The First Freemasons: Scottish Early Lodges and their Members

by David Stevenson

The First Freemasons analyses the history of the world's earliest known masonic lodges from which modern freemasonry evolved. Their records (over a century older that those of English lodges)reveal how much Scottish masonry contributed to the freemasonry which was in the eighteenth century become fashionable in England and spread round the world. Though known to masonic historians in the past, the early Scottish lodges have been ignored by academic historians, and this is the first book to attempt a comprehensive survey of their activities. The Origins of Freemasonry, by the same author, provides a wider discussion of Scotland's role in early freemasonry.

222 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1988

About the author

David Stevenson is Professor Emeritus of Scottish History at the University of St Andrews.

Stevenson was born in Largs, Ayrshire, Scotland and studied in Dublin and Glasgow. He was a lecturer (1970-1980), senior lecturer (1980-1984), and reader Scotland, (1984-1990) at the University of Aberdeen. He was Professor of Scottish History at the University St. Andrews, Scotland (1991-1994), and has been honorary professor Scotland, since 1994. He was Chairman of the Company of Scottish History, 1991-1994.

He was a Member of the Scottish Records Advisory Council, Scotland, 1989-1994.