Provincial Grand Mark Lodge Of Middlesex.

gro . Hillier , P . M . Keystone Lod ge , 3 ... ... Prov . G . Reg . „ Fredk . Mead , P . M . Hampton Court Lodge , 44 S Prov . G . Sec . „ Jno . Webb , W . M . High Cross Lodge , 284 ... Prov . S . G . D . ,, ' Clement Trotter , W . M . Clapton Lodge , 236 ... Prov . T-G . D . Thos . Clark , W . M . Connaught Lodge , 199 ... Prov . G . I . of W .

„ Dr . Lawrence , P . A . G . D . C , Hiram Lodge , 13 Prov . G . D . C . „ C . Hanley , W . M . High Cross Lodge , 284 ... Prov . A . G . D . C . „ Hobbs , P . M . Clapton Lodge , 23 6 .. ... Prov . G . S . B . ,, J . Hall Brown , W . M . Temperance Lodge , 350 Prov . G . Std . Br . „ " F . A . Jewson , P . G . Org ., Keystone Lodge , 3 ... Prov . G . Org . Crawford Dickie , Chiswick Lodge , 357 ... Prov . G . I . G .

„ Dr . H . W . Roberts , Hampton Court Lodge , 44 s ") „ M . Christian , Duke of Connaught Lodge , 100 ... _ „ „ " J . West , Temple Lodge , 173 ... - "> Prov . G . Stewards . „ E . W . Davis , Sir Francis Burdett Lodge , 1 S 1 ... J „ J . Gilbert ... ... ... ... Prov . G . Tyler .

The P ROV . GRAND MASTER , in proposing a vote of thanks to the Deputy Grand Master , said he need not tell the brethren what pleasure it had given him that the Earl of Euston should be the brother to instal him , for they had been friends for many years , and it was he who proposed their present Deputy Grand Master on his initiation into Freemasonry .

Bro . Sir J . B . MONCKTON , Prov . S . G . W ., seconded the motion , which was carried unanimously . The DEPUTY GRAND MASTER returned hearty thanks for the vote , and said it had been to him a great pleasure to be present to instal his old friend , Col . Cook , as Provincial Grand Master , as it was to do any service to any lodge or Degree in Freemasonry . He was glad to see the new province starting so well , and it had his best wishes for its future success .

The PROV . GRAND MASTER then said that as the Province of Middlesex , which had started that day , was half of the old Province of Middlesex and Surrey , some questions had naturall y arisen as to what should become of the property , books , and jewels of the old province . As that was a question that had not yet been settled , he wished to propose that a small Committee should be formed , which should be empowered to meet and arrange the

matter with a similar Committee , to be appointed in the new Province of Surrey . He might add that he had the sanction of the Prov . Grand Master of Surrey for making that proposal . He therefore proposed that the Committee should consist of the Prov . Grand Master , Deputy Prov . Grand Master , Prov . Grand Wardens , Prov . Grand Treasurer , and Prov . Grand Secretary .

The proposition having been seconded b y Bro . Dr . COOPER SMITH , Prov . G . Chap ., it was unanimously agreed to . The PROV . GRAND MASTER expressed his pleasure at seeing such a large attendance of Grand Officers . There had not onl y been the Deputy Grand Master present , but also a Past Grand Master and four Prov . Grand

Masters . Before they would have an opportunity of acknowled ging the presence of Bro . W . W . B . Beach , M . P ., P . G . M ., that distinguished brother would be obliged to leave . He therefore took the present opportunity of thanking Bro . Beach for coming from Hants to attend their meeting . He proposed that a hearty vote of thanks should be accorded Bro , Beach for his presence .

The PROV . S . G . W ., having seconded the motion , which was carried

nem . con ,, Bro . W . W . B . BEACH , M . P ., P . G . M ., acknowledged the vote of thanks , and said it had been a great pleasure to him , as an old officer of the Mark Grand Lodge , over which he presided many years ago , to see the developments that had taken place in the Degree of late years . He was pleased to

see that Provincial Grand Lodge established and the Provincial Grand Master installed , having known Bro . Col . Cook for many } -ears . He heartily wished the province success , and hoped to hear it had attained great prosperity after a few years' existence . Bros . Stewart Brown , Handley , G . Thomas , and M . Christian were elected to form a Board of General Purposes .

The Provincial Grand Lodge was then formally closed . The newly-installed Provincial Grand Master afterwards presided at a banquet , at the conclusion of which the customary toasts were honoured . "The Queen and Mark Masonry" and " H . R . H . the Prince of Wales , M . \ V . G . M ~ . M ., " were first heartily received .

