Berkshire.

the Freemasons of the Province felt that they were honoured when he was appointed their Grand Master ; and now that he has been taken away they deeply mourn his loss . The Provincial Grand Chaplain Bro . E . R . Adams had not been long in the county when he was appointed ; but he was a

distinguished Mason , and had already acted as Grand Chaplain of the Province of Sussex . But the tale of our loss is not yet complete ; we mourn our tried friend Bro . Charles Stephens , our Provincial Grand Treasurer , whose management of our funds , since the formation of the Province , has

been most careful and efficient . In his youth our Brother was an athlete ; he played as a boy in the Winchester eleven , and he rowed in his College boat at Oxford , and in early and middle life everything about him promised a hearty and vigorous old age ; but to the deep regret of his many friends ,

especially of his Brother Masons , his health began to fail about fifteen years ago , and now he has passed away , making the loss of the Province a threefold one . "We deeply feel

that loss ourselves , and we wish to assure the families of the three Provincial Grand Officers who have passed away to the world of light , of our heartfelt sympathy with them in their sorrow .

The resolution was then submitted from the chair , and unanimously adopted , in silence , the whole of the Brethren rising , as a mark of respect to the deceased Officers .

The financial report of the Province , read by the Prov . G . Secretary , was of a satisfactory character , and it was unanimously adopted on the motion of Bro . F . J . Ferguson , seconded by Bro . Kirchhoffer .

The Provincial Grand Secretary ' s report on the state of the Lodges in the Province was also of a gratifying nature , showing a total membership of 769 , of whom 226 were Past Masters . There had been eighteen joining members and thirty-one initiates , and 168 regular Lodges and one Lodge of emergency had been held during the year .

Bro . Edward Margrett , the painstaking Secretary to the Provincial Charity Committee , read the annual report , showing that during the past twelve months the Brethren had sent upwards of £ 1 , 100 as contributions to the Charitable institutions of the Order . The Committee had received for

use in the periodical elections as many as 7 , 461 votes , a large proportion of * these having been placed at their disposal by Bro . C . E . Keyser , to whom their thanks were heartily due . The report also mentioned several individual cases , m

connection with which the Charity Committee had rendered excellent service . On the proposal of Bro . R . C . Mount , seconded by Bro . F . J . Ferguson , the report was unanimously adopted .

Bro . George Gardner , observing that death had been very rife among them during the past year , said it would be for the Grand Master the Duke of Connaught to appoint a new Provincial Grand Master , but it was the privilege of the Brethren themselves to elect their Provincial Grand

Treasurer , and he had much pleasure in proposing for that Office a well-known Brother who had done sterling Masonic work , more especially in connection with the Charities . He referred to Bro . Margrett Past Prov . Grand Warden

Secretary to the Provincial Charity Committee , and also a member of the Committee of the Royal Masonic Institution for Boys . Bro . Ernest Marshall seconded the proposal , which was agreed to nem . con .

iiro . Margrett thanked the Brethren for this renewed mark of their confidence , and assured them that he would endeavour to follow as far as he possibly could in the footsteps of his predecessor the late Bro . Stephens . The Deputy P . G . M . then presented jewels and bars to the following Brethren :

Jewels—Bros . W . J . Langley 574 , Ernest Marshall P . M . 771 , Capt . H . H . Tasker P . M . 795 ( and V . P . Rosette ) , H . Morecroft 795 , Sidney Payne P . M . 1887 , Francis E . Hedges W . M . 1887 , E . H . Simmons P . M . 2043 , J . M . Payne 2671 , T . S . Cambridge P . M . 2760 .

Bars—Bros . Charles Oades P . M . 414 , W . J . Maurice P . M . 414 , W . A . Cocks W . M . 2671 , E . C . Broquet P . M . 2671 , C . E . Keyser P . M . 2760 , Lieut-Col . G . C . Ricardo P . M . 2760 . The D . P . G . M ., in investing Bro . Cox as Senior Warden

mentioned that for twenty-one years he had been Secretary to his Lodge , and had always proved himself a zealous and indefatigable Mason . Subsequently , addressing Bro . Martin , the courteous and hard working Provincial Grand Secretary , the D . P . G . M . saidhe did not know what he should do without Bro . Martin ' s invaluable services .

