 1599 the " Mother Lodge of Scotland" in the wee Ayrshire village of Kilwinning was the executive lodge over all others in all matters pertaining to their operative or speculative rituals.

Work started on Kilwinning Abbey in the 11th century, but I believe there is evidence that a York lodge wrote for advice from Kilwinning in the 10th century ( documents within Ashmolean Museum).

Schaw's 1598 Statute instructs that the lodges are to put their records in order but he found that they didn't have any, due to the Masonic tradition of passing on information orally. Par coeur, et avec la coeur. He rewrote his instructions and in conjunction with Bro King James, issued the 2nd SCHAW STATUTE on 28th December 1599 from The Palace of Holroodhouse. He appears to be reluctant to acknowledge Edinburgh's "premier" position as he mentions it only once, in naming it as such, and in passing twice more all which times he only uses the abbreviation EDR, whilst KILWINNING is written in full each of 14 occasions throughout, when it is shown to continue to be the source of all advice and instruction for the benefit of all lodges. But then , I am biased , having been born in Kilwinning. Also note STIRLING is spelt fully, and Holyrood, phonetically as was the custom then, as Halyrudhous.

The lodge of "EDR"was one of few who had access to "writers", and their records are extant from 1600. However, that of the first 5 years minutes of the Lodge of Edinburgh, Marys Chapel,no 1, presuming they are one and the same, are contained in only 2 pages!

Kilwinning continued in an executive position until the 19th century and is known and accepted as the "Mother Lodge of Scotland". Its numerical position in the chronological numbering of lodges,was disputed and Kilwinning had no number and was eventually accepted , before Edinburghs no1, as number 0.

In 1603 Scotland's King James VI took over England. moving his court to London and becoming their King James 1. Brother James's love of Freemasonry influenced the sycophantic English nobility to become involved in the Craft in a speculative manner.

A hundrerd years later this had developed into (only) 4 lodges in London who were having a hard time and decided to amalgamate. To do so without loss of face they called the new group a "Grand Lodge" to the derision of other lodges in England. This caused more than a century of arguement with English "Grand Lodges" springing up all over, until the founding of The United Grand Lodge of England in 1813.

Not that I would pronounce the initials U.G.L.E. as a word insinuating English masons are ugly!. Not!

Eventually, the SCHAW STATUTES's instructions to keep minutes, etc, was complied with throughout Scotland, and the rest of the world has accepted this example as the way to work and we now even have access to some parts of our history via the WWW giving opportunities which the academics argue about in so many money spinning new books!

Steve Chalmers PM 223