The Province Of Somerset.—(Concluded.)

The lodge was " regularly formed" on December 2 bth , 1732 , being about five months before its " authority to ¦ constitute" was issued , and it is quite probable that the members had been in the habit of meeting years earlier , as the Master and Wardens with seven members attended at the earliest assembly described . There were ten present in

December , 1732 , and of these , seven were at the constitution of the lodge on 18 th May , 1733 , when Hugh Kennedy was again chosen as the W . M . The descriptions of the brethren who attended are peculiar and noteworthy , viz . : " F ELLOW CRAFTS , " " MASTERS , " " PASS ' D MASTERS . "

There were no apprentices present , but the mention of Fellow Crafts ( 3 ) and Masters ( 6 ) is indicative of the three ceremonies being then worked in the lodge . At that period , sometimes , there was no mention of the second Degree in the minutes , though possibly conferred notwithstanding , as

other lodges record the fact . The term " Pass'd Master " is not easily explained . It may mean that the four members ^ o described had previously passed the chair of the lodge , which is possible , or the quartette may have been admitted as Master Masons that evening ; the prefix " pass'd " answering then for the second and third Decrees .

The Masters , as was usually the case early in the eighteenth century , were elected half-yearly . In 1742 the Right Hon . Lord Hamilton was in the chair , and in 1786 , as also from 1793 to 1803 , Bro . Thomas West , Deputy Provincial Grand Master , was the " R . W . M . " Another brother ( Charles Geary ) is also given as the Master in 1805-6 ,

and from 1807 to 1818 , after which period such re-elections were unusual , and so much the better . Bro . Howell Gwynne , who was in the chair during the first half of 1742 , presented a silver trowel , having thereon the following

inscription" The Gift of Howell Gwynne , Esq ., to ye members of ye Lodge , at ye Bear , Bath , 1742 , " which , happily , is still preserved . The lodge also has two black-letter Bibles , the premier " Book of Constitutions , " 1723

( given by Bro . Jones in 1739 ) , and a complete set of all the other editions down to recent times , with other valuables . In 1738 , Dr . Desaguliers , P . G . M . of England , visited the lodge , occupied the chair , and subsequently frequently honoured the brethren by attending . A special meeting was

held at the " Bear , " when the M . W . Bro . Lord Darnley , P . G . M ., John Ward , Deputy Grand Master , Dr . Desaguliers , Past Grand Master , and others attended . The Prince of Wales was at Bath for the benefit of his health . It was also the King's birthday , and the lodge assembled " in

honour of the day , and in respect to His Royal Highness , who is a brother . " In 175 6 it is stated that a Dr . Faustus was present at one of the meetings " as a visitor from the King of Portugal . " Several officers of Grand Lodge were visitors in 1767 , including the R . W . Bro . Thomas Dunckerley ,

who was often a visitor later on , was elected an honorary member , and his portrait was placed in the lodge room in recognition of his services . In 1786 the old lodge received as members the brethren of the " Royal Cumberland " and took its name ; the junior body had only been at work some two years , both lodges assembling at the " Bear " in Union Street .

FREEMASONS' HALL MEDAL , LONDON , 1760 .

The Centenary of the " Freemasons' Hall Medal" was celebrated by the lodge on October 7 II 1 , 1880 , in the presence of Bro . R . C . Else , Deputy Provincial Grand Master , and a large number of distinguished Craftsmen . My esteemed and lamented friend , Dr . Henry Hopkins , P . M . 43 , the W . M .,

RRO . EDWARD FRY WADE , PROVINCIAL CRAND SECRETARY . was in the chair , and donated a large sum to the Masonic Charities , a number of books , as well as a " loving cup " to the " Royal Cumberland" as souvenirs of the event . A

special lithographic reproduction of the medal , with illustratrative text , was also published by the lodge , No . 41 being the only one of the four existing lodges in the provinces which has the original medal suspended from the arms of the Master ' s jewel of office . The remaining lodges , through

my informing them of their privilege , had facsimiles made of the silver badge in lieu of the originals , which had long been lost sight of . A warrant for a Centenary jewel of special design was granted the lodge by the M . W . G . M . on May 7 th , 1861 . The third Jubilee was celebrated in June , 1883 by a

, banquet , on the invitation of Dr . Henry Hopkins , who was then half the age of the lodge . The members also commemorated the circumstance by completing the hundred guineas for the Royal Masonic Institution for Boys . This ended a series of remarkable meetings in connection with the

venerable lodge , long to be remembered by those who were privileged to take part .

THE ROYAL SUSSEX , No . 53 , BATH , is the only lodge on the present roll ( or for many years past ) warranted by the " Atholl" or " Ancient" Grand Lodge of England , and is the second in point of precedence on the register of the province . Though originally started in 1756

at the " King ' s Head , " Drury Lane , London , as No . 49 , there was some irregularity as to the sale of its charter in 1773 , and then it apparently lapsed . On the 23 rd January , 1812 , a new warrant with the original number was issued to Bros . Benjamin Plummet * , John Dixon