Masonic Notes And Queries.

single word . The ceremony of initiation ivas the mast affecting for all present . '" '" Query 1 . Would dc-a i and dumb persons in . England be eligible as members of the Order ? 2 . Have . similar cases to the " above ever occurred iu this country?—J . W ., S . l > . No . S 7-1 . " As the . Tumor AVarden of the Lodge of Harmony , at Bradford , did not get a reply through the medium iu ivhich the above cjuestions were put , permit me to reiterate the same in your columns . —Si'urvv .

ST . SIMONIAXS AXI ) I-T . EE . IIASOXS . In Chambers ' - * Filiiihuryli Journal , No . 87 , new series , August 30 th , I Sli ) , the following passage appears , extracted from Memoirs of Lady Hester Stanhope : — "Most of these events , too , she connected with the Second Advent , in which doctrine she was a believer , and looked upon herself as the woman desiderated by the St . Simonians and the Ereemasons . " Can any brother explain what is meant by this statement' ?—C-Ajnu'svicTiiAx .

STAFi- 'onnsiiinE . AVill some brother be good enough to give a list of the Deputy . Provincial Grand Masters of Staffordshire from the year 5880 fco the present time . —IT . T . B .. AVintertown .

A SLICIIIT COXTItini . 'TIOX xo I . OMCIE JIISTOKV . Having frequently felt that it would be desirable to have some record of the imitations and changes of the various Lodges , 1 . am induced to furnish a scrap of information towards such an end . Local histories and topography arc generally sealed books to the general reader from their being printed at , or circulated within , a very short radius ofthe place of which they treat . Such I believe is the

case with Lieut . Col . Harding ' s llikonj of Ticer / on , in the (¦ ntm / i / of . Decon , published in LS 1-3 : and as it contains an account ofthe Lodges formed or meeting lu Tiverton at , various times , maynot be unacceptable in "Masonic Notes and Queries . " The remarks upon the objects and antiquity of the Order I omit , because it ivould onl y be recapitulating a thrice told talc . In vol . ii ., book iv ., p . 110 , wc arc informed— -v

"The first Lod ge in Tiverton was established -2 nd November . 1707 , by the title of All Souls' Loclge , Xo . ififl , in St . John ' s Hall , and its meetings were first held at tbe Vine Tavern , in ( . 'old-street , and afterwards removed to the Lhienix , in Fore-street , ft consisted at first of six biv . thovs . -which in ITS' ) bad increased to seventeen . From some , irregularity in their proceedings they lost their warrant , which WHS transferred to Weymouth , where it is still in existence . This transfer took lace between 1 S 02 and I SOSbut the exact f have not been able

p , year to discover . " Another warrant was transfen-ed to Tiverton , on tho requisition of a body of gentlemen , in ISol , called the bodge , of fidelity . >* o . 2 S 0 , but formerly No . ill ' ,. This Lodge was instituted 2 nd " Shy , 179 ! fc by virtue of a warrant granted by His ft race , John . Duke of Athol , at that time < hand Master ofthe Order , to certain ln-othei-s at 'I'lymoiith , where if , continued many years ; but having purchased the paraphernalia , & c , of . !> 2 from Kxet the Lod

bodge Xo . , -.-r . ge of Fidelity was transferred to Topsham , 2 ; U-d . September . 182 s . and ' from thence to Tiverton on the 18 th September . 1 . S . 1 L '" On its first formation it was composed almost entirely of gentlemen , bufc is now supported by gentlemen and many of the most respectable tradesmen in Tiverton . They have their Lodge at the Angel Inn . where monthly meetings are held , and it is Considered to be one of the handsomest and best appointed in the West of Fngland . — In lS ; i ; J a Koyal . Anli ( Iliaptei- was attached to tlie Lodge , and a ICuights Templar F . ucampment in . lS : ' * i . ''

Such is the account given of the Tiverton Lodge in the local history ; aud wishing every brother would contribute what lie l-nows ^ to s ; i interesting a subject as Lodge history .. I send my mite ofinfonnnl'ion . —YKH . VN . AXI" 1 I : > , T cu . urn- ' . Ks . The following is a copy ofthe ( 'barter of Ancient Kilvviiiniii-r FreemasonsLodge Stirlingwith which wc have been favoured

