Obituary.

Obituary .

v — BRO . RICHARD REED NELSON , P . M ., P . Z ., Past Deputy Prov . Grand Master , and Prov . Grand Secretary , West Yorkshire . A faithful and indefatigable labourer in the Masonic vineyard has been called away suddenly from the scene of his earthly toil . Richard Reed Nelson is no more ! Our departed brother was ,

truly , not one of those who enter the sanctuary and thenceforth fold their arms and sleep ; he was not of those who regard Freemasonry as an agreeable pastime , deaf to its mystic teachings and heedless of its moral significance . He was essentially a workman in the quarry , a delver in

the rich mine of practical Masonry ; one who grappled with difficulties sufficient to appal ordinary men , and who never shrank from the onerous path of duty because there was a lion in the track . The Order needs such men , for , let it be said with sorrow , there are even now in the

Craft too many lack-a-daisical Masons , carpet knights , statues of straw , and " wind-bags , " as the Chelsea philosopher contemptuously calls the human shams of our time . Earnestness of purpose and vigor of action are what we want , and these Bro . Nelson possessed

in a degree common to few men . For the charities he worked with untiring energy , bringing the claims of the Boys' School especially straight home to the hearts of the Yorkshire brethren , and his sudden demise will be especially felt in the great West Riding where he lived and

laboured amongst the Craft . Bro . Nelson was entered , passed , and raised in the Alfred Lodge , No . 306 , Leeds , and afterwards joined a good old lodge , bearing a good old name , "Thc Three Grand Principles , " No . 208 , Dewsbury , in which he first served the oflice of Worshipful Master .

His Masonic career dates only from October , 1851 , but in that comparatively brief period he made his mark in the world of Freemasonry . Founder and first Master of the St . John's Lodge , No . 827 , Dewsbury , Provincial Grand Secretary , Deputy Provincial Grand Master , high and

merited were the honours showered upon his head , honours which but " stimulated him to further exertions , " so that had he lived wc might have reasonably anticipated that the dais of the Grand Lodge of England would ere long have received an accession in tlie person of Bro . Nelson .

It was , however , as Prov . Grand Secretary , an oflice of paramount importance in alarge province , tliatourlamentedbrotherparticularly distinguished himself , combining as he did those Masonic and business qualifications which are essential to the clue performance of the duties of the position .

This appointment he held at the time of his decease , which took place on Saturday , the 5 th instant , at Dewsbury , and his remains were consigned to their native earth on the 10 th instant , as will be seen by the following circular : — Provincial Grand Lodge of West Yorkshire of Antient ,

Free , and Accepted Masons . Broomficld House , Dewsbury , 7 th March , 1 S 70 . Worshipful dear Sir and Brother , —By desire of the Very Worshipful D . P . G . M ., Pro . Bentley Shaw , J . P ., it is my painful duty to inform you of the death of W . Pro . Richard Reed Nelson , P . M ., Prov . G . Sec ., He , and to acquaint you that his remains will be interred at the

cemetery , Halifax , on Thursday next , the 10 th instant , nt one p . m . Should you be desirous to assist in paying the last tribute of respect to his memory , you are requested to meet at the Masonic Hall , St . John ' s Place , Halifax , nt twelve at noon , where all brethren arc invite 1 to assemble . lam , Worshipful dear Sir an I lirollier ,

Yours fraternally , CIIARI . ES OMJISOVD , I ' rov . G . Treasurer . P . S . —The brethren are not expected to appear in Masonic costume . This , our tribute to his memory , is , we avow , a most imperfect one , but we may add that the lesson of his life is suggestive . It speaks in

solemn tone * let us each perform our allotted task while it is yet day , let tis not hold back our hands from the plough , or faint with weariness by the way . " Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do , do it with all thy might , " therefore let the record of our dead brother ' s acts stir us to deeds of good before death comes and quenches every opportunity in the midst of darkness ancl dismay

Obituary.

