History Of Freemasonry In Lei Cestershire And Rutland.

though they do not appear to havo taken part in Masonry in the County itself , hekl high office in the Craft . Thus in 1762 and 1763 Earl " Ferrers was Grand Master ( Moderns ) ; in 1764 , the Hon . Thomas Shirley was Senior Grand Warden and the year following Bro . Anthony Keck ,

of Stoughton was one of the Grand Stewards . In 17 / 4 , the Hon . Thomas Noel , M . P . for the County , who became Viscount Wentworth the same year , was Senior Grand Warden , and Sir Thos . Fowko was a Grand Steward . In 1779 Viscount Tamworth was Senior G . Warden and

G . Steward . The year following Bro . John Peach Hungerford , of Dingley ( High Sheriff of the County in 1772 , and M . P . for the County from 1774 to 1790 ) was Senior Grand Warden and a Grand Steward , and the same offices were held in 1783 by the Hon . Warlington Shirley . Another extract from the Leicester Journal records the

following : — "On "Wednesday , June 23 rd 1783 , the Worshipfnl Master , Wardens , and Brethren , of Lodge No . 91 , had a meeting to celebrate their most excellent Patron , St . John tho Baptist . They walked in procession from the Pelican , in Gallowtree Gate to St . Martin ' s Church ,

where a sermon was preached on the occasion from the 1 st Epistle of Pan ! to Timothy , c . i ., v . 18 . After Divine Service , they went in procession to Brother Joseph Smith ' s , the Crown and Thistle , in Loseby Lane , where they dined , and the greatest harmony prevailed , enlivened by toasts of the Craft suitable to the occasion . "

On 7 th November 1786 Sir Thomas Fowke died , and the office of Prov . Grand Master became vacant , and so remained for two years , when it was conferred on Bro . Thomas Boothby Parkyns , M . P . for Leicester , who was P . G . M . for Derbyshire and Notts , and upon whom was

bestowed in 1795 , an Irish peerage , with the style and title of Lord Rancliffe . This office he continued to hold till his death in 1800 , but though occupying several distinguished positions in Freemasonry in London , he seems to have taken no interest whatever in Masonry in his Province ,

except on one occasion , when he was present at an Emergency Meeting on the 27 th April 1793 of the St . John ' s Lodge , which had been constituted the year previous , after which he presented the set of" silver jewels for the officers , which are still in use in the Lodge .

So much for the earlier and more obscure portion of the history of the Craft in Leicestershire , from which it will be seen that only one of the Lodges Ave have thus far mentioned exists still ; while but one other survived the Union , and for a short time only . We now enter on the

second and more complete period . We havo just spoken of the St . John ' s Lodge as having been constituted in 1790 , the date of its warrant being 31 st August . This Lodge still exists , and as the Hinckley Lodge , now " the Knights of Malta , " was not transferred thither till the year 1803 ,

we must consider the St . John ' s as being the mother Lodge of the Province . The original Warrant having been lost or mislaid , a Warrant of Confirmation , dated 20 th April 1820 , was granted from G . M . the Duke of Sussex . It is from the records of this Lodge , which was for so long

a time the only one in the county holding under the Grand Lodge Moderns , that we obtain such memorials of the Provincial Grand Lodge as yet remain . It is not , indeed , till 1833 that the proceedings of the latter are separately minnted .

It is not a little singular that the Warrant of the St . John ' s Lodge was granted to some of the principal officers and members of Lodge No . 91 of Ancient Masons , and that the " ancient " Warrant for a long time remained in the hands of Bro . Horton , who was Master of the old and new

Lodge ; and it was several months before it was delivered up to some of the ancient brethren who still desired to work under it . Tho Lodge was opened for the first time on the 11 th November 1790 , at Bro . Joseph Smith ' s , the Lion and the Dolphin Inn , Market-place , and it is recorded that Bro .

