Masonic Missions.

MASONIC MISSIONS .

IT is some encouragement to us to persevere in our task of describing the present state of Masonry , its merits and imperfectious , that our pages do not go uncufcj nor pass without notice ; and they are not only read , but commented upon , and their errors corrected and deficiencies supplied . Our accounts are drawn up from what are considered authentic data , but

such is the want of good material that it is very difficult to deal with the subjects with completeness . We arc therefore much obliged to 111 . Bro . Charles John Vignc , 33 ° , to Bro . Thomas Cave , to a Bro . "P . M ., " aud to a correspondent , "J . 0 . E ., " for various communications in . extension ancl correction of our account of the province of Dorsetand

, we call the attention of our readers to these letters . It is very difficult to begin , a comprehensive survey oi Masonry , but with such cooperation we shall trust to accomplish it . We now propose to lay before our readers some particulars as to the province of Warwickshire . Tho county of that

name includes 881 square miles , or 563 , 940 acres , with a population of 47-5 , 013 . Ifc is a great manufacturing district , and the midland metropolis of Birmingham embraces a large part of the population . Its cities , towns , and boroughs , are as under , with Lodge towns marked * .

* Birmingham , with a population of 232 , 841 , * Coventry , with a population of 36 , 812 . * Foleshili , with a population of 7 , 819 . ' * \ Warwick , with a population of 10 , 973 . * ) Leamington , with a population of 15 , 692 . Stratford-upon-Avon , with a population of 3 , 372 .

Sutton Cole-field , with a population of 4 , 574 . * Alcester , with a population of 2 , 027 . * Afcherstoue , with a population of 3 , 819 . Coleshill , with a population of 1 , 980 . Henley in Arden , with a population of 1 , 183 . * Kenilworth and Stonelei ghwith a population of 1289 .

, , Kington or Iviuetou , with a population of 1 , 270 . * Nuneaton , with a population of 4 , 859 . * Rugby , with a population of 6 , 317 . Solihull , with a population of 3 , 277 . Southam , with a population of 1 , 711 . Bedworth , wifch a population of 3 , 013 .

Dunchurch , with a population of 1 , 135 . Hanipton-in-Ardeii , with a population of 3 , 094 . The Loclge towns and Lodges are—Birmingham , No . 51 . The St . Paul ' s Lodge , date 1733 . „ No . 88 . The Athol Lodge , date 1747 . „ No . 089 . Lodge of Light , date 1840 .

„ No . 69 G . The Faithful Lodge , date 1840 . „ No . 857 . The Howe Loclge , date 1850 . „ No . 1041 . The Temperance Loclge , date 1858 . Alcester No . 378 . The Apollo Lodge , date 1794 . Coventry No . 316 . The TrinitLoclgedate 1784 .

y , Warwick No . 350 . The Shakspeare Lodge , date 1791 . No . 838 . The Loclge of Unity , date 1849 . Leamington No . 556 . Grey ' s Lodge , date , 1829 . Nuneaton No . 625 . The Abbey Lodge , date 1836 . Rugby No . 739 . The Lodge of Rectitude , date 1844 .

Kenilworth No . 1027 . The Stoneleig h Lodge , date 1858 . Tlie following shows the chronology of these Lodges ;—Bate . Lodges . 1733 1 1747 1 1750 to 1784 " ! . 1790 to 1794 2 1800 to 1810 0

Date . Lodges ; 1811 to 1820 0 1821 to 1830 1 1831 to 1840 . 3 1841 to 1850 3 1851 to 1859 2 There arc thus two Lodges above one hundred years old ,

the St . Paul ' s Lodge being one of the oldest Lodges in the provinces , and three other Lodges about fifty years old . Thus , of the numerous Lodges existing in the last century , of antient and modern Masons , only five Lodges survive , seated in four Loclge towns ; Birmingham , Coventry , Warwick ancl Alcesterhaving preserved their templesbut Stratford and

, , other towns having allowed the lig ht to be lost . Then , from 1794- to 1829 , thirty-five years , we havo a woful blank ; indeed of the Lodges of forty years ; one alone remains . Then we get evidence of a revival , ancl within the last thirty years Masonry has extended , but its present condition is not adequate to the population .

The Howe has a Mark Master ' s Lodge attached to it . The Royal Arch Chapters in the province are the following : — Birmingham , No . ol .. The Chapter of Fortitude ! „ No . 857 . The Howe Chapter . Coventry No . 316 . The Cumberland Chapter ;

, Warwick , No . 356 . ' . Che Shakspeare Chapter . Alcester , No . 378 : The Chapter of Temperance . The Grand Superintendent of Warwickshire is not returned in the official list .

There is a Eose Croix Chapter afc Birmingham , the Vernon Chapter . Wo regret to state that , except the distinguished Lodge' iii Birmingham , the Howe , wifch some others there , the Lodges of this province meet in taverns . There is only one Masoiiic Hall in the province , constituting the rooms Of the Howe

Loclge , There is one local Masonic charity , culled tlie Masonic Annuity Association . The Provincial Grand Lodge is in regular working order , Birmingham , is naturally the Masonic capital ; for a population of a quarter of a million it has six Lodges , one Mark

Lodge , two Royal Arch Chapters , one Rose Croix Chapter , and A Masonic Hall , a provision seemingly large , sufficing for the zealous Mason , but not equivalent to the population and wealth of the town . The whole number of subscribing members in Birmingham is not more than about two hundred , or less than one in a thousand population , while there are towns of 20 , 000 people with 120 subscribing members , or one in two hundred , and there are many small towns with ono Mason for one hundred

population . There must lie something wrong therefore m the constitution of fche Lodges in Birmingham . The number of initiations we do not know , but we presume they are between thirty and forty a , year . A decent town of one tenth ofthe population will g ive ten initiations a year ; Birmingham is , however , an old Masonic capital , and has

the rare distinction among provincial towns of having two Lodges above a hundred years old . St . Paul's Lodge dates , as we have seen , from 1733 . It has long maintained a high reputation in Birmingham , and keeps its standing fairly . The number of its members is forty-four . Bro . Dr . Hopkins , Past Prov . Senior Grand

Warden , a very distinguished Mason of the province , was a member of this Lodge . There is a Royal Arch Chapter attached to the Lodge , whicli we presume to be maintained ; but we know nothing regarding ifc . The Athol Loclge , No . 88 , likewise boasts the distinction of remote anticpiity , bufc whether its records are well preserved we do not know . The number ot * members is thirty-six . It is considered a flourishing Lodge for Birmingham , but there are single Lodges elsewhere which have thoir hundred mein-