Military Lodges.

REGULAK FORCES . Lodges iu Royal Artillery 9 „ Infantry Regimonts 15 „ Cavalry do 4

„ Royal Marines 2 „ In Barracks and Garrisons ... 4 „ Royal Artificers ... 1 — ... 35

MILITIA , Lodges in Lancashire Regiments , 2 „ Shropshire do 1 „ Cornwall 2 „ Staffordshire ... 1 Cumberland 1 VUIUUU 1 . CUU ... ... J .

„ ,,, ,,, „ Devon 2 „ Berwickshire ... ... ... 1 „ Wiltshire 1 ,, London 2 York 1 „ Cheshire ... ... ... ... 1 — ... 15

Grand Total 50 At first sight , the decadence of Military Masonry would seem to be due to the operation of very natural causes , the reduction of the army from a war to a peace footing after the Battle of Waterloo in 1815 , leading-, not only to the

disembodiment of tho entire force of Militia , which had been employed in garrison duties in Great Britain , during the absence on foreign service of the bulk of our regular army , but also resulting in the disbandment of many regiments of Infantry and Cavalry , and the reduction of all that

wero retained on the fixed establishment , to a much lower strength than had hitherto prevailed . A closer examination , however , reveals a very different cause for such

decay ; the prosperity of Military Lodges , as a body , culminated in 1813 , when fifty were in existence , which , with only six exceptions , were all u'orhing under " Ancient " Warrants .

It would therefore appear that tho progress of Military Masonry was arrested in 1814 , after tho Grand Lodge of " Ancients " ceased to exist as an independent institntion , as at no time during our history as a nation did our Military establishments swell to larger proportions than between 1782 and 1815 .

The decay of Military Masonry in its class aspect , as evidenced by the proportion of Military to Civil Lodges falling off from one in twelve in 1814 to one in three hundred in 1878 , has , wo think , scarcely been noticed before in any Masonic "journal .

Lodge " Fort George , " under the Scotch Constitution , referred to by Bro . Gould as having been at work in the 31 st Regiment in 1816 , was chartered in 1760 , and struck off the Roll in 1852 .

History Of Freemasonry In Leicestershire And Rutland.

HISTORY OF FREEMASONRY IN LEICESTERSHIRE AND RUTLAND .

( Continued from page 194 . ) On the death of Lord Rancliffe in 1851 , the office of Prov . Grand Master was conferred on Sir F . G . Fowke , who had performed the duties of Deputy for eighteen years ; and on the 23 rd April of that year , Sir Frederick

was duly installed in office , Bro . W . Dohie , Grand Registrar and Prov . G . Master of Surrey , presiding as Prov . G . Master , Bro . "VV . H . White Grand Secretary as Deputy G . M ., and Bros . Pettifor and Kell y as Prov . Grand Wardens , about fifty brethren being present . One of the

earliest acts of the new chief was the appointment of a commission , consisting of Bros . Wheeler , Kelly , and the P . G . Secretary , to inquire into the irregular proceedings of the Knights of Malta Lodge at Hinckley , which is now , we rejoice to hear , one of the best ordered Lodges in the

country , instead of , as it was then , a small but ill-conducted Lodge , consisting mostly of operatives , who wero constantly applying for relief to the Grand Lodge of Benevolence . Indeed , from a list which appears in this sketch , —the names , however , being very properly suppressed .

and only initials given—it appears that between 1828 and 1851 , the members had obtained relief to the extent ot £ 100 , their annual contributions to the funds of Grand Lodge varying from a pound to thirty shillings . Indeed , we are told that but for the services of the late Bro . Need-

History Of Freemasonry In Leicestershire And Rutland.

ham , an old P . M . of the Lodge , it would have been extinct long before It must bo borno in mind that the Knights of Malta Lodgo was originally an Athole Lodge . Its Warrant is dated 1764 , but it was originally held at Macclesfield , and it was not till 1803 that the Warrant was

transferred to Hinckley . Yet , in spite of the articles of the Union , which declared that Masonry consisted only of tho thrco degrees , including the Royal Arch , the Lodge , acting on the sole authority of its Warrant ,

had gone on granting the Ark , Mark , Arch , and Templar degrees . Specimens of the Lodgo certificates for tho Craft , Arch , and Templar degrees aro given , that of tho last-mentioned beinsr as follows : —