Charles Horton R . W . M ., by order of the R . W . P . G . M ., installed the officers in due form , and that thanks were voted to the latter for his attention in granting the Warrant . Those present on this memorable occasion , in addition to the Master , were Bros . Joseph Smith S W . and P . M .,

Thomas Ball J . W ., Thomas Phipps Treasurer and P . M ., John Hill , William Green , Joseph Dean , Henry Davey , John Blower , and Robert Daniel , Tyler : to these , therefore , must be ascribed the honour of having been " the founders

of Freemasonry in Leicester in modern times . " In connection with the foregoing facts two circumstances will be noted as being of an unusual or extraordinary character . These are the facility with which a " modern " Warrant was granted to a number of officers and brethren belonging to

History Of Freemasonry In Lei Cestershire And Rutland.

an " ancient " Lodge , and that the landlord of tho house in which tho Lodge held its meetings was ono of its principal officers . However , in the days when these things happened , there was a certain laxity in the manner in which the government of Freemasonry was administered . Wise laws

had been framed , and there were no doubt wise brethren who wero fully capable of administering them -, bnt in spite of this we find that strange things were done , which would bo enough to frighten our modern sticklers for the rigid observance of the Constitutions , into their graves . ( To be continued . )

Freemasonry In Pennsylvania

FREEMASONRY IN PENNSYLVANIA

THE Grand Lodge and Grand Chapter of this Jurisdiction held their Annual Grand Communications on St . John the Evangelist ' s Day ( 27 th December ) . The former met in Corinthian Hall of the Masonic Temple , Philadelphia , at 10 a . m . on that clay , under the presidency of M . W . Bro . Robert Clark , G . M ., who was numerously

supported by his Grand Officers and the representatives of subordinate Lodges . The Reports of the various Committees were highly satisfactory , and shewed that Freemasonry in the Keystone State was in a very flourishing condition . An application for a new Lodge at Royer ' s Ford , Chester

County , was referred to the Grand Officers , with full powers to act . An admirable portrait of the late Past Grand Master , Bro . Samuel H . Perkins , the work of E . D . Marchand , was presented on behalf of tho artist to Grand Lodge . The gift was accepted , and a vote of thanks was

unanimously passed to the donor . Grand Master Clark then delivered an able and interesting valedictory address , in which he reviewed the principal events of his Grand Mastership . This address was listened to with profound

attention . He then installed his successor , M . W . Bro . James Madison Porter , in the chair of Grand Master , with the customary and time-honoured ceremonies proper to the occasion . Grand Master Porter then delivered an address

m which he , m the first instance , dwelt at some length with satisfaction on the flourishing condition of Freemasonry in the Jurisdiction , aud then defined the principles which would serve for his guidance in administering the affairs of Grand Lodge . The following are among the principal

Grand Officers who were installed at the Commnnication , namely , Bros . Michael Nisbet , Dep . G . Master , Samuel B Dick Senior G . Warden , and Conrad B . Day Junior G . Warden ; Thomas R . Patton G . Treasurer , and John Thompson G . Secretary .

The Convocation of Grand Chapter was held in the Renaissance Hall of the Temple , in the evening of the same clay . In the course of the business M . E . Comp . Alfred R . Potter , G . H . P ., delivered his annual address , in which he recapitulated the events of the year just closed ; referring ,

m particular , to the very prosperous state of capitular Masonry in the State . The following are the principal officers for the ensuing year , and as all of them were re-elected , the prospects of the coming year are brilliant indeed : Comps . Alfred R . Potter , M . E . Grand High Priest , William C .

Hamilton , M . D ., Grand King , Hibbert P . John Grand Scribe , Thomas R . Patton Grand Treasurer , and John Thompson Grand Secretary . At the close of the meeting the Grand Officers accepted an invitation to be present at

the annual banquet of Jerusalem H . R . A . Chapter , No . 3 , in the Banqueting Hall of the Masonic Temple . We have gleaned the above particulars from the columns of our esteemed contemporary the Keystone .

The Burdett Contts Lodge of Instruction , No . 1278 , will in future hold its meetings at Bro . R . Smith ' s , the " Salmon and Ball , " Bethnal Green Road , on Wednesday evenings , at 8 . 30 p . m . Bro . G . Ward Verry is the Preceptor , and Bro . R . J . Chitson the Hon . Secretary .

The Installation Ceremony will be worked b y Bro . A . J . Melhnish , W . M . of the Constitutional Lodge , No 55 , on Tuesday , 12 th February , at the Constitutional Lodge of Instruction , held at the Bedford Hotel , Southamptonbuildings , Holborn . Lodge will be opened at 7 o ' clock ,