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Ef-jggWA ^ gAgA ! p ^ , [« . w . » . wrare mn a^^^^^^^a EQL ^ sra ^^ 'arsiza ^^ kffiffissasss & Ti ^ v ^ SATUEDAY , 7 TH SEPTEMBEE 1895 .

Next Year's Girls Festival.

NEXT YEAR'S GIRLS FESTIVAL

WE are pleased to learn that the Eight Hon . the Earl of Yarborough Provincial Grand Master of Lincolnshire has kindly consented to preside at the 108 th Anniversary Festival of the Eoyal Masonic Institution for Girls , to be held in May of next year , and take this opportunity of urging Brethren to at once undertake the office of Steward on behalf of the Institution ,

and in support of the nobleman who has consented to preside on its behalf next year .

Jubilee Of St. Martin Lodge.

JUBILEE OF ST . MARTIN LODGE .

THIS Liskeard Lodge , No . 510 , was consecrated on 19 fch August 1845 , and on Monday evening , 19 th August 1895 , an emergency meeting was held to celebrate the jubilee . The occasion was also taken to make a presentation to Bro . E . A . Courtney , who has been Secretary of the Lodge for three and twenty years .

The Worshipful Master Bro . W . Hammond , before proceeding with the other business , said he thought they ought to acknowledge the presence that evening of the sole surviving founder of the Lodge , Bro . Henwood . They were pleased to see him , and he moved that the fact be recorded on the minutes

of the meeting . Brother Harris seconded the motion , and Brother Henwood acknowledged the compliment . He was delighted , he said , to be able to attend the jubilee meeting , and he hoped the next fifty years of the Lodge would be as successful as the last .

The Secretary next read a long and interesting account of the history of the Lodge . The Lodge was named " St . Martin " after the patron saint of the parish church . The Warrant was dated 5 th March 1845 , and was granted on the petition of Edward Lyne , Simon Peter , Samuel Binney Serjeant , William

Henwood , Samuel Julyan , Samuel Lang , Philip Lean , and others . At the first meeting Brother John Luckraft P . M . of Charity , No . 270 , Plymouth , presided ; five were initiated , and Charles Buller , who had represented Liskeard in Parliament from- 1832 , was the first joining member . The first W . M . Bro .

Lyne was Master of " One and All , " Bodmin , and was in practice at Liskeard as a solicitor . The consecration of the Lodge took place on Tuesday , 19 th August 1845 , on which day the Provincial Grand Lodge met for the first time at Liskeard , an account of which had been supplied by Bro . Sach from the

file of the " Eoyal Cornwall Gazette , " Truro , of 24 th August 1845 . It stated among other things that " a band of music paraded the street soon after nine , and about ten , a splendid carriage from Devon , containing about twenty of the Brethren from that Province from Plymouth and Devonport , chiefly from

Lodge Brunswick , entered the town drawn by handsome greys , four-in-hand , with the coronet of the Grand Master of the Province ( Earl Fortescue ) and the Masonic arms emblazoned on its panels , and banners floating on the roof . The party alighted and partook of a champagne lunch at the residence of Edward

Liyne , Esq ., who was to be installed Master , and afterwards went to Church . " Bro . Courtney gave many interesting details of the subsequent history of the Lodge , and concluded by stating he thought they might congratulate St . Martin Lodge on its past career and present position , and wish it every success in the

future , and when , he said , members yet unborn should celebrate the centenary of the Lodge , might they look back on the records of the Lodge and say that the present and past members had maintained the honour and dignity of the Lodge during the first fifty years of its existence . Bro . Courtney having presented the

trust deeds of the Masonic Hall to the Master of the Lodge , he afterwards read letters regretting inability to attend from the Provincial Grand Master the Eaii of Mount-Edgcumbe ( who had gone to Denmark as a member of the Eoyal Commission on coast communication ); from Bro . Sir Henry Waring , who said

he was one of the Brethren who drove in the four-in-hand coach to attend the consecration of the Lodge with other members of Lod ge Brunswick ; from Bro . Anderton Prov . G . Sec , and others . The Worshipful Master next moved : — " That it be entered

on the minutes that this Lodge recognises the untiring energy of , and the truly Masonic work accomplished by W . Brother E . A . Courtney P . M ., and unanimously accords to him its best thanks on the completion of his work in handing over to the Lodge the

Jubilee Of St. Martin Lodge.

Freemasons' Hall , free of debt , and trusts that he may live long to continue his twenty-three years work as Secretary of 510 . " Bro . Hammond said he moved this in the name of the Lodge in order to record their sense of the unwearied and valuable services of Bro . Courtney , one of the best of Masons , through whose efforts the Lodge had attained its present high position .

