Lodge Histories.

LODGE HISTORIES .

THE LODGE OF PROBITY , No . 01 .

( Continued from page o 70 ) . IN 1857 Bro . He-iry l _ d-. v-. rd . - * , who the previous year had been moat active as Senior Warden , rose to the chair of

Probity Lodgo , and it is bufc natural tho mombors look bank to this period as an iaiportanfc ono in tlioir history , bearing as it does on the ultimate elevation of Sir Henry Edwards to tho Proviuciul Grand Mastership ot * West

Yorkshire . In 1 SG 7 the St . James Lodge ( then also meeting at Halifax ) decided to build a Masonio Hall on its owu account . Probity hearing of this , made such overtures that it was decided the purchase of land and tho building

of a Masonic Temple should be carried out by the joint Lodges . Every arrangement was properly completed , aud it being decided thafc tho ceremony of laying the corner stone should bo observed with duo solemnity , Sir Henry

Edwards , Bart ., M . P ., then Past Prov . G . S . W ., was invited to preside on tho occasion . This ho did , tho ceremonies being performed in regular Masonic stylo , a dispensation having been granted for the occasion . This was on tho

30 th Juno 1868 , and on the lbfch August ot the following year tho Lodge of Probity held its first meeting in the now Hall . The Hall , however , vvas not formally consecrated until 24 th November 1869 , an emergency meeting of the junior Lodgo of tho town being held for the purpose .

A third Lodge was warranted for Halifax , 11 th July 1870 , and was named tho De Warren , holding its first meetings at the White Swan Hotel , and continuing its gatherings to tho-present time .

The great event in the history of Probity Lodge of this period was the appointment of its Past Master ( Sir Henry Edwards ) as Provincial Grand Master for "West Yorkshire .

His installation occurred at a Lodge of Emergency , held in the Drill Hall , 21 st April 1875 , while his genial rule over this important district is too much a matter of

modern history to need further comment here . On similar grounds we may now conclude our review of tho Probity History . No doubt its subsequent actions are well known throughout tho Craft , and if they have not

been recorded year by year in fche pages of tho FKEBMASON ' CHRONICLE as fully as some would wish , it must be remembored our field of operations is a large one , and if we do not always do all that is required of us , ifc is rather from inability than any lack of desire on our part . Onco more we congratulate the Lodge of Probity on the brilliant records of its past career , now collected and

presented to the world m handsome form by Bro . Crossloy , and while we cannot say that every one of our older Lodges could compile such a record , we aro fain to believe that with such a Historian as tho Probity has secured much would be possible . From dry matters of fact , dates ,

and ordinary minutes he has written a most enjoyable Masonic book—the persual of whioh has afforded us as much pleasure as ever fell to our Jot in connection with a Masonic volume .

Wo havo omitted to mention that on tho 4 th November 1888 tho Lodge celebrated the 150 th year of its existence , tho brethren attending service at church on that day . We

congratulate them ou such a celebration , and hope that in due course the members may havo an opportunity of similarly T'ojnicing on tho completion of the second century of their Lodge ' s career .

Tho first halfpenny weakly number of a large-papar illustrated edition of Archdeacon Parrar ' s " Life of Christ" will be published on 1 st January . Tho size will bo uniform with the halfpenny weekly edition of tho " Doro Bible , " which has had so large a s'tle . The work will also bo published iu threepenny monthly parts .

At the usual monthly meeting of the Coleridge Lodge , No . 1750 , held at the Masonic Rooms , Public Hall , Clovedon , ou Thursday , the 12 th inst ., Bro . E . G . Rivers wss

unanimously elected W . M . for the ensuing year , Bro . T . Barnes re-elected Treasurer , and Bro . R . Stephens Tyler . It was decided to hold the annual banquet , at the Royal Pier Hotel , on Thursday , 9 th January 1890 .

Ad01102

rllO THE DKAF . —A Person curod of Dnafnras and iioi . es in tho I lictul of- * : * yonrs' st . mdinj . ' l » j * a simple remedy , will send a , description of ii Fniiu to any I ' crson who applies to jN . _ cr _ or . su _ f , _* Bedford . Square , W . C

The Lord Mayor.

THE LORD MAYOR .

