An Early Warwickshire Charter.

at the sign of the Two Vergins ( or elsewhere ) in the town of Kenilworth in the County of Warwick upon the second and fourth Monday of Each Kalender Month and on all seasonable times and lawful occasions : and in the said Lodge ( when duly congregated ) to admit and make Free Masons according to the most ancient and Honourable Custom of the Royal Craft in all Ages and Nations "brought the Known Worldand we do hereby further authorise and empower our said Trusty

, and Well beloved Brethren Christopher Botterill , Joseph Smith and Samuel Stoddard ( with the Consent of the Members of their Lodge ) to nominate , cbuse , and install their Successors , to whom they shall deliver this Warrant , and Invest them with their Powers and Dignities as Free Masons & c . And such Successors shall in like manner nominate , chuse and install their Successors , & c . & c . & c . such installations to be unon ( or near ) every St . Johns Day during the continuance of this

Lodge for ever . Providing the above named Brethren and all their successors allways pay due Respect to this Right Worshipful Grand Lodge , or otherwise this Warrant to be of no Force nor Virtue . Given under our Hands and the Seal of our Grand Lodge in London , this fifteenth day of June in the Year of Our Lord one thousand seven hundred and seventy eight and in the year of Masonry Five thousand seven hundred and seventy eight . J AMES J ONES No . 206 . Grand Secretary .

N OTE . —This Warrant is registered in tbe Grand Lodge , Vol . 8 , Letter " H . " Unfortunately the seal has been detached from the document and is lost , the parchment being cut for the purpose of detaching it . There is no actual naming of the lodge in the warrant , but it would , doubtless , take that of The Two Virgins Lodge , from the Inn where it was held .

" The Two Virgins , " "in the town of Kenilworth , " is evidently the ancient hostel in the High-sireet , but the two virgins subsequently a ' dd ed another to their company , for the Inn was known as the "Three Virgins , " and now the Virgins and Castle . It was a pleasant little place to hold the lodge , and as we sit in the long low ceilinged room at the back of the house overlooking the quiet garden and fields towards the Abbey grounds , and hills beyond , we fancy the lodge in work under the able direction of Bro . Botterill , over one hundred years ago .

It is clear from Bro . Hughan ' s " List of Lodges on the Grand Lodge roll of England , A . D . 1814 " ( when , through the wise advice of the Grand Masters of both Masonic Bodies , the ' ' Ancient' and ' Modern ' Freemasons became united into one Fraternity ) , that no lodge then existed at

Kenilworth , and No . 206 is missed entirely from the roll of the " Ancients , ' so that the Two Virgins Lodge must have died out . If the warrant had been in force to-day , the lodge would have numbered No . 158 on the Grand Lodge roll . Why it became defunct is not known , probably , however , it suffered from want of members in so small a town as Kenilworth , but no account of its proceedings are known to exist . . W . Coventry , January 28 th , 1889 .

Board Of Benevolence.

BOARD OF BENEVOLENCE .

We have been at the pains of compiling the following statement , for the purpose of showing that , though during the period referred to the expenditure incurred b y the Board of Benevolence in relieving distressed brethren has very largely increased , the average amount of the grant per individual has been very appreciably diminished . It is worth while noting the particulars contained in the last column , because there is little doubt that many brethren consider the Board is somewhat too liberal in its grants and

recommendations , and the very marked reduction in the average grant per brother relieved may have the effect of in some way rectifying this belief , We may state that the amounts of Income and Expenditure for each year are taken from the official statement furnished to the Board at its last meeting , the amount of £ 800 , which is paid annually from the Fund of Benevolence to the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution , having been deducted from the expenditure for each year . The figures contained in the column headed " No . of cases relieved , " are taken from back numbers of

this journal . Income Expenditure , less No . of cases Average grant grant to R . M . B . L relieved . per annum . 1880 £ 9270 £ 922 ' 306 £ 3 ° 2 S 1 SS 1 S 961 9 S 03 32 S 29 17 S 18 S 2 0160 9419 34 S 27 1 3

1 S 8 3 917 S 8545 334 25 n S 18 S 4 9185 9252 323 28 I 2 10 1885 9077 10 , 133 387 26 3 3 1886 9189 io , 533 3 3 2 7 o 1 S 87 9343 10 , 425 405 25 14 9 188 S 10 , 051 11 , 4 68 439 26 2 5

Thus , while as between 1888 and 1 S 80 the income of the former year shows an increase of £ 781 over the latter , the expenditure an increase of £ 2247 , the number of cases an increase of 133 , the average grant per case has diminished by £ 4 . Or , if we take the total expenditure during the nine years— . £ 88 , 799—and the total number of cases—3253 , we shall find the average per case is £ 27 5 s . nd . ; that is to say , less by £ 2 16 s . gd . than it was in 1880 alone .

