The Duke Of Edinburgh At Devonport.

THE DUKE OF EDINBURGH AT DEVONPORT .

PLACING THE MEMORIAL STONE OF THE ROYAL BRITISH FEMALE ORPHAN ASYLUM .

Reprinted from the Western Daily Mercury of Thursday , October Sth , 1 S 74 . DEVONPORT , like Plymouth , has had its Royal visit , and is to be equally congratulated on the result . The visit of H . R . H . the Duke of

Edinburgh to Devonport , to place the memorial stone of the Royal British Female Orphan Asylum , Stoke , was as interesting and as successfu l in its way as the grander visit in August of the Prince of Wales to Plymouth , to open the New

Guildhall . It is true the visit of the Queen ' s eldest son to the elder borough was a corporate affair , and carried out with corporate magnificence ; but though the Duke of Edinburgh ' s visit to Devonport to accord recognition to the

worth of a public institution was not under the auspices of the Corporation , yet it was in no way wanting that which all loyal subjects regard as necessary to a Royal visit . The army and the navy took an active part—and considering

the special occasion of the visit , very appropriately took an active part—in the day ' s proceedings , and throughout the arrangements were marked by careful consideration and successful accomplishment .

Devonport received H . R . H . the Duke of Edinburgh as no stranger . It was at Devonport that he commissioned the good ship Galatea , and it was from the Hamoaze that he started upon an eventful and entertaining voyage

to India , the Cape of Good Hope , to Australia , and other lands ; and it was to Devonport he returned from circumnavigating the globe , and the incidents of the dinner he gave in the Mechanics' Institute to Mr . Moore and officers of

H . M . Dockyard in celebration of his cruise is still fresh in the minds of townspeople . Closely associated with Devonport in his active seaservice , the Duke of Edinburgh was sure of a hearty reception in visiting the town , and

esnecially when he came upon so excellent an errand—to show his sympathy and interest in an institution that succours the orphans of our soldiers and sailors who die in the service . Such sympathy and interest could not but be

natural on the part of a prince who chose sealife as his profession . Favoured with the patronage of her Majesty herself , the Asylum can thus also boast of the support of her sons , for the Prince of Wales , it will be remembered ,

when at Plymouth , became the patron of tlie Masonic Fund being raised for the extension of the Asylum , and subscribed twdfcty-five guineas to it . The Duke of Connaught has contributed ,- £ 30 to the funds , and the Duke of Edinburgh ,

m addition to £ 50 contributed when he paid off the Galatea , yesterday handed to Mr . Metham a further cheque for ^" 50 . The Asylum is well worthy of such support . Its history is unique ; it was the first institution

of its kind . Forty years ago Mr . Metham ' s mother established the Devon and Cornwall Female Orphan Asylum , Plymouth . A few years' experience served to bring into prominence the fact that there were a very large

number of orphans of soldiers and sailors whose claims to charity were most pressing . Not a single institution -then existed in the country charged with the mission of caring for the female orphans of those who died in defence of tlie

The Duke Of Edinburgh At Devonport.

country ' s honour . To meet tills want an auxiliary to the Plymouth Asylum was formed , and supported by a fund called the Seamen and Marines Female Orphan Fund ; and out of this , in 1 S 40 , grew the British Female Orphan

Asylum , which soon added " Eoyal" to its title , the Queen having readily become its patroness . It began in a small way in a private house * but in 1 S 45 so general was the recognition and support accorded it that its promoters were enabled

to proceed with the erection of a large and imposing asylum at Stoke , a pleasant suburb of Devonport . It was appropriately opened on

"Waterloo Day , 1 S 4 6 , " and since then a thousand orphans of our brave protectors have been lodged , clothed , educated , and trained in it as domestic servants . More than one-half of the

girls admitted lost their fathers in actual service ; the rest were children of men who had died of disease in foreign lands , or from injuries whilst on duty . Commencing with the fatal retreat at Cabool , each military and naval service which

has occurred during the last thirty years has furnished inmates for the asylum , and a noteworthy feature in its management is that , whenever a war has occurred , or a catastrophe happened to any portion of the defensive forces , the managers

have at once opened the asylum to a certain number of girls thus made orphans , instead of waiting till the regular election came round . In the way the siege of Acre , the Crimean War , the fierce conflict with the Affghans , the wars

with China , the Kaffirs , and the Ashantees , the wreck of the Avenger , the burning of the Amazon , and the foundering of the Captain , have all had their effect on the history of the institution .

