Page 19 - ASHLAR - Jan-Mar 2020

N A L G R
I O
G E AND LODGE
The Ashlar R Vol. XV Issue IV
Developments In Operative Masonry & The Rise Of Speculative Masonry
By: GLI Masonic Education Program
Introduction: No one, of course, can be very all the masons of a particular town, and
precise in trying to trace a relationship occasionally over a wider area, organized as
between Speculative and Operative a body to regulate their trade) existed at
Masonry and their connection with the Trade Aberdeen in 1483, at Edinburgh in 1491 and
or Craft Guilds. There is so little written at Dundee in 1536. The minutes of the lodge
evidence on the subject that we can only at Aitcheson's Haven (extinct) dates to 1598
speculate as to how Masonry, as we now and that of Edinburgh to 1599.
know it, came into existence. The following
few pages carries forward, the story of the Masons had an inherent right to form
emergence of speculative masonry. themselves into lodges but they could not
create a guild without royal or municipal
Operative masonry in Scotland: It has been authority. The masons and wrights of
remarked that the connection between Edinburgh by authority of their Provost,
operative and speculative Masonry would Baillies, Council and Deacons obtained a
rest mainly on Scotland at the operative end Charter of Incorporation or 'Seal of Cause',
and on England at the speculative! So, let us which brought the Wrights and Masons guild
take a look at Scotland. into existence in 1475. They themselves
appear to have drawn up the regulations
The economic state and the geological embodied in that charter, which gave to
conditions of Scotland caused the mason them the power to make other acts and
craft to develop there in a highly individual statutes to govern their trades.
way. The medieval English freemason was
highly skilled in the working of soft freestone; In Scotland, there are excellent early
and enjoyed a status superior to that of all evidences of guilds and lodges working
other mason operatives. In Scotland there side-by-side. Surviving records show that
was no freestone and often no money to the management of the mason trade was
import it. But granite and other hard stones divided very clearly between the craft guild
were everywhere. The effect of this was to and the craft lodge. The guild, which was
bring about a more or less general level of structured, official and definitely governed
skill among both town and country masons, by rules, controlled the trade in all its
because, with good stone available external relationships with the public at
everywhere, a mason could get his training large, including the employer and the
almost anywhere and not just at a few customer. It exercised its powers to 'search
quarries or on sites to which a particular and see' false and defective work and
class of stone could be brought cheaply by materials; and it controlled excessive rates
land or water. There tended, therefore, to be of pay by which the employer and the public
less sharp distinction of skill marking one might be wronged. On the other hand,
class of mason from another. operative lodges were unstructured and
unofficial, their prime activities being
Operative lodges and guilds in Scotland: internal, consisting in the protection of the
Available evidences suggest that Scottish trade within their territory and the
masons' 'lodges' (the term being used in its supervision of masters, fellows and
most advanced 'operative' sense to describe apprentices under the jurisdiction. Their

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