Lodge Names.

LODGE NAMES .

At present there are , or were at the end of 1894 , 2107 lodges on the register of the Grand Lodge of England . The numbers go up to 2538 , but 431 have been removed from the register . Of this number some have been erased , but not many . Grand Lodge is very long-suffering , and lodges have been known to escape obliteration which have not sent in returns for even 30 years . By far the larger number , however , some 400 in fact , have

transferred their allegiance to foreign Constitutions ; 431 lodges make a gap in a total of 2538 , and many brethren think the time has come for re-numbering , and possibly when the New Zealand Grand Lodge and the proposed Grand Lodge of South Africa are accomplished facts , it will be done . Of those now on the register , there were 320 in existence at ihe beginning of the present century , two of which are described as having existed from time

immemorial . These historic lodges are Antiquity , No . 2 , and Royal Somerset House and Inverness , No . 4 . The Grand Stewards and Grand Masters may be described as being official lodges ; 41 r are described as London lodges , 1251 as country , and 445 as foreign . During the last 20 years very nearly a 1000 lodges have been added to the roll , the number added during

the Grand Mastership of the Prince of Wales being 1 too , whilst of late years the increase has been remarkable . In 1894 the number of new lodges warranted was 39 , in 1893 it was 43 , in 1 S 92 it was 35 , in 18 91 , 29 , ' in 1890 , 43 , and in the Jubilee year it rose to 49 . A new lodge a week will soon be the ' rule .

Among other things that have to be decided upon when a new lodge is formed , is its name . The brethren rightly think that the choice of a name will indicate the character of the lodge , at least they did in days gone by , and a glance at the register is interesting as showing what qualities were most admired . Twenty-five lodges rejoice in the name of Unity and nine in that of Unanimity , which is the same thing , or 34 in all . There are 20 lodges

Friendship , 14 Harmony , 11 Fidelity , 10 Hope , nine each Industry , Perseverance , and Faith , eight Prudence , seven each Fortitude , Loyalty , Benevolence , Philanthropy , and Concord , six each Charity and Sincerity , five each Peace , Emulation , and Honour , four Temperance , three each Antiquity , Truth , and Virtue , two each Probity , Sympathy , Love , Fraternity , Integrity ,

Rectitude , Stability , Equality , Tranquillity , Goodwill , and Justice , and one each Felicity , Prosperity , Economy , Freedom , Relief , Courage , Regularity , Obedience , Confidence , Hospitality , Affability , Candour , and Independence . These are 266 in all , of which only 85 have been warranted since 1856 , whilst the number of new lodges warranted in the same period is 1972 .

A large number of these lodges combine two or more of the above attributes , and in these cases the first only has been considered , e . g ., Faith , Hope , and Charity , Virtue and Honour , Independence with Philanthropy , Probity and Freedom and many others . Some combinations such as the last named seem to be far-fetched , and the lodges in question being ancient , one is disposed to wonder whether they represent two lodges which have

gone into partnership . Again a large number of these lodges emphasise the various virtues which they illustrate , by some adjective or another , e . g ., Universal Charity , True Friendship , Semper Fideles , Brotherly Love , Perfect Unanimity , Perpetual Friendship . Some again present curious combinations only to be explained by the partnership theory , e . v , Fortitude and Old Cumberland . The fact before

mentioned , that out of the 266 lodges thus named , only 85 have been warranted during the last 40 years , points of course to the fact that this system of nomenclature have had its day . Whether it is that it is considered P harisaical to advertise virtues in such a manner or whether Masons are not so distinguished by Humility , Generosity , Probity , Temperance , Ike , as they used to be , we know not .