AVe cannot close this necrological notice more appropriately than by quoting the following lines , entitled " The Broken Column , " written by Bro . Rob Morris on a similar melancholy occasion : " His WORK was not done , yet his column is broken , Mourn ye and weep , for ye cherished his worth ; Let every tear-drop be sympathy ' s token ,

Lost to the Brotherhood , lost to the earth . His WORK had been planned by a WISDOM SUPERNAL ; Strength had been given him meet for the same ; Down in the midst he is fallen , and vernal Leaves hang above him , and whisper his fame . His WORK was to BUILD , on the walls wc beheld him Swiftly and truly they rose ' ncath his

hand-Envious death with his gavel has felled him , Plumb-line and trowel are strewn o ' er the land . His WORK thus unfinished to us is entrusted ; MASTER 01- MASONS , give strength we entreat , Bravely to work with these implements rusted , Wisely to build till the temple ' s complete . So MOTE IT ISE .

Multum In Parbo, Or Masonic Notes And Queries.

Multum in Parbo , or Masonic Notes and Queries .

—•>—THE ARK MARINERS' DEGREE . I herewith send you , for the information of a "Mark Master , " a copy of the " Gill" Ark Mariners' AA ' arrant , and also a draft of a warrant for working the " Mark" and other superior

degrees dated in 179 6 . In another charter ( the publication of which I reserve ) the "Red Cross " forms one of the series of degrees worked under Lord Rancliffe . I may take this opportunity of stating that the Red Cross was worked in connection with a K . T . Encampment in Dublin

over forty years ago , ancl that I sent a copy of a certificate issued to . a brother at that time for insertion in THE FREEMASON some months ago , but was informed that the MS . was lost or mislaid . This is to be regretted as it was the only copy I possessed . Fortunately , however , the

original certificate was seen and perused by several brethren , amongst others by Brother Frederick Binckes , to whom I referred the bearer , as the Mark Degree was also mentioned in tlie certificate . The language of the diploma was decidedly Christian , and could not have

referred to the , " Red Cross of Babylon" or any other peculiarly Jewish degree . Thc bearer , an old man , was relieved with a small sum from the funds entrusted to the Grand Almoner ofthe Red Cross order , the certificate bearing the strongest evidence of authenticity . R . AA ' ENTWORTH LITTLE .

A Dispensation , granted on board the Graud Royal Ark 1 ' cssel moord at the Surry Tai'crn , Strand , London . "I do hereby authorise and empower our trusty and well-beloved brothers ( sic orig . ) CharlesSinclair from this time lo assemble and hold a Royal Ark Vessel under this dispensation , on all lawful occasions and reasonable times to enter Ark Mariners on board until they are qualified to

receive a warrant from the Grand ami Royal Ark \ essel , provided thc above brothers pay a due respect thereto , otherwise this dispensation to bc of no lorce or virtue . "Given under my hand and seal this fifth day of the ninth month , from the year of the flood 334 8 , and thc twentieth of October , in the year of our Lord 179 G . ' Signed R OIU - RTGII . L , A . G . C . N . "

ADOPTIVE MASONRY . Can you inform me whether any degrees for the fair sex are conferred in England , ancl if so , where ? QUERIST . [ We have heard it said that a lodge for ladies is held in Yorkshire and that the Countess de

Grey and Ripon is the Grand Mistress , but cannot vouch for tlie truth of the report * . Bro . Macoy , of New York , sent us some time ago the rituals ot the Eastern Star degrees , which have been placed in the hands of a brother who may possibly use them . —ED . F . ]

The society of " Asiatic Brethren originated in a schism amongst the German Rosicrucians during the last century . A personage named Ecker was its founder , and by means of tlie society he obtained great consideration from the court of Berlin . After a time , however , Frederick

of Prussia suppressed the order in his dominions , but it was revived at Vienna , and spread rapidly throughout the provinces of the Austrian Empire . It is now , however , utterly extinct , but its ritual is known to several Masons both in England and on the Continent . ANTIQUARIUS .

Multum In Parbo, Or Masonic Notes And Queries.

