Grand Lodge Of Scotland.

over which her Majesty held sway . He trusted not only that the unity of their own Order , but also that the unity of this Empire , mig ht be a great one —( cheers)—that it might be one which the world would look on with wonder and awe , and perhaps with envy . ( Cheers . ) If it would only remember upon what it was founded , and remember that it was capped , as their

Order was also capped , by a free , firm , and just government , it would be certain to uphold the principles which had made their Order so great and so universal , and it would enable the world to see that there was truth in the foundation upon which they rested . ( Cheers . ) He thanked them in the name of the Grand Lodge for the manner in which they had drunk the toast . ( Cheers . )

The CHAIRMAN , in proposing "The Grand Lodges of England and Ireland , " said they were aware that the patron of their Order , the Prince of Wales , was the distinguished occupant of the chair in England . No Grand Master was more able to fulfil his duties than his Royal Highness was . On all occasions he came forward to do his duty , and not only that , but he did it in such a manner that there was no Mason , however well versed he might be in the laws of Freemasonry , who did not acknowledge that

they had in him a Grand Master worthy of the post he filled . ( Cheers . ) In Irefand the Duke of Abercorn worthily fulfilled his duties . ( Hear , hear . ) In a like manner with the Prince of Wales , the Duke of Abercorn regretted extremely that he was not able to be present at this , their jubilee —( cheers)—but he had duties to perform at this time in Ireland which enforced him to remain in that country . Bro . Captain OSWALD replied .

Bro . the Rev . Professor STORY proposed "The District Grand Lodges under the Scottish Constitution , in India , the Colonies , and in foreign parts —and ' Freemasonry over the world . ' " He said there could not be a more comprehensive toast than the cause of Freemasonry over the world , especially of the lodges over the world that held sway under the Grand Lodge of Scotland throughout the British dominions . They wished them all health , peace , and prosperity . In these days , in which it had become

the fashion amongst certain short-sighted politicians to talk of disunion and separation as things possible within the bounds of the British Empire , it was gratifying to them to believe that every lodge escablished throughout the Briish colonies , holding its charter from the Grand Lodge of Scotland , was a new link in that chain which , strong as iron and bright as gold , would bind together in one brotherhood , in indissoluble unity , all the regions and quarters of the globe which owned the sway of their British Sovereign , the Queen . ( Cheers . )

There were a number of other toasts . Bro . CHAS . DALRYMPLE , M . P ., proposed " The Past Grand Masters , " to which Bro . the Earl of MAR and KELLIE replied . Bro . Col . DRUMMOND MORAY , in the absence of Bro . W . Pearce , M . P ., gave "The Grand Master Depute and Substitute Grand Master . " Bro . the Earl of HADDINGTON replied .

Bro . J . T . ELLIOT , in the absence of Bro . the Earl of Caithness , proposed " Lady Campbell , " the CHAIRMAN replying . Bro . the Rev . P . M'ADAM MUIR proposed "The Grand Wardens and the other Grand Office-Bearers . "

Bro . F . E . VILLIERS replied . " The Provincial Grand Lodges , with the Attendant Daughter Lodges , " was proposed by the CHAIRMAN ; and replies were made by the head of each province represented . Bro . F . E . VILLIERS , in replying for Dumfries , drew attention to a Mason present who had been connected with the Order since 1821 . The brother was afterwards accompanied to the platform and introduced to the Chairman .

Bro . the Earl of KINTORE proposed "The Metropolitan Lodges , " and Bro . W . MANN , the Chairman of the Grand Committee , replied . Bro . PETER M'LAGAN , M . P ., proposed "The Surviving Participants in the Second Jubilee of the Grand Lodge , " and Bro . H . J . ROLLO , W . S ., responded , " Auld Lang Syne" having beforehand been sung . The banquet closed shortly before eight o ' clock . A strong orchestra , under Bro . H . Dambmann , was present in the gallery , and played during the serving of the banquet and at intervals on the toast list .

Bro. Lane's "Masonic Records.

BRO . LANE'S " MASONIC RECORDS .

