Freemasonry In Essex.

FREEMASONRY IN ESSEX .

npHE Provincial Grand Lodge of Essex , which has at its X head the Right Hon . the Lord Brooke , had 1114 members on the registers of its twenty-four Lodges at the time of the issne of the Calendar and Directory for the Province for the present year , distributed as follows : —

No . Lodge Meeting at Members 51 Angel Colchester 114 160 True Friend ship Rochford 49 214 Hope and Unity Brentwood 36 276 Good Fellowship Chelmsford 41

433 Hope Brightlingsea 72 453 Chigwell Chingford 30 650 Star ia the East Harwich 91 697 United Colchester 93 1000 Priory Southend 74

J . U .. 4 at . Peter Maldon 54 1280 Walden Saffron "Walden 18 1312 St . Mary Booking 31 1343 St . John Grays 41 1437 Liberty of Havering Romford 29 1457 Bagshaw Loughton 34

1543 Rosslyn Dunmow 23 1734 Trinity Rayleigh 34 1799 Arnold Walton on Naze 47 1817 St . Andrew ' s Shoebnryness 42

1977 Black water Maldon 59 2005 Brooke Chingford 18 2006 Tilbury Grays 26 2063 St . Osyth's Priory Clacton-on-Sea 46 2077 Bpping Epping 12

These figures show an average of nearly fifty members for each Lodge , and when we consider the number of Lodges in the Province , this is unquestionably a large average . The Province has the advantage of being near

the Metropolis , and two or three of its Lodges may be said to really consist of London men , who , as in many other parts , combine Freemasonry with pleasure , to the extent of holding their meetings where they can enjoy a few hours '

change among the green fields , as a break in the monotony of every day life in the Great City . The Masonry they practise is no worse on this account , as any one paying a visit to Essex , or looking to what is done by the several

Lodges in the Province for tho course of charity , could easily prove ; indeed , we feel we may refer to Essex as a Province whose actions are worthy of imitation by others . There are some of the best Masons of the kingdom enrolled

among its members , as well as some of the warmest supporters of the Masonic Institutions ; there is therefore little cause for surprise that it should be to the front among its fellows .

In Royal Arch Masonry Essex is somewhat behind . Its ' Provincial Grand Chapter was constituted in 1883 , ancl now has for its Superintendent Comp . Fred . A . Philbrick ,

Q . C ., Grand Registrar England . The Provincial Calendar gives a list of four subordinate Chapters , with a total membership of 112 , distributed as follows :

No . Chapter Meeting afc Members 51 Patriotic Colchester 40 214 Hope and Unity Chingford 23 276 lasex Chelmsford 23 1000 Priory Southend 26

This , considering the proportions of the Craft degree in the county , is but a poor show , but doubtless the brethren of Essex are acting as they think best in confining nearly the whole of their attention to the three degrees of Craft

Freemasonry In Essex.

Masonry , and so long as they attend to those as they are now doing there will be no cause for accusing them of being behind in their support of the daft . Mark Masonry is worked in Essex in three Lodges , the Constantine , No . 145 , meeting afc Colchester ( 51 members );

the Beaconsfield , No . 205 , meeting at Walthamstow ( 11 members ) ; and the Chelmer fjodge , No . 3 t 2 , mooting at Chelmsford ( 27 members ) . The . e three Lodges are

included in the Mark Province of East Angha , which comprises the counties of Essex , Suffolk , Norfolk and Cambridge , and which is under the Provincial Mastership

of the Right Hon . Lord Henniker P . G . M . M . M . The Charity work of the Province is entrusted to a Committee , consisting of the Provincial grand Master and his Deputy , the Provincial Grand Chaplain , Treasurer , Secretary' and four other Officers—three past and one present ( the senior of whom retires each year at the meeting of the Provincial Grand Lodge , when a present Provincial Officer is elected in his stead ) . All Essex Vice-Patrons or Vice Presidents of either of the three great

Masonic Charities , and one member from each Lodge in the Province , elected annually on the day of installation of the Worshipful Master . The co-operation of members of the Province is invited on the subject of votes for the Charities , and brethren are requested to send their proxies to the Provincial Grand Secretary , in order that they may

be polled , exchanged or lent , on behalf of the County . We do not know to what extent the brethren have united their powers , but Essex has been able to do exceedingly well at many of the elections of the past , and this can only be done where united action is adopted . The Calendar for

the year concludes with a list of subscribers to the Institutions , showing the number of votes held by each . From this we gather the following summary , Votes held by Boys Girls Male Female Total

Prov . G . M ., D . P . G . M . & Prov . G . L . 47 53 35 21 156 Private Lodges - - - 91 77 64 68 303 Chapters - - . - 7 8 10 6 31 Individual Subscribers - - 500 445 306 352 1603 648 583 415 447 = 2093

In conclusion , we can but express a hope that the Province of Essex may continue to flourish , and that the brethren who comprise it may long maintain the reputation it at present enjoys .

This Is Masonry.

THIS IS MASONRY .

An oration before the Grand Lodge of California , 14-th October 1885 , by Rev . William A . Knighten , Grand Orator .

THE duty of this hour is the honest reflection of this body upon the principles underlying our noble Order , the objects for which we maintain its institutions , and a glance at the hopes we entertain for its future .

First . —To be a Mason , a man must have a desire to hear , and see , and know some truths hidden from the view of other men ; to find a mystery of value to the heart and mind unknown before .

Second . —I hat desire must be intelligently directed . The surroundings of a Mason must bj able to enlighten and develop the manly qualities of the man .