Shropshire.

SHROPSHIRE .

THE Provincial Grand Master Sir Offley Wakeman , Bart ., has intimated his intention of holding a Provincial Grand Lodge at Shrewsbury , on Wednesday , 14 th July next , after which the Brethren present will attend a service to be held in St . Chad ' s Church , in commemoration of the long reign of her most gracious Majesty , ab which full Masonic regalia will be worn .

Somerset.

SOMERSET .

THE Provincial Grand Lodge of Somerset was held on Monday , 31 st ult ., in the Assembly Eooms , Bath , under . the presidency of Viscount Dungarvan Provincial Grand Master . There was a large attendance , including Bro . E . C . Else D . Prov . G . M ., and many Past Provincial Officers . Bro . 0 . L . Fry Edwards Prov . G . Treas . reported a balance

in hand of £ 55 lis 4 d . Bro . Edwards was re-elected Treasurer . Bro . Scallan W . M . 437 P . Prov . G . Pursuivant next formally presented to the Provincial Grand Master , for the use of Prov . Grand Lodge , a very handsome banner , accompanied with the following address written on parchment : —

" We , on behalf of the whole of the Lodges in the Province of Somerset , beg permission to ask you to accept this banner , designed to be used on the occasions of the meeting of the Provincial Grand Lodge , and we would ask you to regard it in the light of our Diamond Jubilee Commemoration gift . While on every hand we find manifestations of loyal intention to celebrate the prolonged reign of our Grand Patroness , we have felt similar means might ¦ well be adopted in our Provincial Grand Lodge . After some reflection as to

what form this sentiment might take we remembered that there * was lacking in the equipment of our Provincial Grand Lodge tbe insignia of the office of Prov . Grand Standard Bearer , and also concluded that -we could not do better than supply this deficiency . After a general conference among the Officers and Brethren of all the Lodges of this Province , and with the approbation of our W . D . Prov . G . M ., this proposal has been adopted . We trust that your approval will follow this selection , and subjoin a list of the Lodges whioh have contributed towards the fund required to carry out this object . "

The Prov . Graud Master said he had very great pleasure , on behalf of the Provincial Grand Lodge of Somerset , in accepting the very handsome banner . The want of a Provincial Grand Lodge banner had been felt for some time past , and he did not know any better way in which they could celebrate the Eecord Eeign than by such a presentation . In the name of the whole of the Brethren , as well as himself , he thanked very

heartily all those who had subscribed to it for their kindness . One thing he should like to say with regard to it was that those who had presented it came to him to ask what should be put on the banner , and as at the present moment the county of Somerset had no arms , he placed himself in communication with Sir Albert Woods , who informed him that the arms should be those of the Grand Lodge , with the name of the Province underneath it , and he was glad to see it had been placed there .

The Provincial Grand Master next remarked that last year was the twenty-first anniversary of the reign of His Eoyal Highness the Prince of Wales Grand Master of England , and it was then proposed that past rank collars might be given to a certain number of Past Grand rank Officers who had done good service

to the Craft in Freemasonry . He had therefore received permission of His Eoyal Highness to give collars to three Past Grand Officers of the Province who had rendered such service , and would now have great pleasure in conferring them upon the Brethren who had been selected for the special honour .

The Brethren referred to ( who were personally thanked by Lord Dungarvan for their past services to Provincial Grand Lodge ) were : —Bros . W . J . Nosworthy P . M . 814 P . Prov . G . Org ., J . T . Dunsford P . M . 291 Prov . G . Assist . Sec . P . Prov . G . Eeg ., Ben Eeed P . M . 1883 P . Prov . G . St . B . The Provincial Grand Master next appointed and invested his Officers for the ensuing year , as follow :

Bro . 0 . Card 41 - - - - - Senior Warden P . Jackson 53 .. . Junior Warden Rev . T . H . J . Child 1750 - - - ] „ , . . „ Rev . J . N . A . Sturdee 772 - - -J Chaplains 0 . L . N . Edwards 1199 - - - Treasurer J . Cruse 976 .... Registrar

E . Fry Wade 291 - - - - Secretary A . J . Hulbert 772 - - - - Senior Deacon W . J . Shapland 1755 - Junior Deacon . H . J . Lye 814 ... - Superintendent of Works W . H . Wake 261 ... - Director of Ceremonies A . B . Wickenden 1750 ... Assist . Dir . of Cers .

