Provincial Grand Mark Lodge Of Gloucestershire.

PROVINCIAL GRAND MARK LODGE OF GLOUCESTERSHIRE .

A meeting of the above Provincial Grand Ledge , summoned for the se of " selecting one or more names of brethren for recommendation ^" crand Lodge for the post of Provincial Grand Master , " was held at the li nir- Hall > Cheltenham , on Thursday , the 12 th inst . The term for M ? r . t . „ . cpnt Prnv . Grand Master . R . W . Bro . I . Walker . M . A .. was

inted ends in June next . Though he has occupied the post for three a PP ° on ] Vj Bro . Walker has been the acting head of the Province for nine ) e 3 rS the health of the former Prov . Grand Master , Bro . the late Rev . ( "MRaikes Davy , having been such as to leave the work of the province ctically in the hands of Bro . Walker , as their Deputy . Bro . Walker P ;„ o now stated that his failing health would not allow of his accepting

nomination , some interest was shown in the selection of his successor . r 6 At the meeting on Thursday there were present Bros . J . Walker , MA Prov . G . M . ; W . Forth , D . P . G . M . ; Baron de Ferrieres , P . G . So " Prov . S . G . W . ; H . Jeffs , G . I . G ., Prov . J . G . W . ; J . Milligan , prov . " s . G . O . ; H . Clark , Prov . J . G . O . ; Rev . P . Hattersley Smith , Prov . r r ' harJ ¦ W . L . Bain , Prov . G . J . ; G . Norman , Prov . G . Sec ; W . ' Porche ' r Prov . S . G . D . ; R . T . Hughes , Prov . G . D . C . ; Caldwell ,

R , p ' u , ,- ?• Balcomb , P . M . 10 , P . P . G . R . ; Rev . Dr . Kynaston , S . W . 10 ; fG . Roberts , P . P . J . G . D . ; W . R . Fclton , P . M . 10 , P . P . G . M . O . ; J . NaysmitVi ' P . M . 218 ; J . Lea , Powell , Butler , and others . The lod ^ e having been opened , Bro . VASSAR-SMITH said the first feeling- with which he rose to make a proposition was one of regret that he was not permitted to re-nominate their retiring Provincial Grand Master , Bro . Walker , and especially that Bro . Walker ' s inability to accept re-election

was associated with any failure of his health . Bro . Walker had done so much for Mark Masonry in the province , and had so commended himself to the brethren over whom he had ruled , that the feeling of regret with which his retirement was announced would be shared by all of them . At the same time , he had pleasure in nominating as Bros . Walker ' s successor a brother whose name would be accepted with cordial unanimity as that of one who would worthily carry on the traditions of the lodge . He nominated Bro . Baron de Ferrieres for recommendation to Grand Lodge as Provincial

Grand Master . Bro . H . JEi'l'S seconded this ; and , no other nomination being made . it was approved by acclamation , and generously endorsed by the Provincial Grand Master . Bro . the Baron DE FERRIERES , in thanking the lodge , said the

unanimity with which the recommendation had been made greatly added to the pleasure with which he accepted it . He felt that there were two members of the province ( Bros . Brook : Smith and Vassar-Smith ) who had an equal or greater claim to the honour than himself ; and he thanked them for the cordiality with which they had supported his nomination . After the transaction of routine business , the Provincial Grand Lodge was closed .

Grand Lodge Seals Of The "Ancients."

GRAND LODGE SEALS OF THE " ANCIENTS . "

BY BRO . H . SADLER . The interesting articles on the seals of the Atholls , or " Ancients , " which have recently appeared in the Freemason , from Bros . Hughan and Ramsden Riley , cannot fail to be of great service to Masonic students generally , as well as to those who , like themselves , have given special attention to this branch of archseology . By placing on permanent record the results of our own researches we afford mutual instruction to each other , and are

enabled to save those who may follow us much valuable time and labour . This will , I hope , be deemed a sufficient apology for my intrusion upon a discussion between two such eminent authorities as those just mentioned , with one of whom , however , in this instance I feel bound to differ on certain matters of detail , as will be seen hereafter .

Ihe plate of seals in "Masonic Facts and Fictions , " so kindly and carefull y described by Bro . Hughan in the Freemason of the 24 th ult ., was intended merely to support and illustrate my theory of the origin of the "Ancients , " and was not meant as an ordinary collection of seals in general . If , however , in addition to serving its original purpose , it opens a way for more light on this important subject , its value will undoubtedly be greatly enhanced .

