Freemasonry In 1899.

Quatuor Coronatorum , " which so far as they have been published place us under still greater obligations to Bro . George W . Speth , P . A . G . D . C , Secretary , for the ability and accuracy with which

he has fulfilled his duties as Editor . Other works have also appeared which add to our store of knowledge , but those we have specified are in themselves sufficient to proclaim the year 1899 as . being not the least memorable in the annals of our Craft literature .

OBITUARY . The losses we have sustained by death have , we regret to say , been somewhat more serious than usual , not only numerically , but also by reason of the distinction that many of those deceased had won in our ranks . Foremost amongst them is beyond doubt Bro . Col . Le Gendre N . Starkie , who , after serving

as J . G . Warden of G . Lodge , and G . Scribe N . of Supreme G . Chap ter in 1868 was in 1870 appointed and installed Prov . G . Master and G . Superintendent of East Lancashire . In the Mark Degree he served as S . G-. Warden in 18 73 and from June 1876 till his death was Dep . Prov . G . Mark Master of Lancashire under the

late Earl of Lathom . He had also taken the 33 of the Ancient and Accepted Rite and was Gr . Captain of the Guards of its Supreme Council . Above all , he had rendered signal service to our Central Charitable Institutions , was a Patron of the Benevolent Institution , at one of whose most successful Festivals , he

presided as Chairman ; a Vice-Patron of the Girls' School , and a Vice-President of the Boys' School , in addition to which he had acted as Steward for all three , the last occasion being at the Boys' Centenary in 18 9 8 , when he headed the East Lancashire contingent of Stewards with a list of £ 546 . He was also the

heart and soul of the E . Lancashire Systematic Masonic Educational and Benevolent Institution , at the only Festival heretofore held in aid of which he acted as Chairman . His death occurred on the 13 th April , andthe loss of so distinguished a Mason will be felt not only by the Province with which he was associated

but also by the English Craft generally . Among others , who have passed from our midst are Bros . Lord Herschell , Past G . Warden of England , who died in Washington , while discharging important duties for his country ; Jabez Hogg , P . G . Deacon , the eminent surgeon occulist , whose services to our Institutions are

too well known to need recording here ; Maj .-Gen . J . C . Hay , P . G . D ., sometime Vice-Chancellor of the Order of the Temple , and G . Secretary General of the Supreme Council , 33 ° , A . and A . Rite ; Lt .-Col . W . Newton , P . G . D ., Past Dep . Provl G . Master of Nottinghamshire ; Asher Barfield , Past G . Treasurer of

England and a generous supporter of our Institutions ; Raymond H . Thrupp , P . A . G . D . C , Dep P . G . Master of Middlesex ; Alderman W . H . Marsden , J . P ., P . G . S . B ., P . Prov . GL Warden of Derbyshire ; Lt .-Col . A . B . Cook , P . G . D ., Prov . G . Mark Master of Middlesex ; Leopold G . G . Robins , P . G . D . ; George E . Lake ,

P . G . D ., D . P . G . M . Herts ; E . L . P . Valeriani , P . G . Std . Br . ; ancl John Newton , F . R . A . S ., Past Grand Pursuivant . To the foregoing , who were Past Granel Officers of Grand Lodge , must be added Bro . Henry Muggeridge , who was P . G . Std . Br . of Supreme G . Chapter , but whose memory

will be cherished as one of the most eminent exponents of our Masonic Ritual , and for years the Preceptor of thc Stability Lodge of Instruction . Another once familiar figure has also left us , Bro . Neville Green , P . M ., P . Z ., formerly one of

the Staff in the G . Secretary ' s Office , who had retired on a pension , but unfortunately was not long spared to enjoy his retirement . We have also to regret the deaths of the following , who , though they did not attain to oflice in Grand Lodge , were ,

Freemasonry In 1899.

