A Memorable Year In English Masonry.

during the thirty years he had held the office of Grand Secretary , had fulfilled his important duties " with honour and credit to himself and to the entire satisfaction of the brethren at large , " and it was unanimously agreed that a handsome vote of thanks should be recorded to Bro . White , and that a piece of plate of the value of one hundred guineas , and bearing an appropriate inscriptionshould accompany the vote .

, On the 17 th of the same month , the Duke of Sussex was re-elected " Grand Master" of the Supreme Grand Chapter of Royal Arch Masons of England , with Comps . John Dent and John Aldridge as his assistants in place of the Earl of Moira and Comp . W . RodAvell Wright , who had resigned in consequence of having received official appointments in the public service abroad . The business of the chapter was concluded by " a unanimous vote of thanks to their

hig hly respected Bro . and Comp ., W . R . Wright , Esq ., accompanied with a request that he would accept a present of plate , of not less than three hundred guineas value , in token of their regard and esteem , and as an humble tribute of acknowledgment for the very eminent service he had rendered to the order during the long series he had assisted in presiding over them . " The account concludes : "This being the Annual Festival , the remainder of the clay was

devoted to social intercourse and conviviality ; " so it seems that in those days Grand Chapter as Avell as Grand Lodge had an Annual Festival . On the 23 rd June , at a Grand Lodge held in Freemasons' Hall , under H . R . H . the Duke of Sussex , a letter from Col . McMahon was read , announcing in the most flattering terms that H . R . H . the Prince Regent " had been graciously p leased to continue the Societ y under his protection , and allow himself to be sty led ' Grand Patron of the Craft , ' , and a bust of His Royal Highness , of the value of one hundred guineas , was voted to be placed in the Hall over the chair of the Grand Master . "

On the 1 st December , H . R . H . the Duke of Kent was formally installed Grand Master , at a special communication of the " Ancient" Grand Lodge , in p lace of the Dnke of Atholl , whose resignation as Grand Master had been accepted at another special meeting held on the 8 th November . The installation of the Dnke of Kent was witnessed b y the Dnke of Sussex and a number of his Grand Officers , who , in order that they might be present , had been previously made Ancient Masons in a room adjoining .

Of the act of Union between the two Grand Lodges , which , taking place on the 27 th December , brought this " memorable year in English Masonry " to a close , I need say little . To the wisdom which jdanned , and the ability , tact , and judgment which carried the design of the Union to a successful issue on this eventful day , we owe the present prosperity of onr United Grand Lodge of England . But the story of this Union has been too well told by Hughan and

others to need repetition in this paper . Suffice it to say that the bright star of Masonic prosperity which Avas in the ascendant on the 27 th January , 1813 , when honour was done to the Earl of Moira , reached its zenith on the 27 th December , when was accomplished that grand Union , to bring about which he had laboured so well and AA orthily during so many years . To conclude with a question . Am I not ri ght in describing the year 1813

as a memorable one in English Masonry ? In the first of its twelve months was held a Masonic fete , with six Royal Dukes present , in honour of the Earl of Moira , the soldier , the statesman— " the friend of his Prince , of his Country , and of Man . " In the last was consummated the Union . In the interim were installed two royal brothers as Grand Masters respectively of the rival Grand Lodges . The office of Grand Patron was instituted ancl two Avorth y brethren publicly honoured . I , say , then , there are few years like it in our history .

And whence think yon , reader , I have derived most of my information as to the details , at least , of the above story ? From Masonic sources ? Well , no ; from the pages of an ordinary magazine of the year . G . B . A .