Prov. Grand Lodge Of Cheshire.

becoming more apparent every year , and it was recommended . as u worthy object for the newly appointed charity representatives to accomplish , and it . * - great usefulness , if established , was omphasiaed . Li tho following year 1891 , corroboration of these view- w . n afforded by the

inability of the Election C imuiittce of the rrovinej , owing to tho scarcity of votes , to deal with tho cases of two worthy aged Freemasons , who wero candidates for the anuuities of the Loud m I -su ' tuti > n . During the year 1891-92 , which was tho Jubilee year of tho Landon

Benevolent Institution , and when a special t ff > rt was made by the Chrshiro brethren in its behalf , resulting iu a sum of £ 1 , 950 hein-T eoiitri'm ' ed from tho Province , tho movement for the local Institution wero allowed to rest . In 1892 . however , tho matter was taken up i : i earnest , and on

tho 15 th June the inaugural festival was held at Chester , when it was stated by Brother Nowhou * o Piovincial Grand Secretary , that the grand totd promised was £ 3 , 13 > , and there was in tho bank then to the credit of tho fund no less a sum than £ 2 , 500 . Since then £ 2 , 421 * hvl been invested ,

and would produce an annual income of £ > 9 . Up to date the total receipts were £ 2 , 649 lis 6 d , and thoro remained a balance in the bank of £ 198 15 s . Both those report .- ) wero adopted , and on tbe motion of the Provincial Grand Master , Provincial Grand Lodgo accepted the recommendation of the Provisional Committee of the Benevolent

Institution , that in order to recognise fittingly the unceasing energy and devotion of the Provincial Grand Secretary in connection with the movement , there should be devoted a sum of 25 guineas , being the bulk of the

surplus at disposal from tho festival or banquet account , to tho Institution account in Bro . Newhouse ' s name , thereby qualifying him as vice-patron of the Institution with 50 life votes .

A Centenary Warrant was next presented to the W . M . of the King ' s Friends Lodge , No . 293 , Nantwich . The Lodge waB established in March 1793 , at the Three Pigeons Inn , but for a number of years past and until quite recently its meetings were held at the Lamb Hotel . After a few

appropriate words to the Master , Lord Egerton addressing the whole of the gathering , said he had again to congratulate tho brethren of the Cheshire Provincj upon a steady increase in tho number of member- during tho past year . There wero now 2 , 241 brethren as compared with 1 , 963 a

year ago . Th re wore -15 Lodges in the Province , and in consequence of that increaso , by the decision of the Grand Lodgo of England , two extra Provincial Grand Officers had been granted to . the Province , a satisfactory step towards enabling brethren of the different Lodges to obtain

Provincial honour . ? . With regard to their new and important Masonic Benevolent Institution in the Province ho was glad to seo that the brethren maintained two lines of benevolence , that of clothing and educating the children of their poorer brethren , and that of making handsome

provision for tho ngod poor Freemason- * and their widows . The question generally of provision for old age was being discussed throughout tho country . Ho thought is was satisfactory to find that Masons endeavoured to combine to

the utmost of their piwer to give to all those of their brethren who from old ago , from sickness , or from any other ¦ misfortune , wore in reduced circumstances towards tho close of their lives . . lie trusted that the new Institution and all

the Benevolent Institutions might be so well supported that no Mason of good character who was recommended by his Lodge as ono who had fallen into misfortune could fail to receive proper help from tho Masonic Institutions of his country or his Provinc-. The amount invested was

£ 2 , 500 and promises had come in up to £ 3 , 180 . These snms , he thought , showed noble effort for one year , and they reflected great honour upon Bro . Newhouse and those who had worked with him . The Maonic Educational Institution of Cheshire lad heen founded 30 years . Its invested fund was £ 6 , 250 , and 47 scholars wero assisted in various

ways , particularly for their clothing . In consequence of the Assisted Education Act and the facilities that were now given for education it was possible that the funds which had been raised for that purpose might not b 3 wanted to the same extent that they had hitherto been . In some

cases children might require clothing and assistance independent of their educational fees . Although he did not think tho time was quite ripo for any change in that matter

yet ho thought that beforo long the subject must be considered and possibly some legal stops would be taken whereby money subscribed specially for educational could be used for benevolent pnrposis . What had been done

Prov. Grand Lodge Of Cheshire.

this year ought to be a strong inducement to brethren to join the Benevolent Institution . Tho mcro they showed Misonry to be real anl practical the more they would bo

equal to the demand'of the age , and won'd show that they belonged to a living and listiig Ordrr . Two Lodge centenaries wero being celeb -atod t ! rs yo ir , tho second being in Macclesfield .

