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Masonic Notes.

Masonic Notes .

SATURDAY , DECEMBER 24 , 18 9 8 .

When this present number of the Freemason is in the hands of our readers , they will be on the point of entering upon the festivities of the season , and we gladly avail ourselves of the opportunity of wishing them a merry Christmas . This is essentially the season

for the gathering together of families , and we sincerely trust our readers and their friends may find the approaching brief rest from labour a period of unalloyed pleasure . » * *

We have much pleasure in announcing that his Royal Highness the Prince of Waks , M . W . G . Master , has appointed Bro . Earl Amherst , Dep . G . Master , to succeed the late lamented Bro . the Earl of Lathom ,

G . C . B ., as Pro G . M . of United Grand Lodge . We congratulate his lordship , Grand Lodge , and lhe Province of Kent , of which he has been G . M . since l 86 o , on the appointment .

We are glad to find that further progress has been made with the Board of Stewards for the approaching Festival of the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution ,

Masonic Notes.

and that Bro . Terry , the Secretary , has succeeded in enlisting the services of over 200 ladies and brethren for the occasion . There are still two monlhs to the day fixed for the celebration , and we trust that Bro . Terry

will succeed in forming a full Board , such . as did duty two years ago , when the Duke of Connaught was Chairman . Such a Board is greatly needed if the Festival is to be the success we hope it will .

It is greatly to be lamented thit a year which in nearly all respects has been pre-eminently brilliant , shoult be closing disastrously . We are still mourning for the loss of one of the noblest members of our Order , the late Earl of Lathom , Pro G . Master , who died

only a few weeks since , just when we were all looking forward to his re-appearance at our meetings in renewed health and strength . At , or about , the same time there also passed away several other distinguished brethren , prominent amongst them being Bro . Sir J .

S . Goldie-Taubman , Prov . G . Master of the Isle oE Man ; ^ Bro . C . A . Murton , P . G . D . ; Bro . J . Moxon Clabon , P . G . D ., a former President of the Board of Benevolence ; and Bro . George Plucknett , P . G . D ., who only three or four years since resigned the office of Treasurer of the Royal Masonic Institution for

Boys after a term of service extendi ng over more than 20 years . Within the last few days several otherbrethren have died , men who occupied less exalted positions in Masonry than those we have named , but who were highly respected by the Craft and as highly respected in the spheres of life in which they severally moved .

Two of these were intimate personal friends of his Royal Highness , the M . W . Grand Master , namely , Bro . Christopher Sykes—brother of Sir Tatton Sykes , Bart . —who was a P . Prov . S . G . Warden of N . and E . Yorkshire ; and Bro . Baron Ferdinand de Rothschild ,

M . P . for the Aylesbury Division of Buckinghamshire . It will be in the recollection of our readers that it was on the eve of returning from a visit to the Baron at Waddesdon Manor that his Royal Highness met with the accident from the effects of which he suffered so

long ; and on Monday of the present week the Prince was to have honoured him with his presence at dinner . But on Saturday last—the very day on which he com pleted his 59 th year—the Baron died suddenly , after taking a hot bath , to the lasting regret of a large circle

of friends , by whom he was greatly loved and respected . The deceased was a Mason of over 20 years ' standing , and in 1 S 7 S was put forward as a candidate for the office of G . Treasurer j but his opponent , the late Bro . Col . —then Major—Creiton , was elected .

In 1 S 92 a lodge bearing , with hissinction , the nime of " Ferdinand de Rothschild , " and ranking as No . 2420 on the Register of Grand Lodge , was founded at Aylesbury , the deceased bjing named in the warrant as Senior Warden ; while in the followingyear he was installed as the second W . M .

* » Two other brethren of distinction have also died recently , namely , Bro « . Maj .-Gen . W . J . Vizard and Professor T . Hayter Lewis , F . S . A ., R . I . B . A . The former was a p-ominent member of the Craft in Gloucestershire , P . M . and Treas ., No . 7 61 , Dursley , P . Prov .

G . W . ; while the latter was a P . M . of the Quatuor Coronati Lodge , No . 2076 , of which he was elected a joining member on the 3 rd June , 1886 . Our deceased brother was in his 8 ist year , having been born 9 th July , 1818 . He was Professor of Architecture at University College , London , from 1865 to 1881 , when he resigned and was elected Emerstus Professor .

» * All these brethren were supporters of our Institutions , Bro . Sykes having been a Life Subscriber of both our Schools and a Life Governor of the Male Fund of the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution . Baron F .

de Rothschild was a Life Governor of both Schools , while Bro . Major-Geieral Viztrd was a Life Governor of the three , and had served several Stewardships for each of them , the last occasion being the Boys' Centenary Festival in June , when he and another member

gave their services as representatives of Lodge No 761 . Bro Professor Lewis was a Life Subscriber ol the Boys' School , a Life Governor of the Girls' School , and a Life Governor of the Male Fund of the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution .

* * We gather from the pages of the Voice of Masonry for October that the Grand Lodge of Missouri held its 78 th Annual Communication in St . Louis on the 18

th-20 th of that month under the presidency of Bro . F . J . Lygard , M . W . G . Master . In the course of his address the G . M ,, in referring to the case of a man presenting himself as a candidate for the mysteries and privileges

Masonic Notes.

of Masonry who had attained the age of 71 years , remarked that , " While he might not be barred by the law , yet he had serious doubts as to the propriety of his admission , and could not advise the lodge to accept his petition . " On this the Voice remarks , " If he were yet l hale , bearty , and sound , ' he could as well

be accepted as if he were 10 years younger . It is 'dotage' that bars an old man . " We have read of cases of men-of . upwards of 80 years of age having been initiated , but we are fortunately able to give particulars of a distinguished brother , who was initiated at the age of 71 , who died in harness five years later

as G . Registrar of Grand Lodge and Supreme G . Chapter . This was none other than the late Bro . William Harrison , Q . C ., who was initiated in the Salisbury Lodge , No . 6 30 , Waltham Cross-now No . 435 , London—on the 21 st September , 1836 ; was appointed

Prov . G . Reg . Hertfordshire on the 2 nd November , 1837 ; occupied the chair of W . M . in the years 18 39 and 1840 , and in the latter year was made G . Registrar of England . At the time of his death he was M . E . Z . of Mount Lebanon Chapter , No . 630 , and G . Reg . in Supreme Grand Chapter . #

* * From the further particulars concerning Missouri , we learn that nine new lodges were consecrated during the past year , so that there are now 564 lodges on the register of its Grand Lodge , with an aggregate membership of 31 , 3 60 , while Bro . E . F . Allen is the present

Grand Master , and Bro . the Rev . John D . Vincil is still at his post as Grand Secretary . The latter is responsible for the Report on Correspondence , and from the brief sketch given by our contemporary of its contents , we should judge that it is a valuable one , and contains many sound views on Masonry . We do not , however , admire the slighting manner in which we are

given to understand he speaks of the " Antiquity of Freemasonry . " He appears to be of the opinion that the labour bestowed on researches into the remote past might more profitably be " directed in the line of a sound , vigorous , healthy development of Freemasonry as it now exists . This expression "—he is reported as saying— " presents to my mind the practical importance and value of modern Freemasonry . "

We have been favoured with copy of the proceedings at the 15 th annual meeting of the Sovereign Great Priory of Canada , which was he'd at the Marjonic Hall , Hamilton , in the Province of Ontario , on the 6 th September last , under the presidency of Sir Knight Daniel F . Macwatt , Supreme G . Mister . A

hearty welcome was tendered to the Templar visitors by the Mayor , and , subsequently , when Great Priory had been opened , by the E . Preceptor of the Godfrey de Bouillon Preceptory , No 3 . The Grand Master ' s address dealt for the most part with matters of local interest , but in the course of his remarks he mentioned

that during the past year there had been a substantial increase of members , so that there are now i 832 fratres on the roll . He also noted that Knight Templary was introduced into Canada in 1 S 00 , and gave it as his opinion that the centenary of so auspicious an event should be celebrated with befitting ceremony in 1900 .

Sir Knight Macwatt also mentioned that steps were being , or would shortly be , taken with a view to introducing the Order into Newfoundland . When the question of such an introduction was first brought under his notice , he requested the Grand Chancellor of the Order to place himself in communication with the Great Priory of England , and , on this being done , the

Grand Chancellor of the latter body , by direction of the Earl of Euston , Supreme Grand Master , at once announced that the Great Priory of England waived any claim to exclusive jurisdiction in Newfoundland , and acquiesced with pleasure in the proposed issue of a warrant for the constitution of a Preceptory in that Colony . * *

Towards the close of the proceedings the Grand Officers for the ensuing year were elected and installed , but the principal are the same as in 18 97 . 8 , namely , Sir Knights D . F . Macwatt , Supreme G . Master ; Join V . Ellis , Dep . G . Master ; and W . H . Whyte , Grand Chancellor ; the last-named of whom , at the

request of the G . Master , performed the duties of Installing Officer . When Great Priory was closed there was an exemplification of the degrees of the Order by certain Preceptories , namely , of the Red Cross by St-Simon of Cyrene Preceptory , No . 27 i of the novitiate ,

installation , and consecration of the Order of the Temple by the Richard Ccuur de Lion Preceptory , No . 7 ; and of those of the Order of Malta by the Richard Coeur de Leon Preceptory , No . 4 . The report and correspondence is the work of Sir Knight W . H . Whyte , Past G . M ., G . Chancellor .