High Grade Masonry.

HIGH GRADE MASONRY .

AN important function was held in the Public Hall , Wigan , on Thursday , 19 th ult ., when the members of the Orders of the Temple and Malta held a Grand Priory . There was a very distinguished company , included amongst whom were Lord Euston Great

Sub-Prior of England , General Hay Vice-Chancellor , and they were the guests of Mr . H . Ackerley , Eminent Preceptor of the Faith Preceptory of Wigan . The interior of the hall was splendidly decorated , owing to the

kindness of Mr . Walter Simpson , the immediate predecessor of Mr . Ackerley . In the evening a conversazione was held , at which about 150 guests were received by the Eminent Preceptor and Col . Mrs . Ffarington .

A capital programme of music was supplied by Mr . C . Grime , Mr . N . Dowswell , Mr . Barton , and Mr . Somers Grime ( Carl Eosa Opera Co . ) . The gathering was one of the most brilliant and successful ever held in Wigan . — " Wigan Examiner . " o o o

North And East Yorkshire.

NORTH AND EAST YORKSHIRE .

THE Annual meeting of Provincial Priory took place on Tuesday of last week , at the Masonic Hall , Daggerlane , Hull , at which there was a good attendance , all the Preceptories in the Province being well

represented . The V . E . Prior Fra . J . W . Woodall presided , and he was supported by the E . Sub Prior Fra . T . B . Whytehead , Eras . M . C . Peck , Rev . W . Valentine , S . Middleton , T . S . Brogden , J . T . Seller , F . W .

Halliwell , W . N . Chessman , Ascough , and the Fratves of the Ancient York Conclave of Redemption , on whose invitation the meeting was held , and who had made every preparation . The Board of General Purposes met earlier in the day , and transacted their usual business .

After the close of Provincial Priory the Visitors were entertained to dinner by the members of the Ancient York Conclave of Redemption , and the usual Loyal and Masonic toasts were duly honoured .

Consecration: Ixion, No. 2501.

CONSECRATION : IXION , No . 2501 .

FOUR years ago a small body of Masons who were also cyclists originated the idea of a Lodge to be held in Essex which should be a point of meeting for a number of cyclists who made use of the roads through

Epping Forest , and who either were or wished to become Masons . The outcome was , instead , the Shurmur Lodge ,

but the lovers of the wheel have never given up hope of carrying out their original intention , and on Monday of last week this hope gained fruition in the consecration of

the Ixion Lodge , No . 2501 , at the Eoebuck , Buckhurst Hill , with Bro . H . Ffrench Bromhead , an ardent wheeler , as the first W . M . There were 33 founders , and might have been many more , but the object has been to found a Lodge restricted to about eighty members , most of them cyclists , so that the quality of theLodgemay . be judged by weight rather than numbers . The ceremony

of consecration was to have been performed by the

Provincial Grand Master of Essex the Earl of Warwick , but at the last moment his lordship was obliged to abandon the intention , as he has been unexpectedly called upon to undertake a journey to New York , which , he assured the brethren by letter , he would not have done unless

absolutely compelled . In his absence , and that also of his Deputy , the ceremony of consecration was performed by Bro . Railing the Provincial Grand Secretary , whose ability to take the work at so short notice called forth

the warmest compliments from those who were present . These included four other Grand Officers , nearly 30 Provincial Grand Officers , and a number of brethren , bringing the total number in Lodge to nearly 100 .

At the consecration Bro . B . Hoddinott P . S . G . W . performed the duties of his office , Bro . E . Clowes acted as J . W ., Bro . Harris Hills , who was present at the last consecration , having returned to Zurich . Bro . E . Dring ,

M . D ., acted as I . G . Provincial Grand Chaplain Bro . Armfield gave an able and recondite oration , in the course of which , touching upon the mysticism of numbers , he drew attention to the systematic division of the books of the Bible into groups of five and seven and component

Consecration: Ixion, No. 2501.

parts of 12 ; to the arrangement of the tribes of Israel in Lodges ; and to the symbolism with which they were so well acquainted , and which , he was thankful he could believe , carried them behind that worship of the sun , which had been so universal that even Christianity itself

had been supposed to be but one of its phases , up to Him who , in the words of Genesis , hung the sun , the moon , and the stars—those three great lights—in the heavens , and who would thus have been , even through the ages of darkest superstition , the real object of veneration .

The Lodge being duly consecrated , Bro . Railing vacated the chair , and Bro . J . W . Lucking the Provincial Grand Director of Ceremonies installed Bro . Bromhead as W . M ., the latter afterwards investing the following Brethren as the Officers : —J . Wilson I . P . M ., D . Naphtali

S . W ., H . E . Herman J . W ., R . Sandell Treas ., C . Spurgeon Sec , W . W . Hind S . D ., W . Gower J . D ., H . Simmons I . G ., Ven . Archdeacon Dunbar Chap , ( by proxy , Dr . Dunbar being at present in Italy ) , W . J . Barnes D . C ., T . H . Lloyd Org ., A . C . Smith , H . T .

Arnott , H . Smith , H . Gemmell , H . Jefferson Davis Stewards , D . Legg Tyler . The musical arrangements in Lodge were under the direction of Brother T . H . Lloyd , assisted by Bros . Etherington Smith and Weston , Bro . T . S . Goddard

presiding at the organ . An excellent programme was performed after banquet by the same Brethren , Miss Jessie Hotine , Bro . C . Legg and Bro . Jefferson Davis ( violin ) . The Orchestra Francaise , under the direction of Bro . Goddard , performed during banquet .

The founders' jewel , which was designed by the W . M ., is both appropriate and handsome . It is in the form of a cycle wheel , with tire of white and black enamel bands , the emblems of office resting on the spokes ,

depending from a blue ribbon , the lower bar of which is shaped and graved to represent a bicycle handle . In the centre of the ribbon is a smaller four-spoke wheel such as that on which . Ixion was doomed to punishment , with the name and number of the Lodge on the tyre . The axles are jewelled . —" Essex Chronicle . "

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