Lodge Histories. St. Michael's Lodge, No. 211.

March a unanimous vote of thanks was passed to Bro . Gillam P . M . ' for the very zealous manner he conducted the office of W . M . for two successive years . " In September a petition was signed for presentation to the Board of Benevolence on behalf of a Past Master of the Lodgo . At the meeting on tho 10 th January 1832 , when Bro . Knight P . M . was installed W . M ., a motion was agreed to that the

Lodge be removed to the " Widow Edward ' s Two Chairmen , Davisstreet , Berkeley-square . " It is also noteworthy that on this occasion . Bro . Gilkes was present in the character of a visitor . Only five members attended at the next meeting , when no less than four resignations were sent in and accepted . In May , however , this muster had increased to eleven , Brother Gilkes , at tho time

W . M . of No . 375 , being again present , and a motion that he be elected a joining member of the Lodge was dnly proposed and seconded . It was on this occasion also that , owing to the death of Widow Edwards , a proposition for tho removal of the Lodge to other quarters was given for consideration at tho June meeting , and it was then agreed , on tho motion of Bro .

Gilkes , who , m the meantime , had again become a member , that tho Lodge shonld be held at Bro . Sheldon ' s , King ' s Head , Comptonstreet , Soho . Among the visitors on the 13 fch November we find mention of Bro . Farnfield , doubtless the late Assistant Grand Secretary and Secretary of the Royal Masonic Benevolent Iustitntion . In December Bro . Gilkes was elected W . M ., Bros . Smith and Speight

being again re-chosen Treasurer and Tyler . Afc this , as well as at the installation meeting in tho January following , the presence is recorded of Bro . White Grand Secretary . On 12 th February 1833 we have , for the first time , mention made of the appointment of an Audit Committee . " Ifc was proposed and seconded thafc a Committee be summoned for the fourth Thursday to audit the

Treasurer ' s account . " About this time , too , a proposition was made— - and we have not met with a similar one hitherto— " that , as a mark of respect to Bro . Joseph Knight P . M . of this Lodge , a jewel be presented to him ; " while a vote of thanks to Bro . Smith as Treasurer was also submitted , and carried unanimously . Somewhat later in the session it seems this jewel was arranged to be of the value

of £ 3—a modest sum , in comparison with the ten guineas now so frequently voted for that purpose ; nor must ifc be forgotten thafc the rarity with which such propositions were submitted made the gift all the more valuable extrinsically . An adjournment having been agreed to from June to September , it was proposed in the latter month that Bro . Muggeridge , of the Grove Lodge , Ewell , No . 593

( now No . 410 ) , should be accepted as a joining member . At the same meeting a vote of thanks to Bro . Edgar S . W ., for his presenfc to the Lodge of " a Brass Triangle , with a perfect Ashlar , " was unanimously passed . In November a similar vote of thanks was passed to Bro . Marks for his presentation of a set of gavels . It was also proposed that the small balance of £ 1 10 s remaining in the

hands of Bro . Smith P . M . and Treasurer at the time of his decease shonld be presented to his widow . It is worthy of note thafc Bro . Gilkes , who was W . M . for this year , and occupied his usual place at this particular meeting , was not present on election night the month following , and the next time his name occurs in the minutes is the 11 th February 1834 , when , in accordance with a motion duly

made and seconded m the previous month , it was unanimously agreed that " the sum of £ 1 ls Od from the Funds of tho Lodge be presented to the Committee in aid of the design for erecting a monument to our late Master Bro . P . Gilkes . " Thus the brethren of St . Michael ' s can speak with some pride of having numbered among their principal supports one of the most

distinguished lights of Freemasonry—one , moreover , who had not only been many times chosen to fill the chair , but was , at the time of his decease , the W . M . of the Lodge . It shonld also bo noted that at the meeting in January 1834 , when notice was in the first instance given thafc snch a proposal would be submitted to the vote of members , Bro . Dr . Crucefix , of the Bank of England Lodge , and another of onr

most brilliant Masonio worthies , was present as a visitor , while the aforesaid Bro . Muggeridge , of the Grove Lodge , No . 410 , Ewell , was appointed to the office of Junior Warden . At an emergency meet , ing held on the 20 th February , it was agreed thafc the Lodge should have its quarters at the George and Blue Boar , Holborn , and here its stay was far more prolonged than at any of the previous houses we have

mentioned •indeed , it was still held here in the year 1847 . In March of the year 1834 , after several propositions for initiation and joining had been handed in—among the latter being one relating to Bro . John Theodore Vesey Hardy , Professor of Languages , London Uniyersifcy , Senior Warden of the Fortitude and Old Cumberland , No . 12 , it was resolved to alter the day of Lodge meeting from the second to

the third Tuesday in every month . In April , Bro . Pitt S . W . submitted a new code of bye-laws , which with a trifling alteration , were ordered to be read and submitted for approval at the next meeting . This was done accordingly , though ifc appears from subsequent minutes that further alterations in them were made . In June a proposition was made and agreed to that each member shonld contribute half a

guinea a quarter in advance towards defraying the Lodge expenses , and it was also determined thafc the Lodge should adjourn annuall y during the months of July , August , and September . At the November meeting Bro . S . Barton Wilson , W . M . of Royal Athelstan , No . 19 , was proposed as a joining member , and after having been duly balloted for in December , was elected unanimously . Here , again , wo have

_ nofcher of the shining lights of Freemasonry of bygone days , of whose membership the St . Michaelians have every reason to bo proud . On the 20 th January 1835 , Bro . Pitt was installed W . M ., the muster , which included over a dozen visitors—among them being Bros . White Grand Secretary , R . T . Crucefix , and W . Farnfield P . M . No . 63 --being stronger than usual , Bro . White being the installing Officer .

