New College For The Northern Counties.

NEW COLLEGE FOR THE NORTHERN COUNTIES .

GREAT MASONIC AND RELIGIOUS CEREMONIALS .

The picturesque town of Knutsford , Cheshire , about ten miles from Manchester , was en fete on Wednesday , the 24 th ult ., when the foundation-stones of St . Paul ' s College and Chapel were laid with imposing ceremonial , the

former by tbe Right Hon . the Lord De Table ) ' , R . W . Prov . G . M . of Cheshire , and the latter by the Lord Bishop of Chester ( Dr . Jacobson ) . The northern counties of England , with their six millions of inhabitants , have long felt the want of a great public school , antl the new

college at Knutsford is designed to supply for the residents in the north the higher educational advantages which have been latterly supplied to the south b y the colleges at Marlborough , Cheltenham , & c , and will occupy a position analagous to that of the great national schools

of Rugby , Harrow , Eton , and Winchester . The new college will cost about .- £ 80 , 000 , of which about ^ 40 , 000 , has already been subscribed , and will afford accommodation for . 500 scholars . The college and grounds will occupy about 60 acres of line meadow land , in the finely

wooded district enclosed by the parks of Tatton , De Tabley , Toft , Norbury , Booths , !< cc . - . mil within easy distance of large places like Manchester , Liverpool , Chester , & c , and the great railway centres like Crewe , Warrington , & c . i The building is arranged on a quadrangular

plan , after the model of many of the colleges at Oxford , the main facade ( inclusive of the chapel ) having a total length of 600 feet , with two flanks or wings , projecting 73 feet j ' that on the south side containing the Senior Warden ' s residence , with spacious reception rooms and a

reference library ; that on the north the apartments of the Junior Warden and Resident Masters . In the centre of the principal front is a tower , of simple and dignified proportions , 24 feet square at the base , and rising to a height of upwards of 200 feet , which serves as a carriage

entrance , and at the same time gives access to the quadrangle . A cloister , with traceried windows , divided by buttresses , runs around the internal walls of the quadrangle , and alfords a convenient and easy access to the various

classrooms , which , with the schoolrooms , are ranged round it , and also forms an ambulatory , available in inclement weather , of upwards of 1300 feet . The style adopted by the architects—Bros . Pennington and llrigden , of Manchester—is that known as late middle pointed Gothic .

The extent of the grounds , 40 acres , affords abundant space for cricket , football , and other outdoor exercises ; while the elevation of the site and the dryness of the soil ensure the most favourable sanitary conditions . The chapel—from the designs of Bros .

Goldie and Child , of London—will rival in importance and beauty any structure of the kind built in modem times . Having to provide for so large a number of residents , besides a certain number of visitors , it will necessarily be of considerable dimensions , attaining a length of

176 feet , by a width across the transepts of 95 feet . The general form of the building is that of a Latin cross , of which the head forms the sacrarium , terminating in a polygonal apse , whilst the choir or chapel proper forms the stem , with a western ante-chapel ; and the

transepts or arms accomodate the visitors and servants . The style of structure is that generally known as a geometrical Gothic , and the internal auangements are of such a nature as to allow externally of a grouping of the most striking description ; for the gable of the chancel will not only rise considerably over the

ridge of the choir , but will be crowned by a lofty belfry of stone and brick , flanked at the junction of the chancel and transepts by two turrets , thus presenting a group of the most picturesque architectural features , rising into a pyramidal composition to the height of 120 feet .

The quaint old town was gaily studded with flags , and the principal streets were sanded over with unique devices , in which Masonic symbols were especiall y prominent . The chnrch bells

New College For The Northern Counties.

rang out a merry peal , and abundant floral devices , including a triumphal arch , marked the way to the scene of the day ' s ceremonies . The weather being splendid and the proceedings

interesting , there were crowds of visitors from Liverpool , Manchester , & c ., special and admirable railway arrangements having been made by the Cheshire lines , under the personal and active superintendence of Mr . English , the

manager . An especial Provincial Grand Lodge of Cheshire was held by Bro . Lord De Tabley , R . W . Prov . G . M ., at the rooms of the De Tabley Lodge , No . 941 , at the Royal George Hotel , Knutsford , where there were present : —

