-
Articles/Ads
Article FREEMASONRY IN 1889. ← Page 2 of 5 Article FREEMASONRY IN 1889. Page 2 of 5 →
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Freemasonry In 1889.
As regards the proceedings in Grand Lodge , there have been no questions of great importance to cause any stir among the brethren . There was an unusually large attendance at the March Communication , when the election of a brother to fill the office of Grand Treasurer for the ensuing year took place . Two strong candidates had been nominated at the previous Grand Lodge , Bro . Edward O'Connor Terry , P . M ., and Bro . George Everett , P . M ., and the result of the poll
was to place Bro . Terry first with 841 votes , while Bro . Everett obtained 617 votes . At the same meeting a 49 years' lease of Bacon ' s Hotel was granted , on the recommendation of the Board of General Purposes , to the Grand Lodge of Mark Master Masons at a rental of £ 3 60 per annum , the latter Order undertaking to expend some £ 3000 on the necessary alterations and repairs . At the June Communication a formal announcement was made of the establishment of a United Grand
Lodge of Victoria on the lines previously followed in establishing the Grand Lodges of South Australia and New South Wales , the constituent parts of the new body being , with two exceptions ; the lodges previously existing under the English , Irish , andScotch Constitutions , and the lodges of the Grand Lodge of Victoria ; and Grand Lodge , on the recommendation of his Royal Hig hness the Grand Master , acceded to the application for recognition of the said United Grand Lodge .
And the recognition having taken place , it was further announced from the chair that his Royal Hi g hness the Prince of Wales had , at the invitation of the new Grand Lodge , been graciously p leased to accept the position of its Grand Patron . In September , a resolution was unanimously passed " That an address be presented to his Royal Hig hness the Prince of Wales , Most Worship ful Grand Master , on the auspicious occasion of the marriage of his eldest daughter , her Royal Highness
the Princess Louise of Wales , with his Grace the Duke of Fife , K . T ., Provincial Grand Master of Banffshire , offering the most hearty congratulations and good wishes of its members on the happy event . " At the Communication held early in the present month , Bro . Augustus Harris , P . M . No . 2127 , was the only candidate proposed for the office of Grand Treasurer during the ensuing year ; while in connection with an appeal from a brother against the decision in a certain case of the
District Grand Master of Burmah , Grand Registrar Philbrick , following in the steps of his predecessor , the late Bro . Mclntyre , decided that once a member has formally tendered his resignation of membership to his lodge , that membershi p ceases ipso facto , the Society of Freemasons being a voluntary one . Hitherto the general belief has been that no resignation took effect until it had been accepted by the lodge , which , if it were so disposed , thus had and indeed very often exercised
the power to ask the member to withdraw his resignation . Under the new ruling , however , a resignation once tendered in open lodge or by letter is complete , and if the lodge is desirous of retaining the brother's services , it must re-elect him member . Among the more important events must be noticed the presentation of an organ to the Masonic Hall at Liverpool , by Major J . B . Morgan , C . E ., in January , the gift being all the more noticeable from the fact of the Major not being a member
of the Craft . In the course of the same month a Lodge of Sorrow was held by the Pilgrim Lodge , No . 238 , to commemorate the loss sustained by Freemasonry through the death , early in the previous summer , of our illustrious brother the Emperor Frederick of Germany . In March a special meeting of the Provincial Grand Lodge of Gloucestershire was held under the presidency of Bro . Sir M . E . Hicks-Beach , Bart ., M . P ., Prov . G . M ., when a memorial window in St . Mary ' s ,
Cheltenham , which had been placed there by the brethren as a mark of respect to the late Bro . J . Brook-Smith , D . P G . M ., was formally unveiled . About the same time the foundation-stones of a new Masonic Hall at Sittingbourne , for the use of the St . Michael ' s Lodge , No . 1273 , were laid by Bros . W . J . Harris , P . M ., Prov . G . W . Kent , and H . Harris , W . M ., while towards the end of June the hall was solemnly dedicated to the purposes of Freemasonry by Bro . Earl Amherst , Prov .