The following month a petition to the Board of Benevolence was submitted on behalf of the widow of a late member , and tho W . M . promised to be in his place at the next meeting of the Board and support the prayer of tho lady . A certificate was also given to a member of the Lodge to enable him to get his son ' s name placed on the list of candidates for the next election to the Boys' School . Afc

Lodge Histories. St. Michael's Lodge, No. 211.

tho meeting on the 21 st April , the W . M . gave notice of his intention to submit afc tho next meeting a motion to the etlecfc , " That fcho members of this Lodge do subscribe ono halfpenny ptr day towards fcho funds for tho erection of tho intended Asylnm for Aged and Decayed Freemasons , it being understood that by the unanimous co-operation

of tho Fraternity this trifling subscription will in threo years com . ploto tho desired object . " It is worthy of note that this particular suggestion was carried with perfect unanimity . In December , Bro . Muggeridge was unanimously chosen W . M . for the year ensuing , Bro . Edgar being elected Treasurer , and l ? ro . Speight re-elected

Tyler . After the installation , which took place as- usual in January following , and the investiture of tho Officers , it was unanimously resolved that Bro . Pitt the retiring AV . M . should be presented with a jewel in testimony of his valuable services to the Lodge during his year of office as W . M ., and tho jewel was formally presented at the

next meeting . In March of this yonr ( 1836 ) ifc was agreed to subscribe a guinea towards the fund of tho Boys' School . On tho 13 th July following it was unanimously agreed that the following address shonld be prepared and presented to tho Duke of Sussex , the M . W . G . M ., on the occasion of His Royal Highness having had his sight restored to him after a painful surgical operation , namely : —

" To His Royal Highness Princo Augustus Frederick , Dnke of Sussex , Earl of Inverness , Baron Arklow , K . G ., & c , <_ c ., & c . Most Worshipfnl Grand Master of tho United Fraternity of Freo and Accepted Masons in England .

"Most Worshipful Grand Master , " Wo , the Master Wardens and Brethren of the Sainfc Michael ' s Lodge , No . 255 , bog most respectfully to otter our congratulations on the formidable result of the operation recently performed on your

Royal Highness , and with feelings of gratitude wo humbly thank the Great Architect of the Universe for having restored your Royal Highness to sight , and for having enabled you to bear with fortitude the severe trials with which Ho has been pleased to afflict you .

" Feeling that to your fraternal caro and unwearied devotion to the interests of tho Craft so much of its present prosperity is owing , we have long deplored tho calamity which has deprived us of your august presence , and hail with gratitude tho restoration of yonr Royal Highness to thafc state so ardently wished for by all the

Fraternity , and embrace this opportunity of testifying our admiration of the urbanity and kindness displayed by your Royal Highness on all occasions , and pray fervently to the Most High that a long and peaceful lifo may ensure to tho Craffc the gratification of having your Royal Highness afc their head to govern and direct them in all their undertakings .

Signed at a Lodge , expressly convened for the purpose , this 13 fch day of July 1836 . " S . MUGGERIDGE , W . M . " J . D . KiNCAID , S . W . " RICHARD COOPER , J . W . " EDWARD PITT , P . M . "

Tho following was tho gracious answer returned by the M . W . G . M . to the above congratulatory address , as recorded in the Minutes of the 18 th October following : — " Augustus F . G . M . " W . Master and Brethren of the United" ( by error for St . Michael's ) " Lodge , No . 255 .

" I thank you for your brotherly and affectionate address . "In the midst of my affliction and temporary deprivation of the inestimable blessing of sight , tho sympathy and interest on my behalf expressed by the Fraternity at large has been to me a source of the greatest consolation .

" The confirmation of these sentiments , while ifc calls from me a renewed tribute of gratitude , will serve as an additional stimulus to exert my best endeavours for the integrity and advantage of the Craffc in general as well as for tho benefit of each particular brother . " Kensington Palace , the 9 th of September , "A . D . 1836 , A . S . " ( Query L ) " 5836 . "

Bro . Wilson having had this address " got up in a superior style " to the Lodge , and requested permission to present the members with " the time and expense " incurred in so doing , a vote of thanks was unanimously passed to that brother for his kindness . In the following- month it was resolved thafc the Treasurer shonld

be requested to insure tho furniture of the Lodge . In December , aftor the unanimous election of Bro . J . " D . Kincaid as W . M . for tho ensuing year , it waa resolved that tho brethren should dine together on the occasion of his installation , and that each member should pay an additional five shillings , whilo the visiting fee should be ten

shillings . In January 1837 , aftor tho the installation of Bro . Kincaid as Master , and his appointment of Officers , among whom wo note Bro . S . B . Wilson as S . ^ V ., it was resolved , in tho first instance , to present to Bro . Knott , on his retirement from the Secretaryshi p , fcho unqualified thanks of the Lodge for tho zeal and ability ho had

displayed in tho discharge of his duties * secondly , thafc a Treasurer ' s jewel of the value of Three Guineas should be presented to Bro . Edgar P . M . and Treasurer , in recognition of his invaluable services ; and lastly , that Bro . Muggeridge bo presented , for tho samo reason , with a Past Master ' s jewel of tho same value . The Report of

the Audit Committee , which showed a balance m favour of the Lod ^ o of between £ 1 and £ 5 was accepted ou the same occasion . At the next meeting the Tyler ' s remuneration was fixed at eight shillings , to include banquet and incidental expenses , and it was resolved to

contribute a guinea " to each of the Masonic Charities , Boys and Girls . " In March a Commit too of the Ofiioers of the Lodge was appointed , for ihe-purpose of revising the bye-laws , threo to form a quorum . In October of this year , on the motion of the late Bro . S . Barton Wilson , iho late Bro , John Savage of Fortitude and Old Cumberland , No-12 ,