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^ ye ^^ B ^^ I SATURDAY , DECEMBER 19 , 18 9 6 .

Masonic Notes.

Masonic Notes .

We are indebted to tne courtesy of of Bro . ZilU-ood Milledge , P . M . 170 , & c , for a Copy of his " Historic Notes of all Souls' Lodge , No . 170 , Weymouth . " Itisan exceedingly handsome volume , well printed and bound ,

and embellished with pottr . iits of the Prov . G . Master ( Urn . M . J . Guest ) , and many other prominent Dorsetsr-ire Masons . The Preface and Introduction are from the . pen of Bro . W . J . Hughan , P . G . D ., who , though f . c says but little , evidently Icoks with the greatest

Masonic Notes.

favour on this evidence of Bro . Milledge's labour . One of the points to which Bro . Hughan calls attention , is the continuity of its existence from 176 7 . Judging from the fact that a centenary warrant was granted in 1 S 6 7 , there would seem to be no doubt , at all events , in the minds of our then Grand Lodge authorities , that it

had enjoyed an uninterrupted career from its constitution till that year . However , when we have read what Bro . Milledge has said upon the subject , and compared it with the statements in Bro . Lane ' s " Masonic Notes , " we shall be in a better position to form an opinion upon the question . And this we trust we shall be able to do before the current year is ended .

That the All Souls' is a most distinguished lodge , and during its protracted existence has numbered among its members some of the ablest and most eminent Masons in Dorsetshire may not be disputed . Bro . Hughan notes that of the nine brethren who have

presided over the Craft in this county as Prov . Grand Masters , as many as three in succession were chosen from its ranks , namely , Bros . W . Williams , William Eliot , and William Tucker , who successively ruled Dorsetshire from 1812101853 ; while a glance at ihe latest list of Past Masters and members will suffice to show that the prominent position it has ahvays

held in Dorsetshire Masonry is fully maintained at the present day . This fact alone , apart from the question of a protracted continuous existence , will make Bro . Milledge ' s work all the more interesting , not only to Dorsetshire Masons , but to the Craft generally . * * X

Doubtless , when we have had an opportunity of reading carefully the contents of this history , or , as Bro . Milledge prefers to call it , these " Historic Notes , " we shall find many references to curious old Masonic customs—that is , if the lodge is fortunate enough to possess its earlier records—and chatty

remarks and reflections about the Masonic worthies of by-gone days . No doubt , also , we shall obtain an insight into the doings of the All Souls' Royal Arch Chapter attached to the lodge , as well as into those of the other Masonic bodies which have been established in Weymouth by our All Souls' brethren . It i ?

however , of little use to speculate as to what is in store for us when we come to peruse over Bro . Milledge ' s work with that care which it manifestly deserves . He must have devoted much time and labour to its compilation , and we feel sure that it will be due not to any

fault or oversight of his if the " Historical Notes " are not as ample and interesting as notes on t " .. e history of so old a lodge are expected to be , but rather to the disjointed state of the records , or , more likely still , to the destruction or loss of those records .

* * * It is also with great pleasure that we acknowledge receipt of Bro . Fred . J , W . Crowe ' s new work on " Masonic Clothing and Regalia , " both British and Continental , published by T . C . and E . C . Jack , Grange Publishing Works , Edinburgh . It is both an

elaborate and a comprehensive work , and apart from the fact that it contains a series of very beautiful plates showing the clothing and regalia worn by the different Grand Lodges and Grind Orients , with ample descriptive letterpress , is historically interesting , seeing that in one case are given representations of

the jewels belonging to the Lodge of Edinburgh , No . 1 on the roll Scotland , while generally we are able to judge from the whole 36 plates , how closely other countries have followed , or to what extent they have deviated from the clothing , & c , of the British Grand Lodges , from which they have at some time or other emanated either directly or indirectly . It is needless

to add as regards the letterpress that it forms a complete and , as far as we have been able to judge from a hurried glance through the volume , an accurate guide to the plates . Bro . Crowe , in his Hand Books , has earned a character for accuracy and completeness , which has not deserted him in the compilation of this valuable work .

