Opening Of The Masonic Hall At Newcastle-Upon-Tyne.

'Tis like the oil on Aaron ' s head , AVhich to his feet distils , Like Hermon ' s dew so richly shed On Zion ' s sacred hills .

For there the Lord of light and love , A blessing sent with prnver ; Oh ! may Ave all this blessing prove E ' en life for evermore .

On Friendship ' s Altar rising here , Our hands now plighted be , To live in love Avith hearts sincere , In peace and unity .

The usual procession Avas then formed , and the ceremony of dedication proceeded Avith , according to ancient custom . At its close the Chaplain offered up the following prayer :

" Oh Lord God , there is no God like unto Thee in Heaven above , or in the Earth beneath , who keepeth Covenant and sheweth Mercy unto

Thy servants , Avho walk before Thee with all their hearts . Let all the people of the Earth know that we have consecrated and dedicatetl

this Lodge to thy service . But wilt Thou , O God , thvell Avith man upon the earth ; behold the Heaven of Heavens cannot contain Thee , yet have respect unto our prayers and to our

supplications , and hearken unto our cry . May thine eye ever be opened towards this Lodge by day and by night , and when Thy servants shall pray

towards Thee , hearken unto their supplications , hear Thou then in Heaven , and when Thou hearest forgive , for they be thy people and thine inheritance . After which the following Anthem .

HAYDN . The spacious firmament on high , AVith all thc blue etherial skv

And spangled heavens a shining frame . Their great original proclaim . The unwearied sun from day to day ,

Doth his Creator ' s power display ; And publishes to every land The work of an Almighty hand . AVhat though in solemn silence all ,

Move round this dark terrestrial ball ; AVhat though no real voice nor sound Amid the radiant orbs be found . In reason ' s ear they till rejoice

And utter forth a glorious voice , For ever singing as they shine ; The hand that made us is Divine . The Prov . G . Master then declared the temple dedicated and consecrated to Masonrv , then

followed this Ax I'll KM . Hail immortal Lord ! By heaven and earth adored ,

All hail , great God ; Before thy name we bend , To us thy giace extend And to our prayer attend , All hail great God .

The proclamation was made by the Provincial G . D . C . after Avhich was a flourish of trumpets anil organ . Bro . Fonlsham , Prov . G . Reg . then

delivered a most eloquent oration on the beauties and advantages of Freemasonry , the proceedings being brought to a close by the singing of the

Anthem—Praise God in His holiness ; Let everythingthathath breath praise the Lord . The lodge was ( hen closed and the choir sang the National Anthem , while the brethren

wenleaving the lotige room . The brethren afterwards sat down to a . sumptuous banquet , served by Bro . Bell , ofthe Crown Hotel , in the banquetting hall . . The usual toasts

Opening Of The Masonic Hall At Newcastle-Upon-Tyne.

were given and responded to , interspersed with songs and glees by Bros . Watson , DeAvar , Liddell , and Blenkinsop , and a most pleasant and harmonious evening was spent .

Historical Notice Of The St. Clairs Of Rosslyn, Grand Master Masons Of Scotland.

HISTORICAL NOTICE OF THE ST . CLAIRS OF ROSSLYN , GRAND MASTER MASONS OF SCOTLAND .

BY BRO . CHALMERS I . PATON . The otiice of Grand Master Mason of Scotland was , for some centuries , hereditary in the famil y of the St . Clairs of Rosslyn , and some account of that family may naturally be desired by those AVIIO take an interest in Masonic antiquities .

It is not exactly certain at what time the title of Grand Alaster Mason began to be used ; and in maintaining that the St . Clairs of Rosslyn held that office from the reign of James II . of Scotland to the year 1736 , it is not necessary to show that any of them ever assumed or received

that special title , but only that the ofiice Avhich they held was substantially the same Avhich it is now employed to designate . In the progress and development of Freemasonry new titles and forms have been introduced , whilst the system remains essentially the same that it was in remote

centuries . Thc family of Sinclair of St . Clair ( De Sanelt . Clam ) is oi' Norman orig in . The founders of the family in Britain came to England with William the Conqueror . TAVO branches of it settled in Scotland in the twelfth century , in the

reign of David L , acquiring respective !} thc baronies of Rosslynanil J lermandstoun . The early history ofthe family , however , like that of nearly every other ancient family , is involved in much obscurity , which , as in other such cases , has been increased by legends inconsistent with each other

and all destitute even oi tlie semblance ol probability . It is not necessary to follow some ol" the older genealogists , AVIIO without hesitation trace the Scottish St . Clairs to a French or Norman nobleman , called AValdonius orWildernus , whose mother was daughter of Duke Richard of Germany ,

and who married a daughter ol the Earl of March ; for there is no evidence whatever of the truth of this story , which on the contrary may be confidently regarded as one of the mere inventions in the old family histories of Scotland . There are several places in France which bear

the name of St . Clair , and it is probable that the Scottish family derived its descent from the lord ot one or other of them , but there is no evidence to prove the connection or to shew from which place of this name in France the family name was taken . That thc St . Clairs brought it with

them from France to England may be deemed certain , also that they came to England in the train of William the Conqueror , and thence , like some founders of noble families in Scotland , proceeded to the more northern kingdom . AA ' e are utterly destitute of authentic

information , however , as to the circumstances 111 which their settlement in Scotland look place . In the annals of Cisleaux , by Angelus Manriqtiez , if is slated that in A . D . 1 167 , Hugh St . Clair , ( Hugo dr Sttnelo CI urn ) was excommunicated along wilh Robert De Lacy and [ oceline De Balliol , by

Saint Thomas ol Canterbury , because of his intermeddling wilh the possessions of the chinch of Canterbury , and appropriating them to his own use , which proves that , the family was at that date one of considerable power and consequence in England .

