In 1739
Alexander Drummond, Master of Lodge
Greenock
Kilwinning No XII was appointed by the
Grand Master Mason – the 3rd Earl of Kintore –
“to superintend the West Country Lodges”. These included
the shires of Renfrew, Argyll, Stirling, Dunbarton, Inverness-shire and
“Clydesdale”.
Between 1745 and
1801, separate Provincial Grand Lodges were formed for
Stirlingshire, Inverness-shire and Argyllshire.
In
1812 Sir Michael Shaw Stewart, 5th baronet of
Ardgowan, was commissioned Provincial Grand Master of
Renfrewshire and Dunbartonshire. In 1826, on his
recommendation, a Provincial
Grand Lodge having already been formed for the latter,
Renfrewshire was divided into East and
West
Provinces
,
and Sir Michael Shaw Stewart, 6th Baronet,
appointed as Provincial
Grand Master of Renfrewshire West on
6th
February 1826.
