Templar G. Encampment, U.S.A

1785 , and Washington Encampment , No . 1 , of Hartford Connecticut , is said to date its organisation from 179 6 . As regards Grand Encampments , we learn that Pennsylvania claims to have organised the earliest , the date of its institution being the 12 th

May , 1797 , and the four Pennsylvania Encampments already mentioned being its subordinates . A second Grand Encampment , however , was organised for the same State on 16 th February , 1814 . The present Grand Encampment of the United

States dates from the 6 th May , 1805 , when a Grand Convention of Knights Templar was held in Providence , Rhode Island , and a Grand Encampment was formed for that State under a Constitution drafted a week later . In 1806 the title of this was

changed to the United States Grand Encampment . ' But though the present G . Encampment dates from the period just stated , it was not till some few years later that it was organised in its present form . In May , 1816 , Sir Knights

THOMAS SMITH WEBB , HENRY FOYVLE , and J SNOW , " were appointed to revise the constitutions , " when the words " United States" were struck out of the title , and the "Grand Master "

of Subordinate Encampments became " Grand Commander . " In the following month , the same three sir knights were appointed to confer with other Grand Encampments with a view to effecting a sreneral union of those bodies under one head .

But they failed to come to an agreement with the Grand Encampment of Pennsylvania and returning to New York were there joined by Sir Knight TllOMAS LOWNDES , when , on the 20 th June , 1816 , the four resolved on forming and

Opening a General Grand Encampment and it is from this that the present body is directly descended . A constitution was drawn up , and officers elected to serve until the third Thursday in September , 1819 ,

the principal being Sir Knig hts DE WITT CLINTON , G . G . M ., and TllOMAS WEBB SMITH , D . G . G . M . The second meeting was held on iGth September , 1819 , and the third on 18 th September , 182 V Thenceforward the meetings were triennial , and when

the 13 th was held at Hartford , Conn ., on the 9 th September , 1856 , 11 State Encampments were represented , with delegates from subordinate Encampments in 19 other States , the aggregate membership being set down at 4710 . At the next meeting ,

which was held in Chicago in 1 S 59 , there ; were present representatives from 14 Grand Commanderies and 17 subordinate Commanderies , all under the jurisdiction of the " Grand Encampment ol the United States "—to which the title had been altered

—the Grand Recorder ' s report showing that up to that time 90 subordinate Encampments and Commanderies had been formed by the Grand Encampment , and that the membership had reached 7226 . At the close of the Civil War , in 186 5 , there were 17 Grand

and five subordinate commanderies , with a membership which was estimated at about 10 , 000 , and then during the 12 years that followed there was such a rapid growth of the Order , that in 1 S 77 there were 31 Grand and 19 Sub-Commanderies , with 47 , 831

fratres . In 1892—that is , after the lapse of a further 15 yearsthe 55 8 subordinate Commanderies had increased to 990 , and the membership 1092 , 791 , while three years later there were 39 Grand Commanderies , having under them 9 61 Sub-Commanderies , with

103 , 541 members , together with 34 Sub-Commanderies owing direct allegiance to the Grand Encampment , with 3112 members , giving a grand total of 995 Sub-Commanderies and 106 , 6 53 members . Since then , according to the report of theG . Recorder ,

Sir Knight W . II . MAYO , there have been organised the four G . Commanderies of Florida , District of Columbia , Indian Territory , and Oklohama , while the net gain in membership is returned at 273 6 , which would raise the general total to 109 , 38 9 Sir Knights for the whole of the United States .

Great Priory.

GREAT PRIORY .

A meeting of the United Rt-ligious and Military Orders of the Temple , and of St . John of Jerusalem , Palestine , Rhodes , and Malta , in England and Wales and the Dependencies thereof , was held at Mark Masons' Hall , Great Queen-street , on Friday , the yth inst . The M . E . and Supreme G .