Bros . C . Dutton , Prov . S . G . W . ; G . W . Latham Past G . D . ; Capt . lt . Cope , Prov . G . S . B . ; Rev C . W . Spencer Stanhope , Prov . G . C . ; Rev . H . Hodgson , Prov . CC . ; Rev . J . Lomax , Prov . G . C . E . H . Griffiths , Prov . G . Sec . ; J . P . Piatt , P . Prov . T-G-W . ; Rev . T . W . Newell

Turner , P . Prov . G . C ; J . Twiss , P . Prov . G . O . ; J . Brown . Prov . G . S . B . ; W . Fair , P . Prov . G . S . B . ; J . S . Mort , Prov . G . A . D . C ; T . PI . Kirk , Prov . G . O . ; J . Davenport , junr ., Prov . G . S . ; J . A . Birch , P . Prov . S . G . D . ; T . Bowers , P . Prov . G . A . D . of C ; J . Hampson , P . Prov .

J . G . D . The following prominent officers of different lodges were also present : —Bros . W . Nicholls , W . M . 941 ; F . D . Firth , W . M . 267 ; T . Pattinson , P . M . 267 ; It . H . Moore , W . M . ¦; . 37 ; G . H . Wilson , S . W . 537 ; R . N . Banks , W . M . 428 ; H . Kenyon , S . W . 104 c J . Salmon ,

P . M . 425 ; J . E . Williams , P . M . 425 ; Siddeley , P . M ., Treas . and Sec . 941 ; R . W . Worrall , P . M . 721 ; E . Harbord , P . M . 477 ; T . Dixon , Sec . 477 ; J . Reynolds , S . W . 941 ; W . Dean , P . M . 8 S 7 ; R . Taylor , P . M , Sec . 287 ; J . Keogh , I . G . 267 ; D . Fraser , l . G . 477 ; AV . B . Cutter , P . M . 94 f ; W . Tootell , P . M . 428 ; J . Wood ,

Ireas . 1094 ; and others . After the Provincial Grand Lodge had been duly opened , Bro . Lord De Tabley shortly addressed the brethren , and referred to the work of that dayjas of the most important character , and said he was happy to know it had been commenced under favourable auspices . lie thought it was not an unworthy occasion for the

Freemasons ot Cheshire to take part in a work which would be fraught with so much benefit , not only to the district , but to the whole of the north of England . The assembled brethren were then marshalled in order , according to the numbers of the lodges represented , and the position of the

Provincial Grand Officers , and the procession inarched to the site of the foundation-stone of the chapel , where they took up their position pro / fw . JAlthough strictly speaking theFreemasonshad no part in ceremony of laying the chapel stone , which was purely religious , they were kind enough to attend , and did useful service as an

inner guard in preventing the pressing throng outside from invading the sacred circle round the foundation stone , devoted to the accommodation of the clergy and choristers . A novel feature in the Masonic procession was the carriage of the volume of the Sacred Law b y four boys , not yet initiated into the mysteries of the Masonic Craft , but all sons of Master Masons .

lhe choristers , all surpliced , numbering upwards of 300 , assembled at the Town Hall , along with about 200 clergy . The choirs represented were St . Margaret ' s , Holy Trinity ( Toxteth-park ) , and St . Phili p ' s Liverpool ; Hol y Trinity , Birkenhead ; and St . Alban ' s ,

Manchester , Amongst the invited clergymen , many of whom were present , were the following : —Revs . Dr . Black , D . Waller , J . Ray . H . Crompton , A . M . Deane , G . Egerton , Canon Anson , Archdeacon Johnson , Dr . Aiarshall , W . Alarsden , C . Dean , W . M . Truss , E . Cargill , J .

