Gloucestershire.

this having been seconded by Bro . Lea and carried , a further resolution' was proposed by the Dep . Prov . G . Master and seconded by Bro . Millman , contributing ^" 10 ios to the fund being raised by Br , o . Window ' s Lodge at Wottonunder-Edge as a testimonial to him . This also was carried , with the warm approval of the Prov . G . Master .

The roll of the Lodges was then called , and their reports received . These reports were , without exception , satisfactory both as to the financial condition and the Fraternal working of the Lodges . The Provincial Grand Master appointed and invested his Officers for the ensuing year , as follow :

Bro . H . J . Francillon 761 ... Senior Warden R . Chandler 900 ... Junior Warden Rev . T . Hodson 82 ... Chaplain James Bruton 839 ... Treasurer E . B . Haygarth 592 ... Registrar

J . B . Winterbotham 82 i' . G . D . ... Secretary G . Dimmer 246 ... Senior Deacon W . Hobbs 439 ... Junior Deacon A . W . Waller 702 ... Supt . of Works F . B . Osborne 951 ... Dir . of Ceremonies

E . F . Brodenp 136 3 ... Assist . Dir . of Cers . W . F . Noak 270 ... Sword Bearer W . T . Adams 855 ... Standard Bearer H . G . Gadd 1067 ... Ditto H . Cadle 1005 ... Organist

M . Llewellyn Evans 82 ... Assistant Secretary G . A . Baker 1005 ... Pursuivant Thomas Camm 761 ... Steward W . H . Allen 761 ... Ditto Tritchett ... Tyler .

Provincial Grand Lodge was then closed , and the Brethren adjourned to a banquet prepared for them in the Victoria Hall . About 160 sat down to an excellent repast under the chairmanship of the Prov . Grand Master . The after dinner speeches were brief and bright .

Bro . Winterbotham was peculiarly happy in his proposal of the health of the Prov . Grand Master , and the Prov . Grand Master , in reply , after a playful interchange with the proposer of the toast , said the Brethren could hardly realise with what pleasure he attended these annual gatherings ,

what a delight it was to him to come amongst the Masonic friends of his own county . Though politics were forbidden there , it strengthened him for his political work elsewhere to feel that whatever the strain he had to bear , there in Gloucestershire he could forget it all and remember only the friendship and the Masonic bond that existed between them .

The party broke up in time for the departure of trains to the several destinations . — " Cheltenham Examiner . "

Somersetshire.

SOMERSETSHIRE .

THE following is a list of the Officers appointed at the annual meeting of this Province , reported in our last issue :

Bro . G . B . Toms 1953 ... Senior Warden H . Aplin 18 33 ... Junior Warden Rev . E . A . Purvis 379 ... Chaplain Rev . R . F . Frazer-Frizell 291 ... Ditto L . Fry Edwards ( re-elected ) ... Treasurer C . E . Hagon 135 ... Registrar E . Fry Wade ( re-appointed ) ... Secretary F . AV . Gardiner 41 ... Senior Deacon H . A . Fry 53 . ... Junior Deacon

C A . Hayman 1750 ... Supt . of AVorks AV . C . Thomas 1822 ... Dir . of Ceremonies G . A . H . AATiite 379 ... Asst . Dir . of Cers . H . Humphries 900 ... Sword Bearer E . King 976 ... Standard Bearer S . Pile 814 ... Ditto E . Davey 1755 ... Organist J . Lewis 261 ... Assistant Secretary

J . Coutis 446 ... Pursuivant I . J . Brown 329 ... Steward D . Morgan 285 ... Ditto T . G . Coggan 772 ... Ditto J . C . Gradidge 973 ... Ditto A . Salter 53 ... Tyler C . F . Callaway 41 ... Assist . Tyler .

Suffolk.

SUFFOLK .

