Mark Masonry.

MARK MASONRY .

DEVONSHIRE . of

rr ^ HE annual meeting Province was held the 1 . Freemasons' Hall , Plymouth , on the 14 th insfc ., under the presidency of the Provincial Grand Master fche Eight Hon . Sir Stafford Northcote , C . B ., M . P ., who was supported by Bro . Major Sfcrode-Lowe D . P . G . M ., and many others .

. The Secretary Bro . H . Stocker reported that he had received a communication from the Grand Secretary , stating that the M . W . G . M . the Prince of Wales had been pleased to re-appoint Sir Stafford Northcote Provincial Grand Master for Devonshire

for a period of three years . The Provincial Grand Master thanked the Brethren for the confidence they had shown in him , and assured them that it would always afford him the greatest satisfaction to do all in his power to promote the interests of Mark Masonry generally .

The Secretary's report showed a slight decrease in the number of Brethren in the Province , . which he attributed to a stricter enforcement of the rules of the Order . In moving the adoption of the report , the P . G . M . referred in appreciative terms fco the excellent work done by Bro . Stocker during the ten years he had held the office of Provincial Grand Secretary .

The Secretary's report having been adopted , the Treasurer s report was read and showed that after paying expenses there was a balance of £ 35 15 s 7 d to the credit of Provincial Grand Lodge . The Committee of General Purposes reported that they had voted £ 15 15 s to the Mark Benevolent Fund , and £ 5 5 s fco each of the three Devon Masonic charities .

Bro . Dunsterville , of Lodge 70 , was elected Prov . Grand Treasurer , on the proposition of Bro . F . Westlake . Bros . J . B . Gover and J . E . Lord were elected auditors . Bros . J . Lane . J .

Stocker , J . B . Gover and J . Couch were elected on the Committee of General Purposes for the ensuing year . On the proposition of Bro . H . Stocker , seconded by fche Deputy Prov . Grand Master , a resolution was passed congratulating the P . G . M . on the fact that he had since the last Provincial Grand Lodge been appointed by the Prince of Wales to be Provincial Grand Master for Devonshire in Craft Masonry .

In reply , the Prov . Grand Master said he was sure he should find the insight which he had obtained into the work of Prov . Grand Master , while occupying thafc position in Mark Masonry , to be of great assistance to him in the new office for which he had been selected . He hoped all the branches of Masonry would prosper in the Province , and thanked the Brethren for the support they had always given him .

On the proposition of the P . G . M ., the Master and Brethren of the Temple Lodge were heartily thanked for the admirable arrangements they had made for the meeting of tbe Provincial Grand Lodge . ' The Prov . Grand Master appointed and invested the following Brethren as Officers for the ensuing year * . — .

Bro . G . Strode-Lowe - - - - Deputy F . B . Westlake .... Senior Warden J . Taylor - - - - - Junior Warden J . Jarman - - - - - Master Overseer J . Allingham - - - - Senior Overseer S . Daniel - - - - - Junior Overseer

Rev . M . Browne ... - Chaplain 0 . F . Dunsterville - - - - Treasurer S . Wallis ----- Registrar-Ed Stocker - - - - - Secretary H . W . Mayne - - - Senior Deacon J . Good ----- Junior Deacon

J . Harvey ----- Inspector of Works J . Cull - - - - - Director of Ceremonies J . Williams- - - - - Assist . Dir . of Oers . J . Davidson - - - - Sword Bearer J . liuget - ---- Organist

H . Broom - - - - - Assistant Secretary W . Hooper - - - - - Inner Guard W . Sweet - - - - - ) G . H . Clark - - - - > Stewards B . Littleton - - - - ) J . Gidley - - ¦¦ - ¦' - - Tyler .

Afc the banquet which followed , fche Provincial Grand Master was supported by the newly-appointed Provincial Officers and a large number of Past Provincial Officers and Brethren . The usual toasts were given . — " Western Morning News . "

Lancashire.

LANCASHIRE .

ON Wednesday , 14 th inst ., the annual meeting of the Provincial Grand Lodge was held at the Guild Hall , Preston . The Eight Hon . the Earl of Lathom Prov . G . M . M . was unable to attend , owing to a command from the Queen to attend the funeral of the late Archbishop of Canterbury , and fche chair was

Lancashire.

occupied by Bro . Colonel Le Gendre N . Starkie his Deputy . The first business of the meeting was to elecfc a Provincial Grand Treasurer . Bro . Harry Bannister , was unanimously elected to the position for the year , on the proposition of the Eev . T .