Major 0 . H . Simpson 379 - - - Sword Bearer E . O . Scallon 437 - - - - ) „ , , , ,, S . P . G . Cox 1199 - } Standard Bearers G . W . Styles 973 - - - - Organist J . Tyler 1966 .... Pursuivant

E . W . Loveless 906 .... Assistant Pursuivant T . Kelway 135 - - - - ] „ . , J . Tyler 291 . } Stewards A . J . Salter 53 Tyler S . Bigwood 41 ... - Assistant Tyler .

Somerset.

Bro . Else Deputy P . G . M . next presented a very satisfactory report of the Charity Organisation Committee , which was adopted , on the motion of Bro . Gregory , seconded by Bro . Ashley , who expressed the indebtedness of the Province to Bro . Else for the great amount of time and labour he had expended in connection with the work of the Masonic Charities in the Province , and congratulated him on the success of his efforts . The motion was agreed to with acclamation .

The Prov . G . M . said he had next a rather painful task to perform , and that was to refer to the great loss the Province had sustained by the death of two very much respected Brethren— - Bro . C F . Marshall and Bro . Jelly—both of whom had rendered ,, good service to the Province ; and he wished to propose tha ^ a ^ vote of sympathy and condolence be entered on the minutes of P . G . Lodge and forwarded to the relatives of the . Brethrep ,, whose loss they so much deplored .

Bro . Else seconded the proposition , remarking that he was sure they all deeply regretted the loss of such eminent , beloved , and distinguished Brethren . He was sure , however , that the hearts of the Brethren in Somerset were in the right place , and , that they would never be found lacking in assistance of the right sort to enable them before long to make good the loss they had . sustained by the decease of the Brethren referred to .

A special anthem was then snng , during which a collection , of alms was made , and these , amounting to £ 8 16 s 6 d , were voted to the funds of the Eoyal United Hospital , on the : proposition of Bro . Eubie , seconded by Bro . H . 0 . Hopkins . The National Anthem was then sung , and the Lodge was closed . The customary banquet followed , under the presidency of Lord Dungarvan . — " Bristol Mercury . "

South Wales Western Division.

SOUTH WALES WESTERN DIVISION .

UNDEE the banner of Tenby Lodge , No . 1177 , Lieut . General J . Wimbourne Laurie , M . P ., was , on the 4 th inst ., installed Provincial Grand Master . The Province extends from Aberystwyth on the one hand , to Llanelly on the other , and every Lodge included in it was well represented .

Anticipating a large influx of yisitors , the Brethren of Lodge 1177 engaged the public Hall , Tenby , and , having removed the furniture and other fittings from the Craft Lodge in the Southparade to that building , transformed it into a Masonic Temple . ' The hall was tastefully decorated for the occasion .

At 11 a . m . the Eev . G . 0 . Eowe W . M . opened the Lodge , supported by a large number of Brethren , and at noon the Grand Lodge Officers were reported , and the necessary preparations made to receive the Installing Master Bro . W . W . Bramston Beach , M . P ., Prov . Grand Master of Hampshire , and the Grand Secretary of England Bro . Letchworth . These

Brethren having been regularly saluted , the Lodge prepared to receive the Provincial Grand Master Designate , and the usual procession from the ante-room to the platform was formed . The ceremony of installation having been performed , Bro . Laurie received the congratulations of the Brethren , and a procession was formed to the Parish Church , where P . P . G . Chaplain Eev .

George Huntingdon , M . A ., rector of St . Mary ' s , Tenby , preached an impressive sermon . A special form of service , printed in Masonic colours , was issued to the congregation . After the Benediction had been pronounced , the procession reformed and the Brethren returned to the Public Hall . Grand Lodge was then closed , and Craft Lodge 1177 having followed , the Brethren adjourned to the Eoyal Gate House Assembly Eooms , where

they lunched . Previous to the attendance at church , the newlyinstalled Master formally reappointed his Officers , as invested at the last meeting . The D . P . G . M . Bro . Stradling , however , owing to illness , was unable to attend the Lodge , and in consequence the Eev . David Bowen , rector of Monkton , P . P . G . C . was invested by General Laurie with the collar of D . Prov . G . M . — " South Wales Daily News . "

Staffordshire.

STAFFORDSHIRE .

THE sermon at Lichfield Cathedral on the occasion of the meeting of the Provincial Grand Lodge , referred to in our issue of the 29 th ult ., was preached by the Provincial Grand Chaplain Eev . A . E . Briscoe-Owen , M . A ., his able and appropriate discourse , which was listened to with close attention throughout , being based on I Peter ii , 17 " Honour all

men . Love the brotherhood . Fear God . Honour the king . " These words , he said , seemed to express most fittingly their duty as Christians and their obligations one to another . They inculcated principles which were practically the principles of their Order , and during the short time he should address them he wished , to impress this fact upon chem . But before he spoke of