In the absence of reference to public and domestic virtues , the next best thing seemed to be , in the opinion of our forefathers , to celebrate the name of some great man . Thus Shakspere , Milton , Burns , Pythagoras , Socrates , Clive , Nelson , Wellington and some 35 other heroes have their name and recollection enshrined in the names of the 4 6 lodges thus distinguished . It might also be reasonably expected that past and present Grand Masters

would not be overlooked , and thus some rune lodges are dedicated to the Duke of Sussex , 14 to the Earl of Zetland , four to the Marquis of Ripon , and no less than 28 to tfe Prince of Wales , the present M . W . G . M . In 18 93 Lodge Rose of Denmark was warranted with every suitable relevance , and H . R . H , the Princess of Wales stood godmother to eight other lodges about the same period . Her Majesty has also exeited a certain amount of Masonic

enthusiasm , 13 lodges bearing her name . Our forefathers showed a certain amount of wisdom in selecting their prototypes . In these days we run to an extreme . A lodge is founded which its promoters trust will last for ever , and it is straightway called the Smith , Jones , or Robinson lodge as the case may be , quite irrespective of any claims to celebrity or even more than the merest local and temporary recognition , that the person thus hoonured may

possess . On Grand Lodge register , no less than 570 lodges bear the names of various individuals , or more than a quarter of the whole number now working . As already shown , 46 are really illustrious names , and 75 bear names at all events historic , and the remaining 450 are of the Smith , Jones , and Robinson type . The persons thus commemorated may have merited

the esteem and goodwill of those about them , but it seems hard upon posterity , which , after all , has never done us any harm , to burden it with the payment of our debt of gratitude . In the Madras Presidency , out of Craft and other lodges , no less than 18 bear the name of some individual or another , who , but for such casual distinction , would have been casually lost to memory .

We remember a son of the Past District Grand Master who gave his name to a Madras lodge , writing to the W . M . of that lodge , explaining that his mother was in a state of helpless indigence , and asking if the lodge in question could help him with a loan of £ 5 . But we regret to say the letter extorted no other feeling than that of indignalion at the

presumption displayed by the writer . One great danger of this practice , is that if the party concerned be still living , he may " break his record " and cause that lodge to regret its name , and request to be erased , and it is a rule of many Grand Masters not to grant a warrant to any lodge bearing the name of a living person .

The next most fashionable names are those having reference to some local circumstance , generally the name of the town , or the river on which it is situated , or some circumstance which has conferred celebrity upon jt ,

Lodge Names.

Peveril of the Peak , is situated in the district wherein the events of that story are cast ; St . Hilda , near the convent of that name ; Rock , at Trichinopoly ; The Three G-aces , at Hawnrth , might have had reference to the three sisters Bronte , but for the date of the warrant ; Cotswold , at Cirencester , refers , of course , to the neighbouring hills ; Homer , at Smyrna ,

the poet's reputed birth-place . The Liverpudlians are quite right in honouring Neptune , and Lodge Gooch could nowhere be located with more propriety than at Swindon . Lodge King Harold is at Waltham , where the body of the dead hero was conveyed after his futile defence cf the fortunes of England . Robin Hood is always connected with Nottingham . The Rose of Raby has a familiar sound to all who know Durham .

In many cases an old Roman name has been hunted out , either of the place itself or some general or another who made himself famous , so we have Camolodunum at Walton , Eboracum at York , Agricola also at York . Lodge Kerala at Calicut , Merlin at Pontypridd , ihe reputed biithplaceof the bard Olicana at Ilkley , Cedewain at Montgomery , Hotspur at Newcastle , and Caradoc at Rhyl .

The Lord of the Manor , or some neighbouring historic property is often selected , e . g ., Londesborough at Bridlington , Eastnor at Ledbury , Bute at Cardiff , Wentworth at Sheffitld , Talbot at S vansea , Wharncliffe at Penistone , Sir Watkin at Mold . Tnere are many lodges sufficiently indicated by the names they bear , Chancery , Northern Bar , Argonauts . Cyclists , Old Westminsters , Rifles , Gren ; diers , Cycling and Athletic , / Esculapius ,

Galen , Telegraph Cable , Guildhall School of Music , Train Bands , and some 50 others that could be named which may be called class lodges . To our mind the formation of such is a mistake , and if the tendency increases it will make of Masonry a union , as it were of federal stales . A Masonic lodge will become a club , visiting become difficult , and the purposes of Freemasonry be defeated .

