Keeping Time with Princess Louise

The life-boat “Princess Louise”, which took up the Campbeltown station in 1876, was named after John Douglas
Sutherland Campbell, Marquis of Lorne’s wife, Princess Louise Caroline Alberta, the fourth daughter of Queen
Victoria.

Largely because of his marriage to Louise, The Marquis was Governor-General of Canada from 1878 to 1883. Lorne
travelled through The Prairies in 1881 and the following year was asked to name one of the new territories. He chose
the name Alberta, one of his wife’s Christian names and similarly gave name to Lake Louise.

Little known, rather than forgotten, is the fact that he also was very friendly with one Sandford Fleming, the
Kirkcaldy-born Chief Engineer of The Canadian Pacific Railway Company. Sandford Fleming was instrumental in
persuading the adoption of today’s ‘World Time Zones’ with Greenwich, England as The Prime Meridian and the ‘24-hour
clock’ system. Fleming’s principles and enthusiasm were applauded by Otto Struve, the Russian Royal Astronomer.

It was largely due to The Marquis of Lorne’s influence that The International Meridian Conference was convened in
1884 to agree the adoption of Fleming’s proposals and too the route of The International Date Line which also divides
The Bering Strait.

It is again little known, rather than forgotten, that, at the beginning of the 1800’s, many Russian dignitaries and
officers visited Inveraray and, while there, joined the local Masonic Lodge ! Argyll himself was a member and near a
century later such persuasions may have helped promote the adoptions of Fleming’s system of ‘time zones’.

With the many hundreds and, on occasion, even thousands of Volunteers about Inveraray close 'bonds were developed with the
townspeople and Inveraray's Masonic Lodge No 50 as its records bear witness.

It is interesting to note, in 1802, the year in which the Volunteers' strength was reduced, that the Masonic Lodge's minutes
for the meeting on Saturday, October 9th, found the following distinguished persons admitted as Apprentices of the Lodge :

His Serene Highness the Count de Beaujolais; the Hon. Charles Kinnaird MP; Count Irene, Chrèptowie Commissioner of The Order of
St. John of Jerusalem and Chamberlain to His Imperial Majesty the Emperor of all the Russias; Charles Jenkinson Esq., who
was a Captain in the 3rd Regiment of The Guards; John Perrier Esq., Writer to The Signet; a Mr William Campbell
and Count Francis Mountenairel of Verona in The Venetian States.

That night's meeting increased funds by £7, a vast amount of money in these days and the Lodge, as a consequence, agreed to square up
their long standing arrears with The Grand Lodge.

It perhaps too should be said that, at the previous year's St. Andrew's night meeting, The Most Noble, The Marquis of
Lorne had been elected as R.W. Master of the Inveraray Lodge.

On Friday, November 27, 1801, just three nights before Lorne's election as Master of the Inveraray Lodge, the Lodge minute book
records the entry of one Walter McGibbon of the 46th Regiment of Foot - McGibbon later distinguished himself 'signally'
in The Peninsular War under The Iron Duke.

Fleming, though this too is a long story, was also responsible for the laying of the Trans-Pacific telegraph cable
between Canada and Australia. The final linking up of the British telegraph cables, encircling the globe, made the
telegraph system the precursor of today’s ‘Internet’ connections - which was completed in 1902. The reason in
Fleming’s mind for this important ‘round-the-world’ link was the constant threat of the only other British cable route,
through Turkey and neighbouring countries, being cut, tapped and sabotaged and Britain’s ability to defend herself
being severely impaired.

Nobody remembered Fleming’s, nor indeed The Marquis of Lorne’s, contributions when they celebrated at ‘The
Millennium’. Had it not been for Fleming’s foresight in fighting for ‘The Pacific Cable’, Britain would not necessarily
have had a ‘secure’ communication system in place before the momentous events of ‘The Great 1914 - 1918 War’.