A Friend Of His Majesty.

Messrs . Adams and Charles Black s invaluable " Who's Who " tells that the Right Hon . Baron Suffield is the fifth to bear the title , which was created in 1786 , and was born at Gunton Park , Norfolk , on January 2 nd , 1830 . In 1854 he married a daughter of the late Mr . Henry Baring , of Cromer Hall , and from that time down till now Lord and Lady Suffield have been closely associated with Court life , and their children also as they

grew up . Lady Suffield and her daughters , the Hon . Misses Harbord , were in great favour with our late Queen , all holding appointments which made them personal attendants upon her . Lord Suffield was made a lordin-waiting to Queen Victoria in 1868 , resigning in 1872 on being appointed lord of the bedchamber to H . R . H . the Prince of Wales . When our King was going on his tour in India , 1875-76 , Lord Suffield was -placed at the

head of the staff chosen to accompany the Royal traveller , * but before then he had become a constant companion and close friend of the Heir Apparent ; and from that time onward nothing has ever occurred to endanger the friendship or weaken the trust reposed by Royalty in a subject . The eldest son of Lord and Lady Suffield , Sir Charles Harbord , was a groom-in-waiting to Queen Victoria , and his services will most

assuredly be retained by her successor . Lord Suffield has never taken a prominent part in politics , as becomes one moving in the royal circle , but favoured the Liberal Unionist party at the time of the great cleavage , having previously been of the old Whig school . He was keen on military matters , and in 1847 joined the Queen ' s Own Hussars ( 7 th ) , in which he served six years . Turning attention to the volunteer movement , Lord Suffield raised a Norfolk battalion in 1859 , and

was in command for 10 years , relinquishing it on appointment as chief of the East Norfolk Militia Artillery . He held that until 1892 , and it was due to Lord Suffield ' s influence that the East Norlolk Militia Artillery were honoured several times by being inspected at Yarmouth by H . R . H . the Prince of Wales . Born and brought up as a Norfolk squire , Lord Suffield was fond of sport , and for many years acted as master of fox and stag hounds . He was keen on shooting , and his preserves at Gunton were and are noted for their stock of game .

Gunton Park is one of the show places near Cromer , and a drive or walk through it should not be missed by visitors to that charming resort . The family mansion is not a particularly striking edifice as to appearance , but the surroundings are delightful . Gunton Park does not represent the whole landed property of Lord Suffield , who also owns a considerable acreage close to Cromer , part of which has of late been sold for building .

His lordship is a frequent visitor to Cromer , where are two or three mansions belonging to members of the family . He has a charming way with him and is most homely and unaffected ; in fact , a true English gentleman . When at Cromer he attends the parish church regularly , and the writer of this notice chanced to sit next to his lordship one Sunday . At the usual stage in the service the vicar read out an unusually long list of parochial

announcements , to which Lord Suffield listened attentively . When the recital was over , he turned to his neighbour and remarked , in an aside , "I can't remember all that . " The vigour with which his lordship entered into the singing of the hymn which followed , showed that he was not concerned about carrying away the information . Another time the writer of this found himself in Lord Suffield ' s prewnre on the occasion of a presentation to him on relinauishincr the office nf

Provincial Grand Master of the Norfolk Freemasons , after 20 years ' tenure . During that period Lord Suffield gained the esteem and affection of all Freemasons in his province , and one of the largest halls in Norwich was crowded with representatives of the various lodges . H . R . H . the Prince of Wales presided over the gathering , and made the presentation , which consisted of a marble bust of his lordship . This event took place in October , 1806 , but the remembrance of the scene cannot yet have faded

from the memory of those who were present . The Prince of Wales spoke of his long friendship with Lord Suffield , and of the high regard which he entertained for him , and , master as his Royal Highness is of his feelings , he could not hide from those around him how deeply moved he was . Lord Suffield was also much affected , and with difficulty gave utterance to the words in which he sought to acknowledge the kind remarks which had fallen from his royal friend .

