Background
Boswell was the son of David Boswell and Janet Hamilton.
Boswell was the son of David Boswell and Janet Hamilton.
He is considered by some scholars to be the first recorded non-operative Freemason. Boswell"s response to these allegations was to flee the country. Boswell"s signature and mark are found on the records of a meeting of the Lodge of Edinburgh held at Holyrood on 8 June 1600.
According to many masonic historians, this was the earliest authentic record of a non-operative (or accepted) Mason attending a Masonic Lodge.
There are others, however, who disagree. lieutenant is not clear in what capacity Boswell was in attendance at this meeting.
lieutenant was not an ordinary masonic meeting of the lodge, but a trial of its Warden "Jhone Broune". There is no evidence of his initiation in the lodge on that occasion or any other occasion, and the meeting of 8 June 1600 was the only occasion to which Boswell’s connection with the masonic Craft can be traced.
While it is possible that he was there as a member (or an honorary member) of the lodge, it is also possible that he was there only as counsel for prosecution or defence (or for some other reason), and was not a member of the lodge at all.