MASONIC RECORDS , 1717-1 SSG , Comprising a list of all the Lodges at home and abroad , with their dates of Constitution , place of meeting , & c , by J LANE , F . C . A ., P . M . 1402 , Torquay , with an introduction by WILLIAM J AMES HUGHAN , P . G . D ., Sic , & c . LONDON : George Kenning , 16 Great Queen-street , 18 S 6 . Our readers are now in a position to gratify their curiosity . Bro . Lane ' s long-anticipated work on the " Masonic Records " of the different Grand

Lodges of England during the period from 1717 to 1886 is before them , and they can now judge for themselves of its merits . For ourselves , we have no doubts whatever as to their verdict being most favourable in all respects . No equally valuable work of its kind , nor even one possessing an approximately equal value , has ever yet been published . Indeed , if we except the annotated lists which have been issued by different Masonic experts , or

published in sundry Masonic periodicals , no attempt has heretofore been made , and certainly none on the scale attempted by Bro . Lane , to trace by slow but trustworthy steps the almost infinite ramifications of the Craft from the parent stem of England . The career of every lodge warranted by one of our English Grand Lodges , from its creation till its death , absorption by other lodges , or translation to other Masonic jurisdictions , is delineated in

the pages of this volume step by step , and with a fulness and accuracy of detail which has but few parallels even in the most laborious exemplars of successful literary and scientific research . Indeed , Bro . Lane has done his work so thoroughly and with so near an approach to complete freedom from error that , even on the assumption there may be brethren as eager and willing as he has shown himself , to devote the time , labour , and expense that

must be involved in any similar undertaking , we imagine a like responsibility will never again be undertaken . It is our firm belief that Bro . Lane ' s book will remain always the accepted guide of all students of Masonic history in all matters relating to the rise and progress of our lodge system in England from 1717 onwards and its establishment and development in other countries .

The work has been in our hands so short a time that we are under the necessity of confining ourselves in this preliminary notice to remarks of the most general character . We should be paying Bro . Lane and his labours but a poor compliment if we dealt with what it has cost him so many years to compile , in a curt and perfunctory manner , and after an examination of a few hours only . But the most detailed study of the contents will not

Bro. Lane's "Masonic Records.

reveal to us more , as regards their subdivision and arrangement , than we have learned already . It is difficult to conceive of any method by which the growth of English Masonry could have been more clearly demonstrated than that which Bro . Lane has adopted of dividinghis work into three Parts , with an Index , Part I . being occupied with " The Grand Lodge of ALL England " at York ; Part II . to " The Grand Lodge of England South of the

Trent ; " and Part III ., in three sections or subdivisions , to { a ) " The Grand Lodge of England , " ( Z >) ' •The Grand Lodge of England according to the Old Institutions , " and ( e ) " The United Grand Lodge of England . " Nor do we think he would have succeeded so well in tracing and making clear the course of individual lodges had he adopted any other than the tabular arrangement . The latter places before us at once , and as it were by a

coup d'ceil , the necessary framework of every private lodge ' s career , that is to say , the date of its constitution , the houses or localities in which it has met , its successive changes of number ( if any ); and its ultimate destiny . Thus a brother , who is interested in the career of any particular lodge , has only to turn to its number in Bro . Lane ' s Records and there he will find grouped against it , in a series of parallel columns , the various particulars we

have enumerated . Had they been set forth in a continuous narrative or in any other form , they would not have been so clear and easily get-at-able . These are criticisms of a general character which we may reasonably permit ourselves to offer , even at the outset of our study of this most important work . Then there are the Introduction by Bro . VV . J . Hughan , P . G . D ., and the Author ' s Preface ; but neither of these is of greater length than is usual

or necessary . Bro . Hughan , as a neighbour of Bro . Lane , has had almost dail y opportunities of watching the progress of the Records towards completion , and his advice has often been sought by the latter in matters of doubt and difficulty . But Bro . Hughan ' s Introduction is less a plea in behalf of his friend ' s book than a contribution on Lodge Lists , which will be

found of considerable value in the study of its contents . In his concluding paragraph , however , he commends unhesitatingly the " perseverance , research , and fidelity " exhibited b y the author in the compilation of his volume , and commendation like this from so high an authority as Bro . Hughan in all matters pertaining to this particular branch of Masonic labour is indeed a commendation of which Bro . Lane has reason to be proud .

The Preface contains a full explanation of the circumstances which led Bro . Lane to embark upon so long and laborious an enterprise as well as of the sources from which he has obtained his information ; the difficulties he has encountered in the prosecution of his work the not infrequent conflicts of statement he has met with , and which he has often found it hard , if not impossible , to reconcile ; the dilatorinessor unwillingness which has been

shown by many members of the Craft in answering his inquiries ; and his reasons for the arrangements and sub-division he has seen fit to adopt . It is well and clearly written and modest withal . We are less surprised , after reading this Preface , which contains so much and such varied information in so small a compass , that Bro . Lane should have successfully accomplished his appointed task . There is an intimate connection between the ability to condense well and that of wading carefully through and properly

marshalling an infinite number and variety of small , but important , details . Lastly , it does not take long to formulate an opinion as to the style in which a volume such as this is presented to the public ; and as the contents are a lasting monument to the author ' s ability and untiring energy , so are the typography and binding a credit to the skill and taste exhibited by the printer and binder in their respective spheres of duty . The exterior appearance of the volume is in complete harmony with its interior literary value . ... In future articles we shall write more in detail .