G . Master . On the 6 th April , Bro . Starkie , Prov . G . Master of East Lancashire , laid the corner-.-tone of St . Paul ' s new Church , at Rowton , with Masonic ceremonial . In May , Bro . Lord Suflield , P . G . M . Norfolk , unveiled a memorial window in the church of St . Nicholas , Great Yarmouth , while Bro . Sir Hedworth Williamson , Bart ., P . G . M . Durham , dedicated the new Hall , at Monkwearmouth , of the Williamson Lodge , No . 949 . In Staffordshire , Bro . Col . Foster Gough
signalised his accession to the office of Provincial Grand Master by laying the foundation-stone of a new Masonic Hall at West Bromwich on the 28 th May , and that of a New Cottage Hospital at Annacott , on the 27 th June . On the 12 th August , Bro . Lord Leigh , P . G . M . Warwickshire , with the assistance of his Prov . G . Officers , unveiled memorial windows in St . Cuthbert's Church , Dudley , while on the 27 th of the same month Bro . H . C . Okeover , P . G . W ., D . P . G . M . De byshire ,
laid the memorial stone of the new Town Hall , Bakewell . In October , the new Masonic Hall at Howden was dedicated by Bro . the Hon . W . T . Orde-Powlett , P . G . W . England , and Dep . P . G . M . of North and East Yorkshire , and Bro . the Earl of Jersey , P . G . M . Oxfordshire , laid the foundation-stone of a similar edifice at Henley-on-Thames , while Bro . the Earl of Lathom , D . G . M ., Prov . G . M . of West Lancashire , assisted by his Provincial Grand Officers , laid the
foundationstone of the new church of SS . Simon and Jude , at Southport . These events , or a majority of them , show that Freemasonry in England , though it may not have taken part in any ceremony or celebration of special importance , has been doing much to strenthen its position , and doing it very successfully . Moreover , some oi our lodyes have had the good fortune to celebrate the centenary of their
constitution , and have thus furnished additional evidence of the vitality of the Craft in its senior branches . Among the lodges to which Centenary Warrants have been granted are the Joppa , No . 188 , and the Oak , No . 190 . both meeting in London ; Tranquility Lodge , No . 274 , Newchurch , the Lodge of Friendship , No . 227 , Oldham ; the Royal Clarence Lodge , No . 271 , Brighton ; and the Lodge of Harmony , No . 275 , Hudderslield .
The minor events which it has been our privilege to record include the Jubilee Meeting of the Aire and Calder Lodge , No . 458 , Goole ; the special banquet given by the members of the Savage Club Lodge to Bro . Edward Terry , on his election to the office of Grand Treasurer ; the entertainment by the Anglo-American Lodge of many distinguished American brethren on their passiug through London en route for the Paris Exhibition ; the annual Festival , in February , under the presidency of Bro . the Earl bf Euston , Prov . G . M . Norths and Hunts , of the Emulation
Lodge of Improvement ; the installation of Bro . Lord George Hamilton , M . P ., First Lord of the Admiralty , as W . M . of the Chiswick Lodge , No . 2012 ; of Bro . Alderman Renals , as W . M . of the Aldersgate Lodge , No . 1657 ; of Bro . Col . Starkie , as the first Master of the East Lancashire Centurion Lodge , No . 2322 ; and of Bro . th ; Dean of York as the first W . M . of the Albert Victor Lodge , No . 2328 ; and the presentation by Bro . Col . Starkie of gold consecration vessels to the Prov . G . Lodge of East Lancashire .
As regards the changes which have occurred in the ranks of the Provincial Grand Masters , though we have sustained by death the loss of two of the most respected of these distinguished brethren , whose places have not been filled as yet , the only Provinces in which a new has been substituted for the former ruler , are those of Bristol and Staffordshire , but , we are glad to say , that in neither case has
the change been brought about by death . Bro . W . A . F . Powell has succeeded Bro . the Earl of Limerick as Provincial Grand Master of Bristol , and Bro . Col . Foster Gough reigns in Staffordshire in lieu of Bro . Col . Singleton Tudor , but both Bros , the Earl of Limerick and Col . Tudor are still spared to us , and should occ . ision arise , will be both able and willing to give their successors in office the benefit of their long experience .
