Cheshire.

Bros . Peter Davies , Geo . Ivison , J ames Cookson , Thomas Markland , and John Armstrong were elected Auditors . The Provincial Grand Master proceeded to the investiture of the new Officers , as follow : Bro . Sir 3 . T . Brunner , Bart ., M . P . - - Senior Warden Lilley Ellis - - - - - Junior Warden Rev . 0 . R . Nunn - - - I n , , . Rev . J . E . Evans - Chaplains

Wm . Peers . ... Treasurer Arthur Walker .... Registrar Kosher "I : : " - } Senior Deacons Andrew H . S ° l I ' . j ^ nior Deacons

Hugh Lowndes .... Superintendent of Works Gordon Small . ... Director of Ceremonies Jos . D . Penney .... Deputy Dir . of Cers . E . Russel Taylor - - - - ~ ) Mark Olliver - - - - - S- Assitant Dir . of Cers . John Watt 1 Dr . C . W . Bennett - Sword Bearer Capt . A . N . Shaw - - - I Standard Bearers

Samuel Davies - - - J J . Ferguson Bowdon . . . Assistant Secretary 3 . F . Swift ... . - Organist W . Williams ----- Pursuivant R . B . Blakehurst .... Assistant Pursuivant A . Whittaker - - - - \ T . S . Dreaper ....

T . W . Atkinson - - - > „ , , P . H . Lockwood . ... f Stewards . Dean Sutcliffe .... F . Coveney - - - - /

On leaving the Town Hall the Brethren , in full Masonic regalia , were formed into procession , and marched to the Cathedral , where a service was held , and an offertory was made on behalf of the Cheshire Masonic Charities . A banquet was afterwards held in the Council Chamber at the Town Hall .

Hertfordshire.

HERTFORDSHIRE .

THE annual meeting of this Provincial Grand Lodge was held at Bishop ' s Stortford , on Friday , 28 th ult ., about one hundred Brethren from different parts of the county supporting the chief of the Province Bro . T . F . Halse }' , M . P . The business meeting was held in the St . Michael's Parish Room , and the subsequent banquet at the Great HaU .

Nottinghamshire.

NOTTINGHAMSHIRE .

WELBECK was last week the scene of a gathering which is destined to remain memorable in the history of Nottinghamshire Freemasonry . By the invitation of the Duke and Duchess of Portland the members of the Craft , accompanied by specially invited lady guests , assembled from all parts of the Province , to participate in a garden party

which was designed to commemorate , under agreeable conditions , his Grace ' s acceptance of the Office of Provincial Grand Master , to which he had been appointed by the Prince of Wales . There were circumstances which had involved a postponement of the gathering until a later date than was

originally contemplated . By the resignation of the Duke of St . Albans , who was Master of the Province for twenty years , and was previously associated in a similar position with Lincolnshire , the Nottinghamshire Masonic body lost the potent support of its hi ghest Officer . It was to the general

gratification of members that it became known in the early part of 18 9 8 that the Duke of Portland had consented to occupy the position rendered vacant by his Grace ' s resignation , owing to failing health . The Duke of Portland was installed as head of the Province on 7 th July of that year ,

and the proceedings were rendered especially interesting by reason of the fact that the day had been fixed also for the laying of the foundation stone , with Masonic honours , of the enlarged buildings of the Nottingham General Hospital , a work which has long been the subject of exhaustive

consideration upon the part of the Committee and others interested in the oldest of local medical Institutions . The death of the Duke of St . Albans took place on 9 th May 18 98 , and prevented the installation of his successor in regard to Masonic matters from being attended by other than befitting

formalities . The late Duke of St . Albans had in his position of Grand Master succeeded to a distinguished line of predecessors , including the first Lord Rancliffe , who was appointed in 178 3 ; Admiral Sir John Borlace Warren , appointed in 1802 ; Colonel Thomas Wildman , appointed in 1823 ; Henry Pelham , fifth Duke of Newcastle , •K . G . ;

Nottinghamshire.

appointed in i 860 , and Henry Pelham Alexander , sixth Duke of Newcastle , appointed in 1865 . But for the death of the Duke of St . Albans some social function to signalise the Duke of Portland's accession to office would have been arranged . It was early in the present year that a ball , which

was very largely attended , was held at the Albert Hall , Nottingham , when the Duke and Duchess of Portland were present , together with Lord and Lady Henry Bentinek , the company being as large as it was representative . His Grace

then expressed a wish that the members of the Craft would honour the Duchess and himself by being present in the summer at a garden party at Welbeck , where her Grace would be pleased to welcome ladies as invited guests of members of the Masonic bodv .