PRETTY FELLOWS AND FREEMASONS IN 1709 . I readily admit that Freemasons , as well as Free Cordiners , Squaremen , Pretty Fellows , & c , had their tokens before 1717 , but it does not therefore follow that the signs and tokens , ceremonies , rituals , and degrees which we as

Speculative Freemasons now use , were so used before 1717 . In fact , I consider they were not so used , and I hereby challenge proof of the same ; for in all my researches I have neither seen it nor can I get any one to point it out to me , either publicly or privately . " They have their signs

and tokens like Free-Masons , refers to the customs of the Social Masons of that date—1709 . In the social part of our Freemasonry still , we have " signs and tokens" used among the brethren which do not form part of our rituals . Lastly , was Sir Richard Steele a Freemason

himself at the date , June 9 U 1 , 1709 ? The Lodge of Edinburgh , Mary's Chapel , and the Lodge of Kilwinning admitted gentlemen long before 1709 , and gave them a "token" or tokens , or something equivalent , yet neither these nor any

other Scottish lodges I know of practised our Speculative Freemasonry until after 1717 . So the quotation from Thc Tntlcr , which I have seen in the original , although correct enough , is nothing wonderful . LEO .

DATE OF MOTHER KILWINNING LODGE , NO . O , ( page 114 ) . The old Lodge of Kilwinning , alias "Mother Kilwinning , " claims to date from the foundation of Kilwinning Abbey in 1140 , but they have not the least shadow of proof for any such assertion ,

nor can they point to any proof of the existence of any lodge there at that early date . Further , the old Abbey ruins they point to to support the said idea belong to the Pointed style ancl period , and the age of the oldest portions is nearer 1240 than 1140 . That there was a "building fraternity "

therefore in Kilwinning in 1240 I admit , but we have got no proof as yet of the "Lodge of Kilwinning " being then in existence , nor can they give any proof of their existence until long after . The Abbey of Kilwinning founded in 1140 would , I consider , be built of wood , but

afterwards , when the monks got properly settled and were in funds , & c , they set about building the stone erection . The old Lodge of Kilwinning has minutes from 1642 , but they lament the loss of an older book , which probably went back to about 1600 . As to the pretension of " Mother Kilwinng" being the mother lodge of Scotland ,

all the others being off-shoots from it , that is simply nonsense — it is one of our Masonic dreams . AA'hen the work which my esteemed friend Bro . D . Murray Lyon is engaged on is published , viz ., thc history of the Lodge of Edinburgh , Mary ' s Chapel , we shall no doubt receive more light . LEO .

" THE MASONIC TOBACCO nox . If Bro . Swete will communicate with Bro . Buchan anent this , I shall be satisfied . LEO . The following extract purports to be an account of the initiation of a Freshman in the American Universities—vS . ' . zx this , let

Freemasonry hide its diminished head . VIATOR . " Here , in a low , dark passage-way , several maskers , dressed in the deepest and deadest black , are grouped around an upright skeleton , whose sockets glisten with a dull phosphorescent light . A freshman is brought up face to face with this ghastly figure , and his bandage removed .

A student ventriloquist , stationed behind the skeleton , addresses the victim as if through the skeleton ' s mouth . The figure seems to command him , in a hollow and cavernous voice , to shake it by the hand . The freshman after some resilience obeys . Instantly a quiver shoots over his frame , and he becomes as ghastly pale as the

skeleton itself . Master freshman will learn the secret of all this hereafter in the recitation hall —lie has to thank electricity for this ill turn . Next he is brought to a room where stands a masked figure dressed as a headsman . Ilcsidc him is seen a guillotine , and the victimagain permitted lo see for what he is destined —is laid upon

the floor , and his head inserted beneath the fatal and glittering axe . As he stoops for this pypose he turns while to see lying beside the guillotine a blood-stained cloth . The executioner sets the deadly machine in motion , and it descends with a . vliiz upon the neck of the

freshman—stopping short however within an inch or two of it . Wc , as spectators , know that the axe is of harmless pine , painted a shining steel colour ; and we have time to perceive that there arc firm stops above where his head is placed . He is next led to a cold , damp , cellar-like apartment , with only the damp ground for footing , ' where lie is