There is then an account of the assembly including a list of the Lodges represented, and how the church area was set aside for the various attendees. These included:

The Lord Provost and magistrates of the city; Sheriff Valentine, Mr J M Hodge convener of the County; Mr J F Smith chairman of the Education Authority; Mr Alex McDuff

chairman of the County and City Royal Infirmary; General Sir William Thomson, commanding the 51st (Highland) division; Major A J MacLeod, commanding the depot Black

Watch; and Lieut – Colonel P C Hunter commanding 6th Black Watch.

Back to the paper:

“ The service was one of the most impressive ever witnessed in the ancient church. The ceremony of unveiling and dedicating the window was performed by the Right

Worshipful Provincial Grand Master, The Rev Bro A Wylie Smith and the other clergymen who took part were the Rev Bro A M Wylie, Provincial Grand Senior Chaplain, the Rev

Bro P R Landreth Provincial Grand Junior Chaplain; the Rev Bro J McGlashan Scott and the Rev Bro Dr W E lee. During the singing of the last verse of Masonic hymn, “O Thou

by whose creative might” the Provincial Grand Master and Lord Provost Dempster, accompanied by officials of the Provincial Grand Lodge walked in procession to the

window, which was covered by the Union Jack. Dedicating the window Rev A Wylie Smith said “to fulfil the desire in the hearts of the brethren here present, I now unveil to

the Glory of God in memory of the Brethren of Perthshire, who fell for our safety, this memorial window in order that hereafter any passer by may know that they are most

honoured who most strive to love and to serve.”

After delivering the dedication prayer the Provincial Grand Master asked Lord Provost Dempster in the name of the Brethren to accept the custody of that, their loving tribute

to the deceased brethren of their craft, assured that he would cherish it in the spirit in which they gave it, and find it a very rich addition to the treasure of that holy shrine.

The Lord Provost replying said “ on behalf of the heritors of the Parish of Perth I have the honour to accept the custody and care of this beautiful memorial window. And I feel

sure that their successors will also cherish and honour this memorial to the Masonic Brethren who fell in the Great War.”

There then followed a sermon by the PGM. At the end of the sermon he stated “ They might ask why the masonic brethren had been singled out for that memorial. There

was no invidiousness about it. This was just a family way. They saw the long procession of the deathless army and they could not help picking out here and there a masonic

face that they knew and laboured with and greeting it with a special smile of pride taking it o their heart. They remembered how well they taught them in their precepts.

For the unveiling the congregation sang a masonic hymn,  “O Thou by whose creative might”

At the unveiling of the masonic window once again Mr Midgley , the choir master waved his fee of £1-1/= and asked that 8/= be allowed for the choir boys.

There was a surplus of £5- 4/1d after all expenses in relation to the masonic window ceremony had been paid and provincial decided that the money should be set aside to

providing a wreath on armistice day to be placed under the window until the money was exhausted.

The Window depicts Aaron and Moses. This work by Herbert Hendrie. Herbert Hendrie was born in Manchester and trained as a painter in London at the Slade School and the

Royal College of Art. He later moved to Edinburgh and in 1908 set up the Department of Stained Glass at Edinburgh Art College. He also had a large private practice.

Further information on the Memorial Window, as well as other Memorials in the Province may be found here -

Immortalised in Stained Glass: Perth & Kinross Remembers

St John, Perth : Freemasons Window

War Memorials Register

Notes and research supplied by Russell Logan - Past Provincial Grand Master - The Province of Perthshire East