Gloucestershire.

GLOUCESTERSHIRE .

THE annual meeting of this Provincial Grand Lodge was held at Cirencester , on 23 rd ult ., under the presidency of the Provincial Grand Master the Right Hon . Sir Michael Hicks-Beach , Bart ., Her Majesty ' s Chancellor of the Exchequer . The gathering is usually an incident of Whitsunweek , when the brief Parliamentary recess permits of Sir

Michael ' s personal attendance ; and rarely , if ever , since the Right Hon . Brother accepted the Provincial Grand Mastership fifteen years ago , has he failed to avail himself of the opportunity of meeting his Brethren in Gloucestershire on the occasion of their annual assembly .

It has also grown into a pleasant custom of late years that the Brethren of the town honoured with the Provincial

visit should offer their guests the allurements of a "Lodge of recreation " as a prelude to the more formal business of the day ; and on Tuesday the custom was not departed from . Indeed , the Brethren of Cirencester are as generous in their

hospitality as they are favoured in the facilities for offering it . The beautiful Park has always been at their disposal for the reception of their visitors , even when no active connection existed between the noble owner of the estate and the Masonic

body ; and this year such connection does exist in a remarkable degree . The present Earl Bathurst , though still in a subordinate office , is working steadily up to the chair of the Cotteswold Lodge , which meets in the town of Cirencester ; whilst his brother , the Hon . Benjamin Bathurst , M . P ., has

just passed through the Mastership of the same Lodge , and takes this j'ear the highest disposable office in Provincial Grand Lodge , successively held in previous years by the present Mayors of Tewkesbury and Cheltenham . Under these circumstances there was a peculiar fitness in the

invitation given by the Worshipful Master and Brethren of the Cotteswold Lodge to the visiting Brethren from the other Lodges of the Province , that they should attend a recreation Lodge "in the grounds of Cirencester House , " and in the intimation that Brother the Earl Bathurst would himself

entertain the visitors at luncheon . That a large party availed itself of the invitation , and that it had a " good time , " notwithstanding the showery weather that prevailed , need hardly to be said . The private grounds of Cirencester House are worthy of the park that surrounds them , and more could

scarcely be said of them . The luncheon was an abundant one , and was partaken of by nearly 200 of the Brethren , the band of the 4 th Batt . G . R . playing a suitable programme of music during the " recreation . " In addition to the entertainment at Cirencester House , and Brother Lord Bathurst ' s

hospitality , the Brethren were given facilities for visiting the old Parish Church of the town , where they were welcomed by Bro . the Rev . J . Stewart Sinclair , the Vicar . The Corinum Museum , with the collection of Roman remains , invited the inspection of the many interested in such matters ,

and the Officers of the Gloucestershire Regiment courteously received those who chose to supplement archaeological investigation by a knowledge of the daily life of a modern

camp . The period of " recreation " ceased at 1 . 30 , and the Brethren then wended their way towards the Town Assembly Rooms , where the meeting of Provincial Grand Lodge was appointed to be held .

Provincial Grand Lodge was late in marshalling , in consequence of the late arrival of the train bringing the D . Prov . G . M . and Brethren from Tewkesbury and Cheltenham . It did not meet until 2 . 40 instead of 2 . The Provincial Grand Master entered the Lodge Room with the

customary formalities . He was attended by his Deputy Bro . R . V . Vassar-Smith P . G . D ., Rev . C . J . Martyn P . G . Chap ., Rev . Canon Childe P . G . Chap ., the Baron de Ferrieres P . G . D ., Sir Brook Kay , the Earl Bathurst , Dep . Surg .-Gen . Ringer P . G . S . B ., & c .

The Provincial Grand Lodge having been opened in due form , and the minutes of the Lodge held at Tewkesbury on the 31 st of May last year , and those of the special meeting held on the 6 th of October , on the occasion of the consecration of

the Lodge Royal York , having been read by Bro . Winterbotham and confirmed , the Provincial Grand Master and his Deputy and the other Officers of Grand Lodge of England were saluted with the customary honours .

