The first recorded meeting of “The Masons’ Lodge of Glammiss”, as it was then called, was in 1738. The Lodge met four times a year in Glamis Castle by permission of the Earl of Strathmore who was elected as the first Master.
Frequent committee meetings were also held in Mrs Henderson’s Inn.
The Lodge carried on meeting at the castle until 1744 when a period of dormancy ensued. This was most probably due to the Jacobite rebellion as the tenants were expected to support the Stuart cause. By all accounts Jacobites who were taken prisoner or fled from Culloden had to wait for quite a time before it was safe to return home.
In 1761 a few younger masons approached John Ogilvy of Rochelhill and asked him about the possibility of restoring the Lodge. He got together some of the older members who, after investigation, found there was a lot of interest in the district and organised a meeting.
On 27th December they “Dressed in what regalia they could muster and formed an orderly and solemn procession which then marched down the Main Avenue, across the Green and up the East Avenue to the Cross, round which they perambulated thrice before marching to the hall.”
This is commemorated by the annual installation of office-bearers being held on 27th December.
In 1765 a Brother was despatched to Edinburgh with a petition craving a Charter from The Grand Lodge of Scotland. Unfortunately this messenger arrived when there were no meetings scheduled. He went to the house of the box-keeper where he left his money and the petition. The Charter was later sent to Glamis by stagecoach.