The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1869-11-27
THE ONLY FEMALE MASON.
How She Obtained Her be
grees---EEer Portrait IR the
Irish Lodges.
From the New York Era. ]

From the New York Era.I
The Hon. Elizabeth st. Leger was the
only female who was ever initiated into the
mystery of Freemasonry. She has had two
degrces-the first and second -cunterred
on her As it may be interesting 70 the
general reader, we give the story rs to how
Miss st. LeEer obtained this hOnur, lromis-
ing that the information comes from the
best of sources Lord Dnneraile, Miss
st. Leger's father, IL very Jealous Mason,
held warrant and occasionally opened
lodge at Doneraile House, his sons and some
intimate friends assisting; and it is said that
never were Masonic duties more vigorously
performed than by the brethren of No. $50,
the number of their warrant.
1t appears that previous to the imitation
of gentleman to tina first degree of Ma
sonry, Miss St Leger, who was a young
girl, happened to be in apartment ud-
joining the room generally used as u lodge
| room, but whether the young girl was there
| by design or merely accident, We cannot
confidently state. The room at the time
was undergoing some alteration; among
other things, the wall was considerably
reduced in one part, for the purpose Of
making a saloon. The young lady having
! heard the voices of Freemasons, and being
melted to the curiosity natural to all to see
this mystery so long and so secretly locked
up from the public view, had the courage to
| pick brick from the wall with her scissors,
and thus witness the first steps of the cere
mony.
Curiosity gratifed fear at once took pos
session of her mind and those who under
stand this passage well know what the
| feeling of any person must be who could
unIawfully behold that ceremony; let them
Judge what were the feelings of a young
girl under such extraordinary circum-
tances There wag no mode of escape
| except through the very room where the
! concluding part of the second step was still
| being solemnized at the far end, and the
room very large one. Miss st Leger had
resolution enough to attempt her scape that
way, and with light but trembling steps
glided along unobserved, laid her hand on
the handle of the door and opened it, bat
before her stood, to her dismay, grim tiler
with his long sword unSheathed.
a shrek that pierced through the apart
ments alarmed the members of the lodge,
who, all rushing to the door and finding
| that Miss st. Leger had been in the room
during the ceremony, resolved, it Is said, in
| the paroxvsm of their rage, to put the fair
spectatress to death but at the moving and
earnest supplication Of her youngest brother,
| her life was spared, on condition Of her
going through the two remaining steps of
| the solemn ceremony she had unlawiully
witnessed This she consented to, and they
conducted the beautiful and terrified young
lady through those trials which are some
times more than enough for masculine
resolution, little thinking they were taking
into the bosom Of their craft member that
would reflect lustre on the annals of MAJ
sonry.
Miss St Leger was a cousin to General
Anthony St Leger, who instituted the in
terestiBg race, and celebrated Doncaster
St. Leger stakes. Eventually she married
Richard Aldworth, Esq, of New Market,
a member of highly honorable and ancient
family. Whenever benefet was given at
any Of the theaters in Dublin or Cork for
the Masonic Female Orphan Asylum, Mrs.
/ AldwOrth walked at the head of the Free
masons, with her apron and other insignia
of Freemasonry, and sat in the front row of
the stage box The house was always
| crowded on these occasions. The portrait
of this estimable woman is in the lodge
room of almost every lodge in Ireland