Masonic Notes And Queries.

MASONIC NOTES AND QUERIES .

PROVINCIAL unAxn RAINI-EU . Was such an office as that of Grand fainter ever recognized by the constitutions of the Order , and , if so , when was it abolished' ? The following curious notice of a prospective appointment of such an officer is supplied by the minutes of a meeting of the Prov . Grand Lodge of Leicestershire , held on June 18 th , 179 !? , under the presidency of the Rev , William Peters . J ) , Prov .

G . M . - . — " Bro . Pliipps was invested as Grand Architect The RAY . Prov . Grand Master [ ThomasBoothbyParkyns , M . P ., afterwards the first Lord Pancliffe ] having heard much of the virtues and abilities of Mr . Smith , jun ., the son of Bro . Smith , who is not yet a Mason , but it is probable will be one , was pleased to reserve a blue apron for him , as Grand Painter , and it was accordingly delivered into the hands of Bro . Hodges , S . G . AA ., in order to tho investiture of Mr . Smith after his initiation . "

The last appointment to the office was made in the year 1810 . — "WM . . KELLY , D , Prov . G . M ., Leicestershire . GiiAxn ARCHITECT . The above extract shows , that at the same period a Grand Architect was appointed . Noorthouck's edition of the " Constitutions . " 1784 . p . 860 , after giving a list of " the proper officers of Grand Lodge , " states in a note— " At present there is also a

Grand Architect ; hut this is a personal compliment to Mr . Sandby , as designer of Freemasons' Hall , and no stated office ; sec p . 317 . " Allien was the office made a permanent one , and when was its designation changed to that of ' Grand Superintendent of Works ?"—AA M . KELLY , D . Prov . G . M ., Leicestershire . [ The present possessor is Bro . S . AA . Daukes , who succeeded Bro . Philip , Hardwick . His predecessor was Bro . Sir John Soaoc , who long held the office ]

I 1 EO . THOMAS SAXDBY , Bro . Thomas Sandb y , j / i . A ., was of the family of Sandby of Babworth , and was born at Nottingham , in 1721 . He distinguished himself by the preparation of a new system of perspective . He then applied himself to the arts , and coming to London , was , in 1743 , appointed draughtsman to the chief engineer hi Scotland , and served during the rebellion of 1745 . and in Plunders

on the staff of the Duke of Cumberland . In 174 (> , he was made deputy ranger of AVindsor Great Park , and afterwards architect to the king ; and in 1754 planned Virginia Abater . Of these works he published eight- folio plates . In 1755 , he assisted in the foundation of an academy of arts ; in 1706 , joined the Society of Incorporated Artists ; and , in 1708 , was one of the original Royal Academicians , and Professor of Architecture from 1708 until 17118 .

Of these lectures the MS . was presented by John Britton to the "Royal Institute of British Architects . In 1 . 775 , be designed and built Freemasons' Hall , as above stated . He died on the 525 th of June , 1798 , aged seventy-six , and wasburiedat Old Windsor . Manv of his drawings are in the British Museum , and in the museum founded by his successor , Sir John Soane . ' See his memoirs , in the English EncyclopaediaHis brotherPaul Sandb also

. , y , was a Royal Academician , ' ' It is worth inquiring—To what Lodge did Thomas Sandby belong ? and the particulars of his connexion with Masonry . What is the inscription on his tomb ? AVas Paul Sandby a Mason ? What was the connexion between Sandby and Soane ?

GRAND LODCIE , 1732 , The meeting of the Grand Lodge , held on the 19 th April , 1732 , at Merchant Taylors' Hall , attracted the attention of the public journals of the day . Lord Viscount Montagu was installed Grand Master ; Thomas Batson , Deputy Grand Master ; George Rooke , Senior Grand . AVarden ; and James Smyth , Junior Grand Warden .

It is noticeable , and I think has been referred to in the Freemasons' Magazine , that the meetings of Grand Lodge , until the building of the Hall in Great Queen-street , were only exceptionally held in taverns , but were held in the halls of the public companies . — -HYDE CLARKE .