Such in brief is the history of the Asylum . In few cases has the faith of managers been met with more prompt and substantial reward . Mr . Metham inherited , as a legacy from his mother , the privilege of promoting the interests of the

institution * ancl strong in a just and pressing cause he has not left the merits of the Asylum unsung . The results have fully justified his importunity and rewarded his increasing exertions . The Committee of Lloyd's Patriotic Fund , in

the most substantial manner , recognized the excellent work of the institution by a liberal endowment for extending its usefulness , and it is not to be doubted that this Asylum had no small influence on the Admiralty in leading them at

last to recognize that it is a State duty to care for those made orphans by devotion to State service . It is the result of this recognition that called for additional buildings , and led to the present pleasant ceremonies of yesterday . To

provide for fifty children which will be supported by the Admiralty , a much larger asylum was required , and whilst additions were being made , it was resolved to build for eighty more inmates , and thus make it equal to accommodating 200

orphans . And then the want will not be too effectually met . These new work ' s required up £ 4 , , and how energetic Mr . Metham has been in raising funds is well known , and not the least noticeable feature in his campaign has

been the substantial proof given of the esteem in which he is held amongst the Freemasons as D . P . G . M . of Devon by the collecting of one thousand guineas for his scheme amongst his brethren in Devon and Cornwall .

Notwithstanding all his efforts , however , nearly £ 2 , 000 yet remains to be begged . The earnest appeals made by the Duke of Edinburgh should make the raising of that sum easy . The weather yesterday was not altogether

The Duke Of Edinburgh At Devonport.

favourable . Tuesday night ' s boisterous visitation of wind and rain was aught but cheering , and yet the morning of yesterday was not at all unpromising . The wind was high certainly ,

and ominous black clouds would now and then sweep up from the north-west , but still the bright , uninterrupted sunshine ofa few minutes was most comforting . Whilst the crowds in the

streets , and on the Grand Stand at the Asylum were waiting for the Duke , a very heavy shower fell , bringing cloaks and umbrellas into sudden requisition ; but from the time the procession started to the end of the ceremony , no rain fell .

A continuance of bright sunshine enabled the ladies to appear in all the advantage of their bright toilettes , and the Master of Ceremonies to carry the programme through without curtailment .

THE PROCESSION . The naval and military orders which were issued from Government House some days since , and which appeared in our columns , were followed out to the letter . At nine o ' clock yesterday morning the whole of Her Majesty ' s

ships in the harbour hoisted masthead nags ; at the same time the Royal Standard was hoisted at Mount Wise and the Citadel , and a royal salute was fired from the saluting ships , as well as from the Citadel . The principal streets and

thoroughfares of the town , through which it haa been arranged that the procession should pass , were gaily decorated with flags , most of them having been lent by the Dockyard authorities , and the entire route from the Admiralty House

to the Orphan Asylum was lined by naval seamen , and detachments from the nth and 60 th regiments , the men being four paces apart . According to announcement the procession , with his Royal Highness , started from the

Admiralty House precisely at twenty minutes past twelve , by which time a large crowd assembled , despite the heavy showers of rain which occasional !) ' fell . The procession was headed by a

mounted escort , consisting of twelve men of the B Battery , 16 th brigade of Royal Artillery , and then came the carriages in the following order : — First Carriage : Captain Somerville , R . N . ;

the Rev . G . E . Carwithen , M . A ., R . N . ; Dr . J . Robson , Committee . Second Carriage : Captain A . Edye , R . N . ;

Mr . Alderman J . Weary * Mr . J . H . Jefferd , Committee . Third Carriage : The Mayor of Plymouth , ( Mr . Alfred Rooker ) . Fourth Carriage : Major General Smyth's ,

C . B ., Commanding the Western District . Fifth Carriage ; Sir Massey Lopes , Bart ., M . P ., ( Civil Lord of the Admiralty ) , Sir Frederick Martin Williams , Bart , M . P , ( D . G . P . M . of the Freemasons of Cornwall ) , Mr . J .

Carpenter-Garnier , M . P ., and Mr . L . P . Metham . Sixth Carriage : Mr . Chapell Hodge and Lord Blachford . Seventh Carriage : Admiral the Hon Sir H . Keppel's , G . C . B .,

Commander-in-Chief—Captain Heneage , H . M . S . Royal Adelaide * Captain Wilson , H . M . S . Impregnable ; and Lieut . Windham . Flag Lieutenant . Eig hth Carriage : Lord Eliot , the Bishop of Exeter , Captain the Hon . Charles Eliot , and Mr . W . H . Pole-Carew .

Ninth Carriage : The Mayor of Devonport ( Mr . Alfred Norman ) , the ex-Mayor ( Mr . Joseph May ) , and the Town Clerk ( Mr . J . J . E . VennimA

Tenth Carriage : His Royal Highness the Duke of Kdinburgh , his equerry , and thc Hon . AJiiiii'' ! Sir Henry Keppel , G . C . B . A posse of policemen brought up in the rear .