Provincial.

NORTHAMPTONSHIRE . NORTHAMPTON . —Ponfret Lodge ( So . 463 ) . —The usual monthly meeting of this lodge was held on Thursday , the 5 th December , under the presidency of Bro . Motteram Wm . Fleivitt , the W . M ., Mr . Charles Gibson , Mr . William Jones , and Mr . Robert White , were balloted for , and afterAvards intitiated into the mysteries of the Order , the W . M . in each case performing the ceremony of

initiation AA'ith his accustomed ability . A sum of £ 5 was , on the motion of Bro . Gates , voted towards the erection of a monument bv the Socrates Lodge , Huntingdon , to the memory of the late Bio . G . M . FOX , of that lodge . A ballot Avas taken for the W . M . for the ensuing year , AA'hen Bro . J . Beam , P . S . W ., was unanimously elected . STAFFORDSHIRE .

WOLVERHAMPTON . —St . Peter ' s Lodge ( So . 607 ) . —This lodge Avas held as usual , on Thursday , the 5 th inst ., under the presidency of the W . M ., Bro . Haseler . The lodge having been opened in due form , and the minutes of last meeting confirmed , Bro . Pursall was duly passed . A ballot Avas afterwards taken for Mr . John Wild , which being unanimous , that gentleman was received , and regularly initiated into the secrets and privileges of the Craft .

At the request of the AV . M ., Bro . Acton delivered the charge . Bro . Cooper , S . W ., was elected W . M . ; Bro . Charles King , P . M ., Treas . ; and Bro . Jones , Tyler . Nothing more being proposed for the good of Masonry , the lodge was closed , and the brethren adjourned to a repast served up by Bro . Trigger .

WORCESTERSHIRE . WORCESTER . —Si . John's Lodge ( So . 34-9 ) . —On Thursday , the Sth inst ., the brethren of the lodge , to the number of upAvards of forty , assembled in their lodge-room , at the Bell Hotel , to Avitness the installation of Bro . Richard Woof , to the chair of W . M ., to which he had been elected by the unanimous \* ote of the bretnren . The lodge ivas opened in due form at four o ' clock , Avhen the ceremony

of installation was admirably performed by P . M . J . Bennett , P . Prov . S . G . W . The W . M . appointed the following members as his acting officers for the ensuing year , and they Avere invested in proper form : —Bros . A . Powell , S . W . ; E . W . Elmslie , J . W . ; CC . W . Griffiths , P . M ., Treas . ; W . Meredith , Sec . ; S . M . Beale , S . D . ; J . H . L . Jones , J . D . ; T . H . Peake , I . G . ; W . D . Lingham and J . W . Stone , SteAvards ; John Wood , M . C . The brethren then adjourned to a sumptuous banquet , prepared in the usual style of Bro . Webb . Among the visitors and members were the Mayor of Worcester , the W . M ., of the Semper Fidelis Lodge ( Bro . Dyer ) , and no less than fourteen Past Masters .

WORCESTER . —Semper Fidelis Lodge ( So . 721 ) . —This lodge also held a meeting , on the 4 th inst ., at Avhich Bro . F . W . Dyer , the W . M . elect for the ensuing year , Avas duly installed , and the folloAving officers appointed : —T . Hobbs , S . W . ; A . Brown , J . W . ; G . Cox , Treas . ; G . Finch , See . ; T . E . Doe , S . D . ; J . F . Lowe , J . D . ; F . Slade , I . G . ; J . Harris and T . Watton , Stewards ; J . H . Tirbivtt , M . C . The brethren afterAvards partook of a first-rate banquet provided by Bro . Fuggle , at the CroAvn Hotel .

YORKSHIRE ( WEST . ) SHEPEIELD . —Britannia Lodge ( No . 126 ) .- —The annual meeting of the members of this prosperous lodge , for the purpose of installing the W . M . was held on Thursday , 12 th inst ., in the Freemason ' s Hall , Surrey-street . Bro . Wm . White , jun ., W . M ., and Prov . A . G . D . C , presided , and was supported by Bros . Hay , S . W . and W . M . elect : Arden , J . W . ; Rev . C . B . Camidge . M . A , Chap . ; Webster , '

Sec ; Rodgers , S . D . ; Garnett , J . D . ; Short , I . G-. ; and P . M . 's J . Eadon , E . Harrison , and W . Longden . About forty brethren were present , amongst Avhom were the folloAving visitors , viz ., —J . W . Dixon , P . M . ; Thos . Danby , P . M . ; and H . Harrison , W . M . of the Royal BrunSAvick Lodge ( No . 373 ) , Sheffield ; Septimus Short , Treas . and Sec , Fidelity Lodge ( No . 1042 ) , Singapore , and Prov . G . D . C . of the Eastern Archipelago ; Robert Russell , St . George's

