Historical Introduction

The purpose of these web pages is to share some of the history of both lodges from the past three hundred years, by reference to lodge minute books and reports in both local and national newspapers.   It is not an attempt to write their history.  For students of Scottish Masonic history short historical accounts of both lodges feature in the following publications: History Of Freemasonry In The Province of Roxburgh, Peebles and Selkirkshires, From 1674 To The Present Time, by W Fred Vernon and William James Hughan, publish in London in 1893 by George Kenning (facsimile copies are available) and The First Freemasons: Scotland’s Early Lodges And Their Members, by David Stevenson, publish by Aberdeen University Press 1988.   Both W Fred Vernon and William James Hughan were Freemasons and W Fred Vernon was a member and Master of The Kelso Lodge No 58 in 1879 and The Tweed Lodge of Kelso in 1876-1878.   Professor David Stevenson is not a Freemason but has written a number of seminal works on Scottish Freemasonry which are recommended to those with a serious, and not so serious, interest in the subject.

These web pages will be under constant development as more and more research takes place and should be revisited from time-to-time.   For the sake of clarity the history both lodges will be treated separately, because until 2011 they were two separate entities, and as one would expect at times not always in amity, but for most of their joint existence maintained cordial relationships when Brother Love did prevailed.

Many of the newspaper reports will be of especially interest to those interested in the history of the town of Kelso, as they are not specific to either Lodge but are where one or both lodges participate in ceremonial events held in, and by, the town and also elsewhere in the Borders, eg, the laying of the foundation stone for the William Wallace Memorial in Stirling.

The Right Worshipful Master, Worshipful Wardens, Office Bearer and Brethren of Lodge Kelso and Tweed sincerely hope that you will enjoy visiting these pages and sharing in the history of two distinguished and respected Scottish Freemason Lodges.