An Extinct Lodge.

tho Lodu'e nofc properly cloathed . " Tho first two degrees wero given in ono HI " L-1 . * , but tho third always occupied a night to itself . On the 12 th May the following entry occurs : — "This night it was unanimously agreed that Ihe Deputies in the Old Officers' room should be as follows : —And then come tlio names of five brethren as W . M ., S . W ., J . W ., P . M . and See . This set of otlicers , I gather from sue ceediug minutes , waa merely intended to act in case of tho absence

of the regular ones , for on the 7 th December of the samo year , Bro . Beckwith , who was the Deputy W . M ., is entered as having occupied the chair , and has D . It . W . after his name . Tho Treasurer ' s current account appears in the minutes , and there never seems to have been very much in hand , tho tavern bill ( which , however , it must bo noted to Mrs . Chaddook's , tho landlady ' s , credit was always very reasonable ) swallowing a good shire . On tho 15 th June 1761 I

find" Paid for 3 candles for tbe Brethren at Hull and a box , 9 s M . " Several similar entries occur subsequently . On the 17 th August two brethren who had been fined Od each for non-attendance made " proper excuses , and wero pardoned their fines . " The next minute of consequence was passed on tho 23 rd August 1761 , thus : — " Afc this lodge , consisting only of Masters , after

a debate whether those officers who shall come after the timo mentioned in tho summonses shall forfeit sixpence and lose the chair for that night , it was and is hereby ordered by the majority present , thafc any officer who shall come after tho time above shall take his proper jewel from the Brother then in possession of it , and assume his own

seat , and pay sixpence for his neglect of duty . And this for the future to be a standing rule iu this Lodge , " and further , " At this Lodge ifc is further ordered that no Brother sh . aU be raised to the 3 rd degree if 3 or more are against him . " Tho first election of Master and Officers took place on tho 21 sfc December 1761 , when tho Deputy , Bro . M . Beckwith , was chosen ; the Wardens , Pasfc Master , Treasurer , and Secretary , also being elected by the Members . On the 4 th January 1762 , an Entered Apprentice

petitioned to be made a Fellow Craft , and was accepted and made . A dinner was held also on that day " in commemoration of St . John ' s Day . " At this Lodge ifc was also arranged that the Secretary should be excused the payment of quarterages in view of his services , and that an annual balance-sheet and list of members be made out and sent to the " Grand Master , Deputy Grand Master , or Grand Secretary , as shall be thought most requisite . " The installation of Bro . Beckwith took place on 18 th January , and is thus recorded : — " Afc this Lodge , after a learned and earnest exhortation to the newlv

elected Master and other Officers from the late Worshipful Master , Brother Frodsham , to support the dignity and maintain the harmony of the Lodgo , Brother Malby Beckwith as Master , Brother Moono as Senior Warden , and Brother Barker as Junior AVarden , were by onr said late Worshipful Master sworn and installed accordingly . After which he . OTir Hflirl lain T ? icrhf . Wnraliinfnl Mnsf . m . rnnrlr . enonrlorl fn

become the Pass-Master of this Worshipful Lodge for the year ensuing , pursuant to the resolutions and votes of the Lodge held the 21 sfc of December last , and took the seat and jewel of our late worthy Pass-Master Brother Crisp accordingly . At this Lodgo , after the late

Master Frodsham bad delivered his before-mentioned charge , it was unanimously requested that ho would be pleased to permit the same to be published , which he agreed to . " This charge was published , and went through moro than one edition . I possess the late Dr . Oliver ' s copy of an edition published afc Newcastle in 1772 , with a tail . piece by Bewick , and which is entitled " A Charge delivered to the most antient and honorable Society of Free and Accepted Masons , in a Lodge held at the Punch-Boll , in " Stonegate , York , upon Friday , the 18 th day of January 1762 , by Brother Frodsham at bis dismission of the chair . "

Brother Oram , who was the first Senior Warden , but who does nofc appear to have ever passed the chair , was connected with the York Theatre , and in the collection of the Eboracum Lodge , No . 1611 , is an old playbill of that theatre , announcing that on the 5 th February 1791 ( iust the date when the Grand Lodire of all England was at its

last gasp ) would bo performed ( " By Desire of tho Ancient and Honourable Society of Free and accepted Masons , for the Benefit of Mr . Oram , " ) the Merchant of Venice , the Irish Widow , and A Trip to Scarborough . About this time I notice several French names amongst the lists of visitors , as Villefort , L'Aine , La Yillaine , Dn Fresne , Le Peltier , Ternean , De La Rue , & c . On the 1 st February it is recorded : — " Afc this Lodere it

beinajudged proper to have Stewards to take care that the Brethren be well served , the motion was made , and Brothers John Palmes and Dalton wero nominated to act as Stewards , who were accordingly approved of , and on accepting the office wore thanked by the Lodge and drank to in due order . " At a meeting in March it was agreed

that every brother shonld provide his own apron , and thafc every new member should pay a shilling for one . The Lodge appears to havo had a Masonic library , for on tho 15 th March it is recorded thafc "Brother J . i ' almes borrowed the Duodecimo

Book of Architecture . " Fines for non-attendance became very frequent , and the meetings began to get smaller . Yery few candidates seem to have come forward , and tho funds in hand were so small that visitors were charged their share of the reckoning . In December , Bro . Agar was elected W . M ., and on the 3 rd January 1763 was installed in the chair . After this , matters were a little more brisk and attendances better . In May , the Lodge sent a guinea to the Grand Treasurer , " for the benefit of the General Charity . " There was irregular Masonry at work in these days , for on 26 th

September 1763 , " A Fellow' Crafts L . being opened , Brother John Bodens , having been mado an E . P . and M . M ., at Scarborough , in an irregular manner , petitioned to be made a F . C ., who , being proposed and balloted for , was unanimously approved of and made accordingly . "

At the next meeting , this brother was raised , and , in consideration of his having previously paid for two degrees , was let off with lis 6 d . A . t the November meeting , Bro . Agar E . W . M . " generously offered to stand and execute tho office of M . for the year ensuing , " bnfc whether

An Extinct Lodge.

