Provincial Grand Lodge Of Suffolk.

against Si last year . With regard to the financial position , the course recommended by the Board last year of discharging the liabilities had been carried out , leaving a balance of £ 68 15 s . 7 d ., rather more than last year , but as the greater part of the fees of honour of this year were included in this , the balance was practically less , which could only be accounted for by

the balance left last year being £ 20 less than the preceding year . With regard to the Charities , the Board recommended the usual £ 21 to the Benevolent , ^ 10 ios . to the Girls , and , considering the M . W . Grand Master presides at the Centennial Anniversary , the Province should vote ^ 31 ios . to the Boys' Institution .

An amendment was proposed , and carried unanimously , that the sum of ^ 52 ios ., under the exceptional circumstances of the year , be granted , instead of the amount proposed in the report , and which was afterwards adopted nem con . The report of the Suffolk Masonic Charity Association , which contained no matters of public interest , was also adopted .

The DEPUTY PROV . GRAND MASTER , in a brief address to the brethren , said it must be gratifying to them all to see how well Masonry was progressing in the province . There was a very slight falling off in the numbers—one—but still they would rather have seen it on the other side . They all recognised , however , that they did not look so much to actual numbers as to the character and quality of the members in the province .

They had better go on as they were than increase their numbers to the disadvantage of the Craft . In almost every case there had been an increase of votes . The Province of Suffolk occupied a very different position now to what it did years ago , and he trusted that the province would continue in its career of prosperity . Dilating upan the principles of Masonry , he observed that the great thing to be regarded was the fact that

Masonry brought them together and welded them together . It made them feel that they stood upon a universal platform of brotherly love , relief , and truth . The more he saw of Masonry properly carried out , the more he respected and honoured it . In conclusion , he referred in sympathetic terms to the cause of Lord Henniker ' s absence , and spoke of the interest which his lordship always evinced in the welfare of the province .

The brethren afterwards attended divince service at the Parish Church , the procession thither being headed -by the Stowmarket Volunteer band . The sermon was preached by Bro . W . T . PRATT , W . M . 555 , P . G . Chap . ; the service was intoned by Bro . the Rev . J . R . M . Vatcher , and the musical portion of the service was under the direction of Bro . Owen A . Clark , P . G . Org . The offertory was devoted to the Stowmarket Parish Nurse

Fund . The annual banquet was subsequently held at the Institute , the catering being in the hai . ds of Mr . Le Touzel , landlord of the Fox Hotel . The hall was prettily adorned for the event , the floral decorations being particularly effective . The usual toasts followed .

Provincial Grand Chapter Of Wiltshire.

PROVINCIAL GRAND CHAPTER OF WILTSHIRE .

The above Provincial Grand Chapter was held at Trowbridge on the 28 th ult ., under the presidency of the Earl of Radnor , who appointed his officers for the ensuing year as follows :

Comp . John A . Randell , 663 , P . P . G . N .... ... Prov . G . H . „ W . S . Bambridge , 1533 , P . P . G . Reg . ... Prov . G . J . „ W . E . N . Browne , 355 , P . P . G . S . E . ... Prov . G . S . E . „ G . W . Wiltshire , 632 , P . P . 1 st A . G . S . ... *> p ~ „ Sir Roger W . Brown , M . E . Z . 632 ... j Frov ^ --Ns . „ G . H . Palmer , 632 , P . P . G . Treas . ... Prov . G . Treas . „ Amos Barns , 355 , P . P . ist A . G . S . ... Prov . G . Reg . .. I . E . Ho-Dkins . P . Z . 66-1 ... ... Prov . G . P . S .

„ Rev . C . W . Wheeler , 632 , P . P . G . Std . Br . ... Prov . 1 st A . G . S . „ E . Waters , P . Z . 586 ... ... ... Prov . G . S . B . „ W . H . Reed , P . Z . 1478 ... ... Prov . G . Std . Br . „ lohn Chandler , 355 , P . P . G . H . ... ... Prov . G . D . C . „ Charles Mitchell , P . Z . 586 ... ... Prov . A . G . D . C . „ J . O . Hogarth , M . E . Z . 355 ... ... ) „ J . G . Blakeley , M . E . Z . 586 ... ... [ Prov . G . Stewards „ F . J . Leader , M . E . Z . 1533 ... .. ) „ W . Dean , P . P . G . Janitor ... ... Prov . G . Janitor . A banquet was afterwards served at the George Hotel .

An Address.

AN ADDRESS .

