Provincial Grand Lodge Of Middlesex.

of the province—Bro . Stedwell—had been taken from them . Bro Stedwell was the oldest member of Provincial Grand Lodge , having for 28 years belonged to that body , and with the single exception of Bro . John Gilbert , the Prov . Grand Tyler , there was no one in the province who had been so long associated with Provincial Grand Lodge . They had also lost the senior Past Master of the province—Bro . Shoppee—and Bro .

Horton Smith , Q . C , now occupied that position . After that record , he turned with especial pleasure to the latest recruit in Prov . Grand Lodge — Bro . Rev . J . E . C Welldon . For three successive years Prov . Grand Lodge had met at Harrow , and the Herga Lodge had done so much , and he therefore proposed a toast in connection with that lodge , and associated with it the name of Bro . Welldon , coupling the motto of the great school of which he was the head— " Stet fort una i / oiuiis . "

Bro . Rev . J . E . C . WELLDON , M . A ., Prov . Grand Chaplain , thanked the Prov . Grand Master very heartily for the kind words in which that supernumerary toast had been proposed and accepted . He felt special gratitude , for he did not know if they were aware that he was somewhat in the habit of addressing at Harrow an audience very different to that , and when he addressed that audience his presence was by no means a source of

the same satisfaction . It was one of the misfortunes of the office which he held , that the persons with whom he came most in contact were apt to regard one , if not with hostility , with a certain discriminating affection . Not long since a member of his profession had the misfortune to write a book , and not long after one of his friends was travelling on the Metropolitan Railway and a small boy was reading that book . It was a school book . After a time

his friend thought he would ingratiate himself with the boy , and said— " So you are reading that book ; I know the man who wrote it . " The small boy said— " You don ' t mean to say you know that beast . " Such were the experiences of his chequered profession . It was a great satisfaction to receive at the hands of Lord Geo . Hamilton , with so much kindness , the office conferred upon him that evening . A distinguished brother ( Bro . Mason ) ,

remarked that he thought it was not the clothing that should ornament the brother , it was the brother should ornament the clothing . That distinguished brother did ornament the clothing , but it was the clothing which ornamented him ( Bro . Welldon ) . In once again thanking them , he assured them that his highest ambition was to live up to his own clothing . " The Visitors " was acknowledged by Bro . TRILL ,

After which the PROV . GRAND MASTER proposed " The Deputy Provincial Grand Master and Provincial Grand Officers , " referring to Bro . Thrupp ' s great services to Freemasonry . Whatever might be the question brought before Bro . Thrupp , it was decided—looking neither to right nor leftupon its merits , and what was best in the interests of Freemasonry , and it would be an evil day for Middlesex when Bro . Thrupp was compelled to relax his attention .

Bro . RAYMOND H . THRUPP , Dep . P . G . D . C , said he still took—and always should take—a deep interest in the welfare of the province , to see that everything was carried out to the satisfaction of the Prov . Grand Master . He was sure all the Prov . Grand Officers , and especially Bro . Small , the Prov . G . Sec , would do all they could to assist him . The PROV . GRAND TYLER then gave the concluding toast , and the proceedings terminated .

New Masonic Hall At East Grinstead.

NEW MASONIC HALL AT EAST GRINSTEAD .

The foundation-stone of the Masonic Hall now being erected in St . James ' sroad , East Grinstead , was laid with full Masonic ceremonial on Wednesday , the 22 nd ult . H . R . H . the Duke of Connaught , Prov . G . M ., was unable himself to be present , but his Deputy—Bro . the Right Hon . Sir W . T . Marriott—attended on his behalf , and did the work most ably .

An emergency meeting of the Sackville Lodge , No . 1619 , was opened at the White Lion Hotel punctually at 3 . 30 p . m ., when the following brethren were present .- Bros . J . E . Lark , W . M . ; W . W . Gale , S . W . , A . Brandt , J . W . - ; Rev . R , B . Matson , Chap . ; E . A . Head , P . M ., Treas . ; A . M . Betchley , P . M ., Sec . ; H .

D . Gatford . S . D . ; W . H . Hills , J . D . ; J . Harrison , D . C ; H . Young , I . G . ; W . J . S . Mann and W . J . Dunthorne , Stewards ; W . H . Dixon , I . P . M . ; F . ] . Budd-Budd , P . M . ; G . Mitchell , P . M . ; C . M . Wilson , P . M . ; C . J . Rowe , Tyler ; F . Dunn , G . H . Lynn , A . R . Clark , H . E . Mathews , H . S . Martin , E . P . Whitley Hughes , T . Moore , R . G . Payne , and J . Cooper .

