Installation Of H.R.H. Prince Leopold As Prov. Grand Master Of Oxfordshire.

INSTALLATION OF H . R . H . PRINCE LEOPOLD AS PROV . GRAND MASTER OF OXFORDSHIRE .

This long looked for event took place on Wednesday last , in the Sht ; ldonian Theatre , Oxford , on which occasion thsre was a splendid Catherine : of Freemasons to give eclat to the

proceedings . Among those present were Lord Skelmersdale , Deputy Grand Master ; the Marquis of Hamilton , M . P ., Senior Grand Warden ¦ , Bro . Alderman Stone , ex-Lord Mavor of

London , Junior Grand Warden ; Rev . R . J . Simpson , Past Grand Chaplain ; Bro . Mclntyre , Q . C ., Grand Registrar : Bro . John Hervey , Grand Secretary ; Bro . F . Morreli ,

Junior Grand Deacon ; Sir Albert W . Woods , Garter , Grand Director of Ceremonies ; and Bro . S . George Homfray , Gd . Assist . Director of Ceremonies . Among the

Provincial holding high positions in : he Grand Masters , Past Officers of Grand Lodge and others Craft who were present were the Earl of Hardwicke , the Earl of Shrewsbury , the Earl of

Limerick , Lord de Tabley , Lord Methuen , Lord Leigh , Lord Balfour of Burleigh , the Earl of Jersey , Lord Ramsay , General Brownrigg , Colonel Burdett , Viscount Newry , Bro . W . W . B .

Beach , M . P ., Bro . T . F . Halsey , M . P ., Bro . J . B . Monckton , President of the Board of Generals Purposes ; Colonel Adair , Bro . V . A . Williamson , Rev . C . J . Martyn , Rev . P . Moore , Rev .

D . Sedgwick , Rev . T . F . Ravenshaw , Rev . W . F . Short , Rev . K . Bedford , Rev . Dr . J . Edmund Cox , Colonel Campbell of Blythswood , Bro . R . R . Holmes , Bro H . W . Stranee , Captain

Philips , Major Shadwell Clerke , Bro . R . J . Spiers , Sir E . Lechmere , Captain Ferrier , Lieut .-Colonel Somerville Burney , Bro . Staveley Hill , Q . C .,

M . P .. Sir F . M . Williams , Rev . T . Cochrane , Bro . Heather Bigg , Bro . Frederick Binckes , Secretary of the Royal Masonic Inst itution for

Boys ; Bro . Thomas Fenn , P . G . S . D . ; Bro . Colonel Machen , Bro . J . C . Parkinson , P . G . D . ; Bro . R . Phenes Spiers P . M . 10 ; J . A . Rucker , P . G . D ; E . M . Haigh , P . G . S . ; W . Roebuck . Bro . Kingston , W . M . S 6 z ; Bro . Alfred Wigan , and

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Bro . Milsom , of Bath ; and Bro . H . Massey ( " Freemason " ) . The ceremony which gave Prince Leopold one step higher in Masonic rank was arranged with

the same regard for detail and order as was the splendid ceremony of the 28 th of April last , when the Prince of Wales was installed as Grand Master of English Freemasons at the Royal

Albert Hall . Indeed , it was like it in almost every particular , even to the presentation of an address of congratulation from the Grand Orient of Italy . It will be remembered b y Freemasons

that on the 28 th of April , 1875 , Bro . J . C . Parkinson , Past Grand Deacon , presented such an address to the Prince of Wales from the Italian Freemasons ; and the same brother on

Wednesday presented a like address to Prince Leopold . As the Prince of Wales received the address sent to him , so did Prince Leopold receive the address sent to him , most graciously ,

and the same will be duly enrolled in the records of the province . Perfect success attended the proceedings . The doors of the Divinity School were opened

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! for the admission of the brethren at twelv > j o ' clock , and closed at half-past one , after which ! i no brother could be admitted . The semi-circle :

1 was reserved for the . officers of Grand Lodge , ! ; present Provincial Grand Officers of Oxfordshire , ! and all brethren up to the rank of Provincial I Grand Warden . The area was reserved for all

other Provincial Grand Officers ; Oxfordshire being on the left of the chair , and other " provinces on the right . Those who were not Provincial Grand Officers were directed by the Stewards to

their places in the Ladies' Galleries . The brethren appeared in evening dress ( or black frock coat ) , white gloves , and full Masonic Craft clothi ' np-.

At ten minutes before two the following procession was formed in the Divinity School , viz . : Two Tylers with drawn swords . Three Provincial Grand Stewards

P . i ^ t Provincial Grand Pursuivants . Provincial Grand Pursuivants . Past Provincial Grand Sword Bearer .

Provincial Grand Directors of Ceremonies . Past Provincial GrandSuperintendents of Works . Provincial Grand Superintendent of Works .