Bro . Thomas White Treasurer seconded the motion , and expressed the great pleasure he had felt in sitting side by side with Bro . Courtney during the last twenty-one years . The Worshipful Master then presented Bro . Courtney with a gold watch , suitably inscribed , "in token of the esteem and

love of the Brethren" and mentioned that an illuminated address was to follow . The watch is a fine keyless English lever , first-grade quality , compensated for positions and temperature , in heavy eighteen carat case , engraved with an inscription on the dome , and monogram on the back , " E . A . C . "

Bro . Courtney , in reply , said their kind expressions and flattering remarks , and the presentation of that watch in recognition of his humble services , had placed him in an embarrassing position ; and he could not adequately express his sense of the honour conferred . He very sincerely thanked them .

Both the present and the address would be highly valued , though he needed nothing to assure him of their regard . For twentyfive years he had been permitted to hold Offices in that Lodge , and he hoped he had endeavoured to discharge all of them with fervency and zeal .

A vote of thanks to the surviving trustees of the hall , Messrs . Thomas Lang , Courtney , Chegwidden , Childs , and Harris , was also passed . The W . M . said Bro . W . J . Hughan , who was announced to deliver an oration , was prevented from attending . He had ,

however , sent the following address : —So many Lodges in England have already been able to celebrate their centuries , that jubilee celebrations are not much in fashion . The manner in which St . Martin Lodge is to commemorate the fiftieth year of its existence , however , is worthy of being followed by many of its

contemporaries , for , to present to the Master and Wardens , on behalf of the Lodge , the deeds of the Masonic Hall entirely free , and to be the proud possession of the members in perpetuity , is beyond question a truly Masonic form of commemoration , and a great credit to all concerned . The Lodge was warranted 5 th

March 1845 , by the authority of the Eight Hon . the second Earl of Zetland M . W . G . M ., and the parchment is duly signed by his lordship , as well as by the Grand Secretary Bro . Wm . Henry "White . Lord Zetland was G . M . in my time , having acted in that honourable capacity from 1844-1870 , and was Prov . Grand

Master of N . and E . Yorkshire for even a longer period . The Et . Hon . Lord Howe , who was Deputy Grand Master in 1845 , was Prov . Grand Master Leicestershire 1856-1869 . Sir John Warton Hayes , Bart ., one of the G . Chaplains 1844-45 , is , I believe , the only Grand Officer of that term whose name is still

on the roll . The Grand Secretary Bro . W . H . White was first appointed to that office to assist his father , Wm . White , in 1810 , being sole Secretary from 1813 until his resignation in 1856 . St . Martin is the ninth oldest of the existing Lodges of Cornwall , and has long been noted for its steady adherence to the laws and

customs of the Fraternity , both locally and generally . One of its best and truest friends , Bro . E . A . Courtney P . M ., has been its Secretary for nearly half the period of its existence , and I hope will be spared to serve at least the silver anniversary in that most useful office . As a Secretary he has no superior and few

equals , and much of the prosperity of the Lodge has been due to his unremitting attention and able management . The members may well be proud of the position which the Lodge holds in the county , for the high character of its work , the good social status of its Brethren ( the present Mayor is my esteemed friend , Bro .

M . H . Stantan P . M ., other Past Masters having also honourably filled the civic chair ) , and the satisfactory financial basis on which it rests , owning as it does the Masonic Hall , furniture , and other effects on the completion of its jubilee . Its support of the Provincial and Central Masonic Charities has long been most

generous ( as I know well from experience of the Lodge extending over thirty years ) , and I have never known the Lodge to fail once in its duty , or decline to meet any fair demand on its funds . The prosperity of our beloved Fraternity has been most marked during the last fifty years . When No . 510 was warranted in

1845 , there were nine Lodges in Cornwall , with some 500 members , and under Grand Lodge of England but 680 Lodges or so . Now , Cornwall has thirty active Lodges , returning 1 , 771

members and , notwithstanding so many have left to form new Grand Lodges , the English roll now contains nearly 2 , 100 Lodges . Our charities abound , over £ 250 a day being spent in England for their maintenance alone , and since H . E . H . the Prince of

Wales ( our beloved Duke of Cornwall ) became M . W . G . M . our danger arises from having too many members , the Craft being so popular , so that there is greater need than ever to guard our portals , and admit only " good men and true . " Fraternity , loyalty , and charity are our watchwords : God grant that we may all become more worthy of our privileges .