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SATURDAY . 20 TH JUNE 1891

Consecration Of The Lord Charles Beresford Lodge.

CONSECRATION OF THE LORD CHARLES BERESFORD LODGE .

ON Tuesday , the Oth inst ., there was opened a new Lodgo of Freemasons in Chatham , especially connected with the Royal Marine and Naval branches of tbe public service . The Prince of Wales Hotel in Railway Street was chosen as the local Lodge and the consecration ceremony was performed by the R . W . ProvfGrand Master Earl Amherst . The affair was oarried ont with considerable

eclat . Host and Bro . Evans having made every convenience for the Brothers it was possible to make . The exterior of the hotel was gaily decorated with banting , and the new Lodge-room looked extremoly pretty with its new appointments . The members of the Lodge are particularly fortunate in having for their first Master

Bro . Lieutenant and Quarter-Master Francis Powell , who now fills tho chair of W . M . for the third time , and has been a Grand Officer of Hants and the Isle of Wight three times . He has also been a Steward of tho three Central Institntions of English Freemasonry ; he is also in the Arch and Mark , and is a member of the Scotch and Irish

Constitutions . The petitioners for the new Lodge were Bros . Powell W . M ., Trimble 1424 , Holdstook 511 2153 , Morgan 1424 , Young 797 , Dnffin 1424 , Evans 20 , Gnnton 1424 , Phipps 515 , Mordy 1424 , Barratt 387 I . O ., Burgess 1424 , Wollaston , Astle 1424 , Bealo P . M 1096 , Peart 1424 , Perkins 736 , Folkerd 1424 , Browne 20 , Crouoh 1424 and Parsons P . M . 1050 . The following answer was received from

Lord Charles Beresford , H . M . S . " Undaunted , " Alexandria , on being asked permission to name the Lodge after him : —I am much flattered by the request you make me , to allow a new Lodge you are forming to be called ' The Lord Charles Beresford Lodge . ' I shall be very pleased to accede to the request . I take suoh a deep interest in the splendid oorps of Royal Marines , I am very glad to be associated

with them in any way whatever . " And on being informed that H . R . H . the Prince of Wales had been pleased to grant a charter to the Lord Charles Beresford Lodge , he said , " I am very proud of tho compliment which thnfc renowned corps , tho Royal Marines , have paid me in wishing to name a Lodge after myself . I shall certainly givo myself the pleasure of visiting the Lodge on my return to

England . " There was a large attendance of Past and Present Prov . Grand Officers , the noble Prov . Grand Master being supported by Bros . Eastes , Lovett , Rov . H . M . Maugham , Spencer , Ward , Mitchell ; Bros . Capt . Blakoy , R . N ., acted as S . W ., Ward aa J . W ., and Longhnrst , Mns . Doc , P . M . P . G . Organist presided at the organ . The Lodge having been duly opened . Earl Amherst , addressing the

brethron , said , as they had assembled together in such largo numbers they were all aware of tho cause , which was to add another Lodgo to the already largo number of Lodges of Kent . It could not bnt be interesting to every brother who had tho interests of tho Craft at heart , and he was sure from the largo number of brethren present they all wished the new Lodgo a happy and prosperous oareer . It was established to afford a Masonio home for the members of tho two

great services settled in the town , and he hoped it would be for the good of the town . It sometimes happened that a new Lodge lessened the membership of another Lodge , but it would not bo so in this Lodge . He had no fear bnt that it would promoto the interest in Freemasonry , and stir and stimulate the other Lodges of the town . He was perfectly certain that there was not one of the brethren

present but had the interests of Freemasonry at heart , and ho was also certain that from the members present thoy had stamped the Lodge a success . The Prov . Grand Secretary read the petition and warrant , and the Lodge having been duly dedicated to Masonry , Virtue , and Universal Benevolence , the Prov . Grand Chaplain pronounced the consecration prayer , and tho R . W . Prov . Grand Master

constituted the new Lodge . The Dep . Prov . Grand Master Bro . Eastes then installed Bro . Powell P . M . P . P . G . D . Hants and Isle of Wight as the first W . M . of the Lodge , who chose his Officers as follows : —Bros . Trimble S . W ., Holdstock J . W ., Morgan P . M . as I . P . M ., Astle Treasurer , Peart Seoretary , Burgess S . D ., Mordy J . D ., Evans Organist , Phipps I . G ., Ganton and YonnK Stewards . Rose Tvler .

