Provincial Grand Lodge Of Cheshire.

PROVINCIAL GRAND LODGE OF CHESHIRE .

The annual meeting of the above Provincial Grand Lodge was held' on Wednesday , the 21 st ult ., at the Town Hall , Congleton , Bro . Lord Egerton of Tatton , Provincial Grand Master , presided , supported by Bro . his Honour Judge Sir Horatio Lloyd , D . G . M . ; Bros . W . Robinson , and F . R . B . Lindscll were in the chairs of the P . G . Wardsns , and there was a large attendance of Provincial Grand Officers .

Every lodge in the province was strongly represented numerically , and 111 all but three instances the Worship ful Masters were among the representatives . Among those who signed the attendance book were Bros . J . Terry , P . G . S . B . England , Sec . of the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution ; ] . M . McLeod , P . P . S . G . W . Derbyshire , Sec . of the Royal Masonic Institution for Boys ; and the Hon . Henry Holbrook , P . D . G . M . of British

Columbia . The Committee of Benevolence , in their annual report , which was presented by Bro . Salmon , P . P . S . G . W ., thanked the brethren of the province for the munificent manner in which they had supported the Committee during the year with respect to the London Charities . Last year ' s report made reference to the new organisation which had just come into

operation , and expressed the hope that the good results of that year would not only be maintained but would even be still further stimulated and developed . That hope had been more than realised . At a meeting of the Committee in November , in view of the Jubilee of the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institutution , it was decided that the support of the province should be given to that Institution at its Festival in February . The question as to the

advisability of raising a fund for providing annuities within the province lor aged Freemasons and widows , the matter was referred to the Charity Council , and the Committee had rem on to believe that the Council would devise some satisfactory scheme . The amount subscribed by the different lodges and brethren at the Festival of Aged Freemasons was the very large sum of £ ig $ o . This had augmented the voting power of the province frorr 900

votes last year to 2530 votes this year , and was mainly instrumental in enabling the Election Committee to elect the two aged brethren on the list of annuitants . This splendid effort of the lodges and brethren of Cheshire was so much appreciated by the Committee of that Institution , that at their first meeting alter the Festival they unanimously elected Bro . Newhouse , P . G . Sec , as an honorary Vice-President of the Institution , to mark their sense

of thankfulness for his efforts on that occasion . The Committee considered that , after having made two such exertions as that of the Boys' Festival in 1891 , and of the Aged Freemasons in 1892 , they should turn their attention this year to a strong effort towards the fund for providing the means of granting annuities to the aged Freemasons and the widows of aged Freemasons belonging to the Province of Cheshire , so as to assist them until they can be elected on the funds of the London Institution .

On the motion of Bro . SALMON , seconded by Bro . J . CLAYTON , P . P . J . G . W ., the report was adopted . The PROV . GRAND MASTER said that during the past year they had been called upon to sympathise with the joys of one of the rulers of the Craft , the Duke of Clarence , and again soon afterwards they had been called upon to sympathise with the Royal Family on the occasion of his Royal Highness ' s

sudden and early death . Such an experience they trusted might not be repeated for many years . They trusted that the rulers of the Craft might long hold their present positions , and that in the coming year there might be a renewal of the prosperity which had for so man } ' years accompanied them . The general body of Masons had also had to deplore the loss of their excellent and energetic Secretary , Bro . Col . Shadwell H . Clerke , and in

their own Province of Cheshire , among leading brethren well known to them for many years , they earnestly deplored the deaths of Bros . Charles Dutlon and Major Preston . These sad incidents apart , they had every reason to be satisfied with the progress of Masonry in the province , and with the work that had been done . It was satisfactory to find that the number of members had increased from 1856 to 1963 . At the beginning of the yearthev had 44

lodges in Cheshire , with an average of between 40 and 50 members each , and quite recently a new lodge had been consecrated at Birkenhead , making up the roll of lodges to 45 . The report of the Committee of Benevolence had shown that satisfactorily large sums had been raised for benevolent purposes . He thought it was very creditable to Masons generally that for one of the Masonic Charities £ 67 , 000 was raised in one year , and it was no less satisfactory that out of that sum their own Province ol

