Lodge Mother Kilwinning is a

Masonic Freemasonry or Masonry refers to fraternal organisations that trace their origins to the local guilds of stonemasons that, from the end of the 13th century, regulated the qualifications of stonemasons and their interaction with authorities ...

Lodge in

Kilwinning Kilwinning (, sco, Kilwinnin; gd, Cill D’Fhinnein) is a town in North Ayrshire, Scotland. It is on the River Garnock, north of Irvine, about southwest of Glasgow. It is known as "The Crossroads of Ayrshire". Kilwinning was also a Civil Pa ...

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a Anglo-Scottish border, border with England to the southeast ...

, under the auspices of the Grand Lodge of Scotland. It is number 0 (referred to as "nothing" and not zero) on the Roll, and is reputed to be the oldest Lodge not only in Scotland, but the world. It is thus styled The Mother Lodge of Scotland attributing its origins to the 12th Century, and is often called ''Mother Kilwinning''.

History

Legend has it that

Kilwinning Abbey Kilwinning Abbey is a ruined abbey located in the centre of the town of Kilwinning, North Ayrshire. History Establishment of the Abbey Kilwinning was a Tironensian Benedictine monastic community, named after Tiron in the diocese of Chart ...

was built by stonemasons who had travelled from Europe and established a lodge there. In 1599

William Schaw William Schaw (c. 1550–1602) was Master of Works to James VI of Scotland for building castles and palaces, and is claimed to have been an important figure in the development of Freemasonry in Scotland. Biography William Schaw was the second ...

introduced the Second Schaw Statutes which specified that "ye warden of ye lug of Kilwynning" to "tak tryall of ye airt of memorie and science yrof, of everie fellowe of craft and everie prenteiss according to ayr of yr vocations". As early as the reign of

James VII James VII and II (14 October 1633 16 September 1701) was King of England and King of Ireland as James II, and King of Scotland as James VII from the death of his elder brother, Charles II, on 6 February 1685. He was deposed in the Glorious Re ...

, the lodge at Kilwinning was granting warrants for the formation of lodges elsewhere in Scotland, starting with Canongate Kilwinning, which in 1677 became the first known example in the world of a lodge granted a charter by an existing lodge. In 1736, the Grand Lodge of Scotland was organised and the Kilwinning lodge was one of its constituent lodges. That same year, it petitioned to be recognized as the oldest lodge in Scotland. However, as has happened so many times over Freemasonry's long history, the lodge's original records had been lost and the claim could not be proven. The petition was therefore rejected, wherefore Kilwinning seceded and again acted as a grand lodge, organising lodges in Scotland and on the continent, as well as in Virginia and Ireland. In 1807 Kilwinning "came once more into the bosom of the Grand Lodge, bringing with her all of her daughter Lodges."

Provincial Grand Lodge of Kilwinning

Tradition demanded that whoever held the Mastery of the Mother Lodge would also be Provincial Grand Master of Ayrshire. As a result, many members transferred from other Lodges to Kilwinning. In 1983 this was changed; Mother Kilwinning was removed from the Province of Ayrshire and became subordinate to the Provincial Grand Lodge of Kilwinning. In consequence, the Lodge sends a representative to the Grand Lodge of Scotland to act as Grand Bible Bearer.

Degrees

The lodge awards the three degrees of Craft

Freemasonry Freemasonry or Masonry refers to fraternal organisations that trace their origins to the local guilds of stonemasons that, from the end of the 13th century, regulated the qualifications of stonemasons and their interaction with authorities ...

, namely: * Entered Apprentice * Fellow Craft * Master Mason In keeping with the traditions of

Freemasonry in Scotland Freemasonry in Scotland in lodges chartered by the Grand Lodge of Scotland comprises the ''Scottish Masonic Constitution'' as regular Masonic jurisdiction for the majority of freemasons in Scotland. There are also lodges operating under the Scott ...

, a Craft Lodge may also confer the Order of Mark Masons Degree which, whilst a completion of the Fellow fCraft, is conferred after the Master Mason degree.

Mother Lodge Museum

The Mother Lodge Museum features Masonic artefacts and regalia, including medals, seals, decorative items, photographs and documents.Mother Lodge Museum, Kilwinning Heritage
/ref> Visits must be arranged ahead, and visitors can also tour the historic Lodge building.

References

External links

* {{coord, 55.654, -4.698, display=title, region:GB_scale:10000 Masonic Lodges Freemasonry in Scotland Kilwinning Museums in North Ayrshire Masonic museums