Interesting Ceremony At Brighton.

INTERESTING CEREMONY AT BRIGHTON .

AN interesting ceremony was performed on Wednesday , the 28 th nit ., at the Pavilion , Brighton , previously to the commencement of the 95 th Anuiversary Festival of the Royal Masonic Institution for Bovs . It consisted in the presentation to the Howard Lodgo of Brotherly Love , No . 56 , Littlehamptou , by Brother Salter Provincial Senior Graud Warden of Esisex , of some ancient document ? connected with the Howard Lodge , whioh had come into his

possession through his grandfather . Tho presentation was made through Lord Brooke to Brother Walter Goss , tho Worshipful Master of the Howard Lodge , iu Lord Brooke ' s private room , in the presence of a large number of Essex brethren . Lord Brooke said it was unnecessary , perhaps , for him to detain the brethren with many words in describing the event , but he bad very

great pleasure in meeting the brethren because he understood that a distinguished brother of his own Proviuce was anxious t > haud over to the ancient Lodgo of Sussex , the Howard Lodge , some most interesting records whioh had been in his custody for a great many years . It was Brother Salter ' s opinion that the present was a fitting occasion for hauding over these interesting muniments of the

Lodgo into the care and keeping of the brethren of tbo Howard Lodge . Bro . Salter would give an explanation of the reasons why tho presentation was madp , and the circumstances leading up to it . He ( Lord Brooke ) was sure that the old documents would receive at the hands of tho brethron of the Howad Lodge the most careful treatment . Ho had great pleasure in meeting the brethren of

Sussex that day ; he was forming new acquaintances of whom he was very proud . Brother Salter then said the box he now presented , which contained minute books aud records relating to the Howard Lodge , No . 56 , Sussex , was sent to him by some of his relations a few years after his Ki-andfather ' g death ( he died in 1868 ) , with instructions that it

should not b 9 opened by him until he had dived deeply into the mysteries of Masonry , It must have remained untouched in his possession for 20 years . He opened it iu 1892 . After initiation into Masonry in 1864 ho was so far removed from his mother Lodge and every other that he left Masonry virtually untouched until the year 1890 , when they kindly asked him to become one of the founders of

Easterford Lodge , No . 2342 , which was subsequently established at Kelvodon , Essex . Rven this was seven miles distant from his residence . However , he assented ; he had the honour of being made its first Senior Warden in 1890 ; its second Master in 1891 ; and taking to Masonry with considerable interest he proceeded rapidly through various degrees , and finally was entrusted with one of the

Wardens' chairs of his Province , a distinction , through the kindness of Lord Brooke , he now held . Thinking that the time had now arrived when he mig ht with propriety opeu the lid of this mystjrious and almost forgotten box , he did EO , only 11 find that it contained —nothing very stiitling in themselves—but documents of some importance and interest to the brethren of the Howfrd Lodge ,

namely , its minute books and records from tbo earliest times , dating as far back as 1777 to 1821 . He immediately recognised the necessity of restoring them , and having enlisted the sympathy and co-operation of his Deputy Provincial Grand Master and the Grand Recorder , Brother Philbrick ; secondly , of his esteemed Provincial Grand Secretary , Brother T . J . Railing ; and , thirdly , of their

universally beloved Provincial Graud Master , Lord Brooke , all of whom cordially acquiesced in the suggestion started by Brother Philbrick that tho restoration should be somewhat ceremoniously accentuated , it was thought to be a most fitting and opportune occasion on which to effect this , by eeizing if possible on a small portion of the day on which the Festival for Boys 3 houId be held at

Brighton , taking place as it did in the Howard Lodges own Province , and presided over by the Grand Master of the Province for which the documents proceeded . Lord Brooke most kindly and graciously assented , and it was with groat gratification and pleasure that through him he ( Bro . Salter ) now fulfilled his duty of restoring this interesting box of records to the brethren of the Howard Lodge .

Ho wished he could havo discovered among them the Lodge ' s lost charter . He must confess to some inquisitiveuess as he looked through these ancient books and noted the working of the Lodge as years went on and the various incidents recorded thereiu ; indeed , he had extracted some of them which he would briefly touch upon . The Howard Lodge seemed to have been founded as long ago as 17 th

February 17 / 7 , and under the designation of " the Lodge of Brotherly Love " to have held its meetings first at the Blue Boar , Great Russell Street , Bloomabnry , its principal Officers then being Bros . Browning W . M ., Whitehead S . W ., and Butler J . W . In 1782 , 15 th April , it removed to the Bedford Arms , Charlotte Street , Bedford Square , being officered by Brother Moody W . M ., Birchall S . W ., Grant J . W .,

and Fox Secretary . In 1784 , 5 th March , by a convention held at the sign of the Two Blue Posts , Tottenham Court Road , the Lodge was removed to the Bedford Square Coffee House , Groat Rusaoll Street . In 1785 , 20 th June , it was held at the Buffalo ' s Head , corner of Newman Street , Oxford Street . In 1785 , 19 th December , it was again removod to the King ' s Head Tavern , Ilolborn , and then in