Supreme Grand Chapter.

SUPREME GRAND CHAPTER .

The Quarterly Convocation of Supreme Grand Chapter of Royal Arch Masons of Englandwas holden on Wednesday evening at Freemasons ' Hall , when the following companions were present : Comps . Brig .-Gen . A . W . Adair , as Z . ; Rev . H . Adair Pickard , G . Supt . Oxon ., as H . ; Col . R . Townley Caldwell , G . bupt . Cambridgeshire , as J . ; A . A . Pendlebury , Asst . G . S . E ., as G . S . E . ; E . Letchworth , P . G . Std . Br ., as S . N . ; Robert Grey , Pres . Com . Gen . Purps . ; Asher Barfield , G . Treas . ; Thos . Fenn , P . P . C . G . P ., as P . S . 3

Rev . R . W . M . Pope , ist A . S . ; Jamesl Glaisher , as 2 nd A . S . ; E . Ashworth , S . B . ; R . Berridge , 2 nd Std . Br . ; Frar . k Richardson , P . G . D ., D . C . ; H . J . Adams , Dep . D . C : jfF . Collins , A . D . C ; W . A . Barrett , Org . ; T . B . Purchas , P . G . S . B . ; T . Robinson , P . A . G . S . ; Richard Eve , P . G . T . i J . H . Matthews , P . G . D . C ; Alfred Spencer , P . G . Std . Br . ; C . F . Hogard , P . G . D . D . C ; C . F . Matier , P . G . Dep . D . C ; W . R . Woodman , P . G . D . C ; C H . Driver , P . G . Std . Br . ; W . M . Bywater , P . G . Std . Br . ; Ralph Clutton , P . A . G . S . ; J . Lewis Thomas , P . G . S . B . ; F . West , P . A . G . S . ; Ralph Gooding , M . D ., P . A . G . S . ; VV . Baylis , P . G . Std . Br . ; J . M . Case ,

P . G . D . C ; Major C . Harding , P . G . Std . Br . ; Rudolph G . Glover , P . G . Std . Br . ; H . J . P . Dumas , P . G . S . B . ; J . C . Parkinson , P . G . S . B . ; George Lambert , P . G . S . B . ; A . C . A . Higerty , H . 946 ; Eugene Sweny , P . Z . 913 , P . G . Reg . Kent ; E . Mallett , z - 1623 ; Sir George D . Harris , Z . 13 S 3 ; R . W . Forge , P . Z . 946 , P . P . G . P . S . Middx . ; W . H . Perryman , P . Z . 1348 ; Charles J . Perceval , Z . 174 ; Eugene Monteuuis , P . Z . S ; Edward Terry , P . Z . 1319 ; W . H . Lee , P . Z . 1524 ; H . J . Phillips , H . 205 ; H . Massey , P . Z . 619 and 1928 ; L . G . Gordon Robbins , P . Z . 10 ; H . Ward , Z . 1273 ; Richard R . Collick , Z . 946 ; Charles Stevens , Z . 1423 ; Daniel Argyle , P . Z . 54 6 ; Arthur Hubbard , Z . 177 ; and Henry Sadler , G . Janitor .

After the reading and confirmation of the minutes 01 the November convocation , the following report of the Committee of General Purposes was taken as read , and received and ordered to be entered on the minutes ,

Supreme Grand Chapter.

on the motion of Comp . ROBERT GREY , seconded by . Comp . FRANK RICHARDSON : — THE REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE OF GENERAL PURPOSES . To the Supreme Grand Chapter of Royal Arch Masons of England . The Committee of General Purposes beg to report that they have examined the ' accounts from the 17 th October , 1888 , to the 15 th January , 1889 , both inclusive , which they find to be as follows :

To Balance , Grand Chapter £ 255 11 n By Donation . 'to Girls'School £ 105 o o „ ,, Unappropriated „ Purchase of ji , 300 aj per Account ... 191 1 7 Cent . Consols and ,, Subsequent Receipts ... 365 12 1 Commission 291 o o ————„ Disbursements during the 812 5 7 Quarter 281 18 7 ,, Amount overdrawn on „ Balance— Unappropri-G . Chapter Account 55 2 1 •ated Account ... 18 9 9 1 £ 367 7 3 £ m T ~ 1 which balance , less £ 55 2 s . id ., overdrawn on Grand Chapter account , is in the Bank of England , Western branch . The Committee have likewise to report that they have received the following petitions ;—

ist . From Comps . Horatio Ward , as Z . ; Edward Cooper Fenoulhet , as H . ; Henry Corbet Jones , as J . ; and eight others for a chapter to be attached to the Ethelbert Lodge , No . 2099 , Heme Bay , to be called the St . George ' s Chapter , and to meet at the Masonic Rooms , Heme Bay , in the county of Kent .