# * * The Provincial Grand Lodge and Provincial Grand Chapter of Nottinghamshire held their respective annual meetings at the Masonic Hall , Nottingham , on Thursday , the ioth instant . The Reports of the

proceedings—which reached us too late for insertion in this issue—will appeir next week . In thc meantime , however , wc may state that Bro . his Grace the Duke of St . Albans presided in the former , and that a resolution in favour of the action of the Board of

Management of the Boys School in removing the Institution "to a more desirable locality" was carried by a large majority . At the Provincial Grand Chapler ,

Masonic Notes.

Comp . his Honour Judge William Masterman was installed in oflice as Grand Superintender . t , the ceremony being performed by M . E . Comp . W . W . B . Beach , M . P ., G . J ., assisted by Comps . E . M . Kidd and J . M . Perry , as H . and J . respectively .

We publish with pleasure a report of the consecration of a new chapter—the St . John-at-Hackney—which is attached to Lodge No . 2511 , bearing the same mme , and consecrated some two years and a half ago . The ceremony was , of course , performed by the Grand Scribe E ., Comp . Letchworth , and to judge from thc proceedings , there are good grounds for hoping that

the new chapter will prove a success . It starts under the auspices of an experienced Mason—Comp . G . Gordon , P . Z ., as M . E . Z ., and no doubt before his year of office is ended it will have an exceedingly good muster roll of members . It has our heartiest good wishes for its prosperity , and a long career of usefulness .

According to the Canadian Craftsman , Freemasonry has been making great progress of late years in Spain . One of its lodges in Madrid , La Humanitad , has recently acquired a temple in the centre of the city . It occupies all the three stories of this building , and all are elegantly furnished , while a portion is devoted to the entertainment of indigent brethren until such time

as due provision can be made for their requirements . What has the Spanish priesthood to say to this exhibition of Masonic audacity ? It is misfortune enough for them to know that Masons exist anywhere without having them planted in the very heart of the city that was sacred to the Inquisition . * * *

The Freemasons' Repository , for last month contains an account of an important Masonic function which was held in Providence , Rhode Island , on the 15 th October , when Bro . William H . Crawley , M . W . G . Master , laid the foundation-stone of the new State House now in course of erection . The Masons as a

body took no part in the ceremony , only the Oilicers of the Grand Lodge being in attendance on the occasion . The proceedings , which were of the usual character , included a very interesting address delivered by Bro . the Rev . C . W . Sellick , in the course oi which he expatiated at some length and with marked ability on

the merits of Freemasonry . If we may be allowed to judge from the very excellent illustration which accompanies the account , the new State House in Providence , when completed , will ha a handsome and imposing structure . # * *

We notice with pleasure that all the more valuable features which have for a long time past characterised the Repository are at least as prominent as ever under the new proprietorship of our Rev . Bro . Dr . Rugg , who for years has been the responsible Editor , and who now , as both proprietor and editor , is able to

conduct it entirely in accordance with his own wishes . If , indeed , there is any difference noticeable in the character of the contents it is in the direction of improvement . He still gives , in addition to leading articles , a budget of news from north , east , south , and west , with the "Questions and Answers , " which , as the

former are always very fully , and , at the same time , very carefully answered in the latter , constitute by no means the least valuable portion of the journal . We remark that the first of the series of questions is one based on the difficulties in which a lodge is placed through some two or three of its members having adopted that odious

practice of indiscriminately black-balling all candidates who present themselves for acceptance . The querist is very anxious to know if measures cannot be taken to put an end to this . The editorial answer is a model of cautious advice as to what is possible according lo the circumstances of . the case .

We learn from the Indian Masonic Review that the District Grand Lodge of Madras has determined upon instituting a Charity jewel , the qualification to hi a donation of 500 rupees to the Madras Masonic Institute or the collection of a similar amount . It suggests that the next thing to do will be to institute a

gold jewel for competition , but if this is done , we trust it will be limited to the collection of substantial amounts . If not , the individual Mason who can only afford to make a small personal donation will be seriously handicapped in the competition against those

who are rich enough to give largely . Moreover , thc collection of a Urge sum means an immense amount of work which is not always of the most agreeable character . Thus the hope of winning thc gold jewel will help materially to sweeten this labour .