HOSE CROIX . A AVorshipful Master asks , whether it is indispensable lor the -n \ f mx degree that the candidate must have been installed hirst 1 rmcipal in a Koyal Arch Chapter . [ It is not necessary in 11 ns country , or under any constitutions of " the Rose Croix , ' although the possession of tho Poval Arch degree , or service in the chair of a Chapter , would be an additional claim to promotion , on the ground of Masonic proficiency or service ]

THE AXTKntLUVIAX MASONIC PILLARS . " LATHES . " In the British Museum ( Harl . MSS ., 1942 ) is a manuscrip t on the subject of Freemasonry , a copy of which , in a hand of the last century is now before me . It is entitled " The Beginning and first Foundation of the most worthy Craft of Masonry , with the Charges thereto belonging . " After stating that the four children of

Lamcch , Jabal , Jubal , Tubal Cain , and Naamah "found out the beginning of all the crafts in the world , " it proceeds to record that " These children knew that God would take vengeance for sin , either by fire or water ; therefore they wrote their sciences that they had found out on two pillars , that they might be found after Noah ' s flood . One of the pillars was marble , which will not burn with any fireand the other pillar or stone was called La / ernes ,

, which will not drown in any water . " My friend , Mr . IMliwell , quoting the MS . in the introduction to his " Early History of Freemasonry in England , " g ives the word as "Latrcs , " and refers to the Freemasons' Quarterly Periew , vol . hi ., pp . 288-295 ; and adds , that the earliest copy he has met with is in MS . Lansd . 98 , No . 48 , written " about 1600 . " On turning to the Renew , where the MS . is printed hi exlenso , ( varying ,

however , in some respects from my copy ) , I find that the word is there also given as " Latres , " with the following note , by Bro . II . Phillips , of musical celebrity : — " What the literal meaning of this word is , I cannot discover * ; no doubt it had allusion to some floating substance . " Can you , Mr . Editor , or any of your scientific or architectural readers , throw any lig ht on the probable meaning and derivation of the word?—AY it . KELLY , I ) . Prov .

G . M ., Leicestershire . [ AVe have not the least doubt that the MS . in question , so far from being of the year 1600 , as supposed by Mr . Halliwell , is not more than 130 years old , and we are of this opinion , first , from internal evidence , and next , from the doctrines being of the period we have assigned . AA ' e cannot determine the word , or its meaning . The MS ., modern as it is , is of interest , because , as Bro , Kelly is most probably aware , it refers to various doctrines and ceremonials prevalent in the last century ] .

SUFFOLK PROVING ! -:. In the last number of the "Masonic Missions . " there is an account g iven of Masonry in Suffolk , which is incorrect , as to the year 1838 , as then Bro . Kcadc , of Holbrook , was installed Provincial Grand Master , who appointed—Bro . Bullen , of No . 131 , Ipswich , D . Prov . G . M . Bro . Green , of No . 131 . Ipswich . S . G-. W .

Bro . IIead , of No . 90 , J . G . AV . Bro . Jones , of No . 277 , G . Treas . Bro . AA . Grimscy , of No . 131 , Ipswich , G . Sec . Bro . Martin , of No . 131 , Ipswich , S . G . I ) . Bro . Ruddock , of No . 131 , Ipswich , J . G . D . Bro . Catchpole , of No . 131 , Ipswich , G . Registrar . Bro . Mason " , of No , 101 , Ipswich . J . G . W . '

Bro . AV . R . G . Key , of No . 131 , Ipswich , G . Dir , of Cers . Bro . Forstcr , of No . ' 131 , Ipswich , G . Organist , Bro . Beaks , of No . 383 , G . S . B . Bro . Schuler , of No . 272 , G , Pursuivant . Bro . Bnrch , of No . 131 , "I pswich , G . Tyler . Bro . Horton , of No . S 4 , Grand Steward . Bro . Deckof No . 131

, , Bro . Head , of No . 522 , Bro . Gosling , of No . 522 , ., Bro . Scott , of No . 131 , „ Bro . Kersey , of No . 417 , „ After installation , the brethren went in procession to the church of " St . Mary , Tower , " and the Rev . II . Ledger , B . A ., preached a sermon for the benefit of the Comity Hospital . —AA . R . G . KEY ,

liA'l'U MASONIC HALL . Can any brother furnish an account , either extracted from journals or newspapers of the time , or from recollection , of the consecration by the M . AV . G . M ., the Duke of Sussex , of the Masonic Hall , " fork-street , Bath , together with the names of the officers in attendance on the occasion ? I have heard that the day's proceedings were most grand and imposing , and I believe constitute the ' " great event" in the annals of Bath Freemasonry . —A .

Tin : CHIEF BUTLER AT THE SOVEREIGN ' S CORONATION . —This office is held by the Lord Mayor for the time being , and his appointment to it is coeval with , or even anterior to , the institution of the mayoralty itself eo nomine .. h " or at the coronation of Richard I ., in 1189 , we find the chief magistrate of London , under the title of bailiff , officiating as chief butler . — City Press .