The Lost Freemasons of Yetholm

   The last blog post (HERE) looked at the possibility that the first known master of Kelso’s Freemasons, George Faa, may have had a Yetholm connection. The evidence is patchy but, as discussed, this turns out to be rather unlikely. However, in the process of investigating this idea we were shown around the current Freemason’s Lodge in Kelso by Tim Slater and while doing so came across the remarkable artefact at the head of this page. It is a masonic apron, rather large, and carefully presented in a wooden frame. The caption on the frame reveals that, in this case, there is a definite Yetholm connection:

Edinburgh Evening News, 8th March 1935 - notice of his retirement. As with other images, click to enlarge.

   William Turnbull, born in Yetholm (c.1865), was the son of Adam Turnbull, a slater and roof plumber. As can be seen, William followed in his father's footsteps as a slater. Unmarried, he lived with sisters in Cheviot View, Town Yetholm. He was a very active member of the community - he was a J.P., a member of the management board of the Free Church on Dow Brae and, most notably, the secretary of the Shepherd's Show for 26 years. He died in September 1935. His hard-work and participation in community affairs meant that there were several obituaries in local papers.

   That he was also a freemason went otherwise unmentioned in these obituaries. He seems to have been ill in his final years and this may explain why he donated the apron to the Lodge he was a member of in Kelso in January 1934. How he acquired this relic of an extinct masonic lodge in Yetholm is unknown. Indeed, that there was ever a masonic lodge in the village seems to have long faded from local memory. What can we find out about this unremembered village society?

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   That it should have been forgotten today is hardly surprising. By the time Fred Vernon came to write his History of Freemasonary .. in Roxburghshire in 1893 it had, even at that date, faded into obscurity. The indefatigable researcher, having heard rumours of the existence of a 'Beaumont Lodge', set off for the village - "For though the Bretheren might all have been gathered to their fathers, their sons or some other relatives now alive might remember their talking about Freemasonary; and even if we did not find out any such, we might discover a diploma, or an apron, perhaps ..." (p.269).
   Mr Vernon made several excursions to the village, but could find out nothing until, in 1879, he discovered "two thin folio books books, containing the laws and a list of 'members belonging to the Lodge from its first beginning in the year of our Lord 1745'". Also - "the working tools and the seal of the Lodge turned up a few months ago, during the autumn of 1890, at an auction sale in the village and were purchased by the R.W.M. of the Tweed Lodge, Bro. W. Dickinson, who happened to be present, so these ancient relics, which have every appearance of being home made, are now in safe and appreciative keeping" (p.270).
   In fact, both these relics and the two manuscript books seem to have disappeared, although Mr Vernon quotes extensively from them in his chapter on the Beaumont Lodge. A pdf of his chapter can be found by clicking HERE. From a local historian's point of view he sadly doesn't give us a full list of members from the mid-18th century as this would have given us an invaluable glimpse of life in the village at that date. He does, though, give us the names of the initial six Bretheren who met on January 3rd 1745: Alexander Baillie of Belford, Patrick Murray of Cherrytrees Esq., Henry Davidson of Mowhaugh, William Davidson of Kirk Yetholm, John Young of Belford and William Kerr of Yetholm. The first two names suggest that the Beaumont Lodge, like the Kelso Lodge, was at this date a society of both working masons and gentlemen. Patrick Murray of Cherrytrees was a prominent local landowner and Heritor. His signature (along with that of his son), can be seen in the kirk session records for 1746, when they authorised a scheme to relieve starvation in the village at that time. Sadly he was to die soon after this session meeting.

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   Another prominent local member was John Walker, village surgeon, who became Master of the Lodge after Patrick Murray's death. Walker was ranked as a gentleman - he is often described as Mr Walker in baptismal records, unlike other more humble members of the community. Unfortunately, his first appearance in Session and baptismal records reveals that, at around the date he became master, he was involved in the (fairly common) scandal of fornication. He was cited to appear before the Session as being responsible for the pregnancy of Bethah Kerr. At first he refused to appear and simply sent a letter acknowledging his responsibilty. He was subsequently visited by the minister, Rev Leck, and two elders, 'to endeavour to bring him to a sense of his sin'. The usual consequence of fornication was that the couple would be publicly rebuked during Sunday worship. This, too, Mr Walker at first refused to do. Kirk sessions often found it difficult to get socially superior individuals to submit to such discipline before the whole community though, in this case, Mr Walker eventually appeared in public worship with Bethah and both were rebuked and restored to kirk privileges.

Yetholm kirk records, August 1746. 'The Session considering this affair appoint Mr Leck Will Spotswood and James Robeson or any two of them to Converse with Mr walker & endeavour to bring him to sense of his sin ... He owned himself the father of the child he is charged with but said he would not submit to the Discipline of the Church'

   Their child, named Joanna, was baptised in November 1746, though it is unclear from the records whether the two were married. They certainly had no more children together and Mr Walker later married Margaret Stevenson, with whom he had several children, all baptised in Yetholm in the 1750s and 1760s.
    Patrick Murray and John Walker were, then, members of the local elite, but other named members of the lodge may well have been working masons. In 1745 another baptism record seems likely to reference the William Davidson, who is listed as one of the first Lodge members:

    This is a very strange record as neither the mother's name is given and the child's name is left blank. Neither, in the Yetholm records of this date, are we usually given the father's occupation, but in this case the occupation of 'mason' is clear, which strongly suggests this is the same individual who is listed as a founder member of the lodge. It would be fascinating to know what was going on here!
   Fred Vernon tells us that the last meeting of the Beaumont Lodge occurred on 27th December 1833, when Robert Gibson, a joiner, who had become a member in 1819, was initiated into a higher order of masonry. Vernon also records entries in the mid-1820s which refer to James Dodds, a working mason, in Town Yetholm (he is described as a 'Builder' on his grave memorial in Yetholm kirkyard). Working masons would seem to have been active in the Beaumont Lodge until the closing days of the society's existence. It was struck off the national roll of Masonic Lodges in 1837.
    Might it be that the record books and other paraphenalia which Vernon later recovered were retained by some of these working people after the Lodge's demise? William Turnbull, who owned the masonic apron, was a slater, as was his father, who took over the business in Yetholm in 1866 from George Simpson. George Simpson, whose father hailed from St Boswell's, died suddenly in June 1866, aged only 28, so he can't have been a member of the the Beaumont Lodge. But might the surviving relics of the lodge have been passed on to members of the community of builders in the village - ? Unfortunately, once again, the  records are too patchy to do otherwise than indulge in guesswork.

Kelso Chronicle, 20th July 1866

    Whatever the case, the apron which has survived, must date back to the early 19th century, if not earlier. It is in remarkably good condition and retains its vivid colouring. The dark green and glittering gold which predominate suggest that, even at that date, green and yellow were thought of as the Yetholm colours, which are still prominent on the village flag and the bunting which is displayed in Festival Week.