The visiting brethren included Bros , the Right Hon . Sir W . T . Marriott , Q . C , P . G . D ., D . P . G . M . ; A . R . Stenning , P . G . S . of W . ; J . Farncombe , P . M .,

P . P . G . W . ; V . P . Freeman , P . G . D ., Prov . G . Sec . ; T . G . Roberts , W . M . 1362 , P . G . D . Surrey ; R . A . Thompson , W . M . 2502 ; G . Cole , P . M . 1636 ; F . H . Beeney , I . P . M . 1797 ; [ . Howe , P . M . 1465 , P . P . G . S . B . ; A . Alwen , W . M . 1797 ; G . W . Staden , 311 ; R . Weston , W . M . 311 ; W . Young , 1797 j W . W . Weiing , 1821 ; T . Steer , 1287 j C . J . Bye , P . M . 1238 ; and A . H . Smith , P . M . 315 . The lodge having been opened , a procession was marshalled by Bro . James

Harrison , who very ably officiated as Director of the Ceremonies , assisted by Bro . W . H . Hills as his Deputy . The site of the hall is exactly 100 yards from the White Lion Hotel , so that the brethren had no great distar . ee to march . A considerable crowd witnessed the very unusual sight with evident interest . A number of the lady friends of the members had been provided with seats within the enclosure and had taken up

their places before the arrival of the procession . As soon as the members of the Craft reached the site they divided right and left , facing inwards , forming up in two lines under an awning which had been erected over the main foundation of the building . The Deputy Prov . Grand Master proceeded to the stone , accompanied by his chief efficers , and the brethren bearing the various vessels deposited them on a pedestal close at hand . Bro . E . A . Head , as chairman of the Building

Committee , then in a few appropriate words , asked Bro . Sir Wm . Marriott to accept a handsome trowel , suitably inscribed , for use on and as a memento of that interesting occasion . The gift having been briefly acknowledged , Mr . W . N . Barnard then sang Cardinald Manning ' s beautiful hymn , " Lead , kindly light , " Mr . E . Hunt accompanying on the organ . The upper stone having been raised by the workmen , the Deputy Prov . Grand Master addressed the assembly , setting forth the duty of Masons to erect handsome buildings to be serviceable to men and

to the glory of God . Prayer was next offered by the Chaplain , and the whole company then united in singing the hymn , " O Lord of Hosts , whose glory fills . " Bro . Betchley , Sec , then read the inscription to be afterwards placed on the stone and Bro . Head placed within the lower lead-lined cavity a packet of coins of the current year and copies of the Daily Telegraph 01 that day ' s date and the East C-riiisteud Observer . if June 18 th . Bro . Clark then presented the cement , which was duly spread , and the upper stone slowly lowered . The necessary tools were presented and Sir William successively declared the stone to be plumb , level , and

New Masonic Hall At East Grinstead.

square , finally announcing that it was " duly prepared and truly laid , " and that the craftsmen had worked well . He next scattered corn upon the stone and then poured wine and oil over it . In a second address Sir William Marriott expressed his prVde at having aided in commencing a building which , by the beauty of its design and the solidity of its construction , would , he trusted , be an ornament to the neighbourhood for centuries to come .

The architect ( Bro . Mathews ) was then presented to the Deputy Provincial Grand Master , who inspected the plans produced and then handed them back to Bro . Mathews , together with the general tools used in proving the position of the stone , and desired him to proceed , without loss of time , with the completion of the work in conformity with the plan . The CHAPLAIN having offered prayer for the benefactors and workmen , the whole of the Masons present filed past the stone and laid their offerings upon it , the sum thus realised , which included a few previously promised subscriptions , amounting to nearly . £ 25 .

The familiar " Old Hundreth " was then sung , and the ceremony closed with another prayer and the Benediction . The procession having been re-formed , the brethren returned at once to the lodge room , where a very cordial vote of thanks was passed to Bro . Sir Wm . Marriott , on the proposition of the WORSHIPFUL MASTER , seconded by the TREASURER . The lodge was then formally closed .

The banquet which followed was served in a marquee erected at the rear of the White Lion Hotel , the catering being done by Messrs . Letheby and Christopher , of the Dormans Park Hotel , in conjunction with Mr . A . M . Betchley . It was a capital repast , excellent in its character , and admirably served . At its conclusion , the VV . M . of the lodge , Bro . LARK , who presided , submitted

the toast of "The Queen and the Craft . " Bro . E . A . HEAD afterwards gave '' The Grand Master of England , H . R . H . the Prince of Wales , " and referred to the great success of the recent Masonic Festival , so much of which was due to the personal popularity of his Royal Highness .