, , by P . ro . Dyson , P . M .: — - "David the First , by the grace of God , Iving of Scots , wishes health aud safty to the bishops , princes , carles , barrons , ministers and administrators of our law , and .-ill good men ofthe whole nation , both clergy , laieks , and common people , and to ail whom these shall come , grcetting ; " Whereas , our truly aud well-beloved friends , the operative Masons in the burgh and town of Stirling , heath , by their petition humbly represented to

us , that the inhabitants of this town has been imposed upon by a number of unskilled and unsiiflieient workmen , thats conid to work afc our Abhy of C ' iimbus l ' cnnithaud ither parts o this town and neaboiu--kooil ; and , also , has eveekted lodges contrary to tho rules of Masonry ; and being desirous of putting a stop to such unskilled and so unreguiai " brothers , most humbly prays us to grant them our royal licence and protection fur stopping such unreguiai- disorders , and we being willing lo give all due encouragement to so resemble a petition , are graciously

pleased to condieend to their requeist ; and we do , by thir presents , ordain and grant to our petitioners to ineorporafc themselves te-gethci into a lodge , and no ither shall offer to disturb them at their meeting , and he or they coming shall be examined aunont their skill and know ledge oi' tho Mason craft by three 0 the ablest , o the . loclge , aud if ho oi they be found to be of cunning and knowledge , to he receved into the same , and each shall pay ten pounds Scots to the common funds cf the lodgo , ami three pounds to the . alter and clerk and officers' dues which laws fra

the foresaid office-bearers shall albnis be judges off , and other the behoof ! of the lodge . "Itim . That the free Masons in Stirling shall hold a lodge for ever in tho burgh of Stirling , . incl none iu that sherriffdom or stnartry of Mom toitli in my dominions , shall ereek a lodge untill the make application to tho operative lodge in Stirling .. and the considering their petition and examine their charackter and good behaviour , may pleas grant them an charter conformed to their regulations

. "Itim . And that any having pour from them mentain my peace firm and stable against all other usurpers or pretenders who encroach on me or my subjects , and you all to obey the magistrals in all things relating to my peace and the good ofthe toun . "Itim . And thai you mack , instruck , and teach the Masonry of St . John in all its p .-iirts and seereets . and as lik belted knights and

crossleged knights with armour , for the caro and keeping of our holy religion and all tims of meeting , so their be no scurillity or banning among you in the lodge , aud such offending shall forfeit ancl pay five pounds Scots , the one half to the lodge , they ither halfe to the alter of Saint Mary ' s to say mass for their soul . "Itim . And I strickly charge aud command that none tack in hand in any way to disturb the free operative Masons from being freemen or have a free ludge , to tack away their good name or possessions , or tin

harass or do any injuria to any free Masons and petitioners , under ; peril ] of my highest displeasure , and we order that notice be taken thaiclue obedience lie rendered to our pleasure herein , ' * . ' Declared . ' ,: Give n at our court at Kdiuburgh , the fifth day of March , one ihnusand one hundred and forty-seven years , before these ivifneses , " Prince . Henry , my son . '' Karl John of Menteith .

"Karl Duncan ot ! Lennox . " Herbert . Bishop of Glasgow . " Robert , Bishop of St . Andrew . " '• Gregory . Bishop of Dunkell , and AValtorde Itidale . " Andrew of Stonhous . "

To which is affixed the king ' s seal , which is all ilcfarcil , . MASONIC ci-ni-iio , vii-. s . in the rlhiiiion Uezon ( edition 181 " ) , page 2 P > , I . find the following : — "About the year . 1 7 . 1 7 some joyous Companions who had passed the degree ot'a (' raft , though very rusty , resolved to form a Lodge for themselves , in order , by conversation , to recollect what had been formerly

dictated fco them , or , if that should be found impracticable , to substitute something new ivhich might , for the future , pass for Masonry amongst themselves . At this meeting the question was asked whether any person in tlie assembly knew the Master ' s part ; and being answered in the negative , it was resolved that the deficiency should be made up with a new composition , and what fragments of the old Order could lie . found among them should lie immediately reformed , and made more pliable to the humours of the people . "

Will any of your erudite correspondents be kind enough to inform me—1 st . "Whether it is true that these revival worthies were unacquainted with the third degree 5 2 nd . And if so , in whose custody was it preserved with such zealous care that if escaped the notice of Desaguliers , tho friend of Sir Ohri ? tophpr Wren ? * > rd . "Whether the third degree is not- a modern inlet * - pobitioii not anterior to the 17 th ccntiiiy?—A . ' / .

A YKW Oniii'i ! .- —The- . Wa .-iiiiiic Chronic / " , published afc Xew York , and edited by Bi-o . William H . Milner . M . !> ., I ' . G . M ., says : _ -- A new Order has sprung into existence within tlie fast few months , under the guidance of Bro . Mr . lloni'itz . Dr . H . is a- Mason of repute with us , a .-an intellectual member of the institution . The very fact that he is : i devoted symbolic Mason , thoroughly acquainted both ivith tenets and ritual , gives assurance that he would be instrumental in no design calculated to injure ancient Craft Masonry . On the contrary , the doctor ' s

great desire is to illustrate , by all fche means in his power , its hidden beauties . The rite which he has organized in Xew ' York hails from Kgypf . once the nurse of art and science . It is . Masonic in character , elucidating to its votaries , who must lie Masons , the principles which Masonry inculcates . This 'Oriental Kite ' commences the work at the Il-lth degree , thus interfering in no way with those already established . " —[ We arc astonished that any Mason should recommend a new degree to the brethren , and we sincerely hope that no attempt will be made to introduce such humbug into Kngland . —En , " ]