East Lancashire.

EAST LANCASHIRE .

THE annual meeting of the Provincial Grand Lodge was held on Wednesday , 19 th inst ., under the presidency of Colonel Le Gendre N . Starkie Provincial Grand Master , at the Baths Assembly Rooms , Bolton . There was a very large attendance of members , the roll being signed by between 600 and 700 Brethren . Colonel Starkie was supported by Bros . C . R . N .

Beswicke-Royds Deputy Provincial Grand Master ; Edward Ashworth , J . Chadwick , and R . Newhouse , past Officers of the Grand Lodge of England ; Dr . D . J . Leech Prov . S . G . W ., C . D . Cheetham Prov . J . G . W ., S . F . Butcher Prov . G . Registrar , J . Newton Prov . G . Secretary , and upwards of seventy Present and Past Officers of Provincial Grand Lodge .

The roll was called , and it appeared that of the 111 Lodges in the Province only one was not represented , and in that case an apology for absence from the Master had been received . The number of subscribing Brethren was returned as 4 , 488 .

Brother S . H . Shorroek Prov . G . Treasurer presented the accounts for the past year . They showed a balance from the previous year of £ 298 , and that the total receipts , inclusive of fchat amount , were £ 1 , 071 . After the necessary expenditure had been met there remained a balance in the bank of £ 509 .

Bros . G . B . Goodfellow , W . Craven , and J . H . Lord , tbe Auditors , presented their report , and on the motion of Bro . J . Heelis P . P . S . G . W ., seconded by Bro . J . H . Meakin P . P . J . G . W ., the accounts and Auditors' report were adopted , Colonel Starkie expressing his gratification at the prosperous condition of the Province . The Prov . G . Treasurer and Auditors were cordially thanked for their services .

The Prov . Grand Secretary read the report of the Charity Committee . In moving its adoption Bro . C . D . Cheetham pointed to the necessity for all charity votes possessed by Lodges and individual members of the Order in the Province being forwarded to the Charity Committee , so that the voting strength of East Lancashire might be utilised to the fullest extent in the election of local candidates to the Masonic Charities .

The Provincial ' Grand Master endorsed the observations of Bro . Cheetham , and said it was of the highest importance that votes should not be lost owing to inadvertence or carelessness . The report was adopted . Bro . Cheetham then moved that a grant of £ 50 be made to the East Lancashire Systematic Masonic Educational and

Benevolent Institution . Bro . J . Andrew P . P . G . D . seconded the motion , and urged that the amount should be increased to £ 100 . The Provincial Grand Master said the meeting was doubtless in full sympathy with Bro . Andrew , but it was necessary that the great London Masonic Benevolent Institutions should not be forgotten . The motion , as moved , was supported by Bro . J . T . Hooper P . P . G . Treasurer , and adopted ,.

Bros . A . Clegg , H . Hayes , J . Walker , T . Allitfc , and Christopher Wren were elected members of the General Committee of the East Lancashire Systematic Masonic Benevolent Institution .

For the office of Provincial Grand Treasurer there were nominated Bros . J . Hardcastle , Bolton , and Nathan Heywood , Manchester . Bro . Hardcastle was declared elected . The Provincial Grand Master invested the Officers of Provincial Grand Lodge for the ensuing year as follow : —

Bro . Vice-Chancellor S . Hall , Q . C , 62 - Senior Warden Capt . J . Barlow 1012 - - - Junior Warden Bev . G . A . Latham 2529 - - - ) _ , , . Bev . W . D . D . Eirth 633 - - - J ^ Plains John Hardcastle 37 ... Treasurer G . L . Vaughan 1030 - - " - Registrar

H . Lycett 62 Deputy Registrar 3 . Newton 37 Secretary W . H . Brown 221 -- ..- ) Thomas Uttley 2464 - - - < , Senior Deacons Thomas Mellor 2560 > - - - ) Harry Perry 2447 - - - - \ Joseph Snape 1055 - - - - I Junior Deacons

Charles S . Winn 2387 - - - ; Samuel Moore 992 - - . . Superintendent of Works Joseph Selby 1083 - Director of Ceremonies W . Clark 1012 .... Deputy Dir . of Cers . W . Gray 999 - - - . - \ J D . Lord 286 - L Assist . Dirs . of Cers . W . T . Mitton 1868 . \

T . T . Hardicker 2449 - - - Sword Bearer T . Hamer 146 Deputy Sword Bearer W . J . Melling 2185 - - - } aY i x-a " W . Coupe 1147 - - . f standard Bearers W . H . Masfield 204 - - . Organist W . Craven 1633 .... Assistant Secretary

W . Greenwood 348 - - - - Pursuivant J . M . Jones 1322 .... Assistant Pursuivant T . Murphy 37 - - - N E . Hope 146 H . Critchley 221 - - . . J . J . Bentley 221 - h stewards R . Jones 348 - - - . A . Unsworth 1723 .... E , H . Flower 999 - - - - Tyler .