Barton Spencer P . G . Chaplain England . Several notices of motion were brought forward , but only one was . carried . This was one voting 15 guineas to be paid from the Prov . Grand Mark Lodge funds to the East Lancashire Systematic Institution , and 15 guineas fco the West Lancashire Alpass Institution .

The following Officers were invested to officiate daring the ensuing year :

Bro . G . A . Harradan - Senior Warden . Joseph Pollard - - - - Juuior Warden- .. ' - . ' John Fletcher - - - - Master Overseer Robt . Owen - - - - Senior Overseer Eli Brooks - - - - - Junior Overseer Rev . 0 . C . Bluett ... - Chaplain

H . Bannister - - - ^ - Treasurer John Chadwick - -. - .. - . •Secretary J . M . Veal - - - . .. - - Senior Deacon Walter Connard - - - - . Junior Deacon Thos . Roberts - Inspector of Works H . F . Murphy .... Director of Ceremonies

J , H . Carter - - - - Deputy Dir . of Cers . Abraham Pemberton - ' - - Sword Bearer James Nuttall - - - - Standard Bearer " Robt . Migley - - - - Organist Wm . Goodacre - - - - Assist . Secretary Wm . Jones - - - - - Inner Guard

T . Hogg - - - - - - -j J . Morrow - - - - - a . -, ¦ J . E . Dunn- - - - - Stewa ^ s G . Oakey - J . J . Hankin - - - - Tyler .

After the business had beeu concluded , the Brethren adjourned to the Bull Hotel Assembly Eoom , where an excellent banquet was provided by Mrs . Williams , in her best style . Bro . W . E . M . Tomlinson , M . P ., presided . — " Preston Herald . "

Lincolnshire.

LINCOLNSHIRE .

npHE Earl of Yarborough Provincial Master presided at the 1 annual Grand Lodge , held at Horncastle , on Thursday , 8 th inst . He was supported by Bro . Charles Scorer Deputy Prov . G . M ., Bro . J . Sutcliffe Past Provincial Grand Master , and . others .

Bro . W . W . Smith was re-elected Treasurer , Bro . Lancaster Tyler , and Bros . Mortimer , Dashper , and Eead Auditors . Bros . Dashper , Liversedge , Norfolk , and Stainforfch were appointed the Committee of General Purposes . The Officers were invested for the year .

Somerset.

SOMERSET .

nnHE annual Proviucial Grand Lodge was held on Thursday , I 22 nd inst ., afc Keynsham , afc fche local headquarters , fche Lamb and Lark Hotel , under the presidency of the P . G . M . Bro . E . C . Else , who was supported by the D . P . G . M . Colonel Long . The following Officers were appointed for the year : —

Bros . A . J . Grey - Senior Warden H . Humpries - - - - Junior Warden S . J . Lewis ----- Master Overseer W . E . Perrett - - - - Senior Overseer O . W . Wiltshire - - - - Junior Overseer Rev . Thomas - - - - Chaplain Radway - - - - Treasurer

R . Knight - - - - - Registrar of Marks T . F . Elworthy - - - Secretary F . E . Pearse - Senior Deacon Hitehings Davies - Junior Deacon A . W . Moore - - - - Inspector of Works E . Fuller ----- Director of Ceremonies T . Bampfield - Sword Bearer

T . G . Coggan - - - - Standard Bearer R . H . Shrapnell - Organist T . Colenufc - - - - - Inner Guard A . Holborn - - - - - I OJ . „ J „ T . J . Jefferies .... } Stewards A . G . Salter - - .- Tyler .

An interesting portrait group has been presented to the Lion Lodge , No . 312 , Whitby , of Bros . John Stephenson P . M ., S . Eeed P . M ., J . N . Lawson P . M ., and Thomas Smailes , to commemorate the attainment of their Jubilee in the Craft . There are other three Brethren surviving who are jubilee Masons , says

the " Darlington Echo , " and who were also initiated in the Lion Lodge respectively in 1838 , 1839 , and 1840 , making seven in all . Additional interest is given to the circumstance from the fact that the Lion Lodge celebrates its centenary nexfc year , when the Provincial Graud Lodge for the North and East Eidings will meet in Whitby .