In Scotland , however , the first authentic and trustworthy notice of them is in a charter b y which Roland , Earl of Galloway , granted the lauds of 1 lermandstoun to Alan St . Clair , in confirmation of a previous grant by AVilliam tic Moreville .

The charter bears no date , as in very ancient charters is olteu the case , to the annoyance ol antiquarians ; but as it is known that William De Moreville died in A . D . ii' / i , and that Roland , . Karl of Galloway , who had married his sister , succeeded him in his estate , it may be deemed certain that it was granted in the end of

Historical Notice Of The St. Clairs Of Rosslyn, Grand Master Masons Of Scotland.

the twelfth or the beginning of the thirteenth century . The original connection betAveen the Hermandstoun and Rosslyn branches of the St . Clair family is not more apparent than the derivation of both from the St . Clairs AVIIO had previously settled in England , and AVIIO came from

Normandy . The . ori gin of the St . Clairs of Rosslyn can be clearly traced no further than the reign of Alexander 11 ., when Henry of Rosslyn , the previous possessor , resigned his lands into the hands of the king , AVIIO disponed them to AVilliam St . Clair ; and that the estate had already been for

some generations in the family . It is not impossible that Henry of Rossly Avas himself a St . Clair , but it is not probable , as until the transaction just mentioned , the possessors of Rosslyn are merely designated from their estate , De Rosslyn , and afterwards the name St . Clair , De Siinelo C / aro , is

always used , apparently as being deemed the more ancient and honourable . The first AVilliam St . Clair of Rosslyn Avas a man of no small consequence in his time . He was sent in A . D . 12 S 5 , along with Thomas Charteris , the Chancellor of the kingdom , Patrick de Grahame , and John

de Sanley , to France , to seek a wife for King Alexander III ., the result of which mission Avas the king ' s marriage with Joleta de Islandar , daughter of the Count of Drays . He Avas also present at Newcastle-on-Tyne , Av'hen John Baliol swore fealty- to Edward I . of England , on 20 th November , 12 92 .

He did not , however , attach himself decidedly to the cause of Baliol , but afterwards maintained the independence of his country ; and signalized himself by his bravery in the battle of Rosslyn , which Avas fought on 24 th February , 1302-3 . At that time the Scots acknowledged John

Baliol asking , but he and his people , refusing to submit to the claims of sovereignty arrogantly made by Edward I . of England , an English army , commanded by Sir John Segrave , whom Edward had appointed Governor of Scotland ,

advanced to Rosslyn , and the Scottish troops , under Sir John de Comyn , and Sir Simon Frazer , although far inferior in numbers , making a rapid march by night from Biggar , surprised them whilst it was yet dark , and totall y routed them with great slaughter .

IHI : BATTI . K OF ROSSLYN - . The Battle of Rosslyn was fought on the 24 th of February , 1302 . It was not unimportant in its bearing on the history and fortunes of Scotland . Jt was the chief victory which the Scots won over the English during the many years in

which they maintained their contest lor national independence against the superior forces of their southern enemy , until under Robert Bruce , they gained the decisive battle of Bannockburn . It was the most inclement season of the year , when armies generally have been accustomed to shut themselves tip in winter quarters , waiting for

better weather before the re-opening of the campaign . But it suited the ardent spirit of the Scottish leaders , to take advantage of an opportunity when it presented itself , and they were the mon- readily successful , because the less alert English generals look for granted the absence of all danger .

Edward 1 . of England seemed to want little ol the triumph which he desired in the permanent subjugation of Scotland . In the Battle of Falkirk , he hail gained a great victory , and the whole country seemed to be prostrated . Sir William AVallaee , indeed , still refused

submission , and Avas at tht . head of a party actively hostile to the Faiglish king . Idis followers , however , were few in number , and it was on very unequal terms that they waged war against the forces of England , supported as these were , more or less completely , by the retainers ofthe

Scottish nobles themselves , most of whom had given in their adherence to Edward and his cause . Edward had been successful in some of his negotiations with foreign potentates , as to the acknowledgement of his sovereign authority over Scotland , but had got into a dispute on this

point with the Pope , Boniface VIII . Edward , supported by liis Parliament , which met at Lincoln , in A . 15 . 1300 , maintained that he had a right to sovereignty over Scotland , as an ancient lief of tlie English crown , and this without regard to the will of the Pope , or any other eccle siastici . il or secular judge ; Avhilst the Pope de-