The Craft In Cheshire.

THE CRAFT IN CHESHIRE .

Cheshire occupies an important position in our Masonic system . Our readers , no doubt , are aware that it was in one of its towns—Warrington—that the celebrated ELIAS ASHMOLE and Colonel MAINWARING were initiated into Freemasonry in 16 4 6 ,

this being the earliest known instance in England of gentlemen being made members of our ancient and honourable Fraternity . It is true there are earlier cases on record in Scotland , but the researches of Bro . HARRY RYLANDS have shown that in the

time of ASHMOLE and later on during the seventeenth century , it was by no means so unusual a thing as we have hitherto supposed for non-operative persons to be made Masons . Those , too , who have carefully looked through the earliest lodge lists which are still extant must have noticed the unusual number of lodp-es that .

were warranted in Cheshire as compared with most of the other English counties—a further evidence that Masonry , for reasons which will probably be never made clear , must have been exceptionally popular in this county long before it made its influence very generally felt in other parts of England . Unfortunately , there is little else than the record of its existence remaining of

this early Cheshire Masonry , the senior lodge now on the roll of the Province being the Unanimity , No . 8 g , Dukinfield , whose constitution dates from the middle of last century . In all things essentia ] , however , it well maintains the prestige which attaches to it as the earliest known habitat in England of the Speculative

Mason . It is strong in the number of its lodges , it has a muster roll of not far short of 1700 subscribing members , and Bro . Lord EGERTON OF TATTON , Provincial Grand Master , in his address at the annual meeting of his Provincial Grand Lodge at Hyde , on the 18 th ult ., had the satisfaction of announcing that the reports

which reached him from the various lodges . were one and all of them of a highly gratifying character . His lordship also referred with satisfaction to the excellent work which was being done by the Cheshire Masonic Educational Association , which has a considerable amount of invested capital , and renders valuable

assistance in educating the children of deceased or distressed Cheshire brethren . Lord EGERTON is of opinion , however , that more might still be done than is being done , and that the regulations and by-laws might be so amended as to enable them to extend their sphere of usefulness , so as to include the non-Mason as

well as the Mason in their scheme of benevolence . We are inclined to differ with his lordship as regards the extension of a fund or funds which are organised for Masonic purposes , not b y any means _ because we grudge that relief should be given to distress Avhich is not purely of a Masonic character , but because we think the action of brethren in relieving- general

j 'stress should be free and unrestrained . It is tolerably certain that if a colliery accident happened in Cheshire to-morrow , the Masons of the county in their extra-Masonic character would do their part generously according to their means in relieving such ^ stress as might arise from the disaster . We have no doubt , too , that the Provincial Grand Lodge and the private lodges would likewise contribute of their means , in fact , there is rarely ' " j" accident which happens in England in which the local lodges « o not render very material assistance to the sufferers . If , there-J ^ e , this generalrelief is being given , as it is , constantly , withut special organisation or special by-laws , it seems unnecessary 0 enact any special laws to provide for such cases . Perhaps , on Consideration , Lorc i EGERTON may see reason to modify his T'nion that Masonic relief funds ' should hp armln ^ l in n m-. .-

ar ason s . Let the two classes of relief be kept separate as they e now , that which has been organised for the brethren being PPropnated for them only , while what is rendered to the „ j ? , . body should be given either b y the lodges and members Priv ? - MaSOniccharacter or by the latter in their capacity of thi s mdlviduals - We are satisfied that Lord EGERTON made that M ° ° m atruIy generous spirit , and from a desire to show rend £ aiC n 0 t ' ° P » seliish in the assistance they ti , e ' "; but P experience inclines us to think that the conabl e ° { a system which has been found to answer is prefer-Masn ' mixed system for relieving distress of all kinds , whether onic or among those who are not Masons .

The Province Of West Lancashire.

THE PROVINCE OF WEST LANCASHIRE .

In a recent ' article on the "New Zealand Question " and the United Grand Lodge which many appear to be desirous of establishing for that colony , we had occasion to point out that a comparison that was set up between the Craft in that remote part of the British Empire and the Province of West Lancashire

in respect of the services rendered by the two in the cause of Masonic benevolence was in one important particular misleading . But whether the comparison was just or unjust , it cannot be otherwise than gratifying to our West Lancashire brethren to find that the manner in which they fulfil certain of their

obligations is so highly appreciated by their fellow Masons in the colony referred to ' . As a large province and well organised , West Lancashire is , of course , in a position to do its work , both

generally and particularly , better than one which is less fortunately circumstanced , but in this case it is not the good fortune or the numerical strength , or even the excellence of its organisation which will alone account for the marked success . which has

almost continuously attended its labours in every department of Masonic duty . Those qualities , conditions , or attributes go a long way towards ensuring success , but they would not have gone so far as they have done had not the lodges and brethren in this province been thoroughly imbued with a love for the work they

have undertaken . We had the latest evidence of this only the other day , when the Provincial Grand Lodge and Provincial Grand Chapter held their annual meeting at Barrow , and the proceedings in both sections of Ancient Free and Accepted Masonry were of a more than ordinarily gratifying character .

In Provincial Grand Lodge , which necessarily demands the greater part of our attention , there was a very large attendance of Provincial Grand Officers , Present and Past , as well as of the representatives of private lodges—it was stated in our report of last week that , but for the fact of the annual meeting of the

Provincial Grand Lodge of Cheshire being held at Hyde the same day , the number present would have been still greater—¦ and the enthusiasm was very manifest . The various reports that were submitted all told the same tale of a most satisfactory career of work during the past 12 months . That of the

Provincial Grand Secretary—Bro . W . GOODACRE—showed that in that period six new lodges had been consecrated , while the total of subscribing members had increased from 5751 to 6096 ; and there are still three other lodges for which warrants have been granted , and which will be formally constituted at an

early date . The Provincial Grand Treasurers report , showed that £ i 2 ji ns . 3 d . had . been paid by the lodges during the year , of which the Charity Fund had received ; £ i 6 o 9 s . 4 d . ; the Provincial Grand Lodge Fund £ 242 2 s . 1 id . ; and the Fund of Benevolence ^ 868 18 s . ud . The Province had

also been successful in securing the election of two girls into the Royal Masonic Institution for Girls and of one widow into the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution , and it was intended to support three boys who were candidates for election into the Boys' School . The Provincial Charitable Associations were also

reported to be in a most prosperous condition , and liberal donations from Provincial Grand Lodge funds were voted to all three . Nor were the losses which the Province had sustained by death , though serious enough in themselves , so very numerous

considering the number of its members , the three deaths particularly referred to by Bro . GOODACRE being those of Bro . A LBERT CROSSLEY—who had bequeathed 2000 . guineas to the Masonic Charities , of which 1100 guineas had been assigned by the executors to the three West Lancashire Associations : Bro .

RICHARD BROWN , P . P . G . Treas ., and Bro . W . S HUTTLEWORTH , Prov . S . G . W ., to each and all of whom a warm tribute of respect was paid , both in the Prov . Grand Secretary ' s report and by the Prov . Grand Master in his address to Provincial Grand Lodge . With such favourable reports as we have noted and so

small a record of losses , it is not surprising that the proceedings at Barrow on the 18 th ult . should have passed off so well , or that our West Lancashire brethren and their respected chief , whom we heartily congratulate on their present position and future prospects , should be more than a little gratified over the events of a