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Royal Arch.

ROYAL ARCH .

— : o : — PROV . Q . CHAPTER OF HAMPSHIRE AND ISLE OF WIGHT . THE annual meeting of Provincial Grand Chapter was held in the Sessions HaU , Winchester , on Monday , the 31 st ult ., the M . E . the Grand Superintendent Comp . W . W . Beach presiding . The attendance of Royal Arch Masons was large . A sum of fifty guineas was

voted to Comp . Eve's list . Comp . Eve announced his intention to supplement this vote with a contribution of £ 100 in aid of the Festival Fund . The following were invested as the Officers of the Provincial Grand Chapter for the ensuing year : —

Comp . J . E . Le Feuvre - - - H . R . Loveland Loveland - - - J . R . J . Rastrick ... Treasnrer J . Gieve .... Registrar Edgar Goble - - - Scribe E .

Rev . A . A . Headley - . Asst . do . E . D . Godwin - - . Scribe N . P . S . Rogers - - Prin . Sojourner W . Horfcon . - - 1 st Asst . do . R . Glasspool - 2 nd do .

J . Brickwood ( in unavoidable ab- ) . , senceof Comp . G . D . Lovegrove ) ) urganisc G . B . Irons - - - Sword Bearer 0 . T . Allea - . - Standard Bearer E . Eosoman ... Director of Ceremonies ^ J . Exell ... . Janitor After the Chapter the brethren and Companions assembled at the Masonic Hall , where about fifty enjoyed a choice banquet , supplied by Bro . Clowser , of the City Club .

Special Provincial Grand Lodge Of Hampshire And The Isle Of Wight.

SPECIAL PROVINCIAL GRAND LODGE OF HAMPSHIRE AND THE ISLE OF WIGHT .

\ SPECIAL Provincial Grand Lodge was held on Monday after-- < - * - noon , the 31 st ult ., at the Guildhall , Winchester , the Prov . Grand Master ( Bro . W . W . B . Beach , M . P . ) presiding . A large number of the brethren attended , including many Provincial Officers and members of Lodges . The bnsiness for transaction and discussion

was twofold , viz ., the voting of a sum of money from the Provincial Grand Lodgo funds iu aid of the Eoyal Masonic Benevolent Institution for Aged Freemasons and their Widows , at the annual Festival of which , on the 22 od inst ., the Provincial Grand Master is to preside ; and to receive suggestions as to the best manner of celebrating Her

Majesty's Jubilee by the Craft and Province . With regard to the Festival , it was decided to vote two hundred and fifty guineas , to be placed on the list of Wor . Bro . Le Feuvre , as Steward . A proposal to increase the grant to three hundred guineas , and to draw ou invested capital for this purpose , met with some support , but the Prov .

Grand Master and others urged the prudence of not touching tho reserved fund , and the vote of two hundred and fifty guineas was agreed to unanimously . The Jnbilee celebration drew out various ideas . Bro . Lancaster Prov . G . Eeg . brought forward a proposition for holding a Festival and Dinner for the Provincial Benevolent ancl

Educational Institution . For this new Charitable Institute he had already received £ 500 , ancl various sums were promised , ancl a Festival with Stewards would benefit it much . The idea was ruled out of order , and it was arranged to deal with it at a future meeting . Bro . T . Stopher ancl others warmly advocated the support by the

Province of the Imperial Institute , recommended as it was by the Queen and their Grand Master H . E . H . the Prince of Wales . Tho Prov . G . Master evidently expressed the general opinion in favour of a great Masonic gathering at Olympia , London , the admission fee ( ono guinea ) to be devoted to the Masonic Charities .

Mark Masonry.

MARK MASONRY .

— : o : — YORK LODGE ( T . I . )

THE installation meeting of this Lodge was held on tho 18 th ult ., in the Masonic Hall , Dnncombe-street , York . Bro . F . Smith W . M . opened the Lodge , and was supported by Bros . Simpson J . W ., Dyson M . O ., Lackenby S . O ., Pickersgill J . O ., Whytehead P . M ., Todd P . M ., Padel P . M ., Balmford P . M ., Lamb S . D ., Ware , Major

Mark Masonry.

Baldrey , Pnrnell , Dalton , Chapman , Blenkin , Brown , Crummack , and others . Amongst the Visitors waa Bro . Strachan Dep . Prov . G . M . M . Northumberland and Durham . Many letters of apology for absence were read , and after a snccosf al ballot , Bro . Shonksmifch , of 1611 , was advanced to the degree of M . M . The chair was then taken by

Bro . Whytehead , who proceeded to instal the W . M . elect , Bro . Simpson , who made the following appointment of Officers : Bros . Blenkin S . W ., Dyson J . W ., LaokenbyM . O ., PickersgillS . O ., G . Lamb J . O ., Brown Keg ., Whytehead P . M . Treas . and Sec , Major McGachen S . D ., Dalton J . D ., Padel P . M . D . C , Balmford P . M . Organist .