" In the name of tho Most Holy , Glorious , and lUndivided Trinity , Father , Son and Holy Ghost . "Wo , the Capt . Generall , & c , & c , Ac . of the General Assembleyof Knight Templers , bold under the Sanction of Lodgo 60 of tho English Regestry , Do Hereby certify that the Bearer , our faithful

true , and well-beloved Brother , Sir William Lee , was by us , Dub'd a Knight of tho Most Holy and Magnanimous Order of Knight Templers , the true and faithful Soldier in Jesus Christ , he having with duo honour and fortitnde , supported the Amaising Tryuls attending his admission , and as such we recommend him to all true Knight Templers on thoface of the Globe .

" Given tinder onr own hands and seal of onr cencral assembly at Hinckley , this Sth day of May 1822 , and of the Order of Malta , Henry Granger , Capfc . Genoral , L . S . Mical McKenny , Grand Warden , James Goode , Dept . Grand Warden . "

On the 28 th April 1852 the statue erected in Leicester to commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of tho Lord Lieutenancy of the " Good " Dnko of Rutland , was formally inaugurated with Masonic ceremony by the Prov . G . Master and his Grand Officers , the brethren present

numbering some eighty , the mallet used on tho occasion being afterwards presented to the John of Gaunt Lodge . The Duke conveyed his thanks for tho honour thus dono by the brethren iu a letter to tho Prov . G . Master . On this occasion Bro . Kelly was appointed Dop . G . M ., though

it was not till 1856 that he received . his regular patent of appointment . On 15 th November 1854 , Bro . W . Cooke , who had hold the office of Prov . G . Secretary sinco 1833 , and who in 1850 had been presented by tho St . John ' s

Lodge with a full dress suit of P . G . Secretary ' s clothing and P . M . ' s jewel , as a mark of their affection , resigned his office , and Bro . Kelly was appointed in his stead . In 1855 the Prov . G . Master ' s health was such that he was unablo

to preside in P . G . Lodge , and early in 1856 he issued , as we have said , a regular patent of appointment , by virtue of which Bro . Kelly ruled tho Province as Dep . P . G . Master , and on the 19 th May of the same year it was announced in P . G . Lodge that two days previously Sir F . G . Fowko

had died , being then in the 74 th year of his age . A resolution of regret and sympath y with the family of the deceased was adopted unanimously , and it w as further determined that the brethren of the Province should wear Masonic mourning for twelve months as a mark of respect for

their late chief . On the 18 th June of this year Eai-Howe was appointed Prov . G . Master , and in October he appointed Bro . Kelly his Deputy . In November his Lordship was installed in office by Bro . Kelly , in the presence of over a hundred brethren , among whom were Bro .

Sir A . G . Hazlerigg , Bro . C . R . Colvile M . P . D . P . G . M . for Derbyshire , aud other distinguished brethren from the adjoining Provinces . On this occasion the brethren went in procession to church , and hei'e a collection , amounting to £ i > 0 , was made , for the joint benefit of the St . John ' s

District Schools and the Leicester Infirmary . On leaving church , tho P . G . Master , assisted by his Officers , laid tho foundation stone of the adjoining schools . On reaching the P . G . Lodge , an illuminated address of congratulation was presented to his Lordship , who gratefully

acknowledged it , and then , after the appointment of a Committee to prepare a code of bye laws , the P . G . Lodge was closed , and the brethren met again at banquet , a few non-Masons , including Lord Curzon , now Lord Howe , the Mayor and Town Clerk of Leicester , and the Vicar of St . Margaret ' s ,

being present . The year 1857 was marked b y two events —Lord Howe ' s presentation to the P . G . Lodge of four jewels of office , those of the D . P . G . M ., the P . G . Secretary , and the two P . G . Stewards , together with his banner as

P . G . M ., and the adoption of the Provincial bye laws . This year is further distinguished by tho revived fortunes of the Knights of Malta Lodge at Hinckley , and in 1858 a Proy . G . Lodge was held in that town , and Lord Howe