The following address was delivered by Hro . the Rev . E , HOX-TIIOMAS , P . M . 312 , P . P . G . Chap ., at thc Prov . G . Lodge of N . and E . Yorkshire , at Whitby , on the 15 th ultimo : Right Worshipful Provincial Grand Master , Grand and Provincial Grand Officers and brethren . Every living thing has a history , and there is , of course , a

history lying at the back of our splendid gathering this afternoon . The present time offers a fitting opportunity for stating what the course of that history has been . But a record , however brief , of the Lion Lodge , whose centenary we celebrate to-day , would be imperfect without some reference to the previous existence of Freemasonry in Whitby .

Recent research has discovered two c Id deeds , both of which I have had in my hands—the one referring to William Becke , " free mason , " Whitby , in 1616 , and the other to Robert Warde , " ffree Maison , " Whitby , in 1639 , concerning whom Bro . W . J . Hughan is of the opinion that they were undoubtedly Freemasons as we understand the term now , and as it was understood then . The first Masonic lodge constituted at Whitby was the Golden Lion , named

after the inn where il met , according to the prevailing custom in the days when separate Masonic Halls were almost an unknown quantity . It was warranted under that name 25 th June , 1764 , as No . 127 of the "Ancients , " but it never made any returns to Grand Lodge , and was eventually erased . As such a large number of resident Masons assisted in the formation of the succeeding lodge in 1772 , it is probable that the former lodge continued to hold " irregular " meetings down to about that year .

The second lodge formed at Whitby was the Britannic , or Britannia , Lodge , warranted by the " Moderns " in 1772 . Its minute book opens with 23 By-laws signed by 61 brethren , the first article of which is remarkable for its reference to the office of Deacon—not then common—whose duties appear to have consisted only in " calling in the Bill of Expcnces and collecting thc Reckoning . " In 1782

An Address.

this lodge applied for and was granted a warrant for a Royal Arch chapter , which still continues to flourish , and is the second oldest in Yorkshire . Both the Britannia and Lion Lodge , minutes record the admission of clergymen " free of expence but registering fees " ( Grand Lodge dues ) , and are late instances of a formerly prevalent practice . But our fraternal ancestors had an

ingenious way of squaring the account with their clerical brethren , as shown by the following extract from the Treasurer ' s book of the Lion Lodge : "April 16 th , 1797 . Paid for Sermons preach'd at Scarboro' , C—s . —d . " Though the labourer was doubtless worthy of his hire , evidently his Masonic discourses were delivered without money and without price !

No reason is assigned for the decline of the Britannia Lodge , which was both prosperous and popular down to January , 17 S 6 , and though erased in 1790 , it was not extinct until after the subsequent lodge had existed for one or two years , when it appears to have died a natural death . The Lion Lodge was warranted 14 th January , 1797 . Fifteen brethren of the Britannia Lodge were among its founders , or became members immediately after its inception . The records are continuous from the commencement until the

present date . For the most part they are legible and well kept , and testify to the painstaking industry of the past and present Secretaries and Treasurers . In the earlier books , as might be expected , the absence of uniformity of spelling shows that the schoolmaster was not then abroad . In one entry the word " Masonic " is written " Masonic , " " Mesonic , " " Messonic , " and so with other words as " gard , " " Jewell , " " shool . " But as a rule they are not dry-as-dust registers of the past , for native wit and natural talent have combined to render their perusal pleasant and profitable .

In the stirring times at the opening of the present century , high days and holidays , both national and local , afforded frequent opportunities for the display of Masonic paraphernalia . On these occasions , our forefathers , arrayed in all their glory , perambulated the narrow streets of this ancient town , sometimes attending Divine service at the old parish church , but always dining together , usually at the early hour of half-past one . Scrupulous care was exercised that good digestion might wait on appetite . Hence the follow ing minute : " None

but household bread to be introduced . No pastry of any description to be admitted . " But the same moderation did not characterise their potations . At one of these celebrations , 16 brethren dined together , and imbibed 12 bottles of sherry at Ss . 6 d . each , 14 ditto of port at 5 s . each , and one shilling ' s worth of porter . I purposely mention this instance to emphasise the fact that this was only in accordance with the general practice of society , say a hundred odd years ago . Dr . Johnson once observed to Boswell , " I remember when it was quite customary for

all the respectable people in Lichfield to be put to bed drunk every night . " Lichfield was no exception to the rule , and though this statement must be taken with a grain of salt , it helps to estimate aright a formerly almost universal custom that , in connection with the Order of Freemasonry , may now be said to be a thing of the past . Another interesting payment noted in the cash book is "Short of Shot 2 / 34 . " This item needs no explanation , and is variously entered— "Shot , " " Paid Shot , " "Short , Shot , " "Shot Extra , " " Shot and Candles , " " Deficiency of Shot , " " Tyler and Shot , " " Tyler ' s Shot and Lemon . "