Berkshire.

The following Brethren were appointed and invested Officers of the Provincial Grand Lodge for the ensuing year : BRO . C . W . COX ... Senior Warden George Gray ... Junior Warden Rev . J . Footman ... Chaplain E . Margrett ... Treasurer

C . H . Dodd ... Registrar J . W . Martin ' ... Secretary W . A . Cocks ... Senior Deacon W . B . Reed * ' ¦ ... Junior Deacon Capt . H . H . Tasker ' ... Supt . ' of Works Dr . Hawkins ... Dir . of Ceremonies

A . L . Thompson ... Assist . Dir . of Cert . Lieut .-Col . A . E . Sandback , D . S . O . Sword Bearer John Rolf ... Standard Bearer E . J . Dunn ... Ditto John Williamson ... Organist Clarence Dodd ... Assistant Secretary . Gordon Walker ... Pursuivant

T . Wright ... Assistant Pursuivant W . E . Allaway ... Steward Theo . H . White ... Ditto E . J . Harris ... Ditto E . Caldecott ... Ditto J . H . Brooks ... Ditto W . Hemmings ... Tyler J . F . Stevens ... Assist . Tyler .

Apologies from Bro . Lord Addington Prov . G . M . Bucks , and other distinguished Brethren for non-attendance were announced , after which the Lodge was closed in due form . The Brethren then adjourned to the White Flart Hotel , where a banquet was served , and the usual Masonic toasts were honoured . — " Reading Mercury . "

Dorsetshire.

DORSETSHIRE .

THE annual meeting of this Provincial Grand Lodge was held in the Temperance Hall , Shaftesbury , on Thursday , 31 st ult , and was attended by a large number of Brethren .

Bro . Montague Guest Provincial Grand Master presided , supported by Bro . Colonel Brymer , M . P ., D . P . G . M ., and many distinguished members of the Craft . The usual business was transacted , and the Prov . G . M . invested as his Officers for - the year the following Brethren :

Bro . Lieut . Cave ... Senior Warden J . Ley ... Junior Warden Rev . J . C . Sparrow ... Chaplain R . D . Thornton ... Treasurer E . L . W . Chave ... Registrar R . Case ... Secretary

H . G . Kerslev ... Senior Deacon A . Gates ... Junior Deacon G . J . Hunt ... Supt . of Works , N . Bowes ... Dir . of Ceremonies C . H . Gush ... Assist . Dir . of Cers . - T . G . Pinney ... Sword Bearer E . R . Down ... Organist

A . Davidson ... Pursuivant S . S . Milledge . ... Steward E . Wiseman ... Ditto C . S . Prideaux ... Ditto H . Morgan ... ' Ditto F . W . Young ... Ditto H . Kaines ... Ditto

Sussex.

SUSSEX .

THE annual meeting of this Provincial Grand Lodge was held in the Music Room , Royal Pavilion , Brighton , on Thursday afternoon , 31 st ult , under the presidency of Bro . the Very Rev . E . R . Currie P . G . Chaplain . The following Officers were appointed for the ensuing

year -. Bro . O . N . Wyatt 38 ... Senior Warden F . Carr 1466 ... Junior Warden Rev . H . G . Jameson 2676 ... Chaplain Rev . A . C . Jacobs 811 ... Ditto J . M . Reed 732 ... Treasurer

Percy Beer 40 26 92 ... Registrar A" £ ' £ Jt . 3 i 5 732 ... Secretary £ •£ •B- Kmght 3 8 ... Senior Deacon C is . Richardson 271 ... Ditto F . E . Haydon 56 ... Junior Deacon r . R . Terson 1110 ... Ditto

W . Beaty 2450 ... Supt . of Works G . Smith 851 ... Dir . 0 f Ceremonies T . Cornngham 2187 ... Dep . Dir . of Cers . } Y / ¦?•Gnffin 24 § 3 ••¦ Asst . Dir . of Cers . W . E . Nash 315 ... Sword Bearer

C . J . ficehurst 40 ... Standard Bearer T . W . Avis 1184 ... Ditto V . A . Wormald mo ... Organist A . J . Carpenter 1829 ... Assistant Secretary J . T . Hamlin 1821 . . Pursuivant J . Peters 311 ,,. Assistant Pursuivant