There seems to be an all but total absence of real Masonic names . There are the Sun , Square and Compasses , The Perfect Ashlar and Keystone , and King Solomon , a Hiram , and one or two others . Lights and stars are common , especially in India , and more especially in the northern part . The Three Grand Principles -a favourite na-ne—is an unfortunate nomenclature , as a young Mason naturally thinks of the Grand Master rather than Brotherly Love , Relief , and Truth . There is also a lodge in London called Quadratic .

Why a Cratt lodge should be called Keystone is not quite clear , nor do we know what connection Apollo had with Masonry that so many lodges are dedicated to him . There is only one derivation , a Litin one , that occurs to us to account for Lodge Menturia , and had Ananias and Sapphira been Freemasons , we should expect them to hive joined a lodge of that name . —Indian Masonic Review .

The Alnvick Records

THE ALNVICK RECORDS

In the Freemason for January 21 st , 1871 , I gave a sketch of the volume of the Alnwick Lodge Records , the rules of which are of the year 1701 , and the minutes begin in 1703 . Before these , come the ' Old Charge * , " which I had reproduced in my work on the subject in 1872 . Since then , renewed interest has been excited by ihe attention paid to

this most important minute book , curious regulations , and valuable copy of the " Constitutions " by my friend Bro . R . F . Gould , in his " History of Freemasonry , " issued by the late Bro . T . C . Jack , of Edinburgh , the wellknown publisher ; and as both of us have already made public the " Orders" of 1701 , as well as certain of the Records , a strong desire has been expressed that the complete volume of Records should be reproduced

verbatim et literatim . When the lodge was first formed we cannot say , for as the Regulations are signed by quite a number of members in 1701 , including the Master and Wardens , thus proving trat it was not then a new organisation , the origin of the body may well be dated back to the seventeenth century . The first minute of 1703 gives no indication of any fresh formation into a lodge , and the complete copy of the " Old Charges' at the beginning of the book , suggests an operative basis originally of the lodge .

Many of the minutes are of considerable interest , especially one relating to orders for a Masonic procession in 1708-9 , when the brethren were to appear " with their approns on & Comon Square . " This is a record of a peculiar character , and unlike any other known . The minutes run on to 1757 , so that a good many years are covered from 1703 .

fhe Rosicrucians of Newcastle-on-Tyne have undertaken the publication of this very interesting and important Masonic work , under the wing of their College , and , having succeeded so well with the "Newcastle College MS . " of the "Old Charges , " 1 feel assured their success will be as gratifying in respect to this new venture . In fact , the present volume is much more ambitious in character than the previous publication , for it includes a

full facsimile of the manuscript Constitutions , as well as the Records , signatures of members , Sec , and the extraordinary Orders from 1701 onwards , save some of thelaier minutes , which , however , are carefully printed with all the orthographical peculiarities of the originals . So that , either in facsimile or exact reproduction , every page of this precious volume is to be published for the information of Masonic students wherever dispersed .

These attractive features alone should lead to a ready sale of this special and important publication , but there are other additional and weighty reasons why Masonic students generally , and lodges for their libraries , should secure copies of this artistic volume . There is a full Glossary and copious Notes by Bros . F . F . Schnitger and William Davidson ( the joint Editors ) , of which

I can speak most favourably ; for the explanations of the obsolete and peculiar words in the " Old Charges , " and the " Orders , " Minutes , & c , are both interesting and accurate , and the Notes and Commentary on the Minutes furnish admirable reading . They also prove how thorough has been the examination of these Records by my friends .

I have written an Introduction , by desire of the Newcastle College , just as for the first Reproduction , and have done my best , in a short compass , to indicate the precise value of these old , curious , and unrivalled minutes and regulations belonging to the most ancient Lodge yet traced in England , whose Records are still preserved , l'he work will be published almost at once at one guinea per copy , order forms being obtained from Bro . F . F . Schnitger , 24 , Shakespeare-street , Newcastle-on-Tyne . W . J . HUGHAN ,