Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1907-03-20
THE ONLY WOMAN MASON
How Elizabeth St. Leger Was Initiated
in 1920.

DOIltfdlIe court III iItidiiu 10
familiar to Freemasons in all parts OF
the world as the scene of the episode
which led to the initiation into the
order Of the only woman who has ever
been admitted to membership of the
craft. The lady in question was the
Hon. Elizabeth st. Leger, daughter OF
the first Viscount Doneraile. But
there is no truth in the story according
to which she concealed herself in one
of those huge timepeccs popularity
known as 'grandfathcrs' clocks"
What really took place was this, and
this version is given on the authority
of the late Lady Doneraile. and of her
Son-in-law, Lord CastletoWn. 1t
seems that the first Lord Doneralle
who was an enthusiastic Mason ana
master Of his lodge. was wont to hold
lodge meetings from time to time at
Doneraile Court using large room on
the ground floor of the house for the
purpose. Adjoining this room is
small library. At the time when the
incident occurred, some alterations
were il progress, which necessitated
the removal of the panclinS of the
larger room. The bricks behind this
had been temporarily replaced. without
mortar, in the position they We're
ultimately to occupy. On this particu-
lar afternoon Miss st. Leger had been
reading in the library, and the light of
the winter afternoon having failed, fell
asleep. The sound of voices in the
next room restored her to conscious
ness, and from her position behind the
loosely placed bricks of the dividing
wall, and from the light which pene-
trated through the interstices, she
realized that one of those Masonic
meetings which had so greatly excited
her curiosity, was taking place in the
adjoining apartment 1t naturally
followed that she quietly removed one
or more of the loose bricks, without
attracting any notice. and was thus
enabled to watch the proceedings of
the lodge, and to hear what was going
on
For some time her interest in what
was transporting proved sufficiently
powerful to hold her spell-bound. But
suddenly she became awake to the
consequences of her indiscretion, and
determined to make her escape. Tn
fortunately, the door of the library and
the door of the room where the meet
ing was being held adjoned one
another. and when she emerged she
almost fell into the arms of the tyler
that is to say, the functionary who,
irith drawn sword, was posted at the
entrance TO prevent intrusion. on
catching sight of him. she gave loud
Shrek ana tainted dead away. The
tyler happened to be the old family
butler. ana, being aware of the condi-
ton of the wall between the library
and the room where the lodge meeting
was being held, he at once realized,
what had occurred and. not knowing
what to do. summoned Lord DOneraile.
According to Col. Alcock Stawell, the
grandson of the lady in question. the
members of the lodge We're at first dis
posed to put her to death for having
thus surprised their secrets, and were
only deferred therefrom by Lord
Doneraile, who, as master, absolutely
refused to sacrifice his daughter. But
the late Lady Doneraile and Lord
Castletown secuted this story. pointing
out that among the members of the
lodge present on the occasion were
several of the girls brothers and other
relatives, who. Masonry or no
Masonry would never have been a
party to her murder.
What really happened was this:
Til" members of the lodge. after care
fully discussing the situation, came to
the conclusion that, inaSmuch as the
Hon. Elizabeth st. Leger had in
adveTtentlE became possessed of the
secrets of the craft. the only thing to
do under the circumstances was to
bind her down to secrecy by the same
oaths that are imposed upon the mem
bers of the craft-in one word. that she
should be initiated as a member of
the order. This was put into exccu-
ton, and Miss St Legcr became a full
fledged Master Mason, this being in
the year 1920. She subsequently mar
ried Richard Aldworth. of Newmarket.
County Cork (ancestor of the present
family of AldwOrth, of Newmarket.
Later on she assumed the presidency
of the Masonic Female Orphan Asylum
at Dublin, and on the occasion of
benefits and analogous functions on
behalf of the institution was ac-
cuStomed to appear adorned with the
insignia of the craft, among the otnar
Masonic diSnitaries. Fortunately. her
husband was d distinguished Free
mason himself, 50 that she could dis
cuSS Masonic matters freely with him.
But there is 10 record of her ever hav-
ing impaired to any outsider. least Of
all to any other member of her sex. the
secrets Of the order.