Provincial Grand Lodge Of Hereford.

Officers wore received with the customary honours , and they opened Provincial Grand Lodge in due form . The master roll showed there were G 4 brethren present , members of Lodges in the Proviuce , together with ten visiting Masous . Tho annual accounts recorded a

satisfactory balance to the credit of the Province . Reports from the five Lodges of the Province showed that the number of subscribing members was 221 , an increase of 20 over the Lodges' returns in February 1890 . Another

report stated that daring the last twelve yoars the brethren of the Province had contributed , through their Charity Association , nearly £ 800 to the London Masonic Institutions , in addition to the donations sent direct from Lodges and individual members .

Bro . Beddoo was re-appointed Provincial Grand Treasurer , and Sir Joseph Bailey , subsequently invested him , and also tho now Provincial Officers : —

0 . J . Saxby Senior Warden Thomas Handford Junior Warden - ¦ Rev . T . Thistle Chaplain William Earlo Secretary Thomaa Matthews Registrar Edward Maddison Senior Deacon

Thomas Blmkhorn Junior Deacon J . Archer White Snpt . of Worka P . S . Collins Dir . of Cers . B . Cullwiok Assist . Dir . of Cers . E . F . Mitchell Sword Bearor

G . R . Sinclair Organist W . T . Sale Pursuivant C . A . Stephens Tyler W . Parlby ^

J . Meredith | J . B . Hill } - Stowards W . S . Langford | Rev . Evan Williams 1

A grant of £ 10 was made to the distressed widow of a deceased Hereford Freemason . Ross was named as the place for the next annual meeting . A banquet was afterwards served , to a company of

nearly sixty brethren , under the presidency of the Provincial Grand Master . He proposed the usual Loyal and Masonic toasts , and his Deputy , Bro . Piper , gave the toast of the Officers of the Grand Lodge .

The health of the Chairman was proposed by the Rev . J . Buckle , who referred to him in affectionate terms as a good and true man in every station of life . In response , Sir Joseph alluded feelingly to the great loss sustained by Freemasons in the death of Colonel

Shadwell H . Gierke , Grand Secretary of England . Colonel Clerke kindl y attended at Hereford in 1880 , at the occasion of his ( Sir Joseph ' s ) installation , most effectivel y rendering the beautiful ceremonies of tho Craft , th knowledge of which he had at his fingers' end . In conclusion , the Chairman proposed the health of the D . P . G . M .

The Rev . T . Thistle proposed "The Visitors . " Ho observed that hospitality was a great Masonic virtue , of the experience of which in this and other countries he could speak in tho warmest and most grateful terms . Brother T . Duckham responded , as one of the oldost Masons in the Province .

In proposing the toast of the Masonic Charities , Bro . William Earletho P . G . S . said it was a comprehensive one , as it embraced those great Masonic Institutions which annually expended more than £ 40 , 000 , of which about onehalf was devoted to tho clothing , education , and

maintenance of about 550 children of Masons , and the other half in payment of substantial annuities to aged brethren and widows of brethren who had been worsted in the battle of life . Ifc was almost impossible , ho thought , to estimate the amount of good effected and of sorrow

alleviated by tho judicious action of tho Committees of the Institutions . Thoso Institutions supplied practical evidence of the fraternal sympathy of Masons for tho young , and for those who were in distress . From the report of tho Provincial Masonic Charity Associationof which he had

, the honour to be the Hon . Secretary , it would bo soon that tho Association had remitted about £ 800 during the pnst twelve years to tho various Charities , and the Committoe hoped that the liberal subscri ptions would be maintained , it not indeed increased considerably . Bro . Earlo took the

opportunity of referring to the assistance rendered to the Association by Bros . H . C . Beddoe and C . Rootes , who was a Past President , and coupled the names of those brethren with the toast . Bro . Beddoe , in his reply , extolled tho work of Brother

Provincial Grand Lodge Of Hereford.

Earie , as founder and Hon . Secretary of the Herefordshire Masonic Charity Association , and Bro . Rootes endorsed his remarks .

