Prov. Grand Chapter Of Essex.

PROV . GRAND CHAPTER OF ESSEX .

ON Wednesday , 9 th inst ., the tenth annual meeting of tho Provincial Grand Chapter of the Province of Essex was held at Colcheste-v , tho Prov . Grand Superintendent ( Comp . Frederick A . Philbrick , Q . O ., Grand Registrar , Hicorder of Colchester ) presiding , supported hy the following : —Comps . Richard Clowes P . Z . 51 P . P . G . H .

as acting IL , William . Shurmur Prov . G . J ., Thos . J . Balling Prov . G . S . E ., Andrew Durrant Prov . G . Treasurer , George Graveley Prov . G . Asst . Soj ., Harris Hills Prov . G . Swd . B ., R . Haward Ives Prov . G . Std . B ., A . Lucking Prov . G . D . C , John Hutloy Prov . G . Asst . D . of C , E . H .

Inmau Prov . G . Asst . Scribe E ., and A . W ; Martin Piov . G . Janitor . The meeting was held in tho Board Room of the Corn Exchange , which , with tho help of flags and plants , had been transformed into a very handsome Chapter room by Comp . Bailey P . Z . 51 P . P . G . R .

The minutes of tho last annual meeting ( held nt Halstead ) having beeu read and confirmed , letters regreting their inability to attend were read from several distinguished Companions . A letter was also read

from Comp . J . M . MoLeocl , Secretary of the Royal ilasonic Institution for Boys , enclosing tho following resolution passed by the Board of Stewards of tho recent Festival at Brighton : —

" That a cordial vote of thanks he recorded to the V . W . Bro . F . A . Philbrick , Q . C , Grand Registrar , Depnty Provincial Grand Maater ol Essex , for his services na acting President of the Board , aud especially for his eminent services rendered in tha Province of Essex , resulting in splendid lists of £ 2 , 235 9 s being added from that Province to the fends of the Institution . "

Ifc was decided that this resolution shonld bo entered on the minutes . Tho roll was next called , and tho eleven Chapters comprising thc Province were all found to be represented . The report of the Board of General Purposes , which had

been previously printed and circulated , was taken as read , and ordered to bo received , adopted , and entered on the minutes . Tho Board reported thafc tho roll of Chapters at Iho present timo consists of eleven , with a membership of 280 , as against 218 Inst year . There had been eleven

resignations , two deaths , and one exclusion during the year . The statement of accounts appended to this report showed that there was a balance in hand , after paying all expense . , including £ 21 to tho Royal Masonic Institution for Boys , of £ 14 19 s Sd .

Tho next business was tho election of three members of the Provincial Board of General Purposes , in accordance with Bye-Law V ., and only the requisite number having been nominated , thoy were declared elected , as follows : —

Comps . G . H . Finch P . Z . and S . W . 2005 P . P . G . J ., John J . C . Turner P . Z . 51 P . P . G . J ., and Francis A . White P . Z . 1437 P . P . G . J .

The Prov . Grand Superintendent then addressed the Companions , expressing his pleasure at meeting so many of his Companions that day , and his thankfulness that such a large number of esteemed and honoured friends had been spared to be present afc this annual gathering . It was a

matter for congratulation for them all that another Chapter , attached to one of 'the oldest Lodges , had been added to the roll . There were 33 Lodges in tho Province and 11 Chapters , a proportion which was fully up to the average , and compared very favourably with the Province

of Sussex , the Grand Superintendent of which had honoured them by attending the meeting thafc day . Then as to numbers , they commenced thc year with 218 , but were now 280 , which was a large increase—between 25 and 30 per cent , afc least . He thought that the Province might fairly

gather from these figures thafc there was a general desire to extend its usefulness , and that their progress , if not by leaps and bounds , was a steady progress , and that this branch of Foeemasonry was appreciated by the very elite and cream of the Craffc Masons . Tho year through which

they had just passed had boon an untroubled one as far as their Order was concerned . Ifc had not been , in the country districts , he feared , one of general prosperity , though , adverting to thc resolution they had received from the Royal Masonic Institution for Boys , he began to think

that there was a perennial spring in the hearts of the Freemasons of Essex which ensured so much liberality to the Charities of the Craft and exemplified tho words of King Solomon : — " There is thafc scafctereth and yet iucreasetb . " Thc year had been an untroubled one because it had been one of unity and prosperity—a prosperity which was only

Prov. Grand Chapter Of Essex.

I j to bo obtained by unity . He had had the pleasure of visit-I ing some of the Chapters , and had been pleased to see the i work so perfectly rendered . He trusted he might seo the

I Province continue to grow—he and some of those present had seen it rise from small beginnings ; and he only hoped that it might always be nofc the last or least of Royal Arch Provinces .

