LODGE ST. JOHN Maybole No. 11 is one of the oldest Masonic Lodges in Scotland. Its written records go back in time to the year 1725, but old documents prove it to have been in existence in the year 1599. Presented below are just a few of the many photographs and other documents from its long and rich history in Maybole. For more about Freemasonry in Maybole see this chapter in Maybole: Carrick's Capital, by James T. Gray.

ANNUAL INSTALLATION FOR THE YEAR 2011. R.W. MASTER HUGH MUNDELL

ANNUAL INSTALLATION FOR THE YEAR 2010. R.W. MASTER WILLIAM CUTHBERT

The Annual Installation of Lodge St.John Maybole No 11, was held on 8th January 2010. Right Worshipful Master Bro.William Cuthbert was Installed by Bro. David Anderson and Bro. Hugh Mundell, both Past Masters of No. 11. This is the second time that Bro. Cuthbert has served the lodge as RWM, the first time being in 1992. A good number of visitors were received despite the bad weather.  Depute Provincial Grand Master Bro. Robert Little headed a large deputation from the Provincial Grand Lodge of Ayrshire with the RWPGM Bro. Archie Chalmers also in attendance. After the ceremony, the brethren enjoyed a splendid meal and spent a few hours in harmony together with entertainment provided by Bro. David Anderson on guitar. Photo by Fred Westcott.

ANNUAL INSTALLATION FOR THE YEAR 2008. R.W. MASTER JOHN PRIEST

ANNUAL INSTALLATION FOR THE YEAR 2007. R.W. MASTER JOHN PRIEST

ANNUAL INSTALLATION FOR THE YEAR 2006. R.W. MASTER DAVID ANDERSON

ANNUAL INSTALLATION FOR THE YEAR 2003. R.W. MASTER GERRY KELLY

ANNUAL INSTALLATION FOR THE YEAR 2002. R.W. MASTER KEN BROWN

Ken Takes Maybole Lodge's Lead Role. Brother Kenneth Brown has stepped up to the principal role at Lodge St. John Maybole No. 11. He was installed as Right Worshipful Master at the Masonic Temple in Whitehall on Friday. Bro Brown's installing masters were Bro Campbell Millgan, PM No. 11,: Bro John Graham, PM No. 11: and Bro Andrew McCarthney, PM No 566. ( From the Ayrshire Post of January 11th. Read the full article here. )

ANNUAL INSTALLATION FOR THE YEAR 2001. R.W. MASTER HUGH MUNDELL

Members of Lodge at the annual installation in the Masonic Temple in Maybole's Whitehall. Click here to read the full article in the Post.  List of Officer Bearers for 2001.

ANNUAL INSTALLATION FOR THE YEAR 2000. R.W. MASTER WILLIAM L. KENNY

W. L. Kenny
R.W. Master for 2000

Click the image above to view the Year 2000 Installation Dinner Welcome

Click on the following dates to view the Roll of R.W.M.s on the board in the Lodge St. John No. 11 Maybole 1725-1963 | 1964-2000

Click on the photographs of office bearers from past years below to view them.

"In 1887 when the new Town Hall was built the members of both lodges in the town were again out in full strength to ensure that the operative masons laid the foundations to the satisfaction of their speculative brethren and no doubt the "founding pints" would be issued freely at the harmonies 'which always followed such outings. In 1905 the foundation stone of the Carnegie Library was laid with full masonic honours in the presence of the Magistrates and Town Council before a large gathering of townsfolk." From Maybole: Carrick's Capital by James T. Gray.    Click here to view the ceremony programmes.

Carnegie Library

An account given in the Ayr Advertiser of the third week in June 1910 describes a tragic boating accident in which Rev. John Kellie, a member of Lodge No. 11, assisted in the rescue. Seven years after the tragic events described here, in July 1917, Rev John Kellie was killed at Ypres, while serving as chaplain with the Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders during the First World War. He was thirty four years old. John Kellie was "in the chair" of Lodge No 11 at the time of his death.

Masonry as a craft organisation began with the old guilds, which were something like the present day trade unions, organising and laying down rules for the instruction and guidance of the craftsmen in those early days.

A lot has been said about, and a lot of criticism aimed at, the aura of secrecy surrounding the ancient craft, but most of the old trades and crafts had their own particular signs and secrets, which, in the absence of trade papers and credentials, were necessary to prove and identify the person concerned as having passed through the various stages of having served an apprenticeship, eventually becoming skilled in his own particular chosen craft. Foresters, Gardeners, Vintners, Fleshers, Wrights, etc., all had their own signs etc., by which to identify any particular person as being skilled in his craft, though, at the present day, those various organisations have as their members people who may not necessarily be connected through their own particular trade or profession with the organisation to which they belong. In other words, speculative rather than operative members, though the old signs and secrets may still be used symbolically in their ceremonies. So it is with Freemasons. Freemasonry is neither sectarian nor political, and all discussions of such a nature are forbidden in our assemblies.

The term Freemason is thought by some people to refer to the fact that those people were skilled in the use of freestone cutting, carving and building, as many of the medieval ecclesiastical buildings and castles were built of this material; others incline to the opinion that it may refer to the mobile bands or Lodges of masons who travelled around the country following the building of the great cathedrals and castles as "free" masons in the sense that they were not tied to any particular town or city guild of masons.

This is probably the manner in which Freemasonry first came to this ancient Capital of Carrick, at the time when Crossraguel Abbey and the many old castles in this area were being built, which would mean that the Lodge of Maybole would probably have been established in the Twelfth century, passing down the centuries with all their attendant changes till it became the Masonic Lodge as we know it today.

In the early Eighteenth century it was felt that some sort of controlling body was necessary to formulate rules and regulations and issue charters for the control and organisation of the various Lodges throughout Scotland, and so the Grand Lodge of Ancient Free Masons of Scotland came into being.

The Maybole Lodge was one of the 33 Lodges represented at the formation of the Grand Lodge, and the representative of this Lodge at that inaugural meeting was the Lodge Deputy Master, Archibald Kennedy, a Maybole man who was a writer (or lawyer) in Edinburgh, and who was one of the original Office Bearers in the newly formed Grand Lodge, his office being Assistant Clerk.

The system of numbering the Lodges on the Roll of the Grand Lodge of Scotland seems to have been rather haphazard. Maybole Lodge was originally numbered 14. This was changed in 1817 to No 10 and yet again in 1836 to No 11 its present number on the roll. An example of the irrationality of the numbering system is that the old Lodge of Maybole No. 14 was one of the sponsors of Lodge Glasgow Kilwinning who were given a place on the roll as No. 4. This old Lodge No. 11 has had many ups and downs in its long and varied history, and presently has an active roll of around 300 members, who come from all walks of life, and represent many trades and professions.

Wm. McEwan, Secretary, Lodge St. John Maybole No. 11, (1979)