Milbank I . G ., and Pearson Tyler . A vote of thanks was passed to the I . P . M . Bro . Smith , for a gift of three handsome mallets presented to tho Lodge . The report of the Auditors showed a comfortable

balance in hand , and Bro . Whytehead said thafc at the next meeting he proposed to ask for a vote from the Lodge funds for the Mark Educational Fund . After the close of the Lodge the brethren met at supper , and enjoyed a social evening .

Correspondence.

CORRESPONDENCE .

THE " CHESHIRE CHEESE " LODGE .

To the Editor of the FREEMASON ' S CHRONICLE . DEAE SIR AND BROTHER , —I regret my inability to answer th query put by the Reviewer in his appreciative article on my " Masonic Records " in your last issue , viz . Why " the old Cheshire Cheese Lodge so suddenly dropped oat of the Masonio firmament ?"

Now , as of old , one cannot well make bricks without straw , and the facts that are known in reference to this Lodge are bufc very few . One fact is , that in 1723 , or earlier , according to the first known Engraved List , a Lodge did meet at the " Cheshire Cheese , Arundel

Street , " on the "first Thursday in every month . " Another fact is , that the Lodge ' s existence had terminated prior fco March 1725 , the date of the next known Engraved List , in . which the position it occupied ( fourth on the List of 1723 ) is represented by a blank . Why it was erased I cannot say : there is simply no evidence .

Whether there were more more than four Lodges , or only that number , thafc took part in the Revival of 1717 , is a matter of opinion , and for the present , afc leasfc I am content to leave the discussion of the subject in the able hands of my friends Bros . Hughan and Gould . There 5 sdoubtless , something to be said on both sides .

, The numbers mentioned by your Reviewer , as given by Bro . Gould in his " Four Old Lodges , " refer to the printed List of Lodges contained in the Book of Constitutions of 1723 , and Bro . Gould has identified the Cheshire Cheese Lodge , which is fourth on the Engraved

List , with the Lodge numbered V . on that printed List . The numbers » iven by me , in my transcript of the List of 1725 , refer to the numbers on the Engraved List of 1729 , which is the first List we know of in which the Lodges were numbered according to their dates

of GonsmuUon . Yonrs fraternally , JNO . LANE . Torquay , 7 th February 1887 .

THE DRURY LANE LODGE .

To the Editor of the FREEMASON ' CHRONICLE . SIR AND BROTHER , —At the installation meeting of the Drury Lane Lodge on , Tuesday , instructions wore given to the Tyler not to admit Bro . Massey . To the fact , or to any reasons there may have been for itI should be utterly indifferent were it not that among

, 300 brethren who were present on the occasion some must have heard of the circumstance , and the unusual proceeding may possibly be construed disadvantageous ^ to mo . It is probable I should have taken no notice of the matter had I not heard the following day of one brother saying to another at a public meeting , , ( What a

pity it is Massey makes himself so unpopular , " and he tnen related what I have said in the opening paragraph of this letter . I have no doubt that the ungenerous mind which dictated the remark will prompt its wide dissemination , and I must leave to the better feelings of the whole Craft the judgment as to its accuracy . In the it neect

course of a 58 years natural , and 23 years Masonic lite , mnsc s be that offences como ; I confidently hope I may not have to apply to myself the remainder of tho quotation . My worst detractors do

not know my shortcomings so well as I do ; no ono can feel them so keenly as I . Bnt I bolievo my Masonic career will compare favour , ably with thafc of any members of the Craft , while in social , domestic , or business relations I have no fear of an adverse opinion . 1 remain , faithfully youi-s , HENRY MASSEY . 93 Chancery Lane , W . C , 10 th February 1887 .

JUBILEE YEAR SUGGESTION

To the Editor of the FREEMASON ' CHRONICLE . DEAR S IR AND BROTHER , —The admirable suggestion thrown out in your leading article a fortnight since , deserves , and I venture to think it will receive , the attentive consideration of every member of tho Craft . I presume by this time we have all discussed the Pro

Grand Master ' s Circular respecting tlio Jubilee commemoration , and the opinion generally seems to be that the brethren should be left free to celebrate the " season of joy and rejoicing all round" according to their own respective tastes . Already we hear of " Jnbilee " balls , dinners and other festivities ; and theso will later _ on be supplemented by summer banquets , which will no doubt this year