Church Service.

CHURCH SERVICE .

THE Rev . W . C . Hawksley Past Provincial Grand Chaplain Hampshire has issued invitations to the local Lodges for a special Service , which it is proposed to hold at All Saints Church , Portsmouth , on Sunday , 21 st inst ., at 3 p . m ., on behalf of those Brethren who may be serving

with the British forces in South Africa , or who may otherwise be placed in circumstances of peril through the present war . The proposal has the cordial approval of the Provincial Grand Master Bro . W . W . B . Beach , M . P ., who has intimated his intention of being present , and who hopes to be

accompanied by such of his present and past Officers as may find it convenient to attend . A collection will be made for the Mayor of Portsmouth ' s " South African War Fund , " and his Worship , who is W . M . of the United Brothers Lodge , No . 1069 , has promised to be present . The Brethren are to

wear morning dress , with dark ties and white gloves ; and , the Provincial Grand Master having expressed his willingness to grant a dispensation for Masonic clothing to be worn , the Parish Hall ( adjoining All Saints Church ) will be available as a cloak room .

Masonic Aid For War Victims.

MASONIC AID FOR WAR VICTIMS .

THE following additional sums have been acknowledged on behalf of the different relief Funds started in connection with the South African campaign : MANSION HOUSE WAR FUND . United Grand Lodge .. . . £ 1 , 050 0 0 Albert Edward Lodge , No . 1519 - - - 18 2 6 Rosslyn Lodge , No . 1543 - - - - - 3 3 0

DAILY TELEGRAPH FUND . Shillings . Stockwell Lodge , No . 1339 - - - - - 210 Charles Diokens Lodge , No . 2757 - 210 Coborn Lodge , No . 1804 - 156 i

Peace and Harmony Lodge , No . 359 - 105 Blackheath Lodge , No . 1320 - - - - - 105 Pythagorean Chapter , No . 79 - - - - - 105 Crichton Lodge , 1641 --- -- - 65 £ Wineslai Lodge , No . 2435 - -- - - 20

"A Sprig Of Acacia."

"A SPRIG OF ACACIA . "

FIREEMASONS throughout Devon and the country and also across the sea will learn with great regret of the sudden demise , which took place of Saturday , of a distinguished member of the Craft in Bro . John Lane , F . C . A ., of Bannercross , Torquay . Bro . Lane , says the " Western

Mercury , " was transacting business on Saturday morning in the office of Mr . W . B . Hamlyn , solicitor , when he was seen to suddenly fall . Mr . J . F . Rockhey , ex-Mayor , who was in the office at the time , at once went across to the Town Hall to acquaint Bro . Lane ' s son , Mr . Stanley

Lane , who is in the Town Clerk ' s department , and , in his temporary absence through illness , returned with the Town Clerk ( Mr . F . S . Hex ) and the M . O . H ., Dr . Karkeek . These gentlemen did their best , but medical examination revealed the fact that life was extinct , death

being apparently due to heart disease , from which Bro . Lane had suffered , although recently he had been free therefrom . The body was removed to his residence , and the coroner , Mr . Hacker , communicated with . The sad event caused considerable sensation throughout the town .

Deceased , who was a native of Torquay , was fifty-six years of age . After ten years service with the late Mr . Yarde Eastley , solicitor , he set up in business as an accountant , and was the only chartered accountant in Torquay , as well as Fellow of the Institute of Secretaries . For twenty years to

1891 he acted as collector and assessor of Queen ' s taxes , and at the time of his decease held the important positions of Secretary of the Torquay Hotel Company , to which he was appointed in 18 9 8 on the retirement of Mr . J . Alsop ; Secretary of the Torquay Sanitary Steam Laundry Company

from its establishment in 1 S 8 3 ; and Secretary of the Torquay Cemetery Company for over twenty-seven years . He also acted as Secretary of the Torquay High School for Girls for nine years , and of the Torquay British Schools for sixteen years , to their close in 18 93 . During his life he filled the

posts of borough Auditor , Overseer , and Guardian . Of antiquarian tastes , he was a member of the Torquay Natural History Societ }/ , and also of the Devon Association . For

forty years a member of the Baptist Church , he was an ardent worker , and acted in various capacities in connection with Church work , from Secretary and Treasurer of Sunday School to that of Deacon , which latter honourable position

"A Sprig Of Acacia."