It may now'be added that the daughters of Lord and Lady Suffield have all " married well . " One is the wife of Earl Carrington ; another is Lady Hillingdon , wife of one of the chief partners in Glyn , Mills , Currie and Co . ; a third is the wife of Sir Richard George Musgrave , of Eden Hall , Cumberland ; and the youngest was married , in 1898 , to the Hon . Derek Keppel , Equerry-in-Waiting to H . R . H . the Duke of York , Tokens of the regard which our present King and Queen entertain for the family of

Lord and Lady Suffield have often been given . At Gwydr Castle , North Wales , the apartments of the Earl and Countess Carrington contain the bedroom equipments , writing tables and materials , and other furniture used by the Prince of Wales on board the Serapis , the vessel in which he went to and returned from India ; and the Princess Victoria of Wales has several times been entrusted to the care of Sir Richard and Lady Musgrave , staying with them at their seat in Cumberland , and their seaside residence at Cromer . —Surbiton Times .

United Grand Lodge.

UNITED GRAND LODGE .

The following circular has been issued by United Grand Lodge of England : By command of the Most Worshipful the Pro Grand Master ( the Right Honourable the Earl Amherst ) , an Especial Grand Lodge will be held on Friday , the 15 th of February , 1901 , in the Queen's Hall , Langham-place , W ., at two for three o'clock in the afternoon , and your attendance is requested at such Especial Grand Lodge , which is hereby convened , for the purpose of transacting the following business :

1 . —To vote a Loyal and Dutiful Address to His Majesty the King , tendering the respectful sympathy of the Craft , on the death of Her late Majesty Queen Victoria , and further offering the respectful and fraternal congratulations of the Fraternity to His Majesty on his accession to the Throne . 2 . —Communication from the Most Worshipful Pro Grand Master

respecting the Grand Mastership ; and Motion thereon . 3 . —Motion— " That the Communication be recorded in the Minutes of Grand Lodge . " 4 . —Motion— " That the nomination for the office of Most Worshipful Grand Master , made at the last Quarterly Communication ,

United Grand Lodge.

having become inoperative , this Grand Lodge do now proceed to a fresh nomination . " 5 . —Nomination of Grand Master . E . LETCHWORTH , Grand Secretary . Freemasons' Hall , London , W . C , ist Eebruary , 1901 .

Bro. Horniman's Gift To The People.

BRO . HORNIMAN'S GIFT TO THE PEOPLE .

A MUSEUM AND A PARK . Tuesday was a memorable day in the history of London . It brought forth the knowledge of a splendid gift to the people . Fifteen acres of recreation grounds and garden , with grassy slopes and lovely lawns , with a fine avenue of trees , aquatic birds , rustic shelters , and a great wealth of flowering plants and shrubs—such is a part of the gift . The other part is a museum , built of the same stone as Wells Cathedral , a museum' of some

beauty within and without , and stuffed with valuable objects zoological geological , mineralogical , botanical , and anthropological . On Tuesday morning , indeed , London woke up to find itself possessed—to name a few exhibits at random—of eight mummies , groups of African lions and Polar bears , fishing rods of savage peoples , implements of the stone age , idols of Buddhism , and a lot of funny-looking tobacco pipes .

Bro . F . J . Horniman , M . P ., is the donor . Loud rang the cheers on Tuesday when Mr . Dickinson read the following letter to his colleagues : 74 , Elm Park-road , Chelsea , London , S . W ., 19 th January , 1901 .

To the Chairman of the London County Council . Dear Mr . Dickinson , I have been empowered by my father , Mr . Frederick John Horniman , M . P ., who is now travelling in the East , to offer as a free gift ' to the people of London some 15 acres of freehold land , together with the Museum which has just been erected at a cost of about £ 40 , 000 . In it are placed the large Art and Natural History collections gathered by Mr . Horniman during the last 25 years .