1891 In The West.

1891 IN THE WEST .

rfllllE English Craft has had a busy , prosperons year , and the West J- of England has fully participated ia the general progress . Tho most remarkable event affecting the Fraternity locally , as well as generally , has been tho appointment of the Right Hon . the Earl of Mount Edgcumbe as Deputy Grand Master of England , tho vacancy having occurred through tho decease of the lamented Lord Carnarvon in the previous year . Lord Monnt Edgcumbe being well

known and esteemed in Devon and Cornwall , both counties have heartily taken part in the felioitations on the special honour thus conferred on the boloved Prov . Grand Master of Cornwall ; and the most westerly county is also now raising a fund to make a presentation to the daughter of the Earl of Mount Edgcumbe on bar marriage . A largo sum could easily and promptly be obtained , bat that would

not meot with the approval of the Prov . Grand Master ; so the gift will be rather representative than fully expressive of the feelings of the Brotherhood . The Prov . Grand Lodge of Devon wa 3 held at Tavistock , that town being selected bocause it was the Centenary year of the Bedford Lod |? e , formed in 1790 . Tho Cornish " annnal" was convened at

St . Austell , and both assemblies passed off well , as nsnal , all the reports being very satisfactory . The local oharitable funds are in a healthy condition , and numerically the Lodges are holding their own , there being some 4 , 500 subscribing members in the two counties . Several halls have been dedicated , or are in preparation , it being

the exception now for any Masonio meetings to be held in hotels or houses of public resort ; and the buildings thns set apart for the Fraternity , and owned by the brethren , are a credit to all concerned . This much-needed reform has taken time to complete , bnt practically the Craft in the West have now their own halls , or the use of private buildings for their gatherings , and the respected Provincial Grand

Master of Devon , Viscount Ebrington , M . P ., with his Deputy Brother W . G . Rogers , have done their part to halp on such a good work . The Royal Arch meetings at Exeter and Liskeard were duly congregated , but there is still need for increased vitality in connection with this degree . Bro . Haghan ' a lecture at Totnes was the only attempt daring the year to promote the stndy of this beautiful

ceremony . Mark Masonry is as active as ever , under the local ralers ( Sir Stafford H . Northcote , Bart ., C . B ., M . P ., and Sir Charles It . Graves Sawle , Bart ., M . P . ) The Provincial Grand Lodge for Devon met ab Devonport , and that for Cornwall at Liskeard , and a new Lodge has been consecrated at Camborne , and another at Kingsbridge , the total

membership being about 1 , 000 . In Knight Templary the lethargic condition remains , and has almost become chronic There were two Preceptories in Cornwall , bnt only one now remains , and the sis in Devon have only a roll of membership that might well belong to one of the subordinates . The Rev . Dr . T . W . Lemon is a most zealous Provincial Prior , and should

have more generous sopport from the Fraters . Possibly the nnion of Devon and Cornwall , as was once the case , might be of advantage , aud certainly the last annual wa 3 one of the best that has been held for years , showing thero is no lack of vitality if its outward manifestation could be more generally secured . The meeting was held at Torquay , and being the Centenary of the existence of the present

Great Priory , was a most interesting occasion . The Charities in London have been well supported , the total receipts amounting to some £ 53 , 000 , towards which noble sum Devon and Cornwall contributed about £ 750 . In Masonio literature during the year Devon has done its part , as testified by tho handsome volume issued by Brother John Lane on

" Centenary Warrants and Jewels , " which is nearly all subscribed for ; and Bro . Hughan has been the European editor of a colossal History of Freemasonry , which is having an enormous sale , especially in tho United States , where it is published , some 20 , 000 copies having already been purchased , and the work is likely to reach a

circulation of six figures . The Craft has been called to mourn the loss of several distinguished brethren , including the Archbishop of York , Alderman Sir R . N . Fowler , Wart ., M . P ., and Colonel Clerke Grand Secretary ; aud locally the brethren deplore the decease of Bro . E . T . Carlyon for long Provincial Grand Secretary of Cornwall . —Western Morning News .

A Huddersfield Freemason's Jubilee.

A HUDDERSFIELD FREEMASON'S JUBILEE .

'SPHERE was a very large assemblage of Freemasons ab tho J- Masonic Hall , South Parade , on Tuesday , 29 th nit ., to celebrate tho Masonio Jubilee of Bro . Edward Armitage P . P . G . W . West Yorkshire , who resides at Edgerton , Huddersficld . He was initiated u member of the Lodge of Harmony , No . 275 , oxactly 50 years ago that night , namely , on tho 29 th Dscomber 1841 , and has continued a

subscribing member ever sinco . Tho opportunity was taken of celebrating tho jubilee by presenting to Bro . Armitage an illuminated Bible , containing an illuminated appropriate address in recognition of his fidelity to his Lodge and his long service to Freemasonry generally . Tho gathering was most enthusiastic , and many good wisheg wero expressed for tho long life- and future happiness of Bro . Edward Armitage .

Ar00904

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