Wanting to catch up with what's going on at St. James Lodge then this is the place to be. In this section of our site you can read all the archived information you missed on the “News” Section on the “Home” Page.
Simply click on the months below to catch up!
Christened Robert Burness, the celebrated Scottish poet was born January 25, 1759 in Alloway, near Ayr. His poetry is known around the world and—somewhat controversially— he is well known to freemasons as the Poet Laureate of Lodge Canongate Kilwinning, No.2.
He joined Saint David’s Lodge No. 2174, Tarbolton in 1781, the first of six masonic lodges he was to join. By 1784 he was Depute Master of Saint James' Lodge No 178, now 135, in the same town. In 1788, two years after publication of his Kilmarnock edition, he was master of a lodge in Mauchline.
A childhood bout with rheumatic fever led to a gradual deterioration of his health until his death on July 21, 1796 at the age of 37.
Source: Robert Burns' brother, Gilbert Burns (d. 1827/04/27) was Raised in St. James Lodge No. 178 Tarboltan on March 1. 1786. [Denslow].
Born in Bombay, India, Rudyard Kipling was educated in England, returning to India in 1882. As a poet, author, and recipient of the Nobel Prize for literature in 1907, he published over 80 stories and ballads. Most of his work celebrated the English Empire and its soldiers in India.
Although only active masonically for a few years, Freemasonry’s effect can be noted in many of his works
His autobiography also has a number of references to Freemasonry.
His editorials in The Dearborn Independent only confirmed the label of "ignorant idealist" given him by the Chicago Tribune.
Source: Harry Carr, "Kipling and the Craft." Ars Quatuor Coronatorum. vol. 77, London: 1964. pp. 213-253. Also see: vol. 77, pp. 207-8.