CONSIDERABLE satisfaction is experienced throughout this Province at the promotion of Bro . Tracy from the position of Prov . G . Secretary to that of Deputy Prov . G . M ., in succession to the late Bro . Rev . C . J . Martyn . At the recent installation meeting of the Fidelity Lodge , No . 555 ,

Suffolk.

held at Framlingham , Bro . Tracy , acknowledging hearty greetings on his preferment , said that for some time he had felt that he was growing old , and that the work of the Prov . Grand Secretaryship was becoming too severe a task ; and though he did not feel worthy of the distinguished honour

that had been done him , he had accepted the Office , hoping to keep in touch with the Province , and to further the interests of the . Craft . Bro . Anness , whose name was also coupled with the toast , said that every Provincial Officer should feel it incumbent upon him to forward the Craft , in any way he

might be called upon , to the utmost of his power . He had tried to do so , but when the Office of Provincial Grand Secretary was offered him , he must confess he shuddered . However , he had determined to do his best , and although

he already had found that the Office was no sinecure , yet with the kind and valuable assistance of the D . P . G . M . he hoped- he might succeed in performing the duties so as to gain the respect of the Province , and that would be sufficient reward .

Mark Masonry.

MARK MASONRY .

— : o : — ESSEX . TFIE second annual meeting of the recently-formed Grand Lodge of Mark Master Masons for the Province of

Essex was held on Wednesday , 29 th ult ., at the Royal Forest Hotel , Chingford , and was a successful and interesting function . Much regret was felt and expressed at the absence of the popular Provincial Grand Master the Earl of Warwick partly from the fact that the Warwickshire Yoemanry , in

which his Lordship is one of the oldest commissioned officers , is under canvass in the park of Warwick Castle , but chiefly , it is feared , owing to his Lordship ' s present indifferent state

of health . Colonel Lockwood , M . P ., Deputy Provincial Grand Master , proved an efficient substitute , presiding over the business meeting and at the repast that followed , with his customary smartness and bonhomie .

The first business was the confirmation of the minutes of the meeting held last year at Brentwood , which having been done , letters were read from several distinguished Brethren regretting their inability to attend . These included the Earl of Warwick Prov . G . M ., Major C . W . Carrell P . G . D . C .

Dr . Salter Prov . G . Treas ., C . E . Egerton-Green P . P . S . G . W . ( Mayor of Colchester ) , F . W . Imbert-Terry P . P . J . O ., John J . C . Turner P . P . S . G . W ., A . J . PI . Ward P . P . S . G . W ., and Robert

Cook P . P . G . I . of Works . The roll of Lodges was then called by the Provincial Grand Secretary Brother T . J . Railing , and the eight forming the Province were found to be duly represented .

Bro . John Ramsey Prov . S . G . W ., presented the report of the Board of General Purposes and moved that it be received , adopted , and entered on the minutes . The report opened with a feeling allusion to the loss which the Order had sustained in common with the nation generally in the death

of Her Majesty , the late Queen Victoria ; and satisfaction that His Majesty the King , on resigning the Grand Mastership , had consented to become its patron , and had been succeeded by his august brother H . R . H . the Duke of Connaught . The returns from the eight Lodges showed that there had been

during the year twenty-four advancements and two joining members , while on the other hand there had been one resignation , the losses by death eight , and three Brethren had been struck off the books of their respective Lodges , leaving the present strength of the Province 199 members against 185

last year . The accounts had been audited and showed a satisfactory balance in hand . In conclusion , the Board expressed a hope that during the coming year there might be increased activity amongst the Mark Masons of the Province .

Seeing that Essex is now self dependent , and that one Lodge had succeeded in adding no fewer than eleven new members during the past year , the Board felt sure that it only required a little individual effort to make the Degree more popular .

Bro . Richard Clowes P . G . O . Prov . G . D . C . seconded the motion for the adoption of the report , which was put and carried unanimously . - Bro . Colonel Lockwood then addressed the Brethren .

Pie said his task was an extremely light one , as there was no trouble of any kind to disturb the friendly relations between the Lodges and the authorities , while the returns showed that the Order was making , steady progress . The Board of