I was indeed most fortunate in having the aid and willing co-operation of a brother who has not only made a special study of seals for many years , put who has also acquired a large collection of those valuable and interestln g relics , and who has certainly the sharpest eye for a seal or medal of any ° ne I know . I allude to Bro . W . H . Rylands , F . S . A ., to whose skill and experience we are greatly indebted for the indisputable accuracy , both in

size and detail , of every seal on the plate referred to , and who I sincerely "ope will not allow this discussion to come to an end without contributing a Portion , however small , of his large store of information for the benefit of ms fellow students . The exceptional privileges and facilities which I have enjoyed for some considerable time past have enabled me to examine a

h ° i numDer ° f seals , especially such as have relation to Masonry , and Wn 'le making no claim to any particular knowledge of seals in general , I »? naturall y become pretty familiar with those commonly known to j a ? ic collectors , and occasionally I come across a scarcer specimen , as , r 'nstance , a few days ago , in examining a parcel of old certificates for the P J " pose of this article , I turned up one which seemed quite new to me , 1 10 u E 't had evidently been through my hands before , but had probably La Ped a close insoection on account of its clean and resDectable

aDoear-1 ' It was a certificate issued by the Grand Secretaries in 1814 to Bro . | J "l Baker , and bearing a paper seal nearly the same size as that now in of «; . ^ certificates , but consisting of the arms and motto of the Duke kno USS u ' ' " lstea ( I ° f tnose ° f the United Grand Lodge . I am curious to seal * ner any one e ' has seen a Masonic certificate bearing a similar

that t J 3 uent acquaintance with old seals and documents has taught me avoir ! - ? ? atest care > generally essential in their examination in order to 'hat v ' £ at erroneous conclusions , and thereby misleading others , and p „„ ' Ver v seldom safe to be auite oositive in archaeological matters .

/ l ;/ ! o /;^? P ' ' ^ Ramsden Riley in last week's Freemason asserts that no ly ' . ^ ft certificate can be produ ced on which is the word " Institutions . " '' irn an W '" ' avour me with a call , I shall have much pleasure in showing n 0 w L f eas ' half-a-dozen Atholl M . M . certificates so distinguished , those I 8 i" 'pf me ' laving been issued in 1779 , 1809 , 1812 , and three in ° ' " are , however , a much greater number in existence whereon

Grand Lodge Seals Of The "Ancients."

the legend ends with "Institution , " as described by Bro . Riley , so that he had good grounds for his belief ; and , I quite agree with him in opinion that this particular seal was originally intended for Craft certificates , although I have occasionally seen it on warrants , but have not met with it on Royal Arch certificates .

From an item under the head of Grand Lodge Disbursements in the minutes of the Stewards Lodge , 21 st November , 1792 , I am inclined to think that this seal was engraved during that year , for I have never seen it on earlier documents , and in the same year a new plate for M . M . certificates was approved and engraved , a plate for R . A . certificates having been executed in the previous year .

_ The seaj mentioned by Bro . Hughan as No . 3 , which is also the number it is under in " Masonic Facts and Fictions , " is , in my opinion , by far the best of the Atholl seals ; it was undoubtedly made b y Kirk in 1775 , and probably served all purposes till 1792 , after which year it seems to have been chiefly reserved for warrants and R . A . certificates , until the latter part of , 1813 , when a R . A . seal was engraved , which is the one numbered 4 in the above named work .

I cannot at present see that the ordering or designing of Kirk ' s seal in 1775 had any relation to R . A . certificates ; the written records of the "Ancients" clearly show that they had very few R . A . Masons amongst them at that period . Their first R . A . register was not opened till 1783 , and in the regulations then made R . A . certificates are not mentioned ; the members of that Order were to be registered gratis on production of a certificate

of their having been regularl y exalted , jud ging from this register I should say that the " Ancients " did not issue Grand Chapter Certificates before 1791 , and I have no recollection of having seen one dated anterior to 1 S 00 . I have examined 21 "Ancient" warrants , all having the seals attached and perfectly legible , 13 of them , bearing various dates from 178 9 to 1813 , have Kirk ' s seal , and the remaining eight , ranging from 1792 to 1812 have

, the one described b y Bro . Hughan as No . 4 , the legend being " Grand Lodge in London of Free and Accepted Masons according to old Institution . " Out of 46 Craft certificates , only one of which is dated further back than 1798 ,. I find six with the former seal , all the rest having the latter ; and of 14 R . A . certificates issued from 1800 to 1813 , thirteen have Kirk's seal , and the other the seal of the Grand Chapter .