2 nd . From Comps . Richard Wealthy Forge , as Z . ; Charles Stevens , as H . ; Richard Richardson Collick , as J . ; and six others for a chapter to be attached to the Sir Charles Bright Lodge , No . 1793 , Teddington , to be called the Sir Charles Bright Chapter , and to meet at the Clarence Hotel , Teddington , in the county of Middlesex . The foregoing petitions being in all respects regular , the Committee recommend that the prayers thereof be respectively granted .

The Committee have received a petition from the Principals and members of the De Mowbray Chapter , No . 1130 , Melton Mowbray , Leicestershire , praying for a charter of confirmation , the original having been accidentally destroyed by fire . The Committee recommend that a charter of confirmation be granted for the above chapter .

The Committee have also received memorials , with copies of minutes , on the removal of the under-mentioned chapters : The Kingston Chapter , No . 1010 , Hull , for permission to remove from the Masonic Hall , Worsfiip-street , to the Masonic Hall , Kingston-sq . ( Hull . The Bridson Chapter , No . 613 , Southport , for permission to remove from the Freemasons' Hall , Eastbank-street , to the Masonic Hall , Lordstreet , Southport .

The Chapter of Concord , No . 223 , Plymouth , for permission to remove from 193 , Union-st ., to the Freemasons' Hall , No . 1 , Princess-sq „ Plymouth , The Committee , being satisfied of the reasonableness of the requests , recommend that the removal of these chapters be sanctioned .

The Committee have further to report that the Enoch Chapter , No . 11 , London , through neglect of the law as contained in Article 73 of the Royal Arch Regulations , has recently exalted a brother at a less period than 12 calendar months—namely , five months—from the date of his becoming a Master Mason .

The Committee have inflicted a fine of £ 1 is . on the chapter , have admonished it to be more observant of the law in future , and have ordered the candidate in question to be re-obligated before a Grand Chapter certificate is issued for him .

( Signed ) ROBERT GREY , President . Freemasons' Hall , London , W . C , 16 th January , 1889 . The adoption of the recommendations in the above report having been moved , seconded , and carried , Grand Chapter was closed .

The Savage Club Lodge, No. 2190.

THE SAVAGE CLUB LODGE , No . 2190 .

INSTALLATION OF BRO . THOMAS CATLING AS W . M . No Masonic proceedings could have passed off with greater eclat than those of the installation ceremony and banquet of the Savage Club Lodge , on Tuesday , at Freemasons' Hall . The lodge is only two years old , but by attention to their duties the members have acquired a knowledge of Masonic work that but few other lodges of like juvenility could rival . Not

often , too , has modern Masonry afforded an instance of a brother so quickl y reaching the proud position of W . M . as that of Thomas Catling , the editor of Lloyd ' s News , who was one of the founders of the Savage Club Lodge . From the beginning of the lodge ' s history , when he was appointed J . W ., Bro . Catling has taken the most active interest in its welfare , and although

it may be said that his honours have come early , all who are acquainted with the zeal and assiduity he has displayed , will vouch that they have been honestly earned . In his hands it is certain lhat the prestige of the Savage

Club Lodge will not be impaired . Membership is restricted to the Club from which the lodge has derived its name , but so much interest in Freemasonry has been kindled among the " Savages , " that the lodge roll now numbers 67 .

The Installing Master was- Bro . Edward Terry , P . M . 29 , 1319 , P . Z ., and P . G . S ., who opened the lodge in the presence of many of the brethren , whose ranks were considerably augmented as the business of the afternoon progressed . Among other Grand Officers present were Bros . Sir John B . Monckton , P . G . W . ; Thomas Fenn , P . G . D ., and Pres . Board of Gen .

Purps . ; J . H . Matthews , P . G . Std . Br . ; C . F . Matier , P . G . Std . Br . ; and C . F . Hogard , P . G . Std . Br . ; each of whom received the heartiest greeting . The ceremony of installation was gone through in the most

impressive manner by Bro . Edward Terry , the ancient charges being delivered with great earnestness and feeling . Bro . J . D . Beveridge , of the Adelphi Theatre , acted as Director of Ceremonies , in which responsible office he proved of the greatest assistance to the brethren . The new W . M . having been greeted with manifestations abundantl y demonstrating his popularity with the brethren , appoi nted the following as