The PROV . GRAND MASTER , in proposing " The Pro Grand Alaster , the Deputy Grand Master , and the rest of the Grand Officers , Present and Past , " said he thought the newly-formed province mi ght congratulate itself on the number of the Grand Officers present . He took it as a great compliment to find present the Deputy Grand Master , Bro . Beach , a Past Grand Master , the Executive of the Grand Mark Lodge , and more than half of

the General Board over which he had presided for two years , lie thanked them for coming , for it showed that during that time he had done nothing to offend them . There was also present his twin brother of Surrey--the Provincial Grand Master designate of that province —for he believed they were both born on the same day . There was also another Provincial Grand Master present , to whom he would allude later . The Deputy Grand Master

was present in a triple capacity—as Deputy Grand Master , as Consecrating Officer of the first new lodge of the province , and also as his Installing Master . Every Mason would regard that as a great compliment , for the Earl of Euston had taken great interest in every branch of Masonry . . Bro . the Earl of EUSTON , Deputy Grand Master , returned thanks , and said he was certain he was speaking the feelings of every Grand Officer

present when he said they had come down to wish prosperity and success in the future to that new province . It had been a great pleasure to install his ° ki friend , and also to consecrate a new lodge—the Hampton Court Lodge , jic hoped in the future to be able to visit the province , and see the new Provincial Grand Master consecrating more new lodges . He thanked them Vcr y heartily , and assured them on behalf of the Grand Officers it had been

10 duty , no work , but a real p leasure to be present that day . He then proposed "The Health of the new Provincial Grand Master . " Col . Cook ' ¦ id been long in Masonry , and whatever he had undertaken had been a \ " u ess which was a good omen for the new province . He most heartil y vished the Prov . Grand Master every success , and asked the brethren to ¦ "ink to his long life and prosperity . r , "ro . Col . A . B . COOK . Prov . Grand Mastersaid that as the Denutv

, r and Master was obliged to leave early , he had but four minutes in which I c , ipress how much he appreciated the kind way in which his health had r ei 1 Proposed and received . It was at all times much more difficult to urn thanks than to propose a toast , and especially to return thanks for Ple- ! T nea ' * ^ nis Koyal Hig hness the Prince of Wales had been thr / i to a PP ° ' nt him to that distinguished position , he could only thank brethren for the kind way in which he had been received , As the

Provincial Grand Mark Lodge Of Middlesex.

Province of Middlesex and Surrey had been divided into two paris , the new province naturally started with a certain amount of difficulty . They had nothing to go upon from the past , they had no traditions to guide them ; but , as far as he had gone , he had selected those to support him in the future whom he considered fitted for their various positions . He hoped by coming amongst them to make many friends and acquaintances amongst the members of the lodge , and should do his best in this direction . It was

almost impossible that anyone could attend all the lodges in the same year , but in his first year he hoped to be able to do so . He believed he should be attending the first lodge meeting in the province by visiting the Chiswick Lodge , which he had promised to do . If at the end of the year he met with as hearty a reception as he had received that night he should feel he had begun to make his way as an efficient Prov . Grand Master , for , until one attained that high honour , it was impossible to know how much there was to realise and consider .

In proposing "The Deputy Prov . Grand Master and Prov . Grand Officers , " the Prov . Grand Master said that one of the most important things a Prov . Grand Master had to consider was whom he should ask to accept office under him . The first brother was the Deputy Prov . Grand Master , and when he suggested to his old school fellow , Sir Reginald Hanson , and he kindly consented to accept the post , he felt that some of his

difficulties were removed . They were all pleased that such a distinguished Mason and man in every line he had undertaken should have condescended to serve as Deputy Provincial Grand Master . He then ventured to approach one who had also been at the same school—Sir John Monckton—and asked him to be the Senior Warden . Needless to say , as an old schoolfellow , he said he should be deli ghted for the sake of the old school . As

regards the other Provincial Grand Officers , it had been difficult to make a selection in the new province , but he had done the best he could . If he had omitted any brother who thought he was deserving , he hoped , as a new comer , he should be forgiven . He felt they would all do their best to support him during the coming year . Bro . Sir REGINALD HANSON , Bart . M . P ., Deputy Provincial Grand