Bro . J AMES HARRISON gave The . Officers of the Grand Lodge , Present and Past , " and expressed the great pleasure it gave local brethren to see amongst them that day three gentlemen who had held office in Grand Lodge . Bro . A . R . STENNING briefly replied to the toast . Bro . Rev . R . B . MATSON submitted " The Provincial Grand Mister of Sussex ,

the Duke of Connaught , and the Deputy Grand Master , the Right Hon . Sir W , T . Marriott , and the Officers of the Provincial Grand Lodge , Present and Past , " and congratulated the D . Prov . Grand Master upon the very admirable way in which he had conducted that very important ceremony , which , he believed , would long remain in the history of the Sackville Lodge , and in the memory of Bro . Budd-Budd , to whom they were very much indebted .

Bro . the Right Hon . Sir W . T . MARRIOTT , Q . C , responded , and first of all paid a deserved tribute to his honoured chief , and then expressed his own delight at having taken part in such a happy ceremony as they had carried through that day . He expressed the indebtedness of th-j province generally to Bro . Budd-Budd for his munificence , and hoped his example would be followed elsewhere . Bro . W . IT . HILLS gave "The Donor of the Site , " and , on behalf of the brethren , thanked Bro . Budd-Budd , not only for his generosity in thit particular instance , but also for the many kindnesses which he was always extending to the brethren individually , as well as to the members collectively .

Bro . BUDD-BUDU , who was greeted with the greatest enthusiasm , slid it had long been his wish , and no doubt theirs also , that they , as Masons , should have a home of their own . It was now nearing accomplishment , and the little he hid done in regard to the matter would have availed nothing if it had not bean for the cordial help he had received from the brothers generally , especially from the trustees , who , he was convinced , were most anxious to see the project successfully

carried through . Several other toasts followed . The speeches were interspersed with some excellent musical selections by Mr . E . Hunt at the piano , and the following capable and well-known vocalists -. Bros A . Brandt , H . Young , and H . E . Mathews ; Messrs . H . B . Harwood , W . N Barnard , and A . E . Clarke .

Resignation Of The Deputy Prov. Grand Master Of Essex.

RESIGNATION OF THE DEPUTY PROV . GRAND MASTER OF ESSEX .

We are informed that , owing to his removal into Somersetshire , and Ins in . ability in consequence to keep in touch with Masonic work in the county , his Honour Judge Philbrick , Q . C . ( Recorder of Colchester ) , has resigned his office of Deputy Prov . Grand Master , which he has held since December , 1880 , and that

the Earl of Warwick has appointed Colonel Lockwood , M . I' ., to the vacant post . Much regret will be felt throughout the county at the announcement of Bro . Philbrick's resignation , as he has ever shown a great interest in the Order , and his genial manner has won for him the affection of all with whom he has been brought into contact .

At the same time no more popular successor could have been found than Col . Lockwood , who is a Past Master of two lodges in the province , and is a Past Grand Deacon of the Grand Lodge of England . We understand that Col . Lockwood is to be installed into his ollbe by the Earl of Warwick , Prov . G . M ., at the forthcoming meeting of the Provincial Grand Lodge , which is to be held at Brentwood on July 26 th . —Essex County Standard .

Obituary.

Obituary .

BRO . MARK W . MEADE . On Wednesday , the 15 th ult ., Bro . Mark William Meade died at his resU dence at Kelvedon , Essex , after a somewhat prolonged illness . Bro . Meade , who was a P . M . of the Blackwater Lodge , No . 1977 , was one of the founders of the Easterford Lodge , No . 2342 , and had been its * Secretary ever since its formation , and he was also P . P . G . Std . Br . of the Province of Essex . His remains were

interred in Kelvedon churchyard on Tuesday , the 2 ist ult ., amidst every token of respect . Till the last few years he had been postmaster of Kelvedon , and , as a mark of respect for his memory , the body was borne by th ? postmen of the district , whilst , in addition to many of the inhabitant- * , the following members of the Easterford and Blackwater Lodges : Bros , R . G ' alpin , E . E . Eve , F . H . Bright , F . G . Green , Walter Siggers , G . A . Eustace , S . Shawyer , W . Rudrum , S . I . Kitig , ] .

Olive , J . B . Smith , H . T . Hicks , H . Carter , H . Ashwell , A . ' . Bennett , and j . Inifer . The W . M . of the Easterford Lodge ( Bro . J . Moss ) and the Prov . G . Sue . ( Bro . T . J . Railing ) were prevented by important engagements from being present . The officiating clergyman was Bro . the Rev . T . Lloyd , P . M . 2342 , and P . P . G . C , and handsome wreaths were sent by the brethren of the Easterford and Blackwater Lodges .