Table Of Contents

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Capitular Freemasonry in England 451 Consecration of the Whitwcll Lodge , No . 1 , 390 432 Consecration of the Morning Star Lodge , No . 1 , 35 6 452 Freemasonry in Canada 453 Freemasonry in West Australia 454

Masonic Notes and Queries 454 Masonic Tidings 45 s Aids to Study 45 6 Grand Lodge of Mark Masters 457 CRAFT MASONHV S—

Provincial , 457 MAIIK MASONHV , — Provincial Grand Lodge of Somerset 451 J Kisn CROSS OF C ONSTANTINE : — Provincial 460

ANCIENT AND A CCEPTED RITE : — Gibraltar 400 Met ropolitan 4 ( 10 CORRESPONDENCE : — The Prince of Wales < 6 i

Ancient Grand Lodge of Yoil ; 4 G 0 Reunion of Knights Templar In Scotland 4 62 Poetry 4 62

OBITUARY : — Bro . J . M . Martin 4 62 Masonic Meetings for next week 4 ( 1 . 3 Advertisements 44 . 11 , 4 ^ 0 , 4 6 3 , 4 6 4

Capitular Freemasonry In England.

CAPITULAR FREEMASONRY IN ENGLAND .

lu the " proceedings" of tlie Grand Chapter of Pennsylvania ( U . S . ) , for 1871 , which have lately been published , there is a lengthy notice of

Capitular I'reem . 'isonry in this country , by our Bro . \ V . J . Hughan , representative from that Grand Chapter .

The subject is learnedly and ably introduced by M . E . Comp . Charles Eugene Meyer , the Grand High Priest , and although the progress of the Mark Degree has been so rapid of late that

in some respects the account of that degree in particular is not now strictly accurate , we feel certain that Bro Hughan ' s answers to the

questions propounded by the Grand High Priest of Pennsylvania will be read with much interest by all British Freemasons .

At Page 26 we read as follows : — " The earl y history of Royal Arch Masonry in Pennsylvania , is no j doubt intimately connected with a chapter or chapters , worked by officers of

the British Army , stationed in Philadel phia , about the middle of the last century . It will be found by reference to the reprint of the proceedings of the Grand Chapter , that Lodge No . . 3 claims the

honour of having , as far as known , the oldest records of the Koyal Arch Degree in this conntry , its records dating back as far as 1767 . In 1 795 , the great innovator , Thomas Smith Webb ,

and a few others from the New England States , made strenuous efforts to form a Grand Chapter in Pennsylvania ; owing , however , to the influence of many members of Grand Lodge , they

were not successful , and the very object they tried to accomplish was carried out by the Royal Arch Masons of that State , in forming a Grand Chapter , subordinate , however , to the Grand

Lodge . A few years after this , in 1797 , a Grand Chapter for the Northern States of America was formed by Webb and his coadjutors . The General Grand Chapter of the United States Was not formed until 1806 On the 17 thday of December , 1824 , the Grand Chapter ( of Pennsylvania ) became independent

Capitular Freemasonry In England.

( i . e . of the Grand Lodge ) , and from that time , Royal Arch Masonry has flourished in this jurisdiction . At the November Grand Communication the

Grand Chapter unanimously recognised the Mark Grand Lodge of England and Wales as a legitimate grand body , and it gives me great pleasure at this time , to extend a hearty welcome

and to express the wishes of this Grand Chapter for its future prosperity . The Grand Mark Lodge , of England and Wales was established in [ tine , iScfj , and now numbers over one hundred

and thirty lodges . It is prosperous and harmonious , and when the question of jurisdiction is settled between it and the Grand Chapter of Scotland , will increase wonderfully .

During the past year , in order that I might be able to lay before the Grand Chapter as much information as possible on the subject of Capitular Masonry in Great Britain and Ireland , 1 entered

into correspondence with that distinguished Masonic historian , Companion William James Hughan , of Truro , Cornwall , England , who has kindly furnished me with answers to the

following questions , together with a short history of the Mark Degree in the countries above named , which will be found in the "Appendix " [ reprinted in the" freemason" ] .