T . Baylee , W . Lowe , O . Penrhyn , T . J . Henderson , W . A . Tattersall , G . H . Aldridge , J . Coombes , G . Gibbons , & c , A procession was formed of the clergy and choristers , and while proceeding to the site the latter sang several suitable psalms . On arriving at the place where

the chapel stone was to be laid , preceded by the Lord Bishop of Chester , the choir and people chanted the 138 th Psalm , after which his lordship offered a short prayer . The hymn " O God of Life" having been sung ; the Bishop proceeded to lay the foundation stone , with the usual ceremony , saying , " In the faith of Jesus Christ

New College For The Northern Counties.

we lay this foundation stone of a chapel to be called by the name of His blessed apostle St . Paul , and to be for ever dedicated to the service of God the Father , God the Son , and God the Holy Ghost . Amen . " After several prayers and the benediction , thc

Freemasons , clergy , and choir then marched to the p lace where the foundation stone of the new college was to be laid by Bro . Lord De Tabley , P . G . M . of Cheshire . Here there was an immense gathering of people , who evidently took a deep interest in the ceremony , After the ode ' * Hail ,

universal Lord had been sung , Bro . Lord De . Tabley said he might be permitted , according to the ancient custom of their Order , to say a few words before proceeding with that part of the programme which he was honoured by having committed to his care .

They had all attended as interested and welldish ing spectators during the laying of the foundation stone of the chapel of that collegiate institution by their beloved and venerated diocesan . ( Hear , hear . ) Every one must have felt the propriety of the first stone of the chapel

being laid by the Lord Bishop of the diocese , and all who wished the welfare of that institution must also have felt a deep debt of gratitude to his lordship for the impressive way in which he had performed that ceremony . ( Hear , hear . ) But they now came to the broader and more

comprehensive portion of the scheme—he meant the laying of the foundation stone ofthe college , and he had though it not unfitting for the Freemasons of that province to say " Yes " to the flattering proposal that they should lay the stone in Masonic form . The order of Freemasonry , as

they were aware , was a very ancient one . Its origin was lost in antiquity . It was a system of the purest morality , based on allegory , and illustrated by symbols . It embraced within its widespread arms every phase of religious belief ; it was the universal brotherhood of mankind .

But while this was so , by the appointment of Provincial Grand Chaplains and by the attendance of Provincial Grand Lodges at church , when they held their meetings in cities and towns , they proved their special attachment and respect for that branch of the universal church which was

established in England . ( Hear , hear , and applause . ) The duty of Freemasons , from time immemorial , had been the foundation and construction of magnificent edifices , whether for the glory ofthe Great Architect of the Universe , or for the benefit of mankind , as , for example , when the

first stone of St . Paul s Cathedral was laid by their late Grand Alaster , Sir Chistopher Wren , down to comparatively late years , when the fonntation stone ofthe asylum at Lancaster was laid by their late Past Grand Master , the Earl of Zetland . ( Applause . ) He thought that enough

had been said to justify the part he ( Lord de Tabley ) , as P . G . M . of that province . had ventured to take in the proceedings on that occasion . ( Hear , hear , ) He was glad to find himself supported by so many Provincial Grand Officers and brethren of different lodges—glad to see so

numerous and respectable an assembly . He was sure the collegiate institution would have the best wishes of all present ; and when they saw it flourish , as he trusted it would , rearing up the youth of the northern district on the principles of the plumb rule , level , square , and

compassesand there was plenty of room for it—they must all feel glad to look back at the fact ol their having assisted to lay the foundation stone . ( Applause ) That institution was connected with the Established Church of England , but | he hoped , and he had reason fo believe , that its portals

would not be closed against those who mi ght not be members of that church , provided they conformed to the rules and regulations of the institution . ( Loud applause . ) The upper stone was then raised , and an appropriate prayer was offered by Bro , J . Lomax

P . G . C . The acting Prov . G . Treasurer , by the P . G . M . ' s commands , deposited a phial containing the current coins of the realm , documents , & c , in the cavity of the lower stone , after which the following inscription on the plate was read

by Bro . E . H . Griffiths , P . G . Sec . : — " College of St . Paul , Knutsford , Cheshire . This foundation stone of the College of S . Paul was laid with Masonic honours by the Right Hon . Lord De Tabley , W . M . Hatch , M . A ., Warden ;