In fine , Craft Masonry , which is everywhere the basis of the whole Masonic edifice , though it has had its share of the vicissitudes of fortune during the year , and though by the creation of a third Australasian Grand Lodge its roll of lodges has been somewhat diminished , is nevertheless as firmly placed as ever it has been at the brightest periods of existence , Nor , while there is every reason to anticipate
Freemasonry In 1889.
that , sooner or later , other of our Colonies will follow the recent example of South Australia , N . S . Wales , and Victoria , and set up establishments of their own , do we for one moment think that the diminution thus caused in the number of our lodges abroad will have the slightest effect in impairing the strength of our organisation at home . There must be quite 1500 lodges in England , and still between
450 and 500 in foreign parts which pay allegiance to our Grand Lodge , so that , as we have just said , a further diminution of our roll would have no appreciable effect on our position . Lodges may come , and lodges may go , but the United Grand Lodge , from which , with those of Ireland and Scotland , all the other Grand Lodges in the world trace their descent , remains , and will no doubt remain , as long as the British Empire continues to exist either in its present or an altered form .
ROYAL ARCH MASONRY . The Royal Arch being a portion of Free and Antient Masonry , as defined by the Articles of Union of 1813 , the fortunes of Supreme Grand Chapter are so intimately connected with those of Grand Lodge as hardly to stand in need of a separate description . Still we have devoted some space to it in our annual summary in former years , and we shall adopt the same course on the present
occasion . As regards new chapters , there have been consecrated 18 , one of which —the Clarke Chapter , attached to the Clarke Lodge , No . 2180 , Melbourne , has , however , since disappeared from the roll in consequence of the establishment of a Grand Lodge and Grand Chapter of Victoria . Of the others , six have been attached to London lodges , r . amely , the Albion Chapter , No . 9 , which has taken the place formerly occupied by Mount Moriah Chapter , now attached to Middlesex
Lodge , No . 143 ; the Sterndale Bennett Chapter , No . 2182 ; the La France Chapter , No . 2060 ; the Montefiore Chapter , No . 1017 ; the Mount Moriah Chapter , attached to the Mount Moriah Lodge , No . 34 ; and the Regent ' s Park Chapter , No . 2202 . The 11 new Provincial Chapters are the Mund y Grove , No . 506 , Shipley , Derbyshire ; the Cecil , No . 449 , Hitchin , Hertfordshire ; the St . George ' s , attached to the Ethelbert Lodge , No . 2099 , Heme Bay , Kent ; the
Southport , attached to the Starkie Lodge , No . 1070 , Southport , Lancashire ( W . D . ); the Sir Charles Bright , No . 16 39 , Teddington , Middlesex ; the Star of Gwynedd Chapter , attached to the St . David ' s Lodge , No . 3 84 , Bangor ; the Blagdon Chapter , No . 659 , Blyth , Northumberland ; the Henniker Chapter , attached to the Lodge of Fidelity , No . 555 , Framlingham , Suffolk ; the Cyclist Chapter , No . 2246 , East Molesey , Surrey ; the Semper Fidelis Chapter , No . 529
Worcester ; and the Wilberforce Chapter , No . 2134 , Hull , N . & E . Yorkshire . No special remarks are necessary as regards the above additions to the roll of Grand Chapter , except , perhaps , in the case of the La France , which was consecrated by Comp . Thomas Fenn , and which , like the La France Lodge , works all the ceremonies in the French language . The proceedings in Grand Chapter are mostly formal , so that , as a rule , there is little to be said about them . We note ,
however , that during the year it has been necessary to strike from the roll the chapters attached to those lodges which were formerly under the English Constitution , but which have now become part and parcel of the United Grand Lodges of New South Wales ancl Victoria ; while the Supreme Grand Chapter in the latter colony , which was constituted a few days after its Grand Lodges has been accorded recognition . We remark also that the difference heretofore existing between the Grand Chapters
of England and Canada , in consequence of the latter having issued warrants for the establishment of chapters in the City of Melbourne , has disappeared now that Victoria has become Masonicall y independent of us ; and if there is a difference in the future on this head , it will be between the Grand Chapters of Victoria and Canada . Outside the proceedings of Grand Chapter , probably the constitution of North Wales as a Provincial Grand Chapter under Comp . Lieut .-Col . the Hon .