MIRK MASTER MASON . QUESTION .- —Is the Mark Degree , as worked in England , the Mark Man , or the Mark Master Mason ¦

ANSWER . —The Mark Man and the Mark Master are both worked in England '; the first as preparatory to the latter ; but , generally speaking , only the Mark Master . The " Ark , Mark , and

Link or Wrestle are now obsolete . Ihe Mark Man ( or Mason ) was given to Fellow Crafts on January 7 th , 1778 , at Hantl ' , Scotland ; but the Mark Master , at the same time , and at the same

meeting , was restricted to Master Masons This , is important , as the latter has been so given to Master Masons only in England , Scotland , and Ireland .

Q . — -Is it recognised b y the Grand 1-odge or Grand Chapter of England ? A . —The Mark is not recognised by either of these two bodies . It is however recognised

( i . e . the Mark Master s Degree ) by the Grand Lodge and Grand Chapterof Scotland , [ and by the Grand Chapter of Ireland . ( The Constitutions of the Grand Lodge of Scotland declare that " all

Lodges holding of the Grand Lodge of Scotland are strictly prohibited and discharged from holding any other meeting than those of the three orders , viz ., Apprentice , Fellow Craft , and Master

Mason , denominated St . John ' s Masonry , the Mark forming part of the Second Degree , though only to be conferred on Master Masons . " The Mark in England is under a separate jurisdiction ,

called the Grand Lodge of Mark Masters , numbering over one hundred lodges , established in June , 1856 . It is prosperous . A few lodges are granted for "England by tlie Grand Chapter of

Scotland , pro tempore . The Grand Lodge of Mark Masters is recognised by the Grand Chapter of Ireland , and the Grand Chapter of Canada . * Q . —What are the requirements of an appli-

Capitular Freemasonry In England.

cant ? Must he be a Fellow Craft or Master Mason , and must he " pass the chair , " or be an " Installed Master " before applying ? A .- —Simply to be a Master Mason , no matter

of how short a period . Q .. —How many candidates can be " marked , ' at one and the some time ? or is there no limit as to number ?

A . —No limit whatever . Q . —What are its Officers ? A . —The officers are Worshipful Masters Senior and Junior Wardens , three Overseers ,

Treasurer , Chaplain , Secretary , two Deacons , Director of Ceremonies , Assistant ditto , Registrar of Marks , Inner Guard or Time-keeper , Stewards , and T y ler . The W . M . with the Wardens and

Overseers are members officially of Prov . Grand Lodge and Grand Lodge . The W . M . must have been W . M . of a Craft Lodge , and been a Warden of a Mark Lodge for one year .

Q . —Is the Mark degree as worked in England the same as that worked in Ireland and Scotland ? A . —Yes , ( virtually ) .

Q . —Are Lodges of Mark -Masters separately constituted and consecrated , and what degree is it numerically ? A . —Mark Lodges are generally consecrated

and constituted . No regular ceremony is universally worked or authorized . Numericall y in Scotland and Ireland it is the fourth degree .

In England there is no actual numeration whatever . It is however considered to be , numerically , as intermediate to the third degree and Royal Arch .

PAST MASTER . Q . —Is the the "Past Master" a ceremonial of " Passing the Chair , " or " Installed Master " recognized by the Grand Lodge and G . Chapter of

England ? A . —In England , the P . M . means one who has served twelve months as W . M . of a lodge . No merely honorary degree is allowed at all for such

a title , and it is under the control of the Grand Lodge only , though it is not termed a separate degree . In Scotland it is the fifth in rank under Grand Chapter , and is preparatory to the Arch ,

as is also the Mark ( fourth ) and most Excellent ( sixth ) . Bro . Lawrence Dermott , Grand Secretary of the '' Ancients '' ( and subsequently Deputy Grand

Master ) , was installed Master of No . 26 , Dublin , Ireland , 34 th June , 1 746 " . The constitution of the Grand Lodge of England , 172 , 3 , speaks of the installation of the Master , as " certain significant

ceremonies and ancient usages . The ceremony , however , was observed in the presence o / Vyevi the apprentices . Dr . Dassigny , of A . 11 . 1744 , mentions brethren

as having " passed the chair . " 1 think the Installed Master was originated about 1738 , when the Royal Arch was instituted , and by the "Ancients . "

I notice m an edition of the Constitutions oi the Grand Lodge of England , . \ . r > . 1738 , the 47 th problem of Euclid is inserted , without note or comment , at the end of the volume .

* Since this article was written , several ^ Grand Chapters in the United States have granted recognition and re p resentation ,