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The Only Lady Freemason

By Eliz Sellenger

Lord Doneraile, Elisabeth Aldworth's father, who was a very zealous man, held a Masonic Warrant in his own hands, and occasionally opened Lodge at Doneraile House, his sons and some intimate friends in the neighbourhood assisting, and it is said that never were the Masonic Duties more rigidly performed, or the business of the Craft more sincerely pursued, than by the Brethren of No. 150, the number of their Warrant.

It appears that previously to the initiation of a gentleman into the first steps of Masonry, Mrs. Aldworth, then a young girl, happened to be in an apartment, adjoining the room usually used as Lodge-room, this room at the time undergoing some repair and alteration. Among other things, the wall was considerably reduced in one part for the purpose of making a saloon. The young lady having distinctly heard the voices, and prompted by the curiosity natural to all, to see somewhat of this mystery, so long and so secretly locked up from public view, she had the courage with her scissors to pick a brick from the wall, and actually witnessed the awful and mysterious ceremony through the first two steps.

Curiosity gratified, fear took possession of her mind, and those who understand this passage, well know what the feelings must be, of any person, who could have the same opportunity of unlawfully beholding that ceremony - let them judge what must be the feeling of a young girl - she saw no mode of escape, but through the very room where the concluding part of the second step was still performing, and that being at the far end, and the room a very large one, she had again resolution sufficient to attempt her escape that way, and with light but trembling steps, and almost suspended breath, she glided along unobserved by the Lodge, laid her hand on the handle, and softly opening the door, before her stood a grim and surly Tyler with his long rusty sword.

Her shriek alarmed the Lodge, who all rushing to the door, and finding from the Tyler she had been in the room during the ceremony, in the first paroxysm of rage and alarm 'tis said her death was resolved on, but that from the moving and earnest supplication of her younger brother her life was spared, on the condition of her going through the two steps she had already seen. This she agreed to, and they conducted the beautiful and terrified young creature through those trials which are sometimes more than enough for masculine resolution, little thinking they were taking into the bosom of the Craft a member that would afterwards reflect a lustre on the annals of Masonry.

Though the memory of Mrs. Aldworth's beauty may have passed away, which in a long life of eighty years is no improbable conjecture, and though the bloom and charms of the young St. Leger may be sought for in vain in the countenance of our benevolent sister, the fine character which it pleased Heaven to stamp on her uncommon mind, has left so many memorials behind that no doubt this part of her history must indeed be blind incredulity.

The truth is, her hand and her heart ever open to the sufferings and to the claims of sorrow and distress, almost prevented supplication by their promptitude to relieve; nor let it be supposed that this spirit of beneficence circumscribed a circle round its action, or confined its influence. No - for though her Brethren in distress had the first claims on her liberality, it was not the less open or bounteous to the unenlightened.

Best of women, mother to the motherless, friend to the friendless, benignant and generous soul, who from the bosom of affluence didst hear the wretches cry, and fly from the table of luxury to bear comfort to the hovel of wretchedness, and wipe the unobtrusive tear from the eye of retired misery.

In the active gratification of her hospitable and benevolent heart, she did not, however, neglect altogether the other duties of the Craft; she was, (as far as she went) a most exemplary Mason, and has presided as Master of her Lodge, which she headed frequently in Masonic order of procession, and it was her custom on those occasions to precede the Lodge in an open phyton.

Her liberality to Masons it is unnecessary to dwell on, one of whom in distress never turned his back on her magnificent and hospitable dwelling unrelieved.

One circumstance before we conclude deserves notice, as it is a handsome lesson to those who boast the superiority of manly discretion and understanding, and yet err in this particular: Mrs. Aldworth had such a veneration for Masonry, that she would never suffer it to be spoken of lightly in her hearing, nor would she touch on the subject but with the greatest caution, in company with even her most intimate friends, whom she did not know to be Masons, and when she did it was under evident embarrassment and with a trembling apprehension lest she might in a moment of inadvertence commit a breach of Masonic duty.

Thus lived this pattern of female excellence, we had almost said, of human perfection, dispersing, like a principle of good, comfort and happiness to all around her, till He that gave thought proper to call her away to participate in the joys of His eternal kingdom.

Her death it is said was occasioned by the improper administration of laudanum in a slight indisposition.

We cannot conclude this sketch better than by giving a paragraph which appeared in a print of the day, on occasion of her death: "On Monday last, Died at Newmarket, in this Co., the Hon. Mrs. Aldworth, wife of Richard Aldworth, Esquire, M. P. She lived to the age of eighty, and such were the effects of her early education, under the good Lord Doneraile, her father, and her own happy disposition, that from her infancy perhaps there passed not a day which might not have been distinguished by some one act of her benevolence or charity. She lived for the most part of her time in the country, in the midst of her servants, to whom her house afforded the most cheerful hospitality; the meanest of them, when their wants required it, had access to her, and when the indigent or sick called on her, she never failed to disperse her favours with that bounty and humanity which a large fortune enabled her, and a still larger soul induced her to bestow; indeed, Heaven seemed to have appointed her Guardian of the Poor whom she relieved without ostentation.

She possessed the fairest sentiments of religion, and as if the manner of her death was meant as an anticipation of that happiness which awaited her, she spent in slumber her last hours, those hours so very dreadful in the general, without the least pain or opposition, her mind quite disengaged from a world in which she did her own duty, while the tears and lamentations of thousands about her expressed their feelings for kind Benefactress.

The Hon. Mrs. Aldworth was born in 1695, and died in 1775. The above is from Memoirs of the life of the Hon. Mrs. Aldworth, the only female who ever obtained the honour of initiation into the sublime mysteries of Freemasonry. (Extract from "Caulfield's Annals of St. Finn Barre's Cathedral, Cork.")

Lady Aldworth was buried in the Davies' vault, beneath the late Cathedral, and the writer had an opportunity of seeing her remains a few years before the Cathedral was taken down. She was then in a leaden shell, and in a wonderful state of preservation. She was attired in a dark silk dress, white satin shoes, and silk stockings of similar colour. Her person was comely; her face of a dusky or ash colour; her features quite perfect and calm. She had long silk gloves, which extended above the embroidered lace wristbands; her bosom was full and large for her age; she wore a white headdress, with a full frill round her neck, the plaits of which were not even ruffled. Thus she appeared in the Davies' vault."

ELIZA SELLENGER, daughter of the first Lord Doneraile, was married to Richard Aldworth, Esquire, of Newmarket, in the County of Cork, of a highly respectable and ancient family

http://www.freemason.org/cfo/novemberdecember2000/lady.htm

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