The Prov . G . Treasurer Bro . Bruton gave an account of his stewardship , the report presented by him showing that after payment of the contribution of 100 guineas to the

Centenary Festival fund of the Boys School , ordered last year , there still remained a balance to the credit of Prov . G . Lodge of £ 51 . The report was received and adopted , with a cordial vote of thanks to Bro . Bruton for his continued

Gloucestershire.

services , and subsequently , on the motion of Bro . Hatton P . Prov . G . W ., seconded by Bro . Jennings , Bro . Bruton was re-elected by acclamation to the post he has so worthily filled for the past five years . The report of the Charity Committee , of . which the D . Prov . G . Master is the Chairman , was next read by Bro . R . P . Sumner Charity Secretary . .. . ,.,

The report was received and adopted , . with a warm acknowledgment of the services Bro . Sumner had rendered in his management of the Committee ' s affairs : The personal expenses of the Charity Secretary were , in accordance with usual custom , ordered to be paid out of the funds of Provincial Grand Lodge , and a vote of ten guineas was made , to be

placed on the list of Bro . Sumner , for one of the Masonic Charities . The D . Prov . G . Master explained that the period for which he was elected the representative of the Province on the Boys School Committee expired next October , and suggested that the appointment of his successor should be left

to the Charity Committee . Bro . Baron de Ferrieres proposed , that , instead of adopting this suggestion , Prov . G . Hodge should forthwith re-elect Bro . Vassar-Smith to the position he had so well filled . This was seconded by Bro .. the Rev . C . J . Martyn , and at once adopted , by acclamation . . ,

The Prov . G . Master then referred to the restoration of Tewkesbury Abbey as a suggested work of " operative Masonry . " It was a work that peculiarly appealed to the feelings of Gloucestershire Masons , and though they were unable to undertake anything in connection with it last year ,, there was a general feeling that something might be attempted

in the near future . Though they were still unable to do much out of the funds of Provincial Grand Lodge , he suggested that a Committee should be appointed with a view to bringing up a definite proposal next year , and undertaking some distinctive part of the restoration . ,.

-.-On the invitation of the Prov . G . Master Bro . _ Baker ( Mayor of Tewkesbury ) and Bro . F . Moore P . Prov . G . W-, spoke warmly in support of the suggestion , Bro . Moore suggesting that one , or perhaps two , of the bays of the cloister might be undertaken , in . succession to that which had already been so generously restored by Bro . Collins . .,

Ultimately a Committee was nominated , to . consist , of the Prov . G . M ., the Deputy Prov . G . M ., Prov . G . Treas . ' , Prov . G . Sec , and Assist . G . Sec , Bros . . Sumner ; . Moore , Collins , and the Mayors of Tewkesbury and Cheltenham ( Bros . Baker and Norman ) . .... .. . .. ,, .......... . 1

The Prov . G . Master brought the informal business of . Provincial Grand Lodge to a close by conveying to Bro . the Earl Bathurst the thanks of Provincial Grand Lodge for the hospitality he had so generously extended to the Brethren at Cirencester House . . .. The Provincial Grand Master appointed and invested the following as Provincial Officers for the ensuing year : —

Bro . Hon . A . B . Bathurst 592 - Senior Warden S . P . Ryland 246 - - - - Junior Warden Rev . H . K . Adkin 82 Chaplain W . C . Ferris 1005 - - - - Registrar Jas . Bruton 839 - Treasurer J . B . Winterbotham 82 Secretary

H . R . J . Braine 493 - Senior Deacon W . H . Bishop 702 .... Junior Deacon M . W . Dunscombe 1363 - - - Superintendent of .. Works J . G . Wenden 761 .... Director of Ceremonies W . C . Bannister 2407 ... Assistant Dir . of Cers . A . Jotcham 855 - - - - Sword Bearer

H . Stallard 951 - - - - \ a . , ^ ' ¦ . W . A . Turner 1067 .... } Standard Bearers W . H . Morgan 493 - - - - Organist M . Llewellyn Evans 82 - Assistant Secretary

A . B . Meyer 900 ... . Pursuivant W . Crosbie Coles 592 - - - ) T . Hobbs 592 .... ( . Stewards Sidney S . Starr 1005 - - - ) Window - - - - Tyler .

The roll of the Lodges was then called and the reports taken . The latter were without exception satisfactory , every , one of the seventeen Lodges under the Provincial jurisdiction , being in a strong condition , both financially and as to membership . The numbers present from the several Lodges were as follow , the roll being called in order of . seniority in

Provincial Grand Lodge , viz . : —Royal Faith and Friendship . Lodge , Berkeley , No . 270—12 ; Royal Union Lodge ,. Cheltenham , No . 246—20 ; Foundation Lodge ,. Cheltenham , No . 82—18 ; Royal Lebanon Lodge , Gloucester , No . 493—32 . ; Cotteswold Lodge , Cirencester , No . 592—31 ; . Sherborne

Lodge , Stroud , No . 702—14 ; St . John ' s Lodge , Dursley , No . 761—11 ; Royal Gloucestershire Lodge , Gloucester , No . 839—9 ; Lodge of Sympathy , Wotton-under-Edge , No . 855—10 ; St . George ' s Lodge , Tewkesbury , No . goo—19 ; Prince of Wales Lodge , Stow-on-the-Wold , No . 951—12 ;