Cheshire contributed very nearly £ 2000 . He was glad to find that the Benevolent Committee of the province proposed to raise another fund for the province . They had been dealing with the question of education successfully , and they had now to deal with the question of miking provision for Masons of the province in their old age . The difficult question of making provision for men in their old age

had been discussed in circles other than their own . As Masons were all carefully selected in their several lodges , they were bound to regard the brethren as men whose misfortunes and adverse circumstances , when they occurred , were due not to their own fault , but to circumstances over which they had no control . Therefore , when misfortune or old age or sickness fell upon them they were deserving of the consideration and the support of all

the Masons ot the province . He thought that Masons were strong enough to take care of brethren so unfortunatel y placed , and in ordei to do so it was absolutely necessary that they should consider what was the best way of raising a fund for the support of the aged Masons in their own province , who could not be elected upon the central Charities in London . The formation of a fund such as had been suggested was well worthy ol

their consideration , and the Provincial Grand Secretary would , during the coming year in his visits to the lodges , endeavour to explain and deveb p . 1 p lan for the establishment of such a fund . There ought to be no difficulty in raising , £ 1000 for its establishment , and he did not doubt that the new fund would receive hearty support , lie ( Lord E gerton 1 thanked them fin the assistance given to him in administering the affairs ' of Masonry in the

province . A variety of causes had prevented him from going so much among the brethren as he would like to have dune , but he had always fell that he had their l . iyal support in his work as head of the province . During the coming year a number of Cheshire lod ges would celebrate their centenaries , and he hoped that in each instance so important an cvenl would be marked by special efforts to promote the good of the Order .

Bro . J . WILSON , as the oldest member of the local Eaton Lodge , welcomed the Provincial Grand Lodge to Colleton , and proposed Bro . T , Head , ol the lodge named , as Prov . Grand Treasurer .

Provincial Grand Lodge Of Cheshire.

Bro . T . G . SHELDON seconded the proposal , and it was carried unanimously . The P . G . M . then invested the following brethren as Provincial Grand Officers for the ensuing year : Bro . His Honour Sir H . Lloyd ... ... D . P . G . M . „ T . C . Thorburn , 477 ... , ... ... Prov . S . G . W . „ Thos . S . Sheldon . < m ... ... ... Prov . J . G . W .

» £ " £ "" d / P ? ) Prov . G . Chaps . ,, Rev . T . 1 . Higgins ... ... ... ) r „ Rev . Thomas Drinkwater , 1166 ... ... Prov . G . Reg . „ R . Newhouse ... ... ... ... Prov . G . Sec . " £ u ? T ° f . T ' , 7 Q - " - ] Prov . S . G . D . ' s . ,, I . H . Maddocks , 428 ... ... ¦•¦)

„ Henry Smith , 287 ... ... ' ] Prov . J . G . D . ' s . ,, James Worsnup , 322 ... ... ... J ,, Thomas Bowers , 1088 ... ... ... Prov . G . S . of W . „ G . H . Brown , 537 ... ... ... Prov . G . D . C . „ Harry D . Small , 2368 ... ... ... Prov . D . G . D . C . „ W . G . Cronan , 1289 ... ... ... Prov . A . G . D . C .

„ John Lee , 2375 ... ... ... ) ,, Edward Furnivall , 318 ... ... ... > Prov . G . Std . Br . ' s ,, Alexander Owen , 140 S ... ... ... J J . Sheriff Roberts , 425 ... ... ... Prov . A . G . Sec .

„ „ Hubert Ellis , 721 ... ... ... Prov . G . Org . ,, John Leigh , 287 ... ... ... Prov . G . Purst . ,, J . Hubert Foster , 1957 ... ... ... Prov . A . G . Purst .

„ William 1 hompstone , 533 „ Walter Brown , 295 „ Charles Clarkson , 104 ... ... - I Prov . G . Stwds ,, Mark Stafford , 361 ... ... ... f ,, George Fallowdown Adams

,, Patrick Sword ... Invitations for the holding of next year ' s provincial meeting were given from the Dee Lodge , No . 157 6 , Parkgate , and the King ' s Friend Lodge , No . 293 , Nanlwich . The last-named lodge celebrates its centenary during the year , and Lord Egerton therefore accepted its invitation . Provincial Grand Lodge having been closed , the brethren walked in procession to St . Peter ' s Church , where a special service was held , and a sermon preached by Bro . the Rev . T . T . Higgins , P . G . Chap . In the evening there was the customary banquet .

Provincial Grand Mark Lodge Of Middlesex.

PROVINCIAL GRAND MARK LODGE OF MIDDLESEX .

INSTALLATION OF BRO . COL . A . B . COOK , J . P ., AS PROVINCIAL GRAND MASTER . The Provincial Grand Lodge of the newly-formed Province of Middlesex was formally constituted on Saturday , the 24 th ult ., at the Mitre Hotel , Hampton Court , in the presence of probably the largest and most influential gathering of Mark Master Masons ever assembled outside the Grand Lodge .

