Freemasonry In 1899.

37 , of which nine were located in London , 17 in the Provinces , and 11 Abroad ; in 18 94 , 4 6 lodges , comprising eight in London , 21 Provincial ancl 17 Abroad ; in 1895 , 52 lodges , of which 13 are in London , 24 Provincial , and 15 Abroad ; in 18 9 6 , 44 lodges , namely , 14 London , 14 Provincial , and 16 Abroad ; in

18 97 , 51 lodges , comprising 10 London , 22 Provincial , and 19 Abroad ; and in 18 9 8 , 50 lodg < s , of which London was strengthened by 18 , the Provinces by 23 , and the Colonies and Abroad by nine . During the 12 months ending Lhe 30 th November , warrants were granted for 58 lodges , of which 20 are in

London , 19 'in the Provinces , ancl 19 Abroad . Thus while there is a slight increase over 18 9 8 in London , and a very considerable increase Abroad , there has been a falling off in the Piovinces , but not to such an extent as to influence unfavourably the total for the three sub-divisions for the year , as compared with its

half-dozen predecessors . The result , so far as the full list of lodges is affected , is that London has 4 88 lodges instead of 468 , and the Provinces I 355 , instead of 133 6 , while , as 20 lodges that were formerly under our banner in New Zealand , have ranged themselves under that of the newly-recognised Grand Lodge of

New Zealand , the number of Colonial ancl Foreign lodges has been reduced from 486 to 4 85 ; the granH total for the three being 2328 , or more nearly three times than twice as many as are enrolled under any other Grand Lodge . As regards the 20 new London lodges , there is among them a fair proportion

of what are known as " class- lodges , but the claims of particular districts have not been lost sight of , and while in some neighbourhoods facilities for Masonry have been created , in others they have been extended in order to meet the greater requirements of the brethren . Among the new lodges will

be found the Nil Sine Lahore , No . 273 6 , which was inaugurated at the Criterion , Piccadilly , on thc 13 th January , for the benefit of brethren of the Army Service Corps , with Lt .-Col . G . J . Parkyn , as the first W . M . ; the Army and Navy Lodge , No . 2738 , for members of both services , which was consecrated at

Anderton s Hotel , on the 14 th February , with Bro . M . A . Mclnerny , a Past Dist . G . Ollicer of Gibraltar , as its \ V . Master ; and the Comrades Lodge , No . 2740 , for the Warrant and Non-Commissioned Officers of the Household Cavalry and Brigade of Guards , which started on its career at

the Holborn Restaurant , on Friday , the 3 rd March , under the auspices of P > ro . G . H . Lister , as its first Master . On the Gth and 13 th of the same month , there were consecrated on the former date , the Lodge of Verily , No . 2739 , with Bro . J . Renton Dunlop , as W . M ., its membership being restricted to brethren

on the Stock Exchange , and on the latter , the Maida Vale Lodge , No . 2743 , with Bro . Henry Trask , as W . M . On the 14 th March , the Sydenham Lodge , No . 2744—which like the Maida Vale Lodge , was started to meet a long-felt want in its particular neighbourhood , was consecrated al the Crystal Palace , Sydenham ,

under Bro . the Rev . Douglas Lee Scott , LL . D ., as its first W . Master ; and on the 17 th April , another lodge for local requirements was inaugurated at the Eyre Arms Hotel , St . John's Wood , under the style ancl title of the Eyre Lodge , the brother nominated in the Charter to fill the chair during its Iirst year ,

being Bro . W . H . G . Rudderforth , while among the oflicers invested were Bros . W . H . Bailey , Past G . Treasurer , who was elected to the post of Treasurer ; ancl Bro . James Stephens , P . M ., P . D . G . D . C ., who was appointed Secretary .- On the 15 II 1 May it was the turn of the "Class " Lodges and the Cathedral Lodge , for the benefit of those connected with the Metropolitan

Cathedral of St . Paul's , saw the light , and Bro . the Ven . Archdeacon Sinclair , D . D ., Past G . Chaplain , was installed as its first Worshipful Master , among those appointed to oflice being Bros . W . H . Cummings , Grand Org ., as acting P . M ., the Rev . Professor Shultleworlh , as Chaplain , ancl Sir George C .

Martin , Mus . Doc , as Organist . In June the Arts Lodge , No . 2751 , tlie title of which sufficiently indicates tlie class of men who will be eligible for membership , was started with Bro . George Simonds for its first Worshipful Master , while in July there were inaugurated three lodges—the Earl ' s Court Lodge ,

No . 27 6 5 , Bro . Lieut .-Col . George E . Blunt , first Worshipful Master : the Lord Kitchener of Khartoum Lodge , No . 276 7 , with Bro . R . Peter as Worshipful Master ; and the Harringay Lodge , No . 2763 , with Bro . C . E . Wetton for its first Worshi pful Master . Among the other new lodges located in the Metropolitan area

are the St . Olave ' s Lodge , No . 27 64 , lor those connected with the well known grammar school in Southwark , which was consecrated on the 25 th . September , with Bro . J . O'Dea as Worshipful Master ; and the Richard Eve and Yorick Lodges , Nos 2772 and 2771 respectively , which began their career within

a few days of each other towards the end of October . The former is named after Bro . Richard Eve , Past Grand Treasurer , who is Chairman of the Board of Management of the Royal Masonic Institution for Boys , ancl was installed as its first Worshipful Master , and is intended for those who have to do

Freemasonry In 1899.

with the administration of our Boys' School , while the latter is associated with the well known club of the same name and has Bro . E . R . BarUey Dennis to preside over it during its opening years . There was also inaugurated on the 23 rd November the Royal Warrant Holders' Lodge , No . 2789—the title of which

clearly explains itself—the Iirst Worshipful Master of which is Bro . Daniel Mayer , who , during his Mastership of the Royal Naval Lodge , No . 59 , made his mark in Metropolitan Masonry , more especially by the important services he rendered in behalf of the Boys' School Centenarv in 1898 .