1789 , 16 th January , it was held at tho Right Worshipful Master ' s ( Henley ' s ) Chambers iu Clifford ' s Inn , after which , on 6 th May 1789 , itsjseventh remove , it reached Arundel , in Sussex , and took np its quarters at the Crown Inn . In 1789 , 2 nd November , its name was altered to that of the Howard Lodge , in compliment , he presumed , to the Duke of Norfolk , who resided at Arundeland

, whose family name was Howard . Though a Catholic family , one of the Dukes of Norfolk actually joined the Lodge in the year 1801 . Brother Henley was its first Master under the title . He died in 1798 . Up to this time , 4 th July 1790 , the number of the Lodge was 55 . On 23 rd December 1791 it was changed to No . 56 for the first time

On 6 th Ootober 1798 an interesting event was entered on the minutes of the Lodge , viz ., the snbscription of two guineas from its funds " for the relief of the widows and orphans of those brave men who fell in the battle of Trafalgar under Admiral Sir Horatio Nelson . " Ju 1800 the Lodge removed from the Crown Inn to the Norfolk Arma

Interesting Ceremony At Brighton.

Hotel . In 1801 the then Duke of Norfolk was proposed a member . h \ the same year the Lodge was opened in the degree of Mark Masons . In 1801 , as no regular warrant existed , it was resolved that n fresh one be applied for . Iu 1805 it removed from the Norfolk Arms to the Wheatsheaf . Iu 1814 tho Right Worshipful Master read a letter from the Seoretary of Grand Lodge , stating that a

Union had taken place between Ancient and Modern Lod ge * . In 1816 , 12 th November , a Royal Arch Chapter ( Howard 72 ) was con . secrated . In 1817 this Chapter was removed to Chichester on the 14 th February , and back again to Arundel on 12 th August of the same year . A jubilee gathering of the Lodge is mentioned in a letter from a Mr . Pocook to Mr . J . Wilson , dated 22 nd October 1859 .

Whether this refers to the jubilee of the Lodge on its centenary , or a jubilee of himself ( Mr . Wilson ) after 50 years' membership , ia not quite clear . I think all tho dato 3 and incidents point to the latter , us ho ( my grandfather ) was initiated in the Lodge on 20 ch Ootober 1809 , and 22 nd October 1859 would make just 50 years , whereas the earliest records put the foundation of the Lodge at 1777 , so that

1859 would not accord with any celebration of the kind . Perhaps I may be excused for making a short reference here to my grand , father without undergoing the charge of too ranch Masonio conceit . It is that having been initiated , passed and raised in the Lod ge in 1809 he was ( when Masonic progress was hardly so rapid as it is now , as evidence by the length of time which sometimes transpired

between the taking of the first and third degrees ) made Worshipful Master in 1812 , and occupied that position seven times up to the year 1821 , when the records in the box cease . He was also Z . in 1817 , Provincial Grand Junior Warden in 1821 , and Provincial Grand Senior Warden from 1823 to 1825 . Those were days when these exalted and muoh coveted posts were not simply of a years

existencenow , the number of Masons has increased so numerously that to hold them for a ye ir is looked upon as one of the greatest Masonio distinctions whioh can fall to a brother in his Province . I must now express to Lord Brooke my gratitude for his great kindness in pre . aiding over this , to me , interesting function , and to the brethren preseut for so attentively giving ear to these details , and I beg to

offer my warm congratulations to my brethren of the Howard Lodge on the restoration of these records of their earliest days . Brother Walter Gos 3 Worshipful MaBtar No . 56 , expressed the thanks of himself and other members of the Lodge for the gift , but said the age of the Lodge went back as far as 1736 , when it was No . 151 . It met then at the Blaok Dog , Cattle Street , Seven Dials .

In the next 100 years the number was altered six times . Lord Brooke congratulated the Howard Lodge on the finding of these records , aud he now handed them to the Lod ge . He was very pleased to have made the acquaintance of the Sussex brethren . It had been a very successful duy so far , and he hoped it would end aa snccessfully as it had begun . The proceedings theu terminated .

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CRITERION RESTAURANT , PICCADILLY . NO . 1 EaSt ROOm—Cuisine Vcritableuient Fine , SPECIALLY DEVOTED TO THE SERVICE OF A LA CARTE DEJEUNERS AND DINNERS In the most Recherche Style of French Cookery . CUISINE UNRIVALLED IN ENGLAND . LARGE SELECTION OF CHOICE WINES . No . 2 East Room . A SPECIAL DINNER AT 10 / 6 EACH Will bo served in this Room at Separate Tables , Between the Hours of 6 and 9 p . m ., Composed of a selection of Dishes from the Carte du Jour of the East Rooms .