Lodge St. Bryde No. 579 was Chartered by The Grand Lodge of Scotland on 7th. February 1876.
We have continually met in Uddingston since that date and our Lodge has in its possession a complete minute which traces not only the history of the Lodge but importantly the history of our village and the surrounding area.
Our present Masonic Hall was built in 1924 and is one of the finest examples of a building of its type in Scotland.
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Ord Meikle
Member 749. Initiated 12th May 1915 at the age of 32
Residing at Depot, Gourock he lists his occupation as a soldier.
Proposed by John Junor DM
Seconded by George Wallace Secretary
EA Degree- 12th May 1915 by 579
FC Degree- 8th September 1915 by 579
MM Degree- 22nd September 1915 by 948
Mark Degree- From the Lodge minutes from the 26th April 1916 we read `A letter was read from the secretary of Lodge Firth of Clyde No. 626 stating that Bro Ord Meikle of 579 had received his Mark degree at the hands of Lodge 626 on 21st March 1916.
Ord Meilke was born in Edinburgh in 1884 and from the 1901 census at the age of 17 we know that he was a member of the Boy Royal Scots Fusilers.
In the 1901 census he also lists that he is staying in Maryhill, Glasgow. We are unclear as to why Ord joined Lodge St Bryde as he resided at Fort Matilda in Gourock with his wife and young family.
His three children were named Henry, Ethel and Grace.
One clue is that possibly he was a close friend of John Junor as John proposed him into the Lodge.
Similar to Ord, John was also a member of the armed forces although they were in different regiments.
At the time of his Initiation into the Lodge Ord was an experienced soldier and had the task of training new recruits which in 1915 would have been in large quantity and his training at Fort Matilda was vital to his Regiment. 
He received his first degree in May 1915 the last meeting before the recess and along with three other candidates the degree was carried out by the office bearers and brethren of the Lodge.
The meetings at this time were held in the Royal buildings at Uddingston Cross and today if you look closely you can still see the text Royal buildings written in the sand stone.
Ord was passed and raised in September and interestingly he received his Mark degree closer to his home in Gourock by Lodge Firth of Clyde No. 626.
Sometime in 1916 Ord was sent to France along with the regiment he had served for so long the Royal Scots Fusiliers. With him only being granted leave from France a couple of days a month he decided that in order to see his family he would move them to Feltham in West London as it would allow him to spend all his leave with his family.
Tragically on the 28th of March 1918 Ord was killed whilst fighting with his regiment at the third battle of Arras.
His name is remembered on three memorials dedicated to those serving in WW1. The first being the Arras memorial in France close to where he was serving.
He is also named on both the Gourock war memorial and the Feltham war memorial in West London.
3RSF NCOs 1915 Ord Meikle
Stuart Jack RWM at the Feltham Memorial, London.
Click image for full screen picture
