Freemasonry In Devon And Cornwall , 1870.

FREEMASONRY IN DEVON AND CORNWALL , 1870 .

With respect to Freemasonry in these two Western provinces , we may state that in the province of Devon two new lodges have been opened , namely , one at Topsham and another at Crediton . The Semper Fidelis Lodge at Exeter has been

consecrated , and St . Peter ' s Masonic Hall , at Tiverton , dedicated . A chapter was opened at Honiton , and the progress of the Craft has been very satisfactory . The last returns of members are up to the 31 st December , 186 9 . They show somewhere about 1 , 800 , but these figures are deceptive because many

of the brethren are returned as members of several lodges . At the Provincial Grand Lodge , which was held at Tiverton , on the 21 st of July , the R . W . the P . G . Master , the Rev . John Huyshe , brought forward a motion of very great importance to the local charities connected with the Craft . By a

slight increase to the annual contribution of each member—so slight that it could not be felt—an addition was made of about £ 80 per annum permanently to the charitable funds . This proposal of the R . W . brother was unanimously adopted , althought at first it met with some opposition , and by its adoption

the P . G . Lodge will be able to increase their donations to the General Masonic Charities of England , and to elect two or three additional annuitants on the Fortescue Fund in this province . In the Province of Cornwall no new lodges have been warranted during the past year . There are

twenty-four lodges now working in the province , the oldest being dated A . D . 1751 , and the latest 186 S . The province has doubled itself with respect to the number of lodges every thirty-five years since the middle of last century , but probably thc culmination of that increase is attained . There are upwards

of 1 , 000 members , and the majority of the lodges meet in lodges of their own , apart from hotel influences . The Provincial Grand Lodge was held at Truro , on the 19 th July , 1 S 70 , when the Masonic Hall , built by the munificence of the R . W . the Provincial Grand Master , Bro . Augustus Smith ,

Esq ., was dedicated in ancient form , by the P . G . M . in the presence of the P . G . M . of Devon , and a large number of brethren . The following new byelaw was then passed : — " No person , resident in any town or place where a lodge is established , shall be balloted for into anv lodge held elsewhere

within this province , unless the Master of the lodge , wherein he so seeks admission , shall previously make inquiry in writing of the Master of every lodge in the town or nearest the place were thc candidate resides , touching thc fitness of such candidate . Thc brother of whom such inquiry is

made , shall make prompt reply thereto in writing , and it shall be incumbent on the Master to read the reply to thc members of thc lodge before the ballot is taken . " There is also a directory for the province , edited by Bro . AV . J . Hughan , the P . G .

Secretary , of Truro , who is one of the most voluminous writers on Freemasonry in this kingdom . AVe ought to state that Devon has also its directory . These manuals , compiled with much care , are very useful to the Craft . — Western Daily Mercury .

Cheshire Educational Masonic Institution .

CHESHIRE EDUCATIONAL MASONIC INSTITUTION .

On Wednesday evening , the 21 st ult ., a grand concert in aid of the funds of the above institution was given in the Music Hall , Birkenhead , before a numerous and highly respectable audience , liy a special dispensation received from the R . AV . P . G . M .,

Lord de Tabley , the brethren appeared in full Masonic clothing , which being a novelty in that partof Cheshire brought a great many more brethren than would otherwise have come , and in itself proved a novel spectacle to thc rest of the audience .

The artists , who ail kindly gave their services for the good cause were , Miss Galloway , Miss Phillips , Miss Maria Phillips ; Bros . Emondson , Dumville and Robberds , ( of thc Gentleman's Glee Club , Manchester ) j Vaudrcy ( of Congleton ) , T . J . Hughes , Cr . A . Wielopolski Phillips , solo cornet , Dr . Moss ( of

Congleton ) , solo flute , and Bro . Twiss , P . P . G . O . Cheshire , conductor and accompanist . Thc programme consisted of a selection of some beautiful songs , glee : ; , and concerted pieces , thc whole of which were rendered by the artistes in an exceedingly creditable manner . Miss Galloway was in ' splendid

voice , and rendered the canzonctta " I ! Biion Angaria " with exquisite taste and finish , while her warbling of Randeggar's '" Only for One , " brought from the audience a genuine burst of applause . The Misses Phillips sang very sweetly a number of simple ballads during the evening , rind rendered

effective aid in thc concerted pieces . Bro . Kdinondson ' s singing of " Madeline " met with well merited approval , as did also the other solos given by Bios . Hughes , Vaudrcy , Robberds , and Dumville . The audience were especially charmed by the flute solos of Dr . Moss , who showed himself a pcr-

