The History Of The Royal Masonic Institution For Girls

. . i election , which had been already postponed from the usual ! ' . ^ the 13 th May in consequence of the proxies having been f out too late , AVUS put off till the 3 rd June , and ultimately did SC 1 J take p lace at all , Avhile the names of the twins Avere z'emoved 110 \ l , p list bv order of a Special Court lield on the 23 rd September . i 0 m tno j Tji / i 3

r -. _ , „ ,.,. o J . - ,. „ n , „ . „ A ,...,.. „„ n „^ I the meantime the Honorary Secretary ( Bro . Gore ) Avas called n at a meeting of the Audit Committee held on the 26 th May , "P «' ^ . p lanations as to the subscriptions at the recent Festival of the r ° 'titution , and having to a certain met the Avishes of the brethren , i lpftthe room ostensibly to obtain some memoranda and never

relied . Thereupon his papers Avere impounded , and at the General r mmittee the day folloAving Bro . Gore tendered his resignation , i ^ iie Audit Committee first of all , and then at the General Com" 'ttee in June , Bro . S . C . Norris , Avas asked and undertook the duties * f the office-till a successorcouldbe appointed . At the Quarterly meetthe Rodber had announced behalf of

' «¦ in July , after Bro . Rev . W . on the Board of Grand Stewards the gift of a die for a medal to be given initially to the girl AVIIO had '"' most distinguished'herself in her ' tudies and by her good conduct , and Avhen it had been arranged that the Treasurer should repay £ 500 on account of the loan advanced by

n Lodo-e , Bro . R . Herve Giraud tendered his services as honorary solicitor to the Institution , and , the offer Laving been accepted , Avas charged with the duty of unravelling the complications in connection with Bro . Gore ' s account and obtaining a settlement . To this task Bro . Giraud . assiduously addressed himself , and at

len ° 'th , after several interviews Avith Bro . Gore , who gave him every assistance in his poAver , Bro . Giraud found himself in a position to announce , at a Special Court on the 3 rd February , 1842 , that he had been able to prepare a statement of account Avhich Avas in all respects satisfactory , and that Bro . Gore , AVIIO he acknoAvledged had

behaved throughout most honourably , had handed hnn a cheque for the amount which had been ascertained to be due from him to the Institution . He also explained that the difficulties Avhich had . arisen had not been due to any desire or intention on the part of Bro . Gore

to act improperly , but to an ignorance of account-keeping Avhich he said was by no means uncommon among professional men . Thus , what appeared to be at first sight a most unpromising task Avas brought to a conclusion , which , was both fortunate for the School and

honourable to Bro . Gore . Bro . S . 0 . Norris , during the brief period he had acted as Secretary , busied himself in setting right the accounts and returns , and was honoured Avith a A'ote of thanks for his services , so that Bro . Francis Crew , AVIIO Avas elected on the 29 th July , 1841 , to the vacant

office by 122 votes over Bro . E . H . Patten , his only competitor , for whom 86 votes Avere cast , Avas able to start fairly on his duties , and from this time forward the post of Secretary has been filled by a succession of able brethren , of Avhom it is impossible to speak otherwise than in terms of unqualified praise . About the same time a

new Collector in the person of Bvo . John Nicholl was appointed in place of Beckford , dismissed , and this change also proved a great benefit to the Charity . There are also a few other circumstances of sufficient interest to be noticed . For instance , in the minutes of the

House Committee Meeting of the 19 th August , 1841 , AVC read that "Mr . Longfield , the Treasurer of the Masonic Female Orphan School , in Dublin , attended , " and " applied for permission to be informed of the General Management of this Institution , and to have the loan of one of the Dresses as a pattern for the children of that establishment , which

was granted . " At the Quarterly Court , on the 14 th April , 1842 , it Avas resolved that the Treasurer should repay the balance of £ 500 still due to Grand Lodge , Avhile in the minutes of the G eneral Committee , in May , there is entered a resolution by Bro . Baumer Avhich had been passed at a Special Court , on the 3 rd February , but not minuted , and therefore not

confirmed , to the effect " That no child shall be placed on the election hist by the General Court , who has a sister in the School , unless there wo more vacancies than candidates . " At the Quarterly Court , on 12 "Mraary , 1843 , the very gratifying announcement Avas made that wand Lodge , at the instance of H . R . H . the Duke of Sussex , M . W .