W . E . SackviHe-West as Grand Superintendent , may be regarded as the most important event of the year . The vacancies caused by the death of Grand Superintendents Sir D . Gooch , Bart . ( Berks and Bucks ) , Brig .-Gen . Adair ( Somersetshire ) , Gen . Brownrigg ( Surrey ) , and Gerard Ford ( Sussex ) , have been filled up in the case of Somersetshire onl y , where Comp . Adair ' s place has been filled by the appointment of Comp . R . C . Else , while Comp . Col . Foster Gough has succeeded Comp . Col . S . Tudor as G . Superintendent of Staffordshire .
MARK MASONRY . The mere fact that the Grand Lodge of Mark Master Masons treated with and has obtained from United Grand Lodge a 49 years' lease of the premises formerl y known as Bacon ' s , and more recently , as Freemasons' Hotel , and has committed itself to an expenditure of £ 3000 for the necessary repairs and such alterations as - ¦ are required to convert them to the use of a Masonic Hall , is sufficiently strong
evidence of the degree of prosperity to which this bod y has attained , a prosperity which even the most sanguine of its founders could hardil y have anticipated ind which is on than account the more creditable to its rulers . Indeed , unless it be in our own Craft Grand Lodge , we cannot call to mind a single instance in which a branch of Masonry has made such marvellous progress . It was onl y in 1856 that the Mark Grand Lodge was constituted , and now it has over 400 lodges on its
roll , and a Benevolent Fund which can boast of an invested capital of between , £ 8000 and £ 9000 , while the General Fund capital , though temporarily sunk in the new Grand Lodge premises , is certain to prove a profitable investment . The new lodges for which warrants have been issued since the Communication in December of last year are 11 in number , the Euston , No . 399 , and the Egerton of Tatton . No . 400 , being located in London . Six have been established in the
Provinces , viz ., the Lea , No , 405 , Luton , Beds . ; the De Tabley , No . 39 6 , Frodsham , Cheshire ; the St . John the Baptist , No . 404 , Penzance , Cornwall ; the Perseverance , No . 403 , Blackburn , Lancashire ; the Swindon Keystone , No . 401 , Swindon ; and the Danum , No . 39 8 , West Yorkshire . Warrants were granted for three other lodges for New South Wales , viz ., Nos . 395 , 397 , and 402 , but this Colony has now a Mark Grand Lodge of its own , which is recognised by us , so
that their appearance on and disappearance from the roll of G . Lodge has happened almost simultaneously . Four Royal Ark Mariner Lodges have likewise been issued , the Matier being located in London , the Henniker in Ipswich , the Ararat in Hong Kong , and the Vepery in Madras , all four being moored to Mark Lodges held in the places we have named . The total number of registered Mark Masons at the date of the last Communication was returned at 25 , 988 and the total number of Royal Ark Mariners at 2856 .
No new Mark Provinces have been created , but sundry changes have taken place among the Provincial rulers . Thus Bro . Viscount Valentia is Prov . G . Master of Berks and Oxon , vice Bro . the Earl of Jersey , resigned ; Bro . W . W . B . Beach , M . P ., Past G . Master , has succeeded the late Bro . the Rev . Canon Portal , Past Grand Master , as Prov , Grand Master of Hants and the Isle of Wi ght ; Bro . Lieut .-Col . Newton is P . G . Master of Notts ., vice Bro . I . Watson , deceased ; and
H . R . H . the Duke of Connaught has accepted she Prov . Grand Mastership of Sussex , vice Bro . Lord A . Hill , M . P ., resigned , Bro . Gerard Ford , who had been appointed to succeed the latter having died before being installed in office . It should also be mentioned that Bro . C . Spence Bate , deceased , but for his untimely death , would have been installed P . G . M . Devonshire , and that the District Grand Lodge of Jamaica , which for some years had been in charge of Bro . J . W .
Whitbourne , Deputy D . G . M ., is now presided over by Bro . Major J . C . Macglashan , the D . G . M . and Grand Superintendent in Craft and Royal Arch Masonry respectively . In the Executive there have also been two important changes , the place of the late Bro . Portal as President of the General Board being occupied by Bro . the Earl of Euston , while Bro . C . F . Matier has succeeded Bro . F . Binckes as Grand Secretary , the latter having retired on £ 125 per annum .
The great event of the year in Mark Masonry , however , is beyond question the Festival of its Benevolent Fund , which was held on the 24 th July under the presidency of Bro . Sir Lionel E . Darell , Bart ., J . G . W ., when the contributions
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Freemasonry In 1889.
