The herald., 1896-12-21
A FREEMASON IN DRESSES
The Legend That Has Caused
Local Discussion
A WOMAN WAS INITIATED
In the First Two Degrees of Masonry.
She Yielded to the Primal Sin
and Was Discovered.

There has been much gossip In Ma
sonic circles during the past week ovel
the publication of a story in a loca
paper devoted to the interests of the
fraternal organizations of what pur-
ported to be the details regarding the in
itiation of a woman to all the rites and
mysteries of a Masonic lodge.
The account was not quite accurate
and some discussion has been going on
with regard to the authenticity of the
record and also as to the several de-
tails of the story.
In the Office of the grand secretary of
the grand lodge in Atlanta, Ga. hangs
an oil painting of woman dressed in
Masonic regalia- 1t is the portrait of
the Hon. Mrs. Aldworth, the heroine of
the legend referred to. She is said to
have received about the year 1885 the
first and second degrees of Free Ma
sonry in lodge No. A, Doneraile, Ire
land. The circumstances were first pub
lished in Cork in 1907. and it was claimed
that they were sustained by an eye-wit-
ness to the ceremony. Subsequently
they appeared in a memoir published by
Spencer, the celebrated Masonic biblio-
phile. in London, and have since ap-
peared in one form or another in sew
eral compendiums and dictionaries OF
Masonry.
Mrs. Aldworth, nee Elizabeth St
Leger, was the youngest child and only
daughter of the first Viscount Done
raile in Ireland. The lodge in which
she was initiated was an aristocratic
lodge, whose members consisted prin-
cipally of the gentry and most wealthy
Inhabitants around Doneraile The com
munications were usually held in the
town, but during the time when Lord
Doneraile brother of Mrs Aldworth
was master of the lodge, the meetings
were held at Doneraile house, his resi-
dence. Spencer who is the main au-
thorfty for the story, relates the par
ticulars Of the affair somewhat as fol-
lows:
1t happend that on this particular oc-
casion the lodge was held in a room sep
arated from another by stud and brick
work. The young lady, being glddy
and thougcess, determined to crafty
her curiosity and made arrangements
accordingly. With a pair Of scissors
(as she herself related to the mother of
Spencer's informant), she removed a
portion of a brick from the wall and
placed herself so as to command a full
view Of everything which occurred in the
next room She thus witnessed the first
two degrees of Masonry, which were the
extent of the proceedings Of the lodge
that night.
Becoming aware, from what she
heard, that the brethren were about to
separate, she felt alive to the awkward
ness and danger of her situation and
began to consider how she could retire
without observation. She became nerv-
Gus and agitated and nearly tainted,
but 80 far recovered herself as to be
fully aware of the necessity of with
drawing as quickly as possible. Being
in the dark, she stumbled and over
threw something's chair or some orna-
mental piece of furniture. The crash
was loud, and the tyler, who was on the
lobby or landing ON which opened the
doors both of the lodge room and that
where the young lady was, gave the
alarm, burst open the door and, with a
light in one hand and a sword in the
other, appeared to the terrified and faint
mig lady. He was soon Joined by the
members Of the lodge present, and luck
lily, for it Is asserted that but for the
prompt appearance of her brother, Lord
Doneraile, and other cool members, her
life would have fallen a sacrifice to
what was then esteemed her crime. The
first care of Lord Doneraile was to re-
suscitate the unfortunate lady without
alarming the house, and endeavor to
learn from her an explanation of what
had occurred. Having done this, many
Of the members, being furious at the
she was placed under guard
Of the tyler and a member in the room
where she was found. The members as
sembled and deliberated as to what was
to be done.
For over two hours she could hear the
angry discussion and her death delib-
erately proposed and seconded. At
length the good sense of the majority
succeeded in calming In some measure
the angry andsirritated feelings of the
1t was resolved to give her
the option of submitting to the Masonic
ordeal to the extent she had witnessed
tFellowcraft). and II she refused, the
brethren were again to consult. Miss
st. Leger, exhausted and terrified by
the storminess of the debate, gladly and
unhesitat.ngly accepted the offer and
was initiated.
Sister Aidworth, as she was called,
came into a large fortune by her mar
riage, and the poor In general and the
Masonic poor In particular had every
reason to be thankful for her numerous
and bountiful acts Of kindness.
RIVERSIDE