Turning to ths new Provincial lodges we remark that Essex and Surrey have each of them t ' iree additions to their former rolls , of which the Seven Kings , Xo . 2749 , is located at Romford , the Waltham Abbey , No . 2750 , in lhe town from which it takes its name , ancl the Charles Dickens Lodge , No . 2757 , Chigwell ,

which is named after the great novelisl , and was consecrated with Bro . J . T . Dormer as W . M . on the ni ' i July , by the Earl of Warwick , Prov . G . Master . The Su rey three are the Hatchlands Lodge , No . 2750 , which was started on its career at Addlestone , with Bro . F . H . Sumner to presiele as the first

W . M ., on the 27 th May , by Bro . the Earl ol Onslow , Prov . G . Master ; the East Surrey Lodge , No . 2769 , Oxted ; and the Merton Lodge , No . 2790 , at the place from which it derives its name . Of the other lodges the month of June witnessed the inauguration , firstly , on the 19 th of the month of the

Aldermaston Lodge , No . 27 60 , with Bro . C . E . Keyser , P . G . D ., as W . M ., and then on the 23 rd , of the St . John's Thanet Lodge , No . . 2753 , Margate , with Bro . Brighurst as W . M ., the Consecrating Officer on the former occasion being Bro . J . T . Morland , P . G . M ., Dep . P . G . M . Berkshire , ancl on the latter the

Earl Amherst , Pro G . M ., Prov . Grand Master of Kent . On the ist July the Grand Secretary , Bro . E . Letchworth , F . S . A ., visited Newquay , in the Province of Cornwall , for the purpose of consecrating the St . Michael ' s Lodge , No . 2747 , the first W . M . being Bro . Silas Rickeard , while on the 9 th August , Bro . the

Hon . Sir Stafford Northcote , Bart ., M . P ., Prov . G . Master of Devonshire , did a like service for thc Rolle Lodge , Xo . 2759 , of which Bro . Perry had been chosen to preside as W . M . during the first year . On the 9 th September , Lord Henry Cavendish Bentinck , M . P ., consecrated the Ambleside Lodge , No . 2745 ,

with Bro . 1 . Taylor as W . M ., while on the nth of the following month a new lodge was started at Marlow , the popular riverside resort , in the county of Bucks , the Consecrating Officer being , Bro . J . E . Bowen , P . A . G . D . C , Dep . P . G . M ., and the first Master , Bro . H . Hambling . During the latter half of November

were inaugurated the Assheton-Egerton Lodge , No . 2793 , which was started on its career at the Bleeding Wolf Hotel , Hale , Bowdon , on Saturday the 25 th , by the Hon . Alan de Tatton Egerton , M . P ., P . G . W . Eng ., the first W . M . being Bro . F . Broadsmith , P . Prov . G . W ., while on VVednesday , the 29 th of

the month , Bro . I . 1 \ Halsey , M . P ., Prov . G . M . of Hertfordshire , added a 24 th lodge to the roll of his Province by consecrating the St . Albans Lodge , No . 27 86 , al the Red Lion Hotel , St . Albans , the first W . M . being a Alason of great experience in the person of Bro . C . O . Burgess . This makes the 161 I 1 lodge

founded in Hertfordshire during the Prov . G . Mastershi p of Bro . Halsey . The remaining Provinces which have received additions are West Lancashire , where a fourth Blackpool Lodge has been warranted in the Fylde Lodge , No . 2758 : Northumberland in whicli a third Iodge in the form of the Lindisfarne

Lodge , No . 2762 , has been placed at North Shields ; Lincolnshire , where honour has been paid to the Prov . G . Master b y founding a fourth lodge at Grimsby , which ranks as No . 2770 , and has been named afler him the Earl of Yarborough Loelge ;

Durham , which has gamed lhe Hudson Lodge , No . 2791 , Wolsingham : and Staffordshire in which West Bromwich obtains further Masonic facilities by the formation of the Legge Lodge , No . 27 84 . As regards the new Colonial and Foreign lodges , mention is made of them in the concluding section of this review .

It is now time we gave our attention to the proceedings in United Grand Lodge , which , if they have not been such as lo excite any great display of enthusiasm , have been characterised by the usual sound sense and respect for order . Perhaps the busiest of thc Quarterly Communications was that of the

ist March , when formal effect was given lo the changes in the personnel of Grand Lodge ; , consequent upon the lamented death of the Earl of Lathom , G . C . B ., Pro G . Master . On that sad event occurring , his Roval Highness , the M . W . Grand Master was pleased to select Earl . Amherst , Prov G . Master of

Kent , whom in i ; yO he had appointed his Dep . G . Master in succession to the Earl of Mount Edgcumbe resigned , to be Lord Lathom ' s successor as Pro G . Master , anel the Earl of

Warwick , Prov . ti . Master , to fill tip the office vacated by Earl Amherst . Accordingly , when Grand Lodge assembled on this occasion at the usual hour of 7 p . m ., for the transaction of its regular business , the chair was occupied by Bro . VV . VV . B .