As regards the proceedings in Grand Lodge , there have been no questions of great importance to cause any stir among the brethren . There was an unusually large attendance at the March Communication , when the election of a brother to fill the office of Grand Treasurer for the ensuing year took place . Two strong candidates had been nominated at the previous Grand Lodge , Bro . Edward O'Connor Terry , P . M ., and Bro . George Everett , P . M ., and the result of the poll
was to place Bro . Terry first with 841 votes , while Bro . Everett obtained 617 votes . At the same meeting a 49 years' lease of Bacon ' s Hotel was granted , on the recommendation of the Board of General Purposes , to the Grand Lodge of Mark Master Masons at a rental of £ 3 60 per annum , the latter Order undertaking to expend some £ 3000 on the necessary alterations and repairs . At the June Communication a formal announcement was made of the establishment of a United Grand
Lodge of Victoria on the lines previously followed in establishing the Grand Lodges of South Australia and New South Wales , the constituent parts of the new body being , with two exceptions ; the lodges previously existing under the English , Irish , andScotch Constitutions , and the lodges of the Grand Lodge of Victoria ; and Grand Lodge , on the recommendation of his Royal Hig hness the Grand Master , acceded to the application for recognition of the said United Grand Lodge .
And the recognition having taken place , it was further announced from the chair that his Royal Hi g hness the Prince of Wales had , at the invitation of the new Grand Lodge , been graciously p leased to accept the position of its Grand Patron . In September , a resolution was unanimously passed " That an address be presented to his Royal Hig hness the Prince of Wales , Most Worship ful Grand Master , on the auspicious occasion of the marriage of his eldest daughter , her Royal Highness
the Princess Louise of Wales , with his Grace the Duke of Fife , K . T ., Provincial Grand Master of Banffshire , offering the most hearty congratulations and good wishes of its members on the happy event . " At the Communication held early in the present month , Bro . Augustus Harris , P . M . No . 2127 , was the only candidate proposed for the office of Grand Treasurer during the ensuing year ; while in connection with an appeal from a brother against the decision in a certain case of the
District Grand Master of Burmah , Grand Registrar Philbrick , following in the steps of his predecessor , the late Bro . Mclntyre , decided that once a member has formally tendered his resignation of membership to his lodge , that membershi p ceases ipso facto , the Society of Freemasons being a voluntary one . Hitherto the general belief has been that no resignation took effect until it had been accepted by the lodge , which , if it were so disposed , thus had and indeed very often exercised
the power to ask the member to withdraw his resignation . Under the new ruling , however , a resignation once tendered in open lodge or by letter is complete , and if the lodge is desirous of retaining the brother's services , it must re-elect him member . Among the more important events must be noticed the presentation of an organ to the Masonic Hall at Liverpool , by Major J . B . Morgan , C . E ., in January , the gift being all the more noticeable from the fact of the Major not being a member
of the Craft . In the course of the same month a Lodge of Sorrow was held by the Pilgrim Lodge , No . 238 , to commemorate the loss sustained by Freemasonry through the death , early in the previous summer , of our illustrious brother the Emperor Frederick of Germany . In March a special meeting of the Provincial Grand Lodge of Gloucestershire was held under the presidency of Bro . Sir M . E . Hicks-Beach , Bart ., M . P ., Prov . G . M ., when a memorial window in St . Mary ' s ,
Cheltenham , which had been placed there by the brethren as a mark of respect to the late Bro . J . Brook-Smith , D . P G . M ., was formally unveiled . About the same time the foundation-stones of a new Masonic Hall at Sittingbourne , for the use of the St . Michael ' s Lodge , No . 1273 , were laid by Bros . W . J . Harris , P . M ., Prov . G . W . Kent , and H . Harris , W . M ., while towards the end of June the hall was solemnly dedicated to the purposes of Freemasonry by Bro . Earl Amherst , Prov .