East Lancashire.

Bro . C . D . Cheetham gave notice that at the November meeting he would move that the sum of 100 guineas be given from the funds of Provincial Grand Lodge to the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution for Aged Freemasons and "Widows . Provincial Grand Lodge was afterwards closed . In the evening there was a banquet at the Bolton Town Halh" Manchester Guardian . "

South Wales Western Division.

SOUTH WALES WESTERN DIVISION .

THE installation of Bro . Lieutenant General Laurie , M . P . for the Pembroke and Haverfordwest Boroughs , as Provincial Grand Master of the Western Division of South Wales ( in succession to the late Lord Kensington ) will take place at Tenby ,

on 4 th June . The ceremony will be performed by Bro . W . W . Bramston Beach , M . P ., Provincial Grand Master for Hampshire . The Provincial Grand Lodge will be held under the banner of Tenby Lodge , No . 1177 , of which the Rev . G . C . Rowe is W orshipful Master .

Warwickshire.

WARWICKSHIRE .

A MEETING of the Provincial Grand Lodge was held on the 6 th inst ., at the Masouic Hall , Birmingham . During the progress of the Lodge the Provincial Grand Master Lord Leigh , who presided , proposed a donation of twenty-five guineas from the funds of Grand Lodge towards the erection in St . Mary ' s ,

Warwick , of a pulpit in commemoration of the Queen ' s long reign , which proposal was carried unanimously . The total cost of the pulpit , about £ 200 , will be defrayed by the Masons of Warwickshire , and it is understood that most of the money is already in hand .

Bro . W . F . Tolladay P . M . of the Forward Lodge , No . 1180 , handed to the representatives of the Warwickshire' Masonic Benevolent and Pupil ' s Aid Fund the sum of £ 200 , collected by him for this deserving object ; after which the Lodge was closed with an eloquent oration by the Rev . C . W . Kirkby P . G . C .

No new appointments were made , and it is understood that the next investitures will take place at the Shakespeare Lodge , Warwick , instead of Stoneleigh Abbey , as was previously arranged , in order that the assembled Lodges may have an opportunity of seeing the Masonic pulpit , which it is hoped will by that time be erected in St . Mary ' s Church , Warwick . A banquet followed the proceedings in Lodge .

Board Of Benevolence.

BOARD OF BENEVOLENCE .

THE monthly meeting of the Board of Benevolence was held on Wednesday , at Freemasons' Hall , Bro . -J . H . Matthews President of the Board in the chair . The Senior Vice-President Bro . D . D . Mercer , and the Junior Vice-President Bro . C . A . Cottebrune , occupied their usual places . The Grand Secretary

Bro . E . Letchworth , the Assistant Grand Secretary Bro . W . Lake , Bros . W . Dodd , G . S . Recknell and H . Sadler G . T . represented the Grand Secretary ' s department , besides whom a very large number of Brethren were present . The Quarterly meeting of the Board of Masters first had the business paper of

Grand Lodge for 2 nd June submitted to it , after which twentynine petitions for relief by the Board of Benevolence were considered . A total of £ 655 was voted to twenty-three of these , in sums of from £ 5 to £ 60 . Two petitions were withdrawn , one was dismissed , and three were deferred .

Consecration.

CONSECRATION .

CRANE LODGE .

CRANBROOK , though fitly styled the principal town in the Weald of Kent , has not hitherto possessed , as a centre , a Lodge of Freemasons , though members of the Order may be resident in it , and in the district immediately round it , but an

influential gathering of the Brotherhood , emanating from another quarter , had a meeting in the town of Cranbrook on Tuesday , 11 th inst ., and gave evidence of the fact that a Freemason ' s Lodge will shortly be established in it . The style and title of the Brotherhood ' s formation here will be taken from the

wellknown stream , the " Crane , ' which flows in and near the town , " and the members of the Lodge will have their location in that ancient and historical institution , Ye " George " Hotel , where good Queen Bess once stayed for the night . The quaint little town . of Cranbrook is at last waking up from its long , long sleep . — " Sussex Express . "