Comp . Andrew Dun-ant P . Z . 276 was , on the motion of Comp . Graveley , seconded by Comp . Turner , elected , for the eleventh time , as Provincial Grand Treasurer . The Officers of the Provincial Grand Chapter for tho year were then appointed and invested as follow : —

Comp . W . B . Dring 453 . . H . E . Hennemeyer 51 - - J . T . J . Railing 51 ( eleventh year ) Scribo E . R . Haward Ives 51 . . Scribe N . Thomas Hood 1000 - . Registrar

E . P . Suthery 276 . . Principal Sojourner W . F . Darnell 214 - . 1 st Assistant Sojourner llev . T . S . Raffles 2005 - . 2 nd Assistant Sojourner T . Scoresby Jackson 2256 •Sword Bearer

I ' ranois Bird 1024 - . Standard Bearer A . Lucking 1000 ( eleventh year ) Director of Ceremonies | G . Copns 2154 - . . Asst . Dir . of Cers . | George Corbie 453 . . Asst . Scribe E . ( A . W . Martin - - . Janitor

A hearty voto of thanks was passed to the members of fcho Patriotic Chapter for the excellent arrangements they had made for the reception of Provincial Grand Chapter , aud the Grand Superintendent announced that in reply to a cordial invitation he had received he proposed to hold the next meeting at Chelmsford .

Provincial Grand Chapter was then closed , and between 30 and 40 Companions adjourned to the Cups Hotel , aud partook of an elegant dinner , well served by the host and ho & tess , Mr . and Mrs . Brown . Almongst those who attended the meeting , besides those

already mentioned , were Comps . General Randolph Prov . Grand Superintendent Sussex , George Cooper P . G . A . S . England , Vera W . Taylor P . P . G . H ., Thomas Rix P . P . G . Swd . B ., G . H . Finch P . P . G . J ., F . A . White P . P . G . J .,

Alfred Welsh P . P . G . J ., J . Boulton P . Z . and Treas . 933 , James Speller J . 2256 , J . P . Lewiu P . P . G . S . N ., J . T . Bailey P . P . G . R ., and A . S . B . Sparling I . P . Z . 51 P . P . G . Std . B . Amongst those unable to attend were Comps . IU . Letchworth G . S . E ., Millner Jutsura Prov . G . H ., J . H .

Sailer Prov . G . P . S ., R . D . Poppleton M . E . Z . 51 , O . Egerton-Green , Percy Clowes , & c .

Prov. Grand Lodge Of Durham.

PROV . GRAND LODGE OF DURHAM .

rj ^ HE Officers of Provincial Grand Lodge paid a visit to JL the Barnard Lodge , afc Barnard Castle , on Friday evening , the 4 th inst ., when they were welcomed by a numerous gathering of the members , including Bros . 'J . R . Thompson W . M ., Henry Dowdeswell I . P . M ., Dr . A . H Sevier S . W ., Rev . Hartley Jennings P . P . G . C . J . W .,

R . C . AI . Cooke P . P . G . D ., G . W . Jackson as S . D ., Gibson Kyle J . O ., J . M . Moore P . G . O ., J . W . B . HeslopSecretary , Isaac Thompson P . P . G . Steward , O . S . Scott as I . G ., J . G Hall P . P . G . A . D . of O . as Dir . of Cers . Among the

Visitors were Bros . C . D . Hill-Drury P . G . S . W ., Babington Boulton P . P . G . T ., W . R . Staveley P . G . J . AV ., J . Robinson P . P . G . Standard Bearer , D . Cameron P . G . J . D ., William Swales P . P . G . O ., B . S . Beckwith P . P . G . Standard Bearer , Thomas Dunn P . G . D . of C , J . C . Moor P . P . G . D . W ., Barlow P . G . D . D . of C , Wm . Hobson P . P . G . D .

New Music.

NEW MUSIC .

All Music intended for review should be addressed to the Editor of the 'Freemason ' s Chronicle , Belvidere Works , Hermes Hill , Pentonville , London , M * . — : o : — WE have received from Messrs . Cocks and Co ., of New Darlington Streef , VV ., a capital little wedding hymn , entitled " God Bless the

lloyal Pair , " which has been dedicated by special permission to the Duke and Dneheas of York . The words , which are by the Rav . S . Childs C . arkc , M . A ., nre mo ? t appropriate to the happy even ' , while the music , which is by Arthur E . Godfrey , is both pretty and attractive . A tonic sol-fa edition of this hymn is also issued .