The property is situated close to Lordship-lane Station on the South-Eastern and Chatham Railway , and about $ of a mile from Forest HiU Station on the London , Brighton , and South Coast Railway . It consists of—( 1 ) A large house known as "Surrey Mount , " and some 9 J acres of pleasure grounds on the summitt and slope of a hill commanding extensive views over South-Eastern and South-Western London . The site is a

suitable one for a park or recreation ground , and has been open to the public during the summer months for four years ; over 200 , 000 persons visited it during 14 months in 1897 and 18 9 8 . ( 2 ) The Museum is a stone building 258 feet long by 61 feet wide , with a superficial area of 16 , 485 square feet . ( 3 ) Six residences , occupying some 5 i- acres of ground , now let on leases

of diverse terms , and bringing in an income of about £ 600 pe r annum , which could be used for the maintenance of the Museum until the tenancies fall in , when the land could be added to the recreation ground and ad ditions made to the Museum if necessary . There is also a library of 5500 volumes of travel , natural history , & c , and

a Biblical library of 700 volumes , containing many early and rare editions . Notwithstanding the very inadequate way in which the collections were formerly housed , and the fact that they were open to the public on but two or three days a week , over 455 , 000 persons visited them in four years , averaging 600 per day in the last year .

Mr . Horniman considers the time has now arrived when the Museum and adjoining property will be more useful if vested in a public body , and he has much pleasure in offering the same to the Lon don County Council as a place of public recreation and instruction .

Beyond a condition that the Museum and grounds are to be maintained in a proper condition , and dedicated to the public for ever , there are few or no conditions attached to the proposed ( gift , and I am sure there are none that the Council could not readily accept . Yours faithfully , EMSLIE J HORNIMAN .

" A gut of great value , probably representing from ^ 50 , 000 to ^" roo , ooo , " was Mr . Dickinson ' s grateful way of putting the case . On the initiative of his two companions on the dais—Mr . A . M . Torrance and Mr . J . S . Fletcher—the Council thanked Mr . Horniman for his munificent gift . Then it only remained to instruct the General Purposes Committee to take all steps necessary to effect the legal transfer .

Craft Masonry.

Craft Masonry .

Chine Lodge , No . 1884 . INSTALLATION OF BRO . JOHN CHAPMAN , P . M ., P . P . G . D . DEVON It was with subdued pleasure that the brethren of Chine Lodge met their friends on this occasion , owing to the deep sorrow under which the Craft particularly and the world generally were resting , through the death of our late beloved monarch , Queen Victoria ; but it was gratifying to witness the large number who came from all parts to witness the ceremony of placing a brother so highly esteemed as Bro . Chapman in the chair ot

Chine Lodge , lt was for this reason that the members of lodges had taken the trouble to remove every possible hindrance that might bar the way tor the acceptance ot the office . Bro . Chapman has for many years identified himself with the interests of the lodge , and has participated in the struggles of its members to place it in a sound position Masonically and otherwise , and a special dispensation was granted from Grand Lodge to allow the ceremony to take place . Amongst the brethren present were Bros , the Prov . Grand Master of Aberdeenshire , the Prov . Grand Secretary of Hants and the Isle of Wight , Captain Giles , W . B . Chapman , Bestile , Manitoba , LP . M . and Sec . j

S . H . Shoebridge , S . W . 1 S 69 ; J . Hansford , S . W . 175 ; Williams , S . W . 5515 E . Wethwick , J . W . 551 ; H . VV . Horan , P . M . 151 ; u . Groundsel ! , J . W . 151 ; F , Farrand , 175 ; A . E . Coombes , 175 ; A . Greenham , P . M ., W . M . ; John Chapman , P . M ., W . M . elect ; A . H . Brown , S . W . ; C . J . Carter , J . VV . ; Rev . Neville Lovett , Chap . ; F . Cooper , P . M ., Treas , ; E . D . Jefford , S . D . ; A . Kent , J . D . ; H . 1 . Osborne , Stwd . ; J . Marsh , P . M . ; W . H . Willis , P . M ., P . G . R . ; Lewis Colenutt . P . M . ; John Bailey , P . M . ; W . H . Daws , P . M . ; John Collinson , P . M .: G . H . Matthews , P . M .: and H . A . Matthews . P . M .

The lodge was tyled at- three , and the D . of C ., Bro . A . H . Osborne , called upon the brethren to salute the Prov . G . Master of Aberdeenshire and the Prov . G . Secretary , Bro . Giles . The lodge was then opened by the W . M . He remarked that they were