Freemasonry In Norfolk.

FREEMASONRY IN NORFOLK .

By way of confirming the leaderette in the Freemason for 20 th Nov ., and to illustrate the value of Bro . John Lane ' s " Masonic Records , " I have copied from that work a few , out of the many particulars to be found in its numerous pages respecting the Province of Norfolk , The voluminous index is a special feature of the volume , and is the means of saving much labour in the investigation . LODGES ON THE ROLL . —( Before 1 S 14 ) .

NORWICH- ( I ) A . D . 1736 , No . 52 ; ( 3 ) A . D . 1 755 , No . 93 ; ( 7 ) A . D . 1795 , No . 213 . HARLESTON—( 2 ) Harleston from A . D . 1854 ( Norwich trom 1753 ) , No . 85 . YARMOUTH—( 4 ) Yarmouth from 1846 ( Norwich from 1757 , Blakeney from 1789 ) , No . 100 ; ( 8 ) A . D . 1 797 , No . 313 . NORTH WALSHAM—( 5 ) North Walsham from 1827 ^ Norwich , 1758 ; Aylsham , 1774 ; Norwich , 1781 ; Cottishall , 17 S 8 ; Hoveton St . John , 1805 ; Bungay—Suffolk , 1814 ) .

LYNN—( 6 ) A . D . 1810 , No . 107 ( originally of 1766 , Welchpool ) . After the " Union . " NORWICH—( 9 ) A . D . i 860 , No . 807 ; ( 10 ) A . D . 1863 , No . 943 ; ( 14 ) A . D . 1874 , No 1500 . EAST DEREHAM —( II ) A . D . 1863 , No . 996 . FAKENHAM—( 12 ) A . D . 1866 , No . 1114 . WYMONDHAM—( 13 ) A . D . 1867 , No . 1193 .

Diss —( 15 ) A . D . 1878 , No . 1741 . NORTH WALSHAM—( 16 ) A . D . 1 S 79 , No . 1808 . Making 8 before and 8 after the " Union , " or a total of 16 . EXTINCT LODGES ( 1724—1813 ) . ( a ) Norwif . li , A . D . 1724 ; ( b ) 1 748 , ( c ) 1750 , ( d ) 1751 , ( and Swaffham ) , ( e ) 1754 , ( and Writtle , Essex ) , (/) 1755 , ( and Walsingham ) ( g ) 17 G 5 , 'h ) 1797 . Also "Ancient " Lodges , li ) 17 O 1 , ( j ) 1762 , ( k ) 1767 , ( I ) 1769 , (» t ) 1770 , («) 1770 ( and Blakenev ) .

Yarmouth ( o ) 1751 ( and Norwich ) , ( p ) 1759 , ( q ) 1793 , ( r ) 1812 . Lynn ( s ) 1729 , ( t ) 17 C 2 , ( u ) 1796 ( and Wisbeach , Camb . ) , ( v ) 1798 , ( w ) "Ancient " 1762 . Swaffham ( x ) 1764 . Fakenham ( y ) 1765 ( also to Thetford and Prov . of Suffolk ) . Diss ( 3 ) Diss . London to Lynn ( aa ) 1 759 ( original warrant ) .

EXTINCT LODGES ( since the " Union" ) . Lynn ( bb ) 1823 , ( cc ) 1824 . Norwich ( dd ) 1 S 31 , Yarmouth , 1826 . REMOVALS FROM NORFOLK . ( A ) 1792 Norwich to Warwick ( 1808 ) now No . 284 . ( B ) 1747 Norwich to Accle , then Yarmouth , and finally Lowestoft , Suffolk , now No . 71 .

It will thus be seen that there are now 16 lodges on the roll of the Province of Norfolk , 30 have been erased , and two removed ; to other provinces , so that it is remarkable that the proportion of extinct lodges to those on the roll should be so much greater of the former class , making with the removals exactly double . The dates , or , rather , years of constitution only are given . For the exact dates , all the places of meetings , and other particulars , Bro . John Lane ' s great work should be consulted ; copies of which may be obtained at 31 s . 6 d . nett , during the remainder of the year , being the cost price of production . W J . HUGHAN .