The Province Of Ken T.

Grand Lodge . The Duke of Manchester on intimating his intention to appoint Captain Smith to the office of Junior Grand Warden , the Grand Secretary ( Bro . James Heseltine ) objected that , " being a Provincial Grand Master was a disqualification for serving the office of Grand Warden . " This was at the annual meeting , May ist , 1780 , and " bciH ^ J

a day of festivity , the objection was waved , " but on that brother resigning that office on November 1 st on the plea of ill-health , it was resolved that " it is incompatible with the laws of this society for any brother to hold more than one office in the Grand Lodge at the same time "; thus ended the matter .

BRO . HENRY SADLER , GRAXD TYLER OF ENGLAND , P . P . G . D . C . KENT . Colonel Jacob Sawbridge succeeded in 178 5 , his installation taking place in the City of Canterbury , the appointment

being made by H . R . H . the Duke of Cumberland as Grand Master ; and in 1794 , while H . R . H . the Prince of Wales was on the Masonic Throne , Dr . William Perfect became the ruler of the province , the ceremony of installation being held at Faversham in 1795 being the fifth during the eighteenth

, century . At Maidstone , in 1810 , Sir Walter J . James , Bart ., was installed as his successor , the seventh Provincial Grand Master being General Sir Samuel Hulse , G . C . B ., who was a very distinguished Craftsman , the first Deputy Master of the Prince of Wales' Lodge in 1787 , holding that office to 1820 ,

and was also Provincial Grand Master of Sussex from 1788 . His duties for the Province of Kent began in 1814 , under the United Grand Lodge of England , so it will be convenient now to take a glance backward at what the " Ancients" or " Atholl Masons " did in the county , and how

the " Moderns " fared from 1770 to 1813 , inclusive . Greenwich and Woolwich were included in the province prior to 1814 , but having since been omitted we shall follow the same plan and make a free use of Bro . Hughan's valuable tables prepared from time to time for the Freuiasons ' Manual for Kent .

Excluding military lodges with warrants located at Dover , & c ., because sojourners only ( though during the 18 th century they were the means of making Freemasonry known in Great Britain and Ireland , as well as abroad , better than any other medium ) , there were many stationary charters issued by the "Ancients" for Kent ; the first of those existing now

being for Deptford in 1757 as No . 6 4 , the members securing the vacant No . 13 two years later . It is now the Neptune , No . 22 , London . The United Industrial Lodge , No . 31 , Canterbury , has also an " Ancient" origin through No . 24 ( which was started at Bristol in ij ^ -i ) , which if obtained in

1806 , its name being selected through its union with a lodge in 1819 , with a " modern" warrant of A . D . 1776 . A centenary jewel was authorised in 1878 . The next on the roll of that Grand Lodge is the Prince Edwin , No . 125 , Hythe , which , as 168 , annexed the warrant of A . D . 1771 , first of all at Bath ; closely followed

by the Adams , No . 158 , originally started in 1778 at Sheerness , where it still assembles , and has a centenary warrant of A . D . 18 97 . It works with the old charter which was re-delivered to some of the members in 1797 , on the revival of the lodge . The United Chatham Lodge of

Benevolence , No . 18 4 , New Brompton , has well earned its prefix , for in 1824 , original Nos . 260 and 318 joined the senior of the trio , No . 243 of the " Ancients , " a charter of consolidation being granted on April 17 th of that year , as well as a warrant of confirmation in 18 33 . Until the final

name was selected , others used were " Royal Marine , " "Globe , " "United Globe , " and "United Chatham . " A centenary warrant was obtained in 1888 . The last of the " Ancients " on the existing roll for Kent is Peace and Harmony , started at Maidstone in 1791 , and

located at Dover fiom 1801 , the present number being 199 . A still later lodge was at Rotherhithe , No . 320 , in 1799 , and after various changes in two other counties , it found a resting place at Devonport in i 860 , and is now Fidelity , No . 230 .

The only other eighteenth century lodge still on the roll is the Emulation , No . 299 , Dartford , which was established by warrant of 4 th January , 1793 , signed at Faversham by Bro . Julius Shepherd , D . P . G . M ., by command of Colonel Sawbridge . The centenary warrant was granted in 18 93 . The province during the nineteenth century , especially

the latter part , advanced by leaps and bounds . The Hon . W . T . E . T . Fiennes , afterwards Lord Saye and Sele , became the Provincial Grand Master in 18 30 ( installed at Chatham in the following year ) ; the lodges still existing and granted during his rule being the Royal Navy , No . 429 , Ramsgate

Illlll . FRANK HITCH KNS , I'ROV . GRAND REGISTRAR AND CHARITY KEI'IIKSKNTATI VE . ( A . D . 18 35 ) ; the Sympathy , No . 4 8 3 , Gravesend ( A . D . 1842 ) ; and the Belvidere , No . 503 , Maidstone ( A . D . 1844 ) . His lordship ' s successor was the R . W . Bro . L .

Charles Humfrey , Q . C ., in 18 47 , and who died in 1852 ; the R . W . Bro . Charles Purton Cooper , Q . C ., following in 1853 , the inaugural meeting taking place at Folkestone on the 20 th June . His resignation occurred in May , i 860 , and he subsequently resided in France , being a frequent contributor for many years to the defunct Freemasons' Magazine .