LODGE HISTORY
Extracted from “A Short History of the Daughter Lodges”
A Provincial Grand Lodge of Renfrewshire East publication by
Bro. James W Renfrew PM, No.307
The early years
The light of Masonry first shone in Barrhead in 1824. At this time, Barrhead was a collection of hamlets, and the Brethren, recognising the need for Freemasonry, presented a petition to the Grand Lodge of Scotland, asking that a Charter be granted for the purpose of holding a Lodge in the town. This was granted on the February 2nd, and Lodge Union & Crown, No. 378 came into being. It is noteworthy that this original charter, signed by the Grand Master Mason, his Grace the Duke of Argyll, is still in use at all meetings of the Lodge today.
The first meeting place of the Lodge was in a building at the East corner of Foundry Brae and Main Street, belonging to Bro. Lachlan Cowan, called "Cowan's Inn" , although it had been originally named the Bowling Green Hotel.
It was well suited for the purpose, as one end was a saddler come stable yard, which was suitable for travel, and the other an Ale House.
In its early days, Union & Crown, was part of the formation of the Provincial Grand Lodge in 1826.
Recession struck upon the town in the 1830`s and the Lodge slipped into darkness, only to be resuscitated in 1868 when the authority to work under the original charter was given by Grand Lodge. During this period, all the Lodges within the Scottish Craft were re-numbered with the result that Union & Crown, Barrhead was given the now familiar 307.
At that time the Lodge met in the Queen’s Arms Hotel and at the first meeting in 1868, 11 Candidates were Entered, Passed & Raised on that evening.
Cowan's inn
The first meeting place of the Lodge at the corner of Foundry Brae and Main Street
The MIDDLE years
The Lodge moved to the Lesser Public Hall in 1872 and continued to meet on alternate Mondays, with the lodge going from strength to strength. In 1905 the regular meeting night moved to a Tuesday and a few years later in 1910 a fine new Temple was erected on this site at a cost of £1446.
The Lodge celebrated its own centenary in 1924 with a series of festivities, the highlight of which - a dinner for 350 people in the Higher Grade School. It has continued to prosper throughout the 20th century, with a long list of credits to its name. During the 1970’s attendances climbed steadily, culminating in a series of record attendances, and whilst they have now levelled out and stabilised, we are still one of the most successful and well supported Lodges in the Scottish Craft.
A handsome extension was erected in 1994, and the Lodge celebrated its 175th Anniversary with a week of celebrations in February 1999. Later that year 25 Brethren travelled to Frituna Lodge, No.2949 in Essex to confer our popular Dramatised Master Mason Degree. Early in 2001, over 30 Brethren travelled across to Houston in Texas where we conferred an EA and Dramatised MM degree within Spring Lodge #1174 (a reciprocal visit was hosted by Union & Crown in November 2002, when the Texan Brethren and their wives came to Barrhead as our guests)
MODERN TIMES
In April 2001 the Lodge was further honoured when we were invited to confer the Dramatised FC within Provincial Grand Lodge as part of their 175th Anniversary celebrations, the first occasion a Daughter Lodge had been invited to confer a degree within Provincial Grand Lodge. In addition, in 2012 Union & Crown were invited to confer their Dramatised Fellowcraft Degree within Grand Lodge, in front of an invited audience of Grand Secretaries from across the globe.
A tremendous honour for 307.
In February 2024 the Lodge celebrated its own Bicentenary with a series of functions culminating in a Rededication conducted by the Grand Lodge of Scotland. This was followed by another Dinner in February 2026 for a celebration of the Bicentenary of the Provincial Grand Lodge of Renfrewshire East, The recently installed M.W. Grand Master Mason, Brother Alexander Charles Graham Moncrieff and a deputation from The Grand Lodge of Scotland.