At one time it was intended to obtain a special dispensation to enable the Provincial Grand Lodge to hold its summer meeting in one of the large apartments of the Abbey , but the idea was abandoned . For the primarv purpose it had been arranged that the

summer meeting of the Provincial Grand Lodge should precede the garden party at Welbeck . The assembly of the Brethren of the Province took place in the Town Hall , Worksop , on Thursday , 3 rd inst ., where , under their respective banners , the members of the several Lodges were

grouped . The meeting was illustrative of the growth of the Craft in Nottinghamshire during the last twenty years . When the late Duke of St . Albans was installed as Grand Master of Nottinghamshire neither Newark , Mansfield , nor Retford possessed Lodges . The only place of importance

outside the county town in which there was any active centre of Masonry was Worksop , where the Pelham Lodge was founded in 1862 . At present there are no fewer that eighteen Craft Lodges in the county , with No . 47 , the Newstead , in point of seniority , its Warrant being dated as long since as

1755- . ' It is some years since a meeting took place at Worksop , the previous occasion being , we believe , on the appointment

of Bro . the Rev . F . Bussell to the position of Deputy Provincial Grand Master , a post in which he was succeeded , after a short tenure of office , by the late Lieutenant-Colonel Newton .

Provincial Grand Lodge was opened in customary form under the presidency of the Duke of Portland , the others present including his Honour Judge Masterman , D . C . L .,

P . G . D . of England Deputy Provincial Grand Master-elect , Bro . E . Letchworth Grand Secretary of England , Lord Henry Bentinek , M . P ., Prov . G . M . of Westmorland and Cumberland , and Sir Frederick Milner , Bart . M . P .

The local Lodge , the Pelham , No . 939 was , as might be expected , fully represented , the Worshipful Master Bro . T . Castle being supported by his immediate predecessor Bro . J . W . Spedding , most of the assistant Officers , and nearly every other member of his Lodge .

The gathering was rendered especially interesting by reason of the fact that one of the most important works was to instal Dr . Masterman as Deputy Grand Master of the Province , in succession to the late Lieutenant-Colonel William Newton , of Newark , whose death occurred early in

the year . Coupled also with the circumstance that the death of Bro . Arthur Stubbs , who for several years acted as Secretary of the Province , had followed closely upon that of

the Deputy Provincial Grand Master , there were naturally matters for touching reference . They found expression in a resolution , which was moved in sympathetic terms by the Duke of Portland , and seconded by Judge Masterman .

The Provincial Grand Master said , as that was the first time the members of the Provincial Grand Lodge had met since the deaths of the Deputy Provincial Grand Master Lieutenant-Colonel Newton and the Provincial Grand

Secretary Bro . A . Stubbs , it was fitting and right that they should have the opportunity of expressing their great regret and sincere sorrow at the irreparable loss which their families , in common with their Brother Freemasons had sustained . Lieutenant-Colonel Newton for many years filled the

responsible office of Deputy Provincial Grand Master of the Province , and in that capacity gained the love and respect of all with whom he came in contact . They had lost not only a most able and wise assistant in Masonry , but also a true , a sincere , and a valued friend . With regard to Bro . Stubbs ,

he could rightly say that during the many years he filled the responsible office of Grand Secretary he was always found conscientious in his work , and zealous in the welfare of the

Craft . By the deaths of these two Brethren , coming within such a short interval of time , the Craft and the Province had sustained a heavy blow . It would be a long time before the Masons of the Province ceased to mourn the loss of Brothers