G . Master . On the 6 th April , Bro . Starkie , Prov . G . Master of East Lancashire , laid the corner-.-tone of St . Paul ' s new Church , at Rowton , with Masonic ceremonial . In May , Bro . Lord Suflield , P . G . M . Norfolk , unveiled a memorial window in the church of St . Nicholas , Great Yarmouth , while Bro . Sir Hedworth Williamson , Bart ., P . G . M . Durham , dedicated the new Hall , at Monkwearmouth , of the Williamson Lodge , No . 949 . In Staffordshire , Bro . Col . Foster Gough
signalised his accession to the office of Provincial Grand Master by laying the foundation-stone of a new Masonic Hall at West Bromwich on the 28 th May , and that of a New Cottage Hospital at Annacott , on the 27 th June . On the 12 th August , Bro . Lord Leigh , P . G . M . Warwickshire , with the assistance of his Prov . G . Officers , unveiled memorial windows in St . Cuthbert's Church , Dudley , while on the 27 th of the same month Bro . H . C . Okeover , P . G . W ., D . P . G . M . De byshire ,
laid the memorial stone of the new Town Hall , Bakewell . In October , the new Masonic Hall at Howden was dedicated by Bro . the Hon . W . T . Orde-Powlett , P . G . W . England , and Dep . P . G . M . of North and East Yorkshire , and Bro . the Earl of Jersey , P . G . M . Oxfordshire , laid the foundation-stone of a similar edifice at Henley-on-Thames , while Bro . the Earl of Lathom , D . G . M ., Prov . G . M . of West Lancashire , assisted by his Provincial Grand Officers , laid the
foundationstone of the new church of SS . Simon and Jude , at Southport . These events , or a majority of them , show that Freemasonry in England , though it may not have taken part in any ceremony or celebration of special importance , has been doing much to strenthen its position , and doing it very successfully . Moreover , some oi our lodyes have had the good fortune to celebrate the centenary of their
constitution , and have thus furnished additional evidence of the vitality of the Craft in its senior branches . Among the lodges to which Centenary Warrants have been granted are the Joppa , No . 188 , and the Oak , No . 190 . both meeting in London ; Tranquility Lodge , No . 274 , Newchurch , the Lodge of Friendship , No . 227 , Oldham ; the Royal Clarence Lodge , No . 271 , Brighton ; and the Lodge of Harmony , No . 275 , Hudderslield .
The minor events which it has been our privilege to record include the Jubilee Meeting of the Aire and Calder Lodge , No . 458 , Goole ; the special banquet given by the members of the Savage Club Lodge to Bro . Edward Terry , on his election to the office of Grand Treasurer ; the entertainment by the Anglo-American Lodge of many distinguished American brethren on their passiug through London en route for the Paris Exhibition ; the annual Festival , in February , under the presidency of Bro . the Earl bf Euston , Prov . G . M . Norths and Hunts , of the Emulation
Lodge of Improvement ; the installation of Bro . Lord George Hamilton , M . P ., First Lord of the Admiralty , as W . M . of the Chiswick Lodge , No . 2012 ; of Bro . Alderman Renals , as W . M . of the Aldersgate Lodge , No . 1657 ; of Bro . Col . Starkie , as the first Master of the East Lancashire Centurion Lodge , No . 2322 ; and of Bro . th ; Dean of York as the first W . M . of the Albert Victor Lodge , No . 2328 ; and the presentation by Bro . Col . Starkie of gold consecration vessels to the Prov . G . Lodge of East Lancashire .
As regards the changes which have occurred in the ranks of the Provincial Grand Masters , though we have sustained by death the loss of two of the most respected of these distinguished brethren , whose places have not been filled as yet , the only Provinces in which a new has been substituted for the former ruler , are those of Bristol and Staffordshire , but , we are glad to say , that in neither case has
the change been brought about by death . Bro . W . A . F . Powell has succeeded Bro . the Earl of Limerick as Provincial Grand Master of Bristol , and Bro . Col . Foster Gough reigns in Staffordshire in lieu of Bro . Col . Singleton Tudor , but both Bros , the Earl of Limerick and Col . Tudor are still spared to us , and should occ . ision arise , will be both able and willing to give their successors in office the benefit of their long experience .
