Staffordshire.

STAFFORDSHIRE .

ON Thursday afternoon , in the presence of a large number of members of the Craft aud of the general public , the Earl of Dartmouth , Lord Lieutenant of the

county , in his capacity as Bight Worshipful Provincial Grand Master of Staffordshire , laid the foundation stone of the new chapel of the Wolverhampton Orphan Asylum .

The proceedings commenced by the opening of the Provincial Grand Lodge in one of the large rooms of the Institution . A procession was then formed of Officers and Brethren of a number of Staffordshire Lodges , who walked to the site of the chapel , accompanied by many supporters of the Institution .

The stone-laying ceremonial commenced with the singing of the hymn " The Church's one Foundation , " and the Provincial Grand Master then delivered a brief

address . He said the Masons who had assembled to witness the ceremony knew that they were bound by an obligation to be true and faithful to the laws of their

country , and to erect handsome buildings for the service of God . There were among them , concealed from the eyes of men , secrets which had not been revealed , and which no man had discovered . Those secrets were

lawful and honourable , and were not repugnant to the laws of God or man . They were entrusted to Masons in ancient times , and having been so faithfully transmitted to them it was their duty to convey them unimpaired to posterity . Unless their Craft had been good and their

calling noble it would not have lasted through so many centuries , nor would they have had so many illustrious Brethren associated with their Order . They were assembled that day in the presence of Him who was the light of wisdom , to lay the foundation stone of a building

which in due time would be ' consecrated to the honour and glory of His name , and , as it was the first duty of Masons in all their undertakings to invoke a blessing from the Great Architect on their work , he would call upon all present to unite with the Provincial Grand Chaplain in a prayer to the Throne of Grace .

Prayer having been offered , the stone was laid with the usual Masonic ceremonial , and , having been declared by the Provincial Grand Master " plumb , level and

square , " he poured on it corn , oil and wine , as emblems of plenty , peace , harmony , strength , and gladness . The National Anthem was then sung , and the procession was re-formed and returned to the Institution .

About a hundred gentlemen afterwards sat down to luncheon in the large hall of the orphanage . Mr . W . Lees , chairman of the Committee of Management , presided . The Secretary ( Mr . W . Hamblett ) read a

number of letters of apology , and stated that in addition to the donations already acknowledged in aid of the chapel fund , he had that afternoon had handed to him £ 50 each from a friend , Mr . T . H . Evans , Walsall , and Mr . A . Smith , Walsall , £ 10 10 s from Mr . B . F . Kelly , Bilston , and £ 5 from Mr . T . Spencer , West

Bromwich . After the loyal toasts had been honoured , Mr . T . Beach proposed the Freemasons of Staffordshire . He said that although not a Freemason himself he had the profoundest respect for the members of the Craft , who

with regard to their history and mysteries were content to remain silent , and to allow their public works to speak for themselves . Everyone must be struck by the monumental works of Freemasons in the past , and by the noble charitable institutions which they had founded .

Lord Dartmouth , in responding , referred to the fact that he had only recently been installed in the responsible office of Provincial Grand Master of Staffordshire , but he said he had no doubt he should be loyally supported by the members of the Craft in his efforts to carry out the

duties of the position . The last speaker had referred to the rites , ceremonies , and mysteries of the Craft , and he might say that they would remain mysteries to those who were not members , as they were content , as Mr . Beach had rightly stated , to allow their works to speak for

themselves . He assured Mr . Beach that as regarded Freemasonry in that county there was no skeleton in the cupboard , and any ignorance as to the mysteries of the Craft could be overcome by joining a Lodge . During the short time he had been a Mason he had found the

Staffordshire.

Freemasons to be a body of men of whom no one need be ashamed . It was a great pleasure to him to make his first public appearance as the Provincial Grand Master ou such an occasion as that , because one of the principal objects of the Brotherhood was to do all they

could to help those who were unable to help themselves . The orphanage deserved support , and , as the Provincial Grand Master of Staffordshire , he was pleased to see that a large number of the Brethren were doing what they could to render it assistance .

Leiutenant-Colonel Bindley Deputy Provincial Grand Master next submitted the Wolverhampton Orphan Asylum , and , in the course of his remarks , referred to the fact that the Chairman that day was a relative of the founder of the Institution , and that a large number of children of Freemasons had received their education

within its walls . He thought that that was a good reason why the members of the Craft should give it their support . The Chairman , in responding , said the Institution had only been established about forty years , but during that timo it had done a noble work . Some hundreds of

boys and girls had received such a sound education that its value could not be over-estimated . The work , however , had been carried on in a quiet and unostentatious manner . Originally the building' was a small one , but block after block had been added , and by the

erection of the chapel the Institution would be complete . The founder of the Institution would have been pleased to have seen fifty children at one time in the orphanage ; but he believed they would soon see six times that number receiving an education there . Provision was

being made in the chapel for 400 children , exclusive of the staff , and , looking to the princely support which had been extended to the Institution so far , he had not the slightest doubt that the future of the undertaking would be as successful as it had been in the past . The action

of the committee had been criticised with regard to the building of the chapel , but they had no option in the matter , as their late chairman ( Mr . H . Bogers ) had left a sum of money for the specific purpose of erecting a

chapel . With the exception of £ 600 , the whole of the money required had been given , and he hoped the friends of the Institution would speedily raise that amount in order that the building might be opened in the spring .

The toast of the Vice Presidents was submitted by Mr . W . W . Walker , and responded to by the Bishop of Shrewsbury and Sir A . Hickman , M . P . The memory of the late Mr . John Lees ( the founder of the orphanage ) and Mr . Henry Bogers was honoured in silence , and the proceedings terminated . — " Birmingham Daily Post , " 3 rd August 1894 .

Worcestershire.

WORCESTERSHIRE .

IT is announced that Sir Edmund A . H . Lechmere , Bart ., M . P ., Provincial Grand Master has appointed

Wednesday , 26 th September , for the Annual Meeting of his Grand Lodge , which will be held at Malvern , under the banner of the Boyd ' s Lodge , No . 1204 .

The marriage of the Duchess of Buckingham and Chandos with Lord Egerton of Tatton Provincial Grand Master of Cheshire , was solemnised on Wednesday afternoon in the private chapel at Lambeth Palace . The

bride was given away by her father , Sir Graham Montgomery , and was attended by two pages , the Hon . Rupert Keppel , grandson of the bridegroom , and the Hon . Bichard Grenville Morgan , grandson of the late Duke of Buckingham and Chandos . The bridegroom

was accompanied by Mr . Claud Nugent . The nuptial rite was performed by the Archbishop of Canterbury ,

assisted by the brother of the bride , the Bev . Charles Graham Montgomery . After the ceremony , the Duchess of Buckingham and Sir Graham Montgomery entertained

the wedding party at Langton House , George Street , Hanover Square . Late in the afternoon the Duchess of Buckingham and Chandos and Lord Egerton of Tatton left for Quidenham Hall , Norfolk , the seat of Viscount Bury .