Skip to main content
Museum of Freemasonry

Masonic Periodicals Online

  • Explore
  • Advanced Search
  • Home
  • Explore
  • The Masonic Illustrated
  • Sept. 1, 1901
  • Page 16
  • Ar01602
Current:

The Masonic Illustrated, Sept. 1, 1901: Page 16

  • Back to The Masonic Illustrated, Sept. 1, 1901
  • Print image
  • Articles/Ads
    Article The Right Hon. Bro. W. W. B. Beach, M.P. ← Page 2 of 2
    Article Untitled Page 1 of 1
Page 16

Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.

The Right Hon. Bro. W. W. B. Beach, M.P.

io , London , and in 186 3 Avas installed as Master . During his connection with the lodge , at this period , he largely assisted in restoring it to that position and influence which it had occupied in former clays . In Hampshire , prior to his appointment as Provincial Grand Master , he had- joined and filled the chair of many private lodges , viz . : —the

Economy-Lodge , No . 76 , Winchester ; the Oakley Lodge , No . 6 94 , Basingstoke ; the Phcenix Lodge , No . 257 , Portsmouth , and others . In 18 58 he was appointed Provincial Senior Grand Warden of the then separate Province of Hampshire previous to its being amalgamated with the Isle of Wight .

In 186 9 , during the Grand Mastership of the Earl of Zetland , Bro . Beach was appointed Provincial Grand Master , a position he continued to occupy until his death . In Royal Arch Masonry Bro . Beach Avas also an active and zealous worker . He Avas exalted in the Alfred Chapter , No .

340 , Oxford , in which chapter he became First Principal , and afterwards assisted in founding the Westminster and KeA ' - stone Chapter , No . 10 , of which he was the first M . E . Z . At different periods subsequentl y he Avas again elected as First

Principal , and thus rendered excellent service in maintaining the efficiency of the chapter as he had previously clone in the lodge . Indeed , Royal Arch Masonry was ahvays a favoured Degree with Bro . Beach . He was never happier than when presiding at its meetings , Avhether in Supreme Grand Chapter , Provincial Grand Chapter , or a private chapter . In the

firstnamed his services Avere often in requisition , and his kindly and genial presence will perhaps be missed more there than at any other function . Since the retirement of Lord Leigh in 18 92 as Third Grand Principal of Supreme Grand Chapter , Bro . Beach has worthil y filled that high position .

In Mark Masonry he has occupied a prominent position since the formation of the Grand Lodge in 18 5 6 , having been appointed Senior Grand Warden in 1857 , and in the same year Provincial Grand Master of Berks and Hants , a position he continued to fill until the formation of the Province of Hampshire and the Isle of Wight in 1873 , and

on the death of Canon Portal , its first Grand Master , in 188 9 Bro . Beach Avas appointed as his successor , a position he held until his death .

Knight I emplary and the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite also came Avithin Bro . Beach ' s sphere of influence , he having been Prov . Prior of Hampshire for nearly thirty years and M . W . S . of the Royal Naval Chapter , No . 9 , at Portsmouth . It was not only as a ruler in the Craft that our deceased brother achieved a deservedl y high position . His devotion to the Charities was no less marked , and feAV have rendered more helpful service to our Institutions . He has presided at

no less than five of the Festivals , and has been largely instrumental in fostering that charitable spirit which is so marked a feature of Hampshire Freemasonry . Bro . Beach has been a member of the House of Commons continuously for forty-four years , and by virtue of this unbroken tenure he held the position of " Father of the House , "

an honour to which he succeeded on the death of Sir John Mowbray about two years ago . Bro . Beach never took a very prominent part in the debates of the House of Commons , but on account of his long experience , his opinions , when they were forthcoming on some point of

Parliamentary procedure , always carried great weight . He sat under fourteen ministers , and had seen the rise and fall of more leaders of the House than he could well remember off-hand . He AA'as full of interesting memories of the Parliamentary history of his time , but , as he never kept a

diary , his reminiscences are not likely to be handed down to posterity . The funeral took place on the 9 th of August , at Deane Cemetery , which is on the deceased's Oakley- Estate , in Hampshire . The church AA'as tilled Avith mourners and friends , and many were unable to gain admission . The

service AA-as conducted by the Bishop of Winchester , the Rector of Deane and Oakley , and the Rev . J . Scott Ramsay' . The mourners included Mrs . Beach , Bro . Beach ( son ) , Mr . Win . Nicholson , ALP ., and Airs . Nicholson , and Mr . Wm . Portal ( nephcAv ) . Sir Charles Scotter , Col . Campbell

( and other directors of the South Western Raihvay ) , Lord Northbrook , Sir Michael Hicks-Beach , Lord Bolton , and Bro . Edward LetcliAvorth ( Grand Secretary ) , representing the Grand Alaster , the Duke of Connaught , Avere amongst those AVIIO went by special train from Waterloo .