Master , the Right lion , the Karl of Euston , G . C . T ., presided , supported by V . E . Knights Capt . N . G . Philips , G . C . T ., Prov . Prior East Anglia ; J . Wrodall Woodall , K . C . T ., Prov . Prior N . and E . Yorks ; Colonel A . Thiale Perkins , K . C . T ., Prov . Prior Somerset and Monmouth : Major G .

Great Priory.

C . Davie , K . C . T ., Prov . Prior Devon ; the Hon . A . de Tatton Egerton , M . P ., K . C . T ., Prov . Prior Cheshire ; Rev . C . E . Wright , P . G . P ., as G . Prelate ; R . Loveland Loveland , G . C . T ., G . Chancellor ; Sir Lionel Darell , Bart ., ist G . Constable ; Lieut .-Col . A . B . Cook , G . C . T ., as 2 nd G . Constable ; Ral ph Clutton , K . C . T ., G . Treas . ; Frank Richardson , K . C . T ., G . Reg . ; C . F . Matier , K . C . T ., G . Vice-Chancellor ; Charles Belton

K . C . T ., G . Marshal ; E . Knights Rev . A . W . Oxford , G . Almoner ; W . Gillman , G . Herald ; R . M . Beachcroft , ist G . Std . Br . ; J . C . FitzRoy Tower , 2 nd G . Std . Br . ; F . P . Morrell , G . Master ' s B . B . ; Col . Clifford Probyn , G . S . B . ; Edward Armitage , ist G . Aide-de-Camp ; W . Buckler Lethbridge , 2 nd G . Aide-de-Camp ; Major T . W . Richardson , G . Capt . of Guards ; H . R . Rose , G . Organist ; V . E . Knights Richard Clowes ,

P . G . Constable ; Ralph Gooding , K . C . T ., E . Knights F . H . Goldney , and F . Lawrance , P . G . Heralds ; Percy Wallis , P . G . Std . Br . ; H . E . Cousans , P . G . B . B . ; Horatio Ward and S . G . Kirchhoffcr , P . G . S . Bs . ; J . A . Robinson , P . G . Aide-de-Camp ; F . B . Westlake , P . G . Capt . of Guards ; Capt . George Hearn , P . G . Chamberlain ; and A . H . Bowles and T . P . Dorman , P . G . Capt . of Guards . There were also

present—Knights H . Nicholls , P . Preceptor , K . J . Maitland Collin , 31 . Wright , Reg ., and W . J . Songhurst , of 127 ; Imre Kiralfy , E . M . Morris , G . R . Blades , and Major E . W . Stillwell , 26 ; II . LeRoy Lewis , " 129 ; Godfrey Pritchard and H . Hills , P . P ., of 131 ; E . Nash , 12 S ; J . Kay and Gordon P . G . Hills , of 154 ; J . W . S . Godding , E . P . 140 ; James R . Keats , P . P ., and J . R . Wilson , P . P ., of 24 ; Com .

H . G . Giles , P . P ., and Rev . F . B . N . Norman Lee , of 2 ; J . G . Harwood , E . P ., Major C . W . N . Clavering , and Capt . A . E . Longden , of 76 ; F . W . Williams , E . P ., P . Monson , W . Briant , ist Constable , and W . Russell , of 155 ; F . W . Halliwell , 101 ; R . Percy Clowes , 126 ; G . M . Btickham , 125 ; G . Weir Hogg , E . P . Mount Zion ; and F . W . Edwards , Chap . 78 .

Out of respect for the memory of the Earl of Lathom , G . C . T ., formerly Very H ' gh and Eminent National Great Prior , who departed this life on the iyth cf November , 1 S 9 S , all knights appeared in the mourning prescribed by the command of the Most Eminent and Supreme Grand Master , as notified in the circular of the Great Vice-Chancellor on the 24 th November . The knights having formed the Arch of Steel , the Most Eminent and Supreme Grand Master , attended by the Great Officers , entered and ascended the Throne .

