Lochaber Archive Series: Masonic Lodge Fort William No.43 collection
It is with great pleasure and relief that I announce to this readership – the Masonic Lodge Fort William No.43 collection is now catalogued and accessible to the public.
Phew! Cataloguing collections can be a slow and arduous process. Archive staff the world over will testify that
cataloguing duties can sadly go neglected for long periods, attention being focused on more time-sensitive tasks.
Thus, cataloguing is often undertaken on an ‘as-and-when’ basis.
I will freely admit, having only catalogued small collections and single items so far in my role as an archivist, that the process of cataloguing a larger collection is perhaps a slower and more arduous one for me than for others.
But – a mere twelve months since I began the first sorting and item listing of the Masonic Lodge Fort William No.43 collection, the process is now complete.
The collection is a treasure trove in the truest sense of the word. With access to this collection, which dates from 1743, anybody who wishes to peruse the meeting minutes, or membership, attendance, and financial records of the Lodge Fort William No.43 is now free to do so.
And, having had the opportunity to do this myself, I would actively encourage it. The volumes are a fascinating record of local history, charting the Lodge No.43 from its origins into near-enough the present day.
It is worth mentioning that whilst the larger part of the collection is entirely accessible – the volumes are subject
to a 75-year closure period, meaning certain portions cannot be accessed for the time being.
The Lodge Masonic No.43 collection can now be accessed in our archive Searchroom at the Lochaber Archive Centre. Our opening times are 10am-4:30pm, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday.
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