" •M ., had voted a sum of £ 500 from its fund of General Purposes . to the Royal Freemasons' School to be invested in the public funds in the names of Trustees towards the formation of a separate fund , ° be applied exclusively for the purpose of upholding , repairing , ^ pt'oving ^ aud maintaining the School House and Building of " the iwn U ^ i" and on learninthisthe Court unanimously resolved iu

, g , I'll 1 4 . 1 vu . vuuu . jj Uiy . j , .. u , vyu . u I . LI , . U . . . . V ™ . ' " »«""" , , y the most respectful thanks of this Court be presented to j rmco Augustus Frederick Duke of Sussex , K . G ., Most Worshipful fojf Mastcr of Pl ' ce ancl Accepted Masons of England , & c ., & c . Ac , i ' e . t >!•C 011 ^ ' eeiic ^ 8 ' and kind interest for this Institution manilliv i : ^ recommendation to the Grand Lodge of the liberal grant

,, the ^ i 1 U a ^ ° * ^ ^ mx ^ L ^~ ov upholding , repairing , and maintaining thii h ^ ^ ouse an ( 1 Buildings of the Institution ; " a resolution of l „ , ; , t ° the United Grand Lodge in somewhat similar terms l , on 'R ' also passed . — ' ««¦ ....

Tl His 1 ? P P ° sal of this grant was one of the latest official acts of Gu ' ndi n = llU ( ^ as Grand Mastcr . On the 27 th April , 1843 , the l'i'ovio 11 mittec "was informed of tho Duke ' s death a few clays I'litti + ?' ' ^ ^ uui ; t ! SSary arrangements having been made for Voted f ° hilclren in mourning , and a sum of money having been nrirm + " same purpose to the Matron ancl her assistants , the lltl * tes record as follows : -

IM 0 , 1 tho 21 . ? nttuttee has with unfeigned , regret to record in its minutes the demise ll iltl'on and V ° the Most Worshipful Grand Master of our Order , the Vice-^' ctWel . - T > ? , ' 0 si ^ ° f this Institution , His Royal Highness Prince Augustus His lln l xr ° Sllsscx - Eai'l of Inverness , K . G ., & c , & c , & c ., & o . a l ) 0 l'ioil of , ! glm . condescended to he the President of this Institution for uoai v thirt y years ; and to his influential public protection , his un-

The History Of The Royal Masonic Institution For Girls

ceasing exertions for its woll being , added to his liberal contributions , may ho mainly attributed its present efficient state . Death has , however , bereaA'ed tho children of a noble friend and the Institution of a munificent protector , and the loss of such a valuable Patron ancl worthy Brother cannot but bo sincerely and deeply lamented by every individual connected with this Charity .

This Committee hope that the recollection of His Royal Higlmess ' s devoted advocacy will be imitated by the Craft generally , that the merit , worth , and example of the lato Royal President will stimulate every member of tho Order to equally generous exertions for the present and future well being of this Institution , so that the children now mourning the loss of their illustrious friend will throughout their lives bless the hoad of that good Prince " now in coldness laid , " and his memory for the state of comfort in which ho left them .

May the great example he has set not be lost upon the Fraternity , and may our exertions individually be equally unceasing ,. ancl our united advocacy as beneficial in order that the donations and annual contributions from the many shall sustain in its present useful ,, efficient , aud advantageous state this excellent Institution !

In due course the deceased Duke Avas succeeded by the Earl of Zetland , who Avas elected in his stead in the July following a Trustee , ancl Avho , on being chosen M . W . G ; M ., became ex-ojjicio President of the Institution . '' '

In the course of the year 1843 the girls"A gnes and Jessie Ruspini , who , in consideration of their having no home , and being the grandchildren of the founders of the Institution , had been alloAved to remain as inmates long after their appointed time had expired , Avert ! provided Avith occupations—the younger , Jessie , as a domestic servant

in the country , and the older , Agnes , as an apprentice to a dressmaker , their half brother contributing the sum of £ 20 towards the premium payable for the latter . What the subsequent fortunes of Jessie Ruspini were does not appear , but Agnes Ruspini re-appeared at the end of her apprenticeship , and after being again an inmate of the Institution Avas ultimately placed in service Avith a lady in Kent . ( To he continued , )

Grand Lodge Seals.

GRAND LODGE SEALS .

