Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1878-05-10
The Only Female Mason.

The Hon. Elizabeth St. Leger was the
only female who was ever initiated into
the mystery of Freemasonry. She had
two degreeS-the first and the second
conferred on her. As it NAV be inter
esting to the general reader, we give the
story as to how Miss st. Leger obtained
this honor, promising that the informa-
ton comes from the best of sources.
Lord Doneraile, Miss St. Ledger's father,
a very jealous mason, held a warrant,
and occasionally opened lodge at Done
raile House, his sons and some intimate
friends assisting; and it is said that nev-
er were Masonic duties more vigorously
performed than by the brethren of No.
100, the number of their warrant.
1t appears that previous to the initia-
ton of gentleman to the first degree of
Masonry, Miss St. Leger, who was q
young girl, happened to be in an apart
ment adjoining the room generally used
as lodge room, but whether the young
lady was there by design, or merely ac-
cident, 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 by the
curiosity natural to all to see this myste-
~, so long and so secretly locked up
from public view, had the courage to
pick brick from the wall with her scis-
sors, and thus witness the first two steps
of the ceremony.
Curiosity gratifed, fear at once took
possession of her mind, and those who
understand this passage well know what
the feeling of any person must be who
could unlawfully behold that ceremony;
let them judge what were the feelings of
a young girl under such extraordinary
circumstances. There was no mode of
escape, except through the room where
the concluding part of the second step
was still being solemnized at the far end,
and the room was a very large one. Miss
st. Leger had resolution enough to at
tempt her escape that way, and with
light and trembling steps glided along
unobserved, laid her hand on the handle
of the door, and opened it, but before
her stood, to her dismay, a grim tileF
with his sword unsheathed.
A shrek that pierced through the
apartments alarmed the members of the
lodge, who all rushed to the door, and
finding that Miss st. Leger had been in
the room during the ceremony, resolved,
it is said, in the paroxysm 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 unlawfully witnessed.
This she consented to, and they con-
Quoted the beautiful and terrified young
lady through those trials which are
sometimes more than enough for mascu-
line resolution, little thinking they
were taking into the bosom of their craft
a member that would reflect lustre on
the annals of Masonry.
Miss st. Leger was cousin to General
Anthony st. Leger, who instituted the
interesting race and celebrated Doncas-
ter St. Leger stakes. Eventually she
married Richard Aldworth, Esq, of
Newmarket, a member of a highly hon
orable and ancient family. Whenever a
benefit was given at any of the theatres
at Dublin or Cork, for the Masonic Fe-
male Orphan Asylum, Mrs. Aldworth
walked at the head of the Freemasons'
with her apron and other insignia of
Freemasonry, and sat in the front of the
stage box. The house was always crowd
ed on these occasions. The portrait of
this estimable woman is in the room of
almost every lodge in Ireland.