'Through The Arch' Talk 2

Talk Two: The Arrival of Royal Arch Degrees in Scotland
Hello again companions and other listeners to this the second of my talks in the series known as
“Through the Arch”.
In this second talk I intend to look at the history and origins of how the Royal Arch degrees came to
Scotland and just for your interest, I'm sporting the magnificent tie of Royal Arch Chapter Dalkeith,
No. 42 today. But let's get down to business, let's get down to the topic of today's talk. In my last talk
we looked at the Old Testament origins of the allegories of our degrees, the question for me today is
how did these stories or accounts lead to the Royal Arch Chapters we have in Scotland today. Today
we know that the Mark Master, the Excellent Master and the Royal Arch Mason degrees are
governed by the Supreme Grand Royal Arch Chapter of Scotland; but how did we get here?
The Royal Arch degrees were not home-grown Scottish degrees in masonry but were brought to
Scotland and introduced here from origins that were both English and Irish. The English Royal Arch
allegories deal with the rebuilding of King Solomon's Temple rather than the repairing which is the
main theme of the workings of the Irish Royal Arch ritual. However, many people have said there are
similarities between the English and the Scottish Royal Arch Freemason and this is often highlighted
by the similar regalia which we wear but be clear the regalia never makes the Freemason and there
are great differences between how we practice Royal Arch Freemasonry here in Scotland and how
it's done in England. For example, we have our own Grand Office-bearers. In England, the Grand
Office-bearers of the Grand Lodge and the Supreme Chapter are the same but that's not the case
here in Scotland. We have our own Sovereign Grand body with its own Grand Office-bearers.
For me when we look at masonic history there are many propositions about how Freemasonry
evolved, but the mists of Masonic history only become clear for me during the period of the
European enlightenment between the 17th and the 19th century. This was a time of great
advancement with intellectual and philosophical and there were superb ideas emerging such as
Liberty, fraternity and progress which were at the centre of all thinking. Here in Scotland the
Enlightenment flourished between the 19th century in the early 20th century and this was the
period at which Royal Arch Freemasonry came into its own and grew in Scotland. It was a period of
new discoveries both philosophical and scientific, and we as an order fitted in with these discoveries
and became if you like the Order of Discoveries where that which was lost was now found.
The Royal Arch began to grow in this period the Scottish culture of the time was ready for such a
movement as the Royal Arch Freemasons. David Hume and Adam Smith, both prominent figures and
contributors to the Scottish enlightenment, were Freemasons.
But let me get back to my story, turning to the middle of the 18 th century amidst this thinking of new
enlightenment the earliest references to Royal Arch degrees were made the earliest references I can
find to this degree was in Stirling at 1743. They came and I believe was the root and origin of the
degree coming to Scotland through the military lodges who moved and based themselves near the
different military camps here in Scotland and these military lodges brought with them a whole range
of other degrees. These degrees had been around in Freemasonry for some time and were added on
to what were known as the craft degrees.
When the regiments moved and set themselves up to work in other areas the practice of the other
degrees came with them and this was the way in which the Royal Arch degrees came to Scotland
through these military lodges. However, like most of Europe there was a special attention be made
and paid by governments to secret societies and there was legislation to restrict their activities here,
in our own kingdom there was the secret society acts and Grand Lodge of Scotland issued a warning
to Lodges working under them only to work the degrees of Entered Apprentice, Fellow of the Craft
and Master Mason. Many Lodges heeded this warning and other degrees such as the Royal Arch and
Templar missionaries were working their assemblies in separate parts away from the crafts Lodges.
The Brethren were not content with this way of working and wanted to make their assemblies
regular. Some obtained warrants from the Grand encampment of Ireland, others petitioned the
English Templars and in 1810 under the patronage of the Duke of Kent, the Royal Grand Conclave of
Scotland was chartered, and Alexander Jukar was appointed the first Grand Master.
The Templars have always only worked their degrees and their grades on those who wear Royal Arch
Freemasons. Jukar concluded that this was an unsatisfactory position to find ourselves in that there
was no regulatory body or Grand body for the Royal Arch degrees and to that end he called a special
committee of all bodies working under these degrees to come together in Edinburgh. They were
approached about forming a new Grand body of Royal Arch Freemasons in Scotland so that the
degrees could be properly regulated and controlled and worked. As is the practice today and was the
practice then, the three Grand Lodges of England, Ireland and Scotland were consulted and
eventually after much delay a meeting of all the interested Chapters was convened in Edinburgh in
August 1817. There were 34 Chapters at the meeting and the supreme Grand Royal Arch Chapter of
Scotland was erected and consecrated and charters were issued by the new Grand body to the
Chapters under its jurisdiction. The new Grand body grew slowly but steadily and eventually all
bodies working in the Royal Arch degrees in Scotland came under its jurisdiction.
We now reach into the histories of royal art Freemasonry and we see how it emerged from the Old
Testament through the midst of Masonic history into the period of the Enlightenment. In my next
talk I tend to want to explore with you the Supreme Grand Royal Arch Chapter of Scotland and see
from its beginnings in 1817 how emerged to be the body it is today with its ups and downs which
were waived and influenced by the history of our great country.
Companions and our friends thank you again for listening.
M.E. Companion Joseph J Morrow

First Grand Principal

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Talk Two: The Arrival of Royal Arch Degrees in Scotland

Companions and our friends thank you again for listening.

M.E. Companion Joseph J Morrow

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