Great Priory was opened in ample form . The GREAT REGISTRAR called the muster roll . The minutes of the Great Priory of the 13 th May last were read by the GREAT VICE-CHANCELLOR , and declared to be correctly recorded . The GRAND MASTER : Before we proceed wi ' . h the business of the evening there is a duty which every knight he ; e present will expect me to

discharge . Brethren of the Temple , since we last met the nation in general and Freemasonry in particular has suffered a great loss by the death of our distinguished brother Lord Lathom . He was a Past Great Prior of this Order , in which he always took so deep an interest , and to which he has in times past rendered such signal service . We , in common with Freemasonry at large , and with all Lord Lathom ' s countrymen , feel very keenly

the loss which all have sustained . Whether it was in the service of his Cjueen and country , or in his devotion to the Craft , our late brother carried himself bt fore all men with a courtly grace and dignity all his own , and I have often heard it said that his perfect knowledge of ceremonial and his dignified skill in performing it was so well-known that people would often

go , quite apart from respect to the man , to see him perform it . Lord Lathom was one of those men whose manner and character would endear him to all . He was especially dear to us Masons , and we in this Degree , as in all the others , shall ever cherish his memory , and bear in lasting gratitude the service which he rendered to us . We cannot commence our business

tonight without giving expression to these feelings , and I will ask you to agree with me in the proposal that we send a letter to his family expressive of our condolences with them in the great loss they have sustained , as well as our own grateful recollection of the services he rendered to us . I will call on the Great Vice-Chancellor to read the proposed

vote-That the Great Priory of England and Wales , & c , do record on its minutes the earnest expression of its grief and sorrow for the great loss it has sustained by the death of the Most Eminent Knight the Earl of Lathom , G . C . B ., G C . T ., who filled the high and important office of National Great Prior of England from 1 S 7 S until 1 S 9 6 , and who had by his kindness and courtesy endeared himself to every member of the united Orders .

That the Great Priory do offer to the family of the late Eirl of Lathom the sincere expression of its heartfelt sympathy and condolence . EUSTON , Grand Master . R . LOVELAND LOVELAND , Great Chancellor . C . FITZGERALD MATIER , Great Vice-Chancellor .

Sir Knight Capt . N . G . PHILIPS seconded the proposal , remarking ' that he desired to associate himself in every way with what the Grand Master had said . The motion was put , and declared carried amid solemn silence . It was resolved on the motion of the GREAT CHANCELLOR , seconded by the GREAT REGISTRAR , to take as read the following

REPORT OF THE COUNCIL . Most Eminent and Supreme Grand Master , Your Council has to report , with deep regret , the death of Col . George Augustus Vernon , G . C . T ., Provincial Grand Commander for Staffordshire , 1849 to 1 S 66 , and Deputy Grand Master , 1861 to 1866 .

You have been pleased to grant a Warrant for a new Preceptory to be held at Norwood , South Australia , to be called the Earl of Euston Preceptory , No . 169 , which was consecrated on 22 nd August , 18 9 8 , by tho V . E . Knight Sir J . P . Boucaut , K . C . M . G ., the Provincial Prior for South and West Australia . The Preceptory of Mount Zion , Capetown , was duly consecrated on the 12 th January , 1898 , and eight candidates were received into the Order .

lour Council fin'' that in the last report the Preceptory of Baldwyn , at liristol , was mentioned as not having paid the annual dujs for 1837 . l ' ms was entirely an error , inasmuch as the dues were paid before the report , was presented to Great Priory , and your Council have only to express their great regret that so distinguished a preceptory should have been thus inadvertently posted as in arrears .

The Third Annual Conference of the Three Governing Bodies of the United Kingdom was held in Edinburgh on 21 st April , 18 9 8 . The Chapter General of Scotland was represented by M . E . Knight the Marquis of Breadal-