The Rig ht Hon . the Earl of Euston , D . U . M ., performed the ceremonial , and was assisted by Bros . W . W . B . Beach , M . P ., P . G . M . ; the Earl of Varborough , P . G . M . designate Lincolnshire , as Prov . S . G . VV . ; Col . G . Noel Money , P . G . M . designate Surrey , as Prov . J . G . W . ; C . F . Matier , P . G . W ., G ' Sec ; R . Berridge , P . G . W ., as Prov . G . D . C ; and Frank Richardson , G . Reg ., as Prov . G . I . G .

Amongst the other brethren present were—Bros . Colonel A . B . Cook , Prov . G . M . designate ; R . Loveland Loveland , President Board of General Purposes ; Gordon Miller , P . G . T . ; C . H . Driver , P . G . M . O . ; W . F . Gilles , P . G . T . ; C . W . Carrell , P . G . S . ; Captain C . J . Knightley ; Frank Marshall ; Raymond H . Thrupp , P . G . W . ; H . Higgins ; Geo . Graveley , P . G . S . B . ; A . C . Goodinge ; G . H . Cnarman , D . G . Sec , N . Africa , W . M . 311 Egypt ; Sir Reginald Hanson , Bart ., M . P ., P . G . W . ; E . Letchworth ,

P . G . Treas . ; G . loint , M . Christian , W . M . 199 ; W . M . Stiles . P . G . S . B . ; J . Moon , P . G . Treas . ; Sir John B . Monckton , G . J . W . ; Jas . M . Small , S . O . 448 ; F . A . Jewson , P . G . Org . ; J . Balfour Cockburn , P . G . D . ; V . P . Freeman , P . P . S . G . W . Sussex ; Geo . Fitzwilliam , 4 . 15 ; W . Hawes , P . M . 173 ; Dr . F . Lawrence ; W . Vincent , P . A . G . D . C ; T . Clark , P . M ., P . P . S . G . D . ; Major Clifford frobyn , 448 ; J . E . Law , 448 ; Geo . Thomas ; H . R . Cooper Smith , P . G . O . ; Wyndham Hart ; M . Slaughter ; H . W . Roberts ; W . C . Dickey ;

H . W . Seager ; A . Stewart Brown ; A . H . Bowles , P . G . O . ; W . Hall Brown , W . M . ; C . Handley , W . M . 284 ; W . Metcalfe ; Rudolph G . Glover , P . G . D . ; W . Thomas , W . M . 181 ; Clarence Trotter ; C . Belton , P . G . M . O . ; Geo . Girdner , P . G . S . B . ; E . J . Mills , G . Tyler ; Geo . Rice ; W . W . Lee , and many others . The Provincial Grand Lodge was opened , and the Dep . Grand Master formally saluted . The summons convening the meeting was read , and the Dep . Grand Master was informed that the Provincial Grand Master designate , Bro . Colonel A . B . Cook , was without and requested to "

installed . The G . D . C then retired , and re-entered with the patent of appointment issued by the M . W . G . M ., which he presented to the Deputy Grand Master . A deputation of Worship ful Masters was formed , and conducted the Prov . Grand Master designate into Prov . Grand Lodge . .. The GRAND SECRETARY then read the patent , and the GRAND C HAI'I . having offered prayer , the Prov . Grand Master designate was duly obligated , invested , and inducted into the chair .

The Prov . Grand Master was proclaimed and saluted , and then appointed , obligated , and invested Bro . Sir Reginald Hanson , Bart ., M . P ., P . G A * •¦ as Deputy Prov . Grand Master . . The roll of lodges in the province was called by Bro . Fredk . Mead , anci all were found to be represented . Bro . Geo , Gardner , P . G . S . B ., was , on the proposition of the PR ( , | ; GRVND MASTER , seconded by Bro . Sir J . B . MONCKTON , unanimously elected Prov . Grand Treasurer .

J he following Prov . Grand Officers were invested : Bro . Sir John B . Monckton , W . M . Hampton Court ' Lodge , 448 ... ... ... Prov . S . G . W . „ Capt . C . J . Knightley , P . M . 2 S 4 ... ... Prov . J . G . W . ,, Geo . Thomas , P . M . Chiswick Lodge , 357 ... Prov . G . M . O .

„ Wm . Hawes , P . M . Temple Lodge , 173 ... Prov . S . G . O . ,, Wm . Thomas , W . M . Sir Francis Burdett Lodge , 181 ... ... ... ... Prov . J . G . O . ,, Dr . Cooper Smith , P . G . Chap . Carnarvon Lodge , 7 ... ... ... Prov . G . Chap-„ Geo . Gardner , P . M . Chiswick Lodge , 357 ... Prov . G , Treas .