The Officers being duly invested , the brethren adjourned to the banqueting-room , where they sat down to a sumptuous spread provided by Bro . Evans , the host , the following being the menu -. — Soups—Prince de Galles , Mock Turtle . Fish—Boiled Salmon , Lobster Sauce , Stewed Eels , Whitebait , Plain and Devilled . Entrees—Petites Cotelettes aux petits pois , Croquets do Volaile , Curried

irawns . Joints—Fore Quarter of Lamb , Roast Sirloin of Beef , Boiled Leg of Mutton . Poultry—Roast Chicken , Boiled Chicken , Sauce Bechamel , Roast Duckling , Gooseberry Sance . Entremets—Jipsy Cake , Compoto de Poires , Gooseberry Tart , Punch Jelly . Blancmange . Dessert—Cheese and Salad . The W . M . of the new Lodge Bro . Powell presided , and was snnnorted bv most of the Prov .

brand Officers who had been present at the consecration , and also by Bro . Warne P . P . G . S . W . Dessert was placed on the table . After the Queen and Craft ; toast had been honoured , the W . M . proposed fl . R . H the Prince of Wales M . W . G . M ., and the Tro Grand Master ana Officers of Grand Lodge , to which Bro . Terry Prov . G . Treasarer responded . The W . M . proposed the R . W . Prov . G . Master Earl Amherst . Ho , the W . M ., was sure tho admirable way in which the

Consecration Of The Lord Charles Beresford Lodge.

Prov . G . Master presided over tho Province of Kent for so many years was beyond all praiso . Wlion tho speaker became connected with the Province , tho P . G . M . ' a namo was a honsehold word among Masons . Tho Province had boon making progress ever since , and of tho excellent way in which Earl Amherst porformed his dutit > 3 thoy could not haven nv-ro convincing ono thun what took place whon ho provided at a recant Festival of one of their Institntions iu London , when ont of a total amount subscribed more than one-fifth was sent

from the Province of Kent . Earl Amherst gave a great deal of time and trouble to the Province , which had borne good fruit , specially in the need all felt that they must do thoir duty . Tho toast was drunk with Masonio honours . The Prov . Grand Master returned thanks . He had had the honour of presiding over tho Province for thirty-one years , during which time he had been received with the greatest

kindness , and the brethren had done their best to baok up his efforts in Freemasonry . He nead hardly tell them he was more than gratified by the show Kent made at the Festival for the Benevolent Fund . In the old days £ 2 , 500 was considered an enormous sum for a Province to send up , but Kent on the occasion referred to sent up £ 3 , 500 , whioh he believed was the largest sura any Province had sent

up in support of any Masonic Institution . He need hardly say there were larger Provinces than Kent , with more Lodges and greater power of supporting suoh Institutions than Kent had . According to the number of Lodges in Kent , no Province was more zealous in supporting their Institutions , and he could say none were more loyal in thoir support of the Queen . Who would not take trouble iu such

a Province as that ? Some one must take trouble of human life if things were to go on straight , and with their 58 Lodges and 3 , 500 brethren , if some one did not take trouble , matters might soon be considerably mixed . That success was also due to the Provincial Officers , and as long as they kept up the efficiency of the past in the future , the name of their Province would be respeoted , whioh would

be an ample recompense for any trouble they had taken on account of Freemasonry in Kent . The consecration of a new Lodgo was a most important matter for the Prov . Grand Master . He liked to do that himself as ho could then see the Lodge was oonseorated in due and proper form . It was a solemn and graceful oeremony , and for the honour of the Craft , it was right that the Provincial Worshipful