In fine , Craft Masonry , which is everywhere the basis of the whole Masonic edifice , though it has had its share of the vicissitudes of fortune during the year , and though by the creation of a third Australasian Grand Lodge its roll of lodges has been somewhat diminished , is nevertheless as firmly placed as ever it has been at the brightest periods of existence , Nor , while there is every reason to anticipate
Freemasonry In 1889.
that , sooner or later , other of our Colonies will follow the recent example of South Australia , N . S . Wales , and Victoria , and set up establishments of their own , do we for one moment think that the diminution thus caused in the number of our lodges abroad will have the slightest effect in impairing the strength of our organisation at home . There must be quite 1500 lodges in England , and still between
450 and 500 in foreign parts which pay allegiance to our Grand Lodge , so that , as we have just said , a further diminution of our roll would have no appreciable effect on our position . Lodges may come , and lodges may go , but the United Grand Lodge , from which , with those of Ireland and Scotland , all the other Grand Lodges in the world trace their descent , remains , and will no doubt remain , as long as the British Empire continues to exist either in its present or an altered form .
ROYAL ARCH MASONRY . The Royal Arch being a portion of Free and Antient Masonry , as defined by the Articles of Union of 1813 , the fortunes of Supreme Grand Chapter are so intimately connected with those of Grand Lodge as hardly to stand in need of a separate description . Still we have devoted some space to it in our annual summary in former years , and we shall adopt the same course on the present
occasion . As regards new chapters , there have been consecrated 18 , one of which —the Clarke Chapter , attached to the Clarke Lodge , No . 2180 , Melbourne , has , however , since disappeared from the roll in consequence of the establishment of a Grand Lodge and Grand Chapter of Victoria . Of the others , six have been attached to London lodges , r . amely , the Albion Chapter , No . 9 , which has taken the place formerly occupied by Mount Moriah Chapter , now attached to Middlesex
Lodge , No . 143 ; the Sterndale Bennett Chapter , No . 2182 ; the La France Chapter , No . 2060 ; the Montefiore Chapter , No . 1017 ; the Mount Moriah Chapter , attached to the Mount Moriah Lodge , No . 34 ; and the Regent ' s Park Chapter , No . 2202 . The 11 new Provincial Chapters are the Mund y Grove , No . 506 , Shipley , Derbyshire ; the Cecil , No . 449 , Hitchin , Hertfordshire ; the St . George ' s , attached to the Ethelbert Lodge , No . 2099 , Heme Bay , Kent ; the
Southport , attached to the Starkie Lodge , No . 1070 , Southport , Lancashire ( W . D . ); the Sir Charles Bright , No . 16 39 , Teddington , Middlesex ; the Star of Gwynedd Chapter , attached to the St . David ' s Lodge , No . 3 84 , Bangor ; the Blagdon Chapter , No . 659 , Blyth , Northumberland ; the Henniker Chapter , attached to the Lodge of Fidelity , No . 555 , Framlingham , Suffolk ; the Cyclist Chapter , No . 2246 , East Molesey , Surrey ; the Semper Fidelis Chapter , No . 529
Worcester ; and the Wilberforce Chapter , No . 2134 , Hull , N . & E . Yorkshire . No special remarks are necessary as regards the above additions to the roll of Grand Chapter , except , perhaps , in the case of the La France , which was consecrated by Comp . Thomas Fenn , and which , like the La France Lodge , works all the ceremonies in the French language . The proceedings in Grand Chapter are mostly formal , so that , as a rule , there is little to be said about them . We note ,
however , that during the year it has been necessary to strike from the roll the chapters attached to those lodges which were formerly under the English Constitution , but which have now become part and parcel of the United Grand Lodges of New South Wales ancl Victoria ; while the Supreme Grand Chapter in the latter colony , which was constituted a few days after its Grand Lodges has been accorded recognition . We remark also that the difference heretofore existing between the Grand Chapters
of England and Canada , in consequence of the latter having issued warrants for the establishment of chapters in the City of Melbourne , has disappeared now that Victoria has become Masonicall y independent of us ; and if there is a difference in the future on this head , it will be between the Grand Chapters of Victoria and Canada . Outside the proceedings of Grand Chapter , probably the constitution of North Wales as a Provincial Grand Chapter under Comp . Lieut .-Col . the Hon .