Cheshire Educational Masonic Institution .

feet master of his instrument , and Bro . Phillips showed some excellent instrumentation in his cornet solo , Chappelle ' s " Serenade . " The glees and other concerted pieces , in which the strength of the company appeared , were very successfully executed . As a whole we have reason

to know that thc audience thoroughly enjoyed the evening ' s entertainment , which passed off with great dclat . It appears from the last annual report of the institution , that the balance in hand had been increased from £ 1 , 086 14 s . od . to £ 1 , 223 15 s . od . During the past year fifteen children had received

the benefits of education , and two had received funds for the purpose of advancement in life . The satisfactoiy position of the funds was mainly due to increased support afforded by annual subscriptions , and the interest arising from the investments , comparatively little having been derived from extraneous sources . There were still sixteen children on the

books , and the committee had received applications to place four more on thc educational fund , and from the friends of one for advancement in life . The amount expended in paying for thc education of thc fifteen children was £ 85 Ss . gd ., and towards the advancement in life of thc two children £ 8 7 s . 3 d . Thc places at which the children received the

education were , Liverpool College , Sandbach Grammar School , AVycliffe Grammar School , and at private schools at Ashton-under-Lyne , Entwistle , Warrington , Ruthin , Everton , Macclesfield , Runcorn , Chester and Southport . We believe the result of the concert will be a considerable addition to the funds of the Cheshire Educational Masonic Institution .

Obituary.

Obituary .

•*• - — BRO . PHILIP HARDWICK , R . A .

We regret having to announce the death of Bro . Philip Hardwick , R . A . He was the architect and designer of the warehouses and large buildings of the St . Katherine ' s Dock Company ,

the new hall of thc Goldsmiths' Company , the entrance of the Euston Station of thc London ancl North-Western Railway , and in conjunction with his son , Mr . C . P . Hardwick , of the new

hall and library of Lincoln s-inn . He was for many years architect to the Duke of Wellington , ancl to tlie Greenwich Hospital Commissioners . He received ihe ''old medal of the Institute

of British Architects , ancl was awarded tlie gold medal of the Paris Exhibition of 1 S 55 . He was a Fellow of the Royal Society , of which he has been vice-president .

Bro . Hardwick was an eminent member of thc Masonic Order , and for a long period filled the post of Grand Superintendent of Works in Grand Lodge .

BRO . JOHN THOMAS TRICKETT , R . N

It is our melancholy duty to record the death of Bro . John Thomas Trickett , R . A " ., who was a member of St . Aubyn ' s Lodge , No . 954 , after many months of intense suffering ( which he bore

with noble Christian fortitude ) he succumbed to that insiduous disease , consumption , on last Sunday evening , at the early age of 26 years . The lamented brother was initiated in the St .

Aubyn s Lodge , No . 954 , at I lavenporl , on the 20 th February ; joined the Villiers Lodge , No . 1194 , on October 2 nd , 1 S 6 9 , and continued a subscriber until the time of his death . He was advanced in 186 9 to the Mark De rec in

Southwark Man ; Lodge , No . 22 , installed into the Rose Croix io \ and in the St . Aubyn ' s Chapter at Devonport ; was an annual subscriber to the Male and Female Annuity Fund , and last year became ; i Life Subscriber to both funds . He

was a truly good Mason , and had he been spared would have continued his useful career in the Order , aIlhou " , h bci'iLr a naval officer , he was unable to take office in his lodges or chapters .

He was beloved by all who knew him ; we deeply sympathise with his father ( who holds distinguished position in thc Craft ) and all his family for the loss they have sustained .

Scotland.

SCOTLAND .

—?—MASONIC FESTIVAL OF ST . JOHN .