Master , in responding , thanked the Provincial Grand Master very much for the kind words spoken of him personally . It was true that some years ago they were at school together , and whatever their positions in that respect , he remembered with gratitude that in more recent years Col . Cook introduced him into Masonry , and to him he owed to a great extent whatever position in Masonry he had been fortunate enough to acquire . He knew

the Provincial Grand Master had been a good and true Mason in every branch of Masonry he had undertaken " . When his Royal Highness appointed Col . Cook to be Provincial Grand Master , he ( Sir Reginald Hanson ) accepted with great pleasure the other , to be Deputy Provincial Grand Master . He hoped to live up to the kind words said of him , and as a man born in Middlesex , having- attained hi gh rank in the province , and

as a representative elsewhere of one of the constituents of Middlesex , he could say he had a great interest in the county , and should endeavour in the future to do his duty in every respect in this branch of Masonry . He had no doubt the other Prov . G . Officers would support the Prov . G . M . and the new Prov . G . Lodge , and he believed the Prov . G . M . would have a body of officers who would do their best . I le had been entrusted with the

next toast—that of _ "The Visitors , " which would come home to every member of the Province . They had been assisted and encouraged in their new undertaking by many present who had also assisted in consecrating a new lodge , which was an earnest of their interest in Mark Masonry . It was a great compliment to them that the Earl of Yarborough , the Prov . G . M . of Lincolnshire , had taken the part he had .

Bro . the Earl of YARBOROUGH , Prov . G . M . designate Lincolnshire , warmly thanked the province for the hospitality offered the visitors . He had felt considerable interest , not only in the consecration of the new lodge , but also in the installation of the Prov . G . Master . As he had to undergo a similar ceremony , he hoped the arrangements would be as good , aiul

everything go off as well as they had on the present occasion . He now wished to propose " The Newly-Consecrated Lodge-the Hampton Court Lodge . " They all knew how keenly Bro . Sir John Monckton , its first Master , had taken up everything in Masonry , and especially in Mark Masonry . He sincerely hoped the new lodge would have a long life of success .

Bro . Sir JOHN MONCKTON , P . G . W ., in reply , said it was a record for his school that the three principals of the new province should be old pupils , A second record that day was that of the live consecrating officers-four were Prov . G . -Masters , and the other a P . G . Warden , for he doubted

whether that had ever happened before . In the third place he could not recall an instance when a Prov . G . Lodge had met under the banner of a lodge consecrated on the same day , which was the case on the present occasion . He hoped that at the end of the year the new lodge would give n good account ot its work .

Hro . W . THOMAS , W . M . 1 S 1 , ably responded for " Prosperity to every Lodge in the Province , " and the T yler ' s toast closed the proceedings . 'the arrangements throughout were of an excellent character , and conduced to a pleasant , unique , and enjoyable gathering .

Consecration Of The Hampton Court Mark Lodge, No. 448.

CONSECRATION OF THE HAMPTON COURT MARK LODGE , No . 448 .

Seldom , if ever , in the annals of Mark Masonry , has a new lodge been ushered into existence under circumstances of a more brilliant nature or with more favourable auspices for its future success than those which characterised the consecration of the Hampton Court Lodge , No . 44 S , on Saturday , the 24 th ult ., at the Mitre Hotel , Hampton Court . The composition of the Consecrating Officers formed a unique feature of the proceedings . The

consecration ceremony was performed by Bro . the Earl of Euston , Deputy Grand Master , who was supported—in addition to Bro . R . Berridge , P . G . W ., G . D . C ., acting D . C . —by four Prov . Grand Masters , viz .: Bros . Col . A . 13 . Cook , Prov . G . M . designate Middx ., as S . W . ; Col . G . Noel Money , C . B ., Prov . G . M . designate Surrey , as J . W . j Rev . J . Studholme Brownrigg , Prov . G . M . Bucks , as Chap . ; and the Earl of Yarborough ,

Prov . G . iVL designate Lincoln , as I . G . Amongst the large number of distinguished brethren present were Bros . W . W . B . Beach , M . P ., P . G . M . ; C . F . Matier , P . G . W ., G . Sec ; R . Loveland Loveland , Pres . Gen . Bd . ; Gordon Miller , P . G . T . ; C . II . Driver , P . G . M . O . ; W . F . Gilles , P . G . T . ; Raymond II . Thrupp , P . G . O . ; G . H . Charman , W . M . 311 , Egypt , D . G . Sec . N . Africa ; K . Letchworth , P . G . T . ; J . Balfour Cockburn , P . G . D . ; and a large majority of the