SIR HENRY AARON ISAACS is tho subject of a " Celebrities at . Homo" sketch which recently appeared iu the Wot Id . Tho first portion of tho sketch is devoted to a description of tho artistic coutonta of the now Lord Mayor ' s private residence , at 27 Belsizo Park . Proceeding next to tho subject of tho article tho writer

says : — " Pew men have laboured more iud-iatigably iu tho best interests of the City during tho p :. st qu irter of a century thau Sir Heury Isaacs , and tho drawing-room abounds in tokens of the grateful recognition of his follow-citizens . Tho statue of Cupid , by Legrew , was the

gift of the Special Bridge Committee ; the vases of early Berliu china were presented to him by his c . lleagues of tho ' Markets '; and the silver goblets on the grand piano con : uieuiorato his untiring efforts for the federation of the synagogues . Both Sir Ilenry Isaacs and his wifo are accomplished musicians . They possess respectively fine

baas-baritone aud mezxo-aoprauo voices , and daring tho coming twelvemonths their friend i in Belsizo Park will sorely miss their plea . ant evening parties . The figure of ' Mosea' once belonged to an Archbishop of Utrecht ; the tall centrepiece facing the window ia a souvenir from tho committee appointed to organise the reception of

tho Priuce of Wales at tho Guildlnll on his return from India ; and ou the walls conspicuous places aro occupied by ono of Savry ' a cattle-pieces , a moonlight scene by Pother , and a painting of Eve by Ilinaldi . Sir Heury Isaacs ia probably the first monarch of the

Mansion House who has devoted a portion of his leisure to the collection of Lowestoft china . Three days before the Common Council acclaimed him as Lord Mayor he realised one of the dearest wishes cf his life by acquiring the three moat perfect Lowestoft vasea iu existence . "

" It ia from a silver box used by the Heir-Apparent during hia visit to the City thirteen years ago that tho Alderman of Portsoken extracts a fragrant oigar , which you smoke while he tells you something of a career which has led , step by step , to the highest honour which the greatest municipality in the world can bestow on one of

hor citizens . His father , Michael Isaacs , was au inhabitant of the Ward of Aldgate fifty-nine years ago , when the future Lord Mayor was born , and his mother belonged to the Spanish family of Mendoaa . He went into business very early , and , before ho was twenty , married the daughter of a Scotch officer , Alexander Rowland , who ,

when serving in the 9 th Eegiment , had twice saved the life of hia comrade Colin Campbell , afterwards Lord Clyde . Without neglecting his own affairs , Sir Henry Isaacs soon became a prominent supporter of the various charitable institutions belonging to the Hebrew community , aud so far back aa 1871 he received a costly

testimonial from the Hambro Synagogue , where he had acted aa Warden . His work in connection with several important commercial enterprises did not prevent him from becoming a leader amongst Freemasons , an active Common Councilman , and a Master of the Loriners' Company . Fivo-and-tweuty years ago he began to agitato

the now popular question of improved dwellings for the poor . He was mainly instrumental iu bringing about many much-needed reforms in the Finance Committee of the Corporation , aud in 1869 he was appointed to the Chairmanship of the City Lands Committee . Some years afterwards , as head of the Markets Committee , he gave

valuable evidence before the House of Commons , aud the Tower Bridge now in course of erection owes , in a great measure , its existence to his dogged persistency . After the Chicago fire ho drew the attention of tho Corporation to the question of precautions againat a similar calamity in a convincing pamphlet , aud his

suggostions resulted in the establishment of a large number of hydrants . Iu 1871 he was the donor of a bust of tho Princess of Wales which ia now to be seen io the Guildhall , and three years later ho heade I tho Reception Committee ou the return of her hu . band from India . Ho has also turned his attention to certain shortcomings in tho London

water , the qualifications of juror- iu the City Courts , and the troniduction into England of tho oral system of teaching deaf mntoa . Upon the last sulj - Ct his brochure , ' Sounds versus Signs , ' is a recognised authority . His earnest protest prevented the appearance of Court Chapl-iin Herr Stooker in the Egyptian Hall . Alderman

Isaacs is both an able a . d painstikiug magistrate . His crusado agaiust tho oppressors of the brute orejtiou struck t . rrorinto tho hearts of evildoers : he nukes a practice of taking careful uotos of the testimony adduced before him , aud has written trenchant letters on ' Police Evidence' aud ' School Board Cases . ' The Lord Mayor

has also won his spurs as a composer . His ode on tht | death of the Prince Consort appeared in 18 fJ 2 , but the better-known ' Lovo Star' is the work upon which the learned judge p . orapfcly replied that , iu his humble opinion , ' the publication of an original soug by a Sheriff of the City of London is an undoubted sign of the progress wo

are making iu civilisation . Among other gifts which have from time to time enriched Sir Henry Isaacs' home , the sketch iu the World mentions " the Empire candelebra in old bronze and ormolu , the ofl ' . iiugs of the City Lands Committee , or the enormous Georgian d'sh iu repousse work , tha

reward of twenty yea-s loyal services to the "Ward of Aldgate . The salvers of the Lodge of Tranquillity and the snuff-box of his Prosperity pupila remind him of tbe strong probability of his succeeding

Sir Edward Inglefield as Master of the Drury Lane Masonic Lodge , within a lew weeks of his acc-ssiuu to office in the City . With a reference to Sir Henry's love for paintings , of which he is an accomplished connoisseur , the article is brought to a conclusion .

The Provincial Grand Chapter of Royal Arch Masons of Hampshire aud tho ls ! e of Wight will lie held at Southampton on tho : 3 rd of February 1800 .