Mark Masonry.

William Brodie ' s

The Journeymen continued to maintain the operative character of their Lodge by admitting only one non-operative to eleven operatives , and this regulation was strictly enforced till within these few years . They appear all along to have practised Mark Masonry—a thing which was to be expected from a bod y of men sprung from the operative Lodge of

Mary ' s Chapel , and belonging nearly all to the building art . The minutes of the Lodge being chiefly devoted to monetary transactions , very little is said in them regarding Mark Masonry till the year 1789 . At that time it was found that some of the members had neglected to make themselves acquainted with this department of Masonry , and , therefore ,

they were enjoined to lose no time in submitting to initiation ; and iu order to identif y it more closely with the Lodge , it was agreed that it should in time to come be p laced under the direction of the Master and ordinary managers , and that the fees derived from initiations should go into the common fund of the Lodge . At the time referred to , Bro . J .

McDonald held the office of Mark Master . He was an enlightened and zealous Mark Mason , and for his great services in initiating and instructing the brethren , received the thanks of the Lodge in 1790 . It appears that it was through his zeal and attention that a more regular record of the marks of the members began to be kept than had hitherto been the case . The practice established by him has been

kept up to the present time , and the result is that the Journeymen , possess a , roll of marks more extensive perhaps than any modern Craft Lodge in the kingdom . Bro . McDonald continued to fill the office of Mark Master for several years , and had for his Senior Overseer Bro . Peter Douglas ; and his Junior Overseer , Bro . John Moir ; two of the most

distinguished Masons in the Lodge . In 1806 , a special jewel was prepared for the Mark Master , and was worn b y the brother who filled that ottice till 1822 , when it , along with the other jewels and clothing of the Lodge , was forcibl y taken from the Tyler in a street of the city as he was one evening carrying them home after a visitation to the Lodge St . James , and never was recovered . Three Mark jewels were afterwards provided , aud these continue to be worn b y the Mark Master , and his Senior aud Junior Overseers .

The members of the Lodge Journeymen , are all , with few exceptions , Mark Masons . They have long hold that Mark Masonry should form part of the Fellow Craft degree , and therefore on . various occasions they have urged that it should be recognized as such by the Grand Lodge of Scotland . With this view they , in the beginning of last year , presented a memorial to the Grand Lodge , complaining that the Supreme

Arch Chapter of Scotland hail unwarrantably assumed the sole power to grant warrants to work Mark Masonry , and claiming protection in their ancient ri ghts and privileges . The Grand Committee entertained the memorial with much cordiality and unanimity , and gave the following deliverance , viz . : —

" 1 . That the Grand Committee having taken into consideration the petition from the Lodge Journeymen , and the reasons adduced by Bro . Kerr in support of it , are of opinion that it has been proved to their satisfaction , that certain Lodges have worked the Mark Degree ever since their foundation , previous to the existence of the Grand Lodge , aud have continued to do so to the present time .

" 2 . Unit the assumption by any other authority of the sole viewer to grant warrants for the working of Mark Masonry , is consequently an interference with the rig hts aud privileges of Lodges under the jurisdiction of the Grand Lodge . " 3 . That the Grand Lodge Committee recommend the Grand Lodge of Scotland to appoint a special committee to enter into communication with the Grand Lodges of England and Ireland , and any other authority claiming of Scotch jurisdiction in Masonry ,

Mark Masonry.

to endeavour to come to some amicable and fraternal arrangement , and to report to next quarterly communication . " At the quarterly communication , which took p lace on the 1 st of February , 1858 , some of the members of the Supreme Arch Chapter were disposed to cavil at the report of the Grand Committee , but it was adopted by a large majority , aucl the following brethren were appointed a special

committee to carry its recommendation into effect , viz . : J . Whytc Melville , chairman ; Andrew Kerr , William Hunter , John Duchar , Hector Gavin , James Fiulayson , F . D . McCowau , and Samuel Somnterville . This committee , we understand , has met , but- we have not heard that anythimg has yet resulted from their proceedings . We may at a future period have occasion to make a few further remarks on this subject .

Surrey Archæological Society.

SURREY ARCH ? OLOGICAL SOCIETY .

IIIE sixth ammni general meeting of this society was held ou the 5 th inst ., at Richmond , and was attended by a large number of ladies and gentlemen , members of the association , and their visitors . The chair was taken at eleven o'clock , in the large rooui of the National Schools in Eton-street , by Lord Abinger , the vicepresident , and there were present during the proceedings of the day , Mr . Evelyn of Wootton ; Rev . Harry Dupuis , Vicar of

Richmond ; Mr . Geo . Scharf , F . S . A . ; Mr . II . G . Bolui ; Mr . AA'illiam Lambert ; Rev . R . Burgh Byam , 1 VI . A . ; Rev . H . Branckcr ; Rev . J . Chandler ; Rev . C . Lushington , and a number of gentlemen well known in literary circles . The business of the day was commenced by the reading of the ammal report of the council , to which were appended the balance sheet and the auditors ' report ; from these documents it appears that the progress of the

society during the year has been highly satisfactory , a large number of new members having been added to the muster roll of the association , and its pecuniary resources largely increased . The present very efficient committee and local honorary secretaries were , with some slight alterations , re-elected , and the value of their services acknowledged ; and at twelve o ' clock the reading of the following papers was commenced : —

1 . "Notices of the Family of Cobham , of Stcr borough Castle , Ling-field , Surrey , " by JolmWickhnm Flower , Esq . The subject was illustrated by a series of rubbings from some ancient sepulchral brasses in Lingficld Church . In the course of this paper Mr . Flower read some interesting extracts from old wills preserved in the archbishop's registry at Lambeth , which have never j'ct been published : in particular from those of Reginald the second Lord Cobham of Stcrborough ; of his mother , Joan , daughter of Maurice Lord Berkeley , and widow of that famous

Lord Cobham . created a Knight of the Garter by Edward III ., who led a division of the English army on the memorable day of Orecy , and under whose orders the Black Prince iron his spurs upon that occasion . Among other passages in these documents is a bequest by the Lord Cobham of one hundred pounds , to be expended iu masses and divine offices for the repose of the soul of his godmother , l'hilippa , Queen of Edward HI . —as he expresses

it , "jrar I'ulnte de ma Iris honorable commiire , Dame Philippe , jadis Jlegiie d'Anglelem ; " he also devised thirty pounds to purchase teu thousand masses for the repose of his own soul , to he performed immediately after his death " en si brief lems comme ils pourroknl eslre fails . " 'The will of Lady Cobham also contains many curious bequests of plate , jewels , and illuminated books , one of the latter is worked u cam morlumalo el genenyles : there is also a horn

described as "from a griffin ' s hoof" —this has a gilt cover , upon which arc engraven the arms of " Barkele" aud Cobham . 2 . " Notes from the Parish Registry of Richmond , " by AVilliam Henry Hart , Esq ., F . S . A . Some very curious facts throwing lig ht upon the customs of our forefathers , have been extracted by-Mr . Hart from these registers . Among these we may notice the manner of interment of what were called " chrism" children , or

infants deceased before the churching of the mothers , but who had been baptized ; this was illustrated by the copy of a brass from Stoke Daberuham . hi the year 1054 , it was made legal Injustices of the peace to perform the marriage ceremony without any ecclesiastical interference , and the Richmond register records several instances of such unions . After several other curious extracts from the Richmond registers , "Air . Hart passed to those of Kingston , which commence "with the reign of Elizabeth , and contain a record of the various preachers in the parish- church , with very quaint entries of burial and other sermons . Here are