CONSECRATION OF A NEAV HALL . On St . John ' s Day the members of the Lodge of Glasgow ( St . John , No . 3 bis . ) , assembled in their new hall , No . 213 , Buchanan-street , to take part in the solemn ceremony of its consecration . Bro . F . A . 'Barrow , D . P . G . M ., occupied the chair ,

and he was supported on the right by Bro . Steel , S . G . M ., and on the left by Bro . the Rev . Dr . Burns , V . W . ? . G . C , and other brethren . The lodge having been opened in due form , The V . W . the Prov . G . Chaplain delivered an oration . Before speaking of the solemn aspects of

the Craft , he begged to congratulate the lodge on the beautiful hall in which they had met . It was creditable to them that they had provided such accommodation for themselves , and he hoped they would have many pleasant meetings in it in the time to come , and would initiate many who would

be an ornament to the Craft and likewise a blessing to those with whom they were concerned . A very happy time had been chosen for its consecrationa time when one of their great principles was very apparent in the intercourse of society . This was the season of goodwill , of happy and cordial

greetings—thc season pre-eminently , he might say , set apart for kindliness and the interchange of friendship . ( Hear , hear ) . That feature was certainly one of the most distinguishing of the venerable Craft , for it inculcated upon its members a largehearted charity , and it required them in any

intercourse they had with the world to follow out the principle of love . And certainly never was there a season of the year more fitted for giving expression to feelings of benevolence and the principles of the Craft than thc present . However frequent might be the visitations of sickness and death , they were

specially frequent in the fall of the year . Poverty , too , tightened its grip with the cold , and they found that many of their brethren were not only obliged to combat the storms , but also to battle with sore disease aud want ; and were their more fortunate brethren to extend to them their sympathy , and

minister to their wants , Freemasonry would be felt as a power in the world . He would recall to their minds the high code of morality which was inculcated by Freemasonry . It required them not only to have loving hearts , but also to lead pure and honourable lives ; and never , perhaps , in thc history

of the world was there greater need felt for that than now . It was for Freemasons in this country , therefore , to live in the spirit of thc Craft , to set an example of what was good , and to practise those principles which underlie the Order . If they did so , they would find Freemasonry becoming agreater

power ; ancl instead of being a mere name—as to some extent it was at present—it would be felt to be a reality , their lodges would be largely swelled in number , and they would discover that they existed for a great purpose , and that it was an Order blessed largely by God for the good of their

fellow-men . ( Applause . ) The P . G . M . Depute complimented the lodge on thc great zeal and assiduity they had shown in their efforts to procure a new hall . The R . W . Master returned thanks . The lodge was closed with grand honours .

The following office-bearers of St . John ' s Lodge were afterwards appointed and installed ;—Bros . John Baird , R . W . M . ; Robert Neilson , D . M ., Jas . M'Millan , S . M . ; AVm . Kyle , jun ., S . W . ; Thomas

Fletcher , J . AV . ; R . D . Samuels , Treas . ; Thomas J . Smillie . Sec ; John Dick , S . D . ; James Kyle , J . . ; James Hamilton , Architect ; D . S . Henderson , Jeweller ; David AValker , Director of Music ; Rev . Alex . Guthrie , Chaplain .

813 TH ANNIVERSARY OF GLASGOW ST . JOHN . The members of this lodge held their festival on St . John ' s Day . There were upwards of one hundred present , and the chair was occupied by Bro . Baird , R . W . M . Bro . William Kyle , jun ., acted as

croupier . On the removal of the cloth , and the disposal of thc introductory toasts , " Prosperity to the Glasgow St . John Lodge " was pledged with enthusiasm . The R . W . M . replied , and referred to the long array of honourable work to which thc lodge could point as having been performed by it

in years bye-gone . Few lodges could show a brighter history , and he had no doubt it would be equally 11 :. sullied in the future . In proposing the "Three Grand Lodges , " the R . W . M . said thai at the last Masonic festival in thc City Hall Bro . Lord Rosslyn , who was in thc chair ,-stated , in the absence of the reporters , that

he had received an inviiatalion to spend Christmas with the Prince and Princess of AVales , at Sandringham , but that he excused himself on the ground of having to attend a Masonic gathering . He ( the R . AV . M . ) thought that was a most promising augury for the future of Masonry . The evening was agreeably varied by good singing .