Bro . Jackson P . M . of the Kin / . s Friends Lod

unanimously e ' ccto . l Treasure ]'; Br . ) ° . Gib - on , Shoriff Roberts , T . H . Anre-t , H . Fi o \ and T . Loakitt wero eleoted Auditors , and the Provincial Grand Master afterwards appointed and invested tho following as his Ofljeirs for the year ensuing : —

Bro . W his ton 295 ... ... ... Sonior Warden Anthony G . Cnmmini ? 9 291 ... Junior Warden Re ** . R . Hodsjain 321 ... ... ) p , „„ , .. Rev . C . Chtt . vjnd Alkinsin 1015 j , a P , a , D 8 Joseph Jackson ... ... Treasurer James T . Thompson 477 ... Registrar

R . Newhouse ( reappointed ) 1015 ... Secretary Capt . Cooper , R . A ., 2386 ... ) a . ^ „ Jofeph H . Wild 537 j Son , 0 r Daacon * George WSidebotham 361 ... | jQnior Jame-j Clark 60 o ... ... j

John Armstrong 2133 ... ... Supsrintendent of Work * H . Gordon Small 2368 ... Director of Ceremonies John Pythian 336 ... ... Dep . Dir . of Cors . William Campbell 1357 ... } Charles Vickers 979 ... ... >¦ Assist . Director . of Cars .

Thomas Wood 214-1 ... ... ) John Bottomley 324 ... ... Sword Bearer James Crook 320 ... ,., ) „ , , , George Boothby 323 J Standard Bearers H . Brooks 1126 .., ... Assitant Secretary

Herbert Ellis 721 ... ... Organist Thomas J . Darlington 89 ... Pursuivant T . W . A . Napier 2132 ... ... Asat . Pnrsnivant S . Smith ( re-appointed ) ... Tyler Sergeant-Major M'Kay ... ... " 1 Peter Blackburn

Robert Fidler ... ... ... \ Q , , J . F . Fear ... >•Stewards Geo . H . Hollins ... ... j John Cope ... ... ... J

Lord Egerton subsequently announced that next year ' s Provincial Grand Lodgo would bo held at Birkonheal . For the succeeding year au invitation was extended by tho Earl of Chester Lodge at Lymm .

The Provincial Grand Lodge was then closed , aud the brethren , headed by a band , walked in procession to tho Parish Church . At the close of the service an offertory was taken in aid of the Provincial Fund of Benevolence . In the evening there was a banquet at the Brino Baths Hotel , Lord Egerton presiding . —Manchester Courier .

Consecration Of The Duchess Of York Lodge, No. 2482.

CONSECRATION OF THE DUCHESS OF YORK LODGE , No . 2482 .

BY the consecration of this Lodge , which took place at the Victoria Hotel , Manchester , on Wednesday , the 13 th instant , the Provinces of East and West Lancashire , are now placed upon an equal footing so far as numerical strength is concerned , each possessing a roll of 107 Lodges .

Whether the promoters ( who , if we mistake not , are all well known visitors to a celebrated Masonic home in the pleasant village of Urmston ) desired to enter into a friendl y rivalry with the Duke of York Lodge , is a topic upon which it is perhaps neither desirable nor expedient to enter :

it is , however , sufficient for all purposes to know that by the formation of this , they have provided a fitting spouse to the Duko of York Lodge , No . 2449 , held at a neighbouring hotel . The names of the promoters to whom we allude are Bros . Thomas Archer Lowe 216 and 1013 , Robert Fox

104 , Peter Bratt 1588 , Frederic Walmsloy 163 , Thomas Almond Lever 1077 , James Beardmore W . M . 852 , Philip Whyman 1219 2449 , Ernest Archer Lowe 1013 , Joseph Howarth 815 1588 , J . E . Mead 163 , W . Hardy 33 G , W . H . Boycott 1345 , J . M . H . Blarney 163 .

As in the case of the three other Manchester Lodges recently opened , tho Right Worshipful Provincial Grand Master , Colonel Le Gendrc N . Starkie , undertook the duty of consecration , and this announcement to those who arc

familiar with his working is sufficient guarantee that the ceremony was performed in a very excellent manner . At an early hour in the afternoon the Provincial Officers began to arrive upon the scene , having already , been anticipated