Master should see it properly performed . It would show great laxity , if not prevented by some oiroumstanoes over whioh we have no control , for him not to be present and do the ceremony . He confessed he had some little extra reasons to be glad to perform the ceremony there that day . He did not forget the time when he wore the Queen ' s uniform , and when he was proud to wear it , and they

might depend upon it it was a greater pleasure to open that Lodge which was to be the home of a distinguished branch of Her Majesty's forcos , and whioh he hoped would gather reoruits from the sister service that wore the blue serge . He saw no objection to their having a special Lodge . They had a wholo battalion of Marines in their midst , and there was among thorn anesprit de corps which made them

proud to havo a Lodge of their own . He felt sure that in indulging that feeling for a new Lodge for the Marines and Naval service he was doing no harm to tho other Lodges in the distriot . The Masons were strong enough to keep up tho number of Lodges in Chatham and Roohester without the creation of that new one doing any harm to an individual Lodge . That being tho case he was glad to be able

to bo of some service to a number of his comrades in the servicefor although ho had doffed the red coat long sinco ho was still a comrade—glad to bo of somo service tocomrndesand to Freemasonry in Kent . He would look back with great pleasure on that day and at the way in which tho new Lodgo had received the toast of the P . G . Master of Kent . The W . M . proposed " the Dep . Prov . Grand

Master and Officers of Prov . Grand Lodge , " to which Bros . J . S . Lovett Prov . G . J . Warden , A . Spencer Prov . Grand Seoretary , and Bro . T . S . Warne Past Provincial Grand Senior Warden , responded . The Prov . Grand Master proposed the Worshipful Master and success to the Lodge . He , the Prov . Grand Master , congratulated the brothers upon their choice of W . M ., a zealous and worthy man ,

who had taken a vast deal of tronble in the promotion of their Lodge , and paid the fullest attention to those details that were necessary to ensure the success of a new Lodge . Of Bro . Powell ' s career as a Royal Marine they were very proud . 25 years a soldier , thirteen of which he had been Sergeant-Major , and his officers unanimously recommending him to the Admiralty for a commission as

Quarter-Master spoke well for the service he had done . They could not wish for a V 7 . M . with a more honourable record in the outside world . During tho year , Bro . Powell had been a Mason he had done much , and in founding that Lodge it was for them to Bee that the tronble taken and work done had not been taken or dono in vain . He wished the W . M . and his Officers a prosperous and happy year .

The W . M . returned thanks , and alluded briefly to his services in Freemasonry , having been threo times W . M ., and beon 26 years a Mason , in all parts of the world . Describing the steps taken bo form that Lodge and his acceptance of the post of W . M ., Bro . Powell thanked those members of other Lodges who had rallied round them that day , and also the Provincial Officers who were presont . They

had had Lord Charles Beresford ' s permission to use his name as a title to the Lodge , and that gallant officer would visit them on his return to England in 18 months' tim 3 , when the W . M . hopod Lord Beresford would lind them in such a position that ho would not ' feol disgusted ho had lent them his name . Ho , tho W . M ., would be in the chair 12 months , which would soon pass , and they must all rally

round him and make the Lodge worthy of the namo it bore , worthy of tho Provincial Grand Master , and worthy of tho Province . Bro . Morgan proposed the Visitors , coupled with the name of Bro . Wiggins W . M . of Lodge 20 , who said he was proud to bo at tho birth of that Lodge , which he was sure would bo of credit to the

service and tho old town of Chatham . As representing the oldest Lodge in the Provinces out of London , ho was proud symbolically to hold out the hand of friendship to the youngest Lodge in tho Province , and tho brethren of Lodge 20 would give thoao of that Lodge a hearty welcome whenever they visited them . Other tuasla followed ;