It must not , however , be supposed that our ancient bretheren joined the lodge to " sit down to eat and to drink , and rise up to play . " Taking into account the manners and customs of their day , they were as devoted to the great principles of Freemasonry as we are to-day , and as education and refinement progressed , so did our early brethren advance in knowledge and understanding . In 1 S 25 , it was " ordered that in luture the brethren shall appear in white gloves , to be made of whatever material they may think proper so that they be white . " Three vears previously , the lodge paid to Bro . Cravens , of Leeds , for

instruction in the Union System of Craft Masonry £ 14 is . 6 d ., and when there was no business at an ordinary meeting , the members practised this ritual in the Three Degrees , until the year 1855 , when Bro . Goring visited the lodge and received . t ' 15 ios . for instruction given . At a more recent date the lodge was again visited by another brother , and the . ritual then imparted has been carefull y passed on to succeeding officers . In minor details it differs slightly from that in vogue in southern lodges , but we believe our working to be as nearly in accordance with that of 20 or 30 years ago , as it is possible for an orally transmitted ritual to be ,

Care and discrimination have always been exercised with regard to the admission of candidates and visitors . In 1822 , " a man attempted to visit of thc name of John Trestor , and not admitted . " Nearly 60 years ago , a worth y brother , still resident in the town , was brought into the lodge for initiation , when it was ascertained that he was one month under age , consequently he had to retire until the next meeting .

In the course of your reading , many of you will have met with a book entitled " Long Livers . " There are seven of them in the Lion Lodge , not dead books but living "Lions" —brethren who have exceeded half-a-century of Masonic life , but whose interest in the Craft continues unabated . One of their number—Bro . J . Nicholas Lawson , P . M . —still acts as jour Treasurer , and he has personally superintended the decoration of the hall in which we are now met . We honour them and love them , as they love us and honour the lodge .

During the first 16 " years of its existence the Lion Lodge met at the Golden Lion Inn , then for two years at the Freemasons' Tavern ( burnt down in 1853 ) , from whence they migrated to the Angel Inn , where for 44 years they found a " common inn of rest . " In 1859 the " Lions " removed to the new Masonic Hall on the West Cliff , where we still continue to meet , and with the lotus eaters say—¦ " We will no longer roam . "

This is the seventh visit of the Provincial Grand Lodge to Whitby , the dates of which are as follow : 1844 , 1851 , 1858 ( foundation-stone laying of Masonic Hall ) , 1859 ( consecration of Hall ) , 1 S 6 7 , 1884 , and once again you honour us with your presence to-day . On each of the above occasions , save one , the head for the time being of the noble family represented by our Right Worshipful Provincial Grand Master in the chair has presided over the proceedings .

It was the custom of the Romans to mark any specially eventful year as an "Annus Mirabilis" ( wonderful year , or year of wonders ) . Having now attained the venerable age of 100 years , the Lion Lodge may well regard the present year as an Annus Mirabilis . This fact also is not without interest to the province represented here to-day , for in the ordinary course of events , a period of exactl y 50 years must elapse belore the Provincial Grand Lodge of the Ridings of North and East Yorkshire will be able to celebrate the centenary of the next oldest lodge in the Province . " Not backward are our glances bent , but forward . "

Of late years , as many of you know , there has been found in Jerusalem an ancient inscription belonging to the times of the Hebrew monarchy . It tells how two parties of workmen had been tunnelling , working in opposite directions , to make a channel through which water might pass into the city . They had begun the work at the two ends , and , as the inscription records , and as the course of the tunnel shows , had been in some danger of missing each other .

But while they were making their way through the rock , there began to be heard the voice of a man calling to his neighbour , and soon pick struck against pick , and a way was made along which the water could pass . In different parts , the lodges of this province have been working , apparently in opposite directions . But already we seem to hear , as it were , the voices of brethren calling to their neighbours , "and soon , perhaps , pick will strike against pick .

May the brethren of the Lion Lodge , and of every lodge in North and East Yorkshire help to widen the channel along which shall How to all parts of the habitable globe , one mighty river of brotherly love , relief , and truth .