Lodge , ( No . 333 ) , GlasgOAV ; and Hy . Allan Spurr , St . Cuthberga Lodge ( No . 905 ) , Wimborne , Dorset . The lodge having been opened in the first degree and the minutes containing the election of W . M . being confirmed , the E . A . P . ' s retired , and the lodge was then opened in the second degree , and Bro . Hay , the W . M . elect , was duly presented by Bro . P . M . Longden to the W . M , for installation . The W . M . having addressed Bro . Hay on the duties and responsibilities of the important office to which be had been elected , caused the Secretary to read over the ancient charges and regulations , and Bro . Hay having duly assented to them , was properly obligated as W . M . elect . A Board of Installed Masters being opened , Bro . Hay

ivas regularly entrusted and placed in the chair of K . S . The board of P . M . 's being closed and the brethren admitted , Bro . Hay was duly saluted and proclaimed , and presented with the iA * orking tools ofthevarious degrees . The W . M . appointed and invested the folloAving brethren as his officers for the ensuing year , accompanying each appointment with appropriate observations , viz . —Bros . S . Arden , S . W . ; J . Rodgers , J . W . ; Rev . C . E . Camidge , M . A . Chap . ; W . LongdenP . M . Treas . ; AV . ShortSec . ; H . AVebsterS . D . ;

, , , H . J . Garnett , J . D . ; G . Moseley , I . G . ; and R . Arnison , Steivard . Bro . AVhite addressed the AV . M ., the Wardens , and the brethren generally on the duties respectively devolving upon them , and charged them to be unanimous in all things tending to the benefit , of the Craft ; and to endeavour to convince mankind of the goodness of our institution , by amiable , discreet , and virtuous conduct , and by practising out of the lodge the precepts they were taught ,

within it . After several matters of lodge business had been transacted , Bro . AVHITE , P . M ., said that it had been for some timedetermined to establish a lodge in the neighbouring town of Rotherham , which had now about 14 , 000 inhabitants . The formerlodge ceased to exist many years ago , when Masonry throughout thecounty , from various causes , iras at a IOAV ebb ; and also owing tounfortunate dissensions amongst the brethren of the lodge . The

Sheffield brethren at that time could afford it no assistance , as they had quite enough to do to hold the warrants for their own two lodges and chapters . The case was UOAV very different , and several " Rotherham gentlemen had recently been initiated in Sheffield , and , in conjunction with some of the members of the Britannia Lodge ,, had signed a petition praying for a lodge to he held in Rotherham , to be called after its predecessor " The Pho _ nix Lodge , " which would noiv be a more appropriate name than formerly . —Bro .

AVHITE presented the petition for the approval of the Britannia Lodge , in accordance AA'ith the Constitutions , and after some conversation it ivas unanimously agreed that the AA . M . and officers of the lodge should sign it , and give their best assistance toAA'ards the furtherance of the object . After the lodge Avas closed about thirty of the brethren partook of a sumptuous banquet iu the dining

hall . Bro . Hay , AV . M ., presided , and gave the usual loyal and Masonic toasts , which Avere heartily responded to ; as also were" The Healths of the AV . M ., and the immediate P . M ., Bro . AVhite ; " ' the latter of whom was highly complimented on the efficient manner in Avhich he had performed his duties during his year of office , and the ability he had displayed in conducting the ceremony of installation . BRADFORD . —Lodge of Mope ( No . 379 ) . —The usual monthl

y meeting of the above lodge Avas held on Monday , December 16 , rathe neAv rooms in the Market place , at an earlier hour than usual ,, in order to dispose of some necessary business , and to listen to thelecture , previously announced , of the Eev . A . F . A . AVoodford , M . A . P . Prov . S . G . AV ., ancl P . M . 382 and 727 , when a considerable number of the brethren assembled . The deep sorrow and gloom which have fallen upon the nation at large , in consequence of the

sad and startling announcement of the irreparable loss of H . R . H . the Prince Consort , seemed in no light measure to rest upon the assembled members of an Order ever distinguished for its loyal and devoted attachment to the throne . This universal feeling of sorrow and regret prompted an unanimous expression of sympathy with the bereaved sovereign , and a resolution to place the lodge in mourning for that exalted prince so suddenly taken from us for thespace of three months . Tbe other necessary business being disposed of , the AV . M . introduced the lecturer , though an old friend ,

to the brethren . The lecture , of which the folloiving is necessarily * a brief and imperfect outline , ivas directed to the establishment of ' three great points . First , the necessity of a stricter and moreaccurate study of Masonic antiquity and history ; secondly , to the unsatisfactory character of several Masonic historical dates ; and , thirdly , to the propriety , ere long , of a Masonic history being published under the sanction of Grand Lodge . The lecturer having pointed out more than one doubtful date in the chronology

of our open history , proceeded to trace the connection of our present Order with the operative guilds and sodalities of the mediawal and early ages . He alluded in very complimentary terms to the recent interesting publication of our Bro . Matthew Cooke , and to the able history of German Masonry lately published by Bro . Findel , of Leipsie , as paving the way for a more regular and general study among Masons of the history and archicology of the Order . It would be impossible in this short

sketch to give any idea of the arguments of the lecturer or of the evidence adduced in their support ; it is sufficient to say that he seemed clearly to prove , not only a link of anion betAveen our present speculative Masonry and medieval operative Masonry , but also the identity of Masonry to-day with the Masonry of previous ages traced up to the Roman guild of Masons . The lecture was listened to with deep attention , not Avith standing its length , aud necessarily , in some respects , technical character , and the lecturer received at its conclusion , not only applause , but an unaiiimons vote of thankss