he held at the time of his death . As an organiser he was in great request , and was Secretary for the building of Upton Vale , Hele , Compton , and Paignton Baptist Chapels , beside Trustee of these and other chapels of Dartmouth , Teignmouth , & c ., and had only recently accepted the post of local

Secretary to the Baptist Twentieth Century Fund . At the services at the Baptist Chapel , on Sunday , thesad event caused great gloom , and the Pastor , the Rev . W . Emery , offered special prayer for the family in their sad and sudden bereavement . In politics , deceased was a consistent Liberal , and

was at one time Chairman of the Torquay and Cockmgton Liberal Club . It is , however , in Freemasonry that Bro . Lane achieved the greatest distinction . A true friend , an ardent worker , and a liberal supporter , he was highly esteemed and respected by all who were privileged to know him . For over

twenty-one years a member of the Jordan Lodge , of which he was Master in 1882 , he was largely instrumental in the erection within the past two years of the Jordan Masonic Temple , a stately edifice in Tor Hill Road . His Masonic zeal was unbounded , and in every degree he worked

assiduously , and attained high and deserved honour . He was a founder and first Master of the Jordan Mark Lodge , and a founder and First Principal of the Jordan Royal Arch . Chapter , which was only consecrated a few months ago . His

Provincial honours in the various degrees are too numerous to mention , but at the last meeting of the Provincial Grand Lodge he was made Prov . J . G . W . by Sir Stafford Northcote . He was one of the few Devonshire Masons to attain Grand

Lodge honours , and in 18 95 received the collar of P . A . G . D . C . of England from the Prince of Wales , who had graciously accepted the dedication of his great work " Masonic Records , " a book betraying an infinite research , and which took Bro . Lane ten years to complete . It was the publication of this

monumental work in 1886 that led to his receiving the distinguished honour of being made a P . S . G . W . of the Grand Lodge of Iowa , U . S . A . On the Grand Lodge of England publishing a second edition of the book in 18 95 Bro . Lane handed over the copyright , and was presented with the

clothing for the past rank already mentioned . Bro . Lane was also the author of " A Handy Book to the Stud } ' of the Engraved , Printed and Manuscript List of Lodges , " which he dedicated to his "highly-esteemed friend" Bro . W . J . Hughan P . S . G . D . of England , who also resides at Torquay .

He also contributed to the American "History of Freemasonry and Concordant Orders , " and , amongst other books , published in 1 S 91 "Centenary Warrants and Jewels , " which he dedicated to the Grand Lodge of Iowa and the Lodges of St . John the Baptist , 39 ( Exeter ) , St . John , 70 ( Plymouth ) ,

Fortitude , 131 ( Truro ) , and Eboracum , 1611 ( York ) , all of which had elected him an honorary member , an honour which Lodges at Leicester and Hull and in the U . S . A . had since followed . Deceased was also P . A . G . D . C . of England in the Royal Arch , P . G . S . O . of England in the Mark , Grand Std .

of England in the Allied Masonic Degrees , Captain of the Guards of England in the Knights Templar , and E . P . in the Knights of Malta , and attained the rank of 3 odeg . A generous supporter of the Charities he was a Vice-Patron of the three Provincial Funds : Fortescue Annuity , Aged Widows , and

Educational ; and also of the R . M . B . I , and R . M . I . B ., and Vice-President of the R . M . I . G . and the Mark Benevolent Fund , in all of which he had served several Stewardships . Bro . Lane leaves a widow , a daughter and two sons , to whom we tender our sincere sympathy .

THE death of Bro . Harry Coles , J . P ., of Southampton , occurred on Christmas Eve . Bro . Coles was born at Bishops Waltham sixty-one years ago , and went to Southampton when quite a young man . For nine years he filled the office of President of the Southampton and District

Grocers Association , which he helped to establish . His generosity was greatly appreciated by the members of the Association , and his death has interrupted a project which was in process of formation to present him with some tangible expression of the esteem felt towards him by his

fellowtradesmen . He entered the Corporation many years ago , and in the eighties he was elected four years in succession to the _ mayoralty of Southampton . During his prolonged period of office he entertained Royalty on two occasions , and he gave a grand banquet to celebrate the Queen ' s first Jubilee .

In 1888 he was made a magistrate of the borough , but in 1 , 892 he gave up his seat on the Borough Council . He was an active Mason , and he was formerly master of the

Southampton Bowling Green . He will be greatly missed by many who experienced kindness from him in many ways . The funeral was attended by the mayor , sheriff , and other borough officials , together with many prominent residents of the town ,