nevertheless , highly esteemed and had won honours in the Provinces to which they severally belonged , namely , Bro . Alderman T . G . Mabane , P . Prov . G . Warden of Durham , Bro . T . I . Bird , P . M ., P . Prov . G . S . B . Middlesex ; Bro . Thomas Hastings , P . Prov . A . G . P . Kent ; E . T . Taylor , P . M ., P . Prov . G . S . of Works ,

Middlesex ; A . Stubbs , P . Prov . G . W ., Prov . G . Secretary Notts ; Bro . J . H . Gration , P . Prov . G . Treas . W . Yorkshire ; Bro . J . E . Cussans , P . M ., P . Z . 1385 , P . Prov . G . W . Hertfordshire ; Bro . Major W . A . Weston , P . Prov . G . D . Kent ; Thomas Barnes , P . M ., P . Prov . G . M-. Somersetshire ; Bro . J . D . Elliott Tarr ,

P . Prov . G . D . Middlesex ; Bro . H . Nash , P . Prov . G . Reg . Cheshire ; and Bro . F . A . White , P . M ., P . Prov . G . Reg . Essex . To these must be added Bro . Major F . Y . Cassidy , P . M . 743 ; Henry Glenn , P . M . 19 ; W . Worrell , P . M ., Thomas Heath , P . M ., James Wright , P . M ., John Fisher , P . M ., Lt .-Col . A . Durrant ,

P . M . 1185 , Francis Gosnay , P . M ., E . W . Allen , P . M ., W . G . Rubie , who dropped dead in the Wellington Lodge , No . 341 , Rye , shortly after installing his successor in the Chair of K . S . ; Joseph Cleaver , P . M ., ancl many others who had done good service to the Craft of Masonry .

SCOTLAND . Freemasonry under thc Grand Lodge of Scotland has undoubtedly enjoyed its share of thc prosperity which has attended the English Craft . Thc roll of lodges has been increased by the Constitution of 19 , of which one is located in thc Metropolitan District , five in the Provinces , ancl 13 in thc Districts abroad ,

these last comprising seven in Western Australia , three in the Transvaal , two in Queensland , and one in Trinidad ( W . L ) . We have some doubts as to the wisdom of granting warrants for so many new lodges in the colony of Western Australia , especially when we find that an even larger number has been issued by the

Grand Master of England . During the four years that have elapsed from 1 X 96 inclusive , there have been placed in this single Australasian Colony some 40 lodges , of which , 17 are under the English ancl 23 under the Scottish Constitution , ancl though we labour under the disadvantage of living at a distance ,

still it occurs to us that thc population of W . Australia cannot at all events , have increased to such au extent as to justify thc formation of so many lodges in so brief a space of time . No doubt , however , thc reported constitution of a local Grand Lodge will account for the increase . Turning to

the Grand Lodge proceedings we do not find there is much to record . At the Quarterly Communication in February , recognition was extended to the Grand Lodge of New Zealand , subject to thc same conditions as had been arranged between thc Grand Lodges of England ancl New Zealand , while about

tinsame time the M . W . G . M . —Lord Saltoun—ivith a deputation ol " officers from the G . Lodge attended the Annual Meeting of the Prov . G . Lodge of Forfarshire and invested Bro . James Berry , the Prov . G . M ., with a gold chain and jewel of oflice which had been subscribed for bv the brethren of the Province as a mark

of esteem and in appreciation of the services he had rendered to the Province . At the meeting in May , some interesting statistics relating to the Scottish Craft were furnished by Bro . D . Murray Lyon , the Grand Secretary , who reported that from 1800 to 18 9 8 , both inclusive , the number of intrants ( persons

initiated into Masonry ) was 259 , 397 , ' average annual registration for these 99 years being 2620 , while in 18 9 S the record total of 7068 was attained . On the same occasion it was announced that the Marquis of Breadalbane was firm in his resolution lo resign the office of Prov . G . Mastcr of Perthshire

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