Bro . Gould ' s colossal History of Freemasonry has dealt ably and well with the subject of Masonic seals , the plates relating to that important department beingmost valuable and interesting . Several of the seals have been reproduced in Bro . Sadler ' s " Masonic Facts and Fictions , " and others have been added , so as to form an artistic combination on one plate , of official seal sused by certain Grand Lodges in England and Ireland . There are nine in all thus represented .

I . " Grand Lodge of Masons , London , " was used by the " Moderns" down to the end of 1813 , but exactly when the motto " Relief and Truth " was adopted , no one as yet seems to know . In 1732-3 , the motto of the same Grand Lodge , as shown on the seal attached to warrants of several provincial lodges was " In the beginning was the word" ( in Greek ) ,

2 . Grand Chapter , " Moderns" i 76 o'i 8 i 7 . Possibly this seal represented the obverse of the Royal Arch jewel , for on a certificate I have of 1812 , the impressed seal is this , but on the right side ( of spectator ) is the reverse , printed , having the legend around , " Honor , Fidelitas , Benevolentia Deo Regi Fratribus , " and on the sides of the two triangles , making the Six pointed star , the words " Wisdom , Strength ] Beauty , Peace , Concord , and Truth . "

3 . Grand Lodge , " Ancients , " 1775-1813 . Bro . Sadler gives the minute from the records , in which " Mr . Kirk , a person of eminence in that branch , " is alluded to , who evidently was instructed to cut the die , as on the seal still preserved his name occurs as " Kirk , F . " Singular to state , I have a bronze medal , believed to be unique , having the arms and Kirk's name , exactly as the seal , and appears to have been struck from the identical die . On reverse there is a wreath , which leads me to infer

it was intended as a presentation medal . No . 6 , Bro . Sadler gives from a drawing by * Bro . W . H . Rylands ( the others to No . 9 being by the same gifted Craftsman ) and dates it " 1760-1775 . " The motto " Virtue and Silence , " with the title " Grand Lodge , London , " enclose square and compasses , above being a sword . This seal is on warrant of No . 89 , granted to Pennsylvania ( U . S . A . ) , in 1764 : but

according to the excellent reproduction of the warrant of " St . Mary ' s Lodge , " No . 63 , of 1757 ( then and now bearing the number 63 1 ) in the history of that lodge , the arms -were the same as those of 177 $ , only the legend was as follows : " Grand Lodge in London of Free and Accepted Masons according to the old Institutions . " I have an original " Ancient" warrant of 1764 , but though the two ribbons remain , the seal has departed .

7 and 8 Ireland . The seal as of 1735 , is on a warrant of 173 1 , owned by Bro . Gould , and shown at Plymouth Exhibition lately . The one of 1781 was not used from 17 81 invariably , as on a certificate in my collection , the arms ( seal ) is quite different and the motto is " Silentio Virtuti et Amore , " the date being November 8 th , 1792 .

9 . Seal of the " United Grand Lodge" of England from 1813 completes the series , others given being for the two Grand Chapters and the United Grand Chapter . The seals open up a very interesting field of enquiry about which I hope to say a few words farther on . ' W . J . HUGHAN .

Ar00503

GENTLEMAN MASONS . —Mackey alludes to some old Masonic expressions , which would seem to denote a difference between gentlemen and operative Masons , the former learning " secrecy , morality , and good fellowship , " the latter to "hew , square , mould stone , lay a chisel , and raise a perpendicular . " If this does not represent , as we fancy it does ,, the teaching of speculative Masons , superadded to that of the original combine the two

operative brethren , and an innocent attempt to , we utterly disavow it as in any way representing true Masonic principles j indeed , we consider it subversive of our great and distinguishing characteristics . There is no caste in Freemasonry . In Scotland the term " Gentleman Mason " was in the 17 th and 18 th centuries used to distinguish the non-operative from the operative members of lodges . In some instances , while the reception and advancement of operatives and non-operatives in

Speculative Masonry were alike , the purely speculative , the Gentleman Mason , could not as a rule be elected to the Mastership of a lodge . This distinction was not wholly abolished at the beginning of the present century . " Geomatic" was a common expression among Freemasons in Scotland a century and a half ago , as applied to Gentleman Masons in contradistinction to the term " Domatic , " —i . e ., practical stonemasons . —* Kenning ' s Cyclopedia of Freemasonry ,