A full length cross covered the polished oak coffin , Avhich bore the inscription : — "William Wither Brainstem Beach . Born December 25 , 1826 . Died August 3 , 1901 . " The floral tributes Avere magnificent and numerous , and as the Afasonic representatives present riled past the grave , around Avhich was an escort of Hants Carabineers and

County Police , they dropped on the ceffin the custcmary emblem of acacia leaves . A memorial service was held at St . Alargartt ' s , Westminster , on the same clay , and was attended by many Alembers of Parliament , and a large number of ladies .

The Speaker of the House of Commons A \ : IS represented b y Air . Edward Gully . After the Benediction , pronounced by Archdeacon Wilberforce , the organist played Chopin ' s " Funeral Aiarch , " the whole congregation standing .

Ar01602

Jhe Masters of Dublin Hodges for 1900 .

“The Masonic Illustrated: 1901-09-01, Page 16” Masonic Periodicals Online, Library and Museum of Freemasonry, 29 May 2025, django:8000/periodicals/mil/issues/mil_01091901/page/16/.
  • List
  • Grid
Title Category Page
Untitled Article 1
The Province of Gloucestershire. Article 2
Annual Communication of the Grand Lodge of Canada. Article 9
Installation Meeting of the Amity Lodge, No. 171. Article 9
Untitled Ad 10
Untitled Article 10
Untitled Ad 10
Our First Volume. Article 10
At the sign of the Perfect Ashlar Article 11
The Right Hon. Bro. W. W. B. Beach, M.P. Article 15
Untitled Article 16
Essex Freemasons at Warwick Castle. Article 17
Freemasonry in the Transvaal. Article 19
Untitled Ad 19
The late Bro. Samuel Pope, H.C., Past Grand Deacon. Article 20
Untitled Ad 20
Untitled Ad 20
Untitled Article 21
Page 1

Page 1

1 Article
Page 2

Page 2

1 Article
Page 3

Page 3

1 Article
Page 4

Page 4

1 Article
Page 5

Page 5

1 Article
Page 6

Page 6

1 Article
Page 7

Page 7

1 Article
Page 8

Page 8

1 Article
Page 9

Page 9

2 Articles
Page 10

Page 10

4 Articles
Page 11

Page 11

1 Article
Page 12

Page 12

1 Article
Page 13

Page 13

1 Article
Page 14

Page 14

1 Article
Page 15

Page 15

1 Article
Page 16

Page 16

2 Articles
Page 17

Page 17

1 Article
Page 18

Page 18

1 Article
Page 19

Page 19

3 Articles
Page 20

Page 20

3 Articles
Page 21

Page 21

1 Article
Page 16

Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.

The Right Hon. Bro. W. W. B. Beach, M.P.

io , London , and in 186 3 Avas installed as Master . During his connection with the lodge , at this period , he largely assisted in restoring it to that position and influence which it had occupied in former clays . In Hampshire , prior to his appointment as Provincial Grand Master , he had- joined and filled the chair of many private lodges , viz . : —the

Economy-Lodge , No . 76 , Winchester ; the Oakley Lodge , No . 6 94 , Basingstoke ; the Phcenix Lodge , No . 257 , Portsmouth , and others . In 18 58 he was appointed Provincial Senior Grand Warden of the then separate Province of Hampshire previous to its being amalgamated with the Isle of Wight .

In 186 9 , during the Grand Mastership of the Earl of Zetland , Bro . Beach was appointed Provincial Grand Master , a position he continued to occupy until his death . In Royal Arch Masonry Bro . Beach Avas also an active and zealous worker . He Avas exalted in the Alfred Chapter , No .