Past Provincial Grand Deacons . Past Provincial Grand Secretaries . Past Provincial Grand Registrars . Provincial Grand Registrar . Past Provincial Grand Chaplains .

Provincial Grand Chaplains . Past Provincial Grand Wardens . Provincial Junior Grand Warden .

Provincial Senior Grand Warden . Provincial Junior Grand Deacon . Past and Present Officers of Grand Lodge ,

according to Rank . Deputy Provincial Grand Master . Provincial Grand Sword Boarer . The Right Worshipful the Grand Registrar in

Charge of the Province . Provincial Senior Grand Deacon . Right Worshipful Deputy Grand Master of England .

Two Grand Stewards . The procession entered the hall , the organ being played by Bro . Plumridge . Provincial Grand Lodge was opened by tbe Grand Registrar .

As soon as Grand Lodge had been opened the Deputy Provincial Grand Master announced to Grand Registrar the presence of the Deputy 1 Grand Master of England , Lord Skelmersdale .

Bro . Mclntyre immediately requested his lordship to take the chair , which the Deputy Grand Master accordingly did , and told the brethren that this especial Provincial Grand Lodge had

been called together for three purposes ; fi . - > t , to instal a Provincial Grand Master of Oxfordshire ; secondly , to present a testimonial to Bro . Spiers ; and thirdly , to appoint a Deputy

Provincial Grand Master , and a brother to the vacant Stewardship of the province , in the room of Prince Leopold . The Rev . H . A .- Pickard informed his lordship that Prince Leopold was

without the door of the lodge , :: nd sought admission and installation . The procession having been formed , retired , and re-entered in the following order : —

Three Provincial Grand Stewards . The Gloves and Apron of the Provincial Grand Master , on a cushion borne by the Masterof a Lodge .

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The Collar and Jewel of . the * -Provincial Grand Master , on a cushion borne by the Master of a Lodge . Provincial Grand Director of Ceremonies .

Provincial Grand Registrar . Provincial Grand Treasurer . Provincial Grand Chaplains . Six Past Provincial Grand Wardens . His ROYAL HIGHNESS PRINCE LEOPOLD ,

Provincial Grand Master . Two Equerries . ( Bro . Collins , C . B .. & Bro . the Hon . Alex . Yorke ) . Two Provincial Grand Stewards .

His Royal Hig hness on entering was received with several rounds of applause .. Placed on the left hand side of Lord Skelmersdale , Prince Leopold was duly installed , when , to the sound

< . f blast of trumpet , he was duly proclaimed Grand Master of Oxfordshire , and saluted according to ancient form . Lord Skelmersdale then , addressing : him , said

—'' I beg to congratulate your Royal Highness on being placed in the chair . I need not tell , you , sir , how important are the duties of the high office to which von have been promoted . Your stead .

fastness in the cause of Masonry has proved to all the brethren how thoroughly-worthy you are to occupy that chair , and I congratulate the brethren of the province that the choice of the

Grand Master has fallen upon your Royal Highness . Accept , I beg of you , my hearty congratulations . " The brethren endorsed these expressions , '

g iven with his lordship ' s customary suavity , by a burst of applause , and His Royal Highness bowed both to Lord Skelmersdale and the other brethren . Bro . Reginald Bird , Vice

Principal of Magdalen , Deputy Provincial Grand Master , then yielded up to the new Grand Master his "jewel " of office , which His J Royal Highness immediately handed back . The

warrant of his appointment as D . P . G . M . was then read , and the usual salute followed . His Royal Highness ' s next business was to supply the vacancv which his own elevation . had caused in

ihe Stewardship of the province , and Bro . Walter Jas . Douglas Campbell was called up for investment . Assigning to him the office of Provincial Grand Steward , Prince Leopold shook him

warmly by the hand , and that worthy recipient of the Grand Master ' s favour took his seat ainrag the Grand Stewards of the

province-Considerable cheering followed the appointmen t , which evinced that it was acceptable to the brethren .

The following Provincial Grand Officers were then re-appointed , and on , presentation to His Royal Highness he shook them by the hand . Bros , fohn Galpin , Provincial Senior Grand

Warden ; H . R . Cooper Smith ( Magdalen College ) , Provincial Junior Grand Warden ; Rev . R . W . M . Pope , Provincial Grand Chaplain ; Rev . W . Alexander Ayton , Provincial Grand Chaplain ;

Alderman Thomas Randall , Provincial Grand Treasurer ; R . L . Williamson ( Christ Church ) , Prov . Grand Registrar ; William Henry Horn , Prov . Senior Grand Deacon ? Jason Saunders ,

Prov . Junior Grand Deacon ; Sinclair Frankland Hood ( Magdalen College ) , Prov . Grand Secretary ; Charles Bishop , Prov . Grand

Superintendent of Works ; Julius Sladden , Prov . Grand Director of Ceremonies ; Carlisle J . S . Spedden ( Qneen ' s College ) , Prov . Grand Di-