! the Lodge continued to exist during tho-whole of that year is doubtful , for tho book olnses with the miuuto of the January me ting in 1764 . Other minutes may of course have been kep t in another book or ou looso papers , as in the case of tho Grand Lodge at 'York ; but as Bro . Sefch Agar , tho W . M ., soon afterwards became G . M . of All England ,

ifc seems probable that the superior assump tion of the Grand Lodge soon eclipsed the humbler Punch Bowl Lodgo , aud that tho latter was deserted by its members . In my copy of "Calcott ' s Candid Disquisition , " published in 17 C 9 , I find several of tbos > York brethren in tbo list of subscribers . Agar

is mentioned , also J . Taskor , the Deputy Grand Master , who appears to have been a tailor , as in the Punch Bowl minutes lie ia paid so much for a pair of drawers for the candidates . "The Lodge afc York "

is also booked for ten copies , and Bro . Goo . Palmes , R . W . M . ot that year , appears on tho list . Liko most old minutes thoso aro miserably meagre , and consist of very little moro than names and cash accounts .

T . B . WltYTRHEAD . York . P . S . I observe that Bro . Gould , in his admirable History of the Atholl Masons , just published , says that the brethren of the Yorkshire Militia Regiments do not appear to have regarded the Grand

Lodge of All England with any very high degree of veneration . This can scarcely be wondered afc , since thoso regiments wore mostly officered by the scions of county families , between whom and the

burgher families of York in thoso days a great gulf was fixed . On tho other hand , the Grand Lodge of All England seems to havo beeu officered , at any rate for nine-tenths of tho term of its recorded existence , by the trading classes of the ancient city . T . B . W ,

Committee Meeting Of The Girls' School.

COMMITTEE MEETING OF THE GIRLS' SCHOOL .

THE monthly meeting of the General Committee of the Royal Masonic Institution for Girls was held on Wednesday , afc Freemason ' s Hall . Col . Creaton , J . P ., Grand Treasurer , presided . Among tho brethren present were Bros . Frank Richardson , Colonel James Peters , Capt . N . G . Philips , S . Rawson , George Bolton , H . Massev , Edward Cox , Robert B . Webster , A . IT . Tattershall , Joshua Nunn , " Arthur E . Gladwell , H . A . Dubois , J . M . Clabon , W . Bailey , W .

F . Cutler , and F . R . W . Hedges tho Secretary . In the conrso of reading the minntes , the information was given that next Thursday week was appointed for the Twelfth Night Entertainment to the children remaining in the School for tho Christmas Holidays . With reference to the resolution to purchase Lyncombe House and grounds , tho Chairman explained that thero had been an informality in the

proceedings of the Institution , because law 34 laid ifc down that all propositions to spend over £ 500 must first be reported to tho General Committee , and by them to a General Court . This had not heen dono ; and therefoic , to | set matters straight , he would now give notice , in accordance with the recommendation of the . Building Committee , that the sum of . 66 , 500 bo expended in ' the pnrcl ase of Lyncombo

House and grounds , and he should convene a Special Court—to travel over the ground already travelled over—for tho 3 rd of January . Ho was now in communication with a professional man , who was not a Mason , who was going to lock over the house and grounds . His own opinion was , that because they would add con . siderably to the extension of the Institution grounds , and prevent any

buildings being erected , they were worth almost any money ; but before the Special Court he would have full information on the subject . Bro . Edw . Cox gave notice of motion for next Quarterly Court , to alter the resolution to increase the salaries of the governesses at the Institution in some particulars . A cheque for £ 100 was

received from Bro . II . G . Buss , Treasurer to the Wentworth Little Memorial Fund , to be invested for an annual prize at the School , to be called "Tho Wentworth Little Prize . " Nice additional children wero then put on the list for April election , afc which there will be forty-five candidates and twelve vacancies . The proceedings terminated with a vote of thanks to tho Chairman .

Meeting Of The Lodge Of Benevolence.

MEETING OF THE LODGE OF BENEVOLENCE .

TIIHE monthly meeting of the Lodge of Benevolence was hold on J- Wednesday evening , afc Freemasons' Hall . Bro . J . M . Clabon P . G . D ., President , took the President's chair , Bro . Joshua Nunn , Senior Yice-Presidont , occupied the chair of Senior Yice-Pres ' ulent , and Bro . James Brett , Junior Vice-President , took the chair of Junior Vice-President . Amongst other brethren present were Bros . S . Rawson , G . P . Britten , W . H . Ferryman , C . A . Cottebrune , E .

Storr , A . Middlemass , C . Atkins , Griffiths Smith , W . Mann , E . F . Storr , Edward White , James Lewis Thomas , John Constable , H . G . Buss ( Assist . Grand Sec ) , A . A . Pendlebury , and W . Dodd . The brethren first confirmed grants made at last meeting to tho amount of £ 425 . The recommendation of a grant of £ 100 made at last meeting of the Lodgo of Benevolence , which was referred back by

Grand Lodge for reconsideration , was unanimously confirmed , and the remaining thirty-seven cases ou the list , which were new ones , were disposed of by votes and recommendations to tho amount of £ 930 to thirty-two cases . Two were dismissed , and three postponed . Tho brethren separated at nearl y eleven p . m .,- wishing each other " A merry Christmas . "