Installation Meeting Of The Devonian Lodge, No. 2834.

Installation Meeting of the Devonian Lodge , No . 2834 .

IF any exemplification of the clannishness of Devon men in general and of Devonshire Masons in particular were required , it was amply afforded at the Holborn Viaduct Hotel on Thursday , November 13 th , where they mustered in large numbers from all parts of the county to witness the

installation of Bro . Captain George Lambert , M . P . for South Molton , as third Worshipful Master of the lodge . There were , also a large number of Grand and Past Grand Officers present , including Bros , the Ven . Archdeacon Sinclair , P . G . Chaplain ; Bartley Denniss , P . G . D . ; Henry Neville ,

P . A . G . D . C ; W . Wellsman , P . A . G . D . C ; E . White , P . A . G . D . C ; W . A . Scurrah , P . G . Std . Br . ; and John Stocker , P . A . G . D . C Prior to the ceremony of installation , two brethren were raised to the degree of M . M . by Bro . T . H . T . Jarvis , P . M . The ceremony of installation was admirably performed by

Bro . W . Wellsman , the outgoing Worshipful Master , who has had a very prosperous year of office , and who succeeded the Lord Chancellor , Lord

Halsbury , in the chair . The Worshipful Master appointed his officers as follows : —Bros . W . Wellsman , P . A . G . D . C , I . P . M . ;

W . H . Cimimings , Mus . Doc , P . G . Org ., - S . W . ; P . H . Priclham Wippell , J . W . ; William Bradford , P . M ., Treasurer ; John Cockram Taylor , P . M ., Secretary ;

the Rev . Harry Arthur Hebb , P . G . D ., P . Prov . G . Chap . Devon , Chaplain ; J . C . Den mead , S . D . ; | . M . Easton , J . D . ; T . H . T .

Jarvis , P . M ., I . G . ; T . G . White , D . C ; C W . Wreford , Organist ; Percy R . Bradford and Wm . Webb , Stewards ; and W . T . Winsor , Tyler .

A hearty vote of congratulation to Bro . Sir Edward Letchworth , a lion , member of the lodge , upon his receiving the honour of knighthood at

the hands of His Majesty , was passed with acclamation . The lodge was closed , and the brethren , numbering over 100 , adjourned to

RRO . CAPTAIN GEORGE LAMBERT , M . P ., AVORSHIPFUL MASTER .

a banquet . After the usual loyal and Masonic toasts had been proposed and duly honoured , Bro . the Ven . Archdeacon Sinclair responded for "The Grand Officers , " and commented on tne strong sense of loyalty among Masons towards their Grand Lodge . Some time ago he had been asked in all seriousness how he could be a

Freemason when they did not preach justification by faith ? He replied that it was a bod y for the propagation of morality , formed and supported by pure and beautiful symbolism . He had not the privilege of being a Devonian , but he frequently had the pleasure of being a guest of the Archdeacon of

Exeter , also of another distinguished Mason and soldier residing near Teddington ( Bro . General Buller ) , and he had heard the Primate of all England remark that he got his cream from Devon . Whereupon a bystander remarked , " Yes , and his Clergy , too . "

Bro . Henry Neville , P . A . G . D . C , also responded , and claimed for his profession ( the stage ) that it had been helpful in some considerable degree in raising the tone of Masonic elocution and ceremonial . The Worship ful Master then proposed the toast of " The

Right Worship ful Provincial Grand Master of Devon , the Right Hon . Lord Northcote , " for whom they had a kindly place in their hearts . He had promised to join the lodge , and they were looking forward to his return from the Governorship of Bombay and the joyful fulfilment of that promise . In his absence , he would couple the toast with

the name of the Provincial Grand Secretary , Bro . John Stocker , and it would be difficult for him , or for anyone , to find a more earnest Mason or more worthy Devonian lo reply for his Provincial Grand Master .

Bro . John Stocker , 111 reply , said that this was the first time he had ever been called upon to reply for so high a personage as the Provincial Grand

Master of Devon and the first time he had ever spoken at a Masonic gathering in London . One of the last acts which his lordship had performed

before going to India to take up his official duties was to travel to South Molton to be present at the initiation of Bro . Capt . Lambert . What could be greater testimony to the Brotherhood than for a

lory brother to put himself to personal inconvenience to pay honoiu to the Radical member I ' oi South Molton ? He had received information that

his lordship was taking an active part in Masonry in India . For his own part he thanked the Worshipful Master for the flattering terms in which he had

alluded to him and his work . He always felt that no time given to Masonry was lost . In the name of the Masons of Devon he wished the Devonian Lodge and its Master another year of unqualified success , and

concluded by giving interesting details of Devonshire local Masonic charities . Bro . Wellsman , I . P . M ., proposed the toast of " The Worshipful Master , Bro . Lambert , " who , he said , was a thorough Devonian , and one of the popular Parliamentary representatives of their lovely county , and it was for love of

that county that he had taken upon himself the duties of Worshipful Master . He was thorough in everything , and had journeyed to South Africa and back for the purpose of seeing for himself what prospects there were for his countrymen in that country . He would make them an admirable

Master , and they would support him right loyally . The Worshipful Master , responding , said it was an honour to him to be installed Master of his county lodge in London . He regretted the sad cause which placed him there a year before his time , and the Secretary ' s cable