W . E . SackviHe-West as Grand Superintendent , may be regarded as the most important event of the year . The vacancies caused by the death of Grand Superintendents Sir D . Gooch , Bart . ( Berks and Bucks ) , Brig .-Gen . Adair ( Somersetshire ) , Gen . Brownrigg ( Surrey ) , and Gerard Ford ( Sussex ) , have been filled up in the case of Somersetshire onl y , where Comp . Adair ' s place has been filled by the appointment of Comp . R . C . Else , while Comp . Col . Foster Gough has succeeded Comp . Col . S . Tudor as G . Superintendent of Staffordshire .
MARK MASONRY . The mere fact that the Grand Lodge of Mark Master Masons treated with and has obtained from United Grand Lodge a 49 years' lease of the premises formerl y known as Bacon ' s , and more recently , as Freemasons' Hotel , and has committed itself to an expenditure of £ 3000 for the necessary repairs and such alterations as - ¦ are required to convert them to the use of a Masonic Hall , is sufficiently strong
evidence of the degree of prosperity to which this bod y has attained , a prosperity which even the most sanguine of its founders could hardil y have anticipated ind which is on than account the more creditable to its rulers . Indeed , unless it be in our own Craft Grand Lodge , we cannot call to mind a single instance in which a branch of Masonry has made such marvellous progress . It was onl y in 1856 that the Mark Grand Lodge was constituted , and now it has over 400 lodges on its
roll , and a Benevolent Fund which can boast of an invested capital of between , £ 8000 and £ 9000 , while the General Fund capital , though temporarily sunk in the new Grand Lodge premises , is certain to prove a profitable investment . The new lodges for which warrants have been issued since the Communication in December of last year are 11 in number , the Euston , No . 399 , and the Egerton of Tatton . No . 400 , being located in London . Six have been established in the
Provinces , viz ., the Lea , No , 405 , Luton , Beds . ; the De Tabley , No . 39 6 , Frodsham , Cheshire ; the St . John the Baptist , No . 404 , Penzance , Cornwall ; the Perseverance , No . 403 , Blackburn , Lancashire ; the Swindon Keystone , No . 401 , Swindon ; and the Danum , No . 39 8 , West Yorkshire . Warrants were granted for three other lodges for New South Wales , viz ., Nos . 395 , 397 , and 402 , but this Colony has now a Mark Grand Lodge of its own , which is recognised by us , so
that their appearance on and disappearance from the roll of G . Lodge has happened almost simultaneously . Four Royal Ark Mariner Lodges have likewise been issued , the Matier being located in London , the Henniker in Ipswich , the Ararat in Hong Kong , and the Vepery in Madras , all four being moored to Mark Lodges held in the places we have named . The total number of registered Mark Masons at the date of the last Communication was returned at 25 , 988 and the total number of Royal Ark Mariners at 2856 .
No new Mark Provinces have been created , but sundry changes have taken place among the Provincial rulers . Thus Bro . Viscount Valentia is Prov . G . Master of Berks and Oxon , vice Bro . the Earl of Jersey , resigned ; Bro . W . W . B . Beach , M . P ., Past G . Master , has succeeded the late Bro . the Rev . Canon Portal , Past Grand Master , as Prov , Grand Master of Hants and the Isle of Wi ght ; Bro . Lieut .-Col . Newton is P . G . Master of Notts ., vice Bro . I . Watson , deceased ; and
H . R . H . the Duke of Connaught has accepted she Prov . Grand Mastership of Sussex , vice Bro . Lord A . Hill , M . P ., resigned , Bro . Gerard Ford , who had been appointed to succeed the latter having died before being installed in office . It should also be mentioned that Bro . C . Spence Bate , deceased , but for his untimely death , would have been installed P . G . M . Devonshire , and that the District Grand Lodge of Jamaica , which for some years had been in charge of Bro . J . W .
Whitbourne , Deputy D . G . M ., is now presided over by Bro . Major J . C . Macglashan , the D . G . M . and Grand Superintendent in Craft and Royal Arch Masonry respectively . In the Executive there have also been two important changes , the place of the late Bro . Portal as President of the General Board being occupied by Bro . the Earl of Euston , while Bro . C . F . Matier has succeeded Bro . F . Binckes as Grand Secretary , the latter having retired on £ 125 per annum .
The great event of the year in Mark Masonry , however , is beyond question the Festival of its Benevolent Fund , which was held on the 24 th July under the presidency of Bro . Sir Lionel E . Darell , Bart ., J . G . W ., when the contributions