Since writing the foregoing , I have been favoured with a careful inspection of the warrant of St . Mary ' s Lodge @ Mo . 63 ) , previously mentioned b y Bros . Hughan and Riley , who will probably not be very much surprised to learn that the seal thereon , as depicted in the history of that lodge , is not quite correct . By some unaccountable oversight ( for the seal is perfectly legible ^ to the naked eye ) , one letter has been added to the legend , which ends with " Institution , " not Institutions , and without doubt it is the very

seal before referred to as having been made in 1792 ; that it is not the original seal is evident to the merest tyro , for the warrant is genuine , and notlikemanyof the "Ancients" warrants , a renewal ; it has the two cuts or slits in the margin for the ribbons , as described in p . 130 of "Masonic Facts and Fictions , " but the seal is of the ordinary paper and wafer kind , and is much larger than the one first used ; indeed , it overlaps the writing in every direction .

There is nothing unusual in this , for I have two warrants of the same period , now before me , neither of them having the original seal attached , the reason , no doubt , being that the first seal , composed of ordinary wax , did not long survive the frequent and rough usage to which it was subjected ( for all these old warrants appear to have seen considerable service ) , and gradually crumbled away , being eventually replaced by the seal then in use .

Knight Templary In Maryland.

KNIGHT TEMPLARY IN MARYLAND .

The annual re-union of the " Veteran Fratres " of the Maryland Commandery , No . 1 , of Knights Templars , was held at Baltimore , on March nth , of which a capital souvenir has been issued . Our American brethren delight to honour those who , Masonically , have "borne the burden and heat of the day , " one of the most pleasant forms of so doing being these annual re-unions , "one day being set apart in each year to welcome such of

its brethren who , by reason of age and infirmity , are no longer able to attend the regular meetings , " or who deserve well of the Craft by reason of their service for 21 years and more as active members of lodges , & c . The commandery in question honours those who have been contributing for 25 years by the presentation of certificates of honorary life membership . The address of Bro . Keizer , the E . Commander , on the occasion above noted , was to the purpose , and was intended as a most hearty welcome to

the " Venerable Fratres" who were present . The oldest living Past Commander of the commandery is Bro . E . T . Schultz , the distinguished Historian of the Grand Lodge . The Prelate , Bro . Wm . Rogers , has acted in that capacity for 21 years , so that , as the Chairman stated , "when many of our younger fratres were toddling around in bib-and-tucker , and prattling the A B C of our common language , our venerable frater , Wm . Rogers , was officiating as the Prelate of Maryland Commandery . "

Bro . Schultz responded to the call , as the " Masonic Historian of Maryland /' : anc j claimed that this commandery was " the oldest existing organisation of Templars in the world , for he knew of none in England or elsewhere that can trace its ori gin to as remote a date . " This assertion made us open our eyes . How it may be in America we need not now stay to enquire , but as respects England we are in a position at once , and , without hesitation , to deny the distinction claimed .

Our good Bro . Schultz admits that its oldest preserved records are of the year 1828 , that in 1 S 07 its existence was noted , that in 1802 one of iis certificates was issued , and that in a letter written in 1814 , the writer thereof declared that the " encampmentwas completely organised in 1790 "; so that 1790 is thus the earliest period that the claim can be dated , and is the year of origin accepted by Bro . Schultz , who states that as there " is

no other organisation of Templars who can show a continuous existence from as early a date as that , we can justly claim the title of the premier Templar organisation of the world . " If Bro . Schultz will turn to Bro . Hughan ' s latest work , the " Origin of the English Rite of Freemasonry , " he will find evidence to prove that the existing Baldwin Preceptory of Knights Templars dates at the latest from 20 th

December , 1780 , so this proves seniority by ten years of the Maryland body . Then there is the "Jerusalem Encampment , " Manchester , with records , & c , from 17 86 , besides others possibly in England , so we think the Maryland Historian must lower his flag to England , at all events , in respect of seniority . However , this is of much less moment than seeking to cany out the ( rue spirit of Freemasonry in which we can all co-operate ,