340 , Oxford , in which chapter he became First Principal , and afterwards assisted in founding the Westminster and KeA ' - stone Chapter , No . 10 , of which he was the first M . E . Z . At different periods subsequentl y he Avas again elected as First

Principal , and thus rendered excellent service in maintaining the efficiency of the chapter as he had previously clone in the lodge . Indeed , Royal Arch Masonry was ahvays a favoured Degree with Bro . Beach . He was never happier than when presiding at its meetings , Avhether in Supreme Grand Chapter , Provincial Grand Chapter , or a private chapter . In the

firstnamed his services Avere often in requisition , and his kindly and genial presence will perhaps be missed more there than at any other function . Since the retirement of Lord Leigh in 18 92 as Third Grand Principal of Supreme Grand Chapter , Bro . Beach has worthil y filled that high position .

In Mark Masonry he has occupied a prominent position since the formation of the Grand Lodge in 18 5 6 , having been appointed Senior Grand Warden in 1857 , and in the same year Provincial Grand Master of Berks and Hants , a position he continued to fill until the formation of the Province of Hampshire and the Isle of Wight in 1873 , and

on the death of Canon Portal , its first Grand Master , in 188 9 Bro . Beach Avas appointed as his successor , a position he held until his death .

Knight I emplary and the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite also came Avithin Bro . Beach ' s sphere of influence , he having been Prov . Prior of Hampshire for nearly thirty years and M . W . S . of the Royal Naval Chapter , No . 9 , at Portsmouth . It was not only as a ruler in the Craft that our deceased brother achieved a deservedl y high position . His devotion to the Charities was no less marked , and feAV have rendered more helpful service to our Institutions . He has presided at

no less than five of the Festivals , and has been largely instrumental in fostering that charitable spirit which is so marked a feature of Hampshire Freemasonry . Bro . Beach has been a member of the House of Commons continuously for forty-four years , and by virtue of this unbroken tenure he held the position of " Father of the House , "

an honour to which he succeeded on the death of Sir John Mowbray about two years ago . Bro . Beach never took a very prominent part in the debates of the House of Commons , but on account of his long experience , his opinions , when they were forthcoming on some point of

Parliamentary procedure , always carried great weight . He sat under fourteen ministers , and had seen the rise and fall of more leaders of the House than he could well remember off-hand . He AA'as full of interesting memories of the Parliamentary history of his time , but , as he never kept a

diary , his reminiscences are not likely to be handed down to posterity . The funeral took place on the 9 th of August , at Deane Cemetery , which is on the deceased's Oakley- Estate , in Hampshire . The church AA'as tilled Avith mourners and friends , and many were unable to gain admission . The

service AA-as conducted by the Bishop of Winchester , the Rector of Deane and Oakley , and the Rev . J . Scott Ramsay' . The mourners included Mrs . Beach , Bro . Beach ( son ) , Mr . Win . Nicholson , ALP ., and Airs . Nicholson , and Mr . Wm . Portal ( nephcAv ) . Sir Charles Scotter , Col . Campbell

( and other directors of the South Western Raihvay ) , Lord Northbrook , Sir Michael Hicks-Beach , Lord Bolton , and Bro . Edward LetcliAvorth ( Grand Secretary ) , representing the Grand Alaster , the Duke of Connaught , Avere amongst those AVIIO went by special train from Waterloo .

A full length cross covered the polished oak coffin , Avhich bore the inscription : — "William Wither Brainstem Beach . Born December 25 , 1826 . Died August 3 , 1901 . " The floral tributes Avere magnificent and numerous , and as the Afasonic representatives present riled past the grave , around Avhich was an escort of Hants Carabineers and

County Police , they dropped on the ceffin the custcmary emblem of acacia leaves . A memorial service was held at St . Alargartt ' s , Westminster , on the same clay , and was attended by many Alembers of Parliament , and a large number of ladies .

The Speaker of the House of Commons A \ : IS represented b y Air . Edward Gully . After the Benediction , pronounced by Archdeacon Wilberforce , the organist played Chopin ' s " Funeral Aiarch , " the whole congregation standing .

Ar01602

Jhe Masters of Dublin Hodges for 1900 .

  • Prev page
  • 1
  • 15
  • You're on page16
  • 17
  • 21
  • Next page
  • Accredited Museum Designated Outstanding Collection
  • LIBRARY AND MUSEUM CHARITABLE TRUST OF THE UNITED GRAND LODGE OF ENGLAND REGISTERED CHARITY NUMBER 1058497 / ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © 2025

  • Accessibility statement

  • Designed, developed, and maintained by King's Digital Lab

We use cookies to track usage and preferences.

Privacy & cookie policy