The Right Hon. W. W. B. Beach, M.P., Prov. Grand Master Hants And The Isle Of Wight.

Institution , the right to present in perpetuity one duly qualified boy to receive the benefits conferred by the School ; such right of Perpetual Presentation to be vested in the Charity Committee

of the Province . About the last important Masonic function at which Bro . BEACH was present was the installation of H . R . H . the Duke of CONNAUGHT , K . G ., as M . W . Grand Master , so that he had known our Freemasonry under four successive rulers , of

each of whom in turn he had won the esteem and respect . At the time of his death , and for many years previously , he was at the head of Craft , Royal Arch , Mark , and Templar Masonry

in his Province , and Grand Third Principal J . of Supreme G . Chapter , and had it p leased Providence to prolong his life , there is no doubt that so long as health and strength remained to him , so long would he have continued to perform his multifarious duties and striven his hardest to still further advance the

interests of the Craft . We append as full a record of his Masonic career as we have been able to compile , and at the same time tender our deepest who

and most respectlul sympathy to Mrs . I __ EACH— DUC the other day distributed the prizes in connection with the Festival of which he was the chairman—and his family , his numerous friends , and the members of the lodges , chapters , and other bodies with which he was connected or over which he had

presided many years with such conspicuous ability and success . Bro . the Right Hon . William Wither Bramston Beach , M . P ., son of the late Col . W . Beach , M . P . for Malmesbury , of Oakley Hall , near Basingstoke , by Jane Henrietta , daughter of John Browne , Esq ., of Salperton Park , Gloucestershire , was born on Christmas Day , 1826 , and , therefore , at

the time of his death was in the 75 th year of his age . He was educated at Eton and Christ Church , Oxford , whence he graduated as B . A . in 1849 anc - M . A . in 1852 . In 185 7 he married Caroline Chichester , daughter of the late Col . Augustus Cleveland , of Tapeley Park , N . Devon , who survives him . He was a J . P . for the county of Hants , and formerly Hon . Major of the Hants Yeomanry Cavalry . He was a mighty hunter from his boyhood ,

hunting with the Vine hounds , of which later in life he became and continued Master for some 20 years . While at Oxford he became , in 1849 , in conjunction with Bro . the Earl of Cork—then Viscount Dungarvan—Master of ihe Christ Church Drag Hounds . He was also in his earliest days a successful sprinter , and ran many an exciting race—notably in the Copenhagen Fields in 1850 against the late Bio . Sir John Astley , who ultimately

proved the better of the two . Once in 1852 , when riding over the course which had been marked out for Oxford men in the Vale of Aylesbury , he was knocked over when turning a ( lag in a large grass field , and lay unconscious for several days in a neighbouring house to which he had been removed . But on recovering sufficiently , he was removed home , and happily was restored . On resigning his Mastership of the Vine , he was presented with his portrait in commemoration of his services in that capacity during a

period of 20 years . In April , 1857 , he was returned to Parliament as one of the members for North Hampshire , and represented that constituency till November , 1885 , when , alter the redistribution of seats , he was elected for the Andover Division of the county , and retained the seat till his death . On the death of Bro . Sir John Mowbray , Bart ., some two years ago , he became " Father of the House , " and in 1900 had the honour of being made a Privy Councillor by her late Majesty the Queen .

As a Mason his career was an exceptionally brilliant one , and more prolnngcd than usual , having extended over a period of 53 years . Like many of our most distinguished brethren , he was initiated into the mysteries and privileges of our Order in the Apollo University Lodge , No . 357—then No . 460—Oxford . He was twice W . M . of his mother lodge , namely , in 1852 and 1854 , and on retiring from the chair at the close of the latter

teim , was presented with a handsome testimonial in recognition of his services . He was also , for a time , member of the Churchill Lodge , No . 478 , Oxford , and the Cherwell Lodge , No . 599 , Banbury . As regards the Prov . Grand Lodge of Oxfordshire , he was honoured with the purple in tl r . e consecutive years , being made Prov . J . G . Deacon in 1851 , Prov . S . G . Deacon in 18-52 , and Prov . S . G . Warden in 1853 . In 1855 , as one of

a worthy band of Oxford University Masons , which included , in addition to h ms .-lf , Bros , the Rev . W . II . Lyall , the late Rev . G . Raymond Portal , Sir Spencer Wyndham Portal , Bart ., R . A . Benson , & c , kc , he helped to restore the fallen fortunes of the Westminster and Keystone Lodge , No . 10 , and in 1863 was installed in the chair of Master . In Craft Masonry , in the Province of which he was subsequently

appointed the ruler , he early distinguished himself , b . mg the senior P . M . of Cliconomy Lodge , No . 76 , Winchester , lounder and first W . M . of the Oakley Lodge , No . 694 , Basingstoke , and a Past Master in Phoenix Lodge , No . 257 , and the Hampshire Lodge of Emulation , No . 1990 , both meeting at Portsmouth ; and in 1858 Prov . S . G . Warden . On tne ist June , 1 S 69 , the late Earl of Zetland , M . W . G . M ., appoi ted him

Prov . G . Master of Hampshire and the Isle of Wight , which had previously been separate Provinces under Bros , the late Admiral Sir Lucius Curtis , K . C . B ., and Thomas W . Flemingas P . G . Masters respectively . At the time there were 24 lodges on the provincial roll , and during his able and popular administration this number was exactly doubled , the junior of the 48 b : ing the Border Lodge , No . 2475 , Blackwater , which was warranted in 1893 .

In Royal Aich Masonry he attained to even higher distinction than in the Craft , having been appointed , on the resignation of Lord Leigh , Grand Third Piincipal J . of Supreme G . Chapter in 1892 . He was , we believe , exalted in the Alfred Chapter , No . 340—then No . 425—and occupied the

chairs of the Third , Second , and First Principals successively in 1853 , 1 S 54 , 1855 . In those days there was no Apollo University Chapter , nor a Prov . G . Chapter of Oxlordshiie . Nevertheless , he seems to have taken most kindly to this branch of Masonry , and in 1862 we find him helping to found and beirg installed as the first M . E . Z . of the Westminster and Keystone

The Right Hon. W. W. B. Beach, M.P., Prov. Grand Master Hants And The Isle Of Wight.

Chapter attached to the lodge of the same name , whose fortunes , seven years previously , he had so materially assisted in reviving . He was reelected to the chair on ssveral subsequent occasions , so that the chapter is greatly beholden to him for the support and encouragement he gave to it so readily . In Hampshire , of which he was appointed Grand Superintendent

in 1869 , and in which , according to the Provincial Calendar , he was Honorary Member of several chapters , some 14 or 15 of them have been consecrated since he became its ruler , one of them—attached to the Border Lodge , No . 2475 , Blackwater—being named in his honour the Beach Chapter .

In Mark Masonry , the Grand Lodge of which was formed in iS ^ with Lord Leigh as its first Grand Master , he was one of the earliest to tike high office . In 1857 , he was appointed S . G . Warden and Prov . Grand Master of Berks and Hants . The latter appointment he retained till 1 S 73 , when Hampshire with the Isle of Wight was constituted a Province under the late Rev . G . Raymond Portal as Prov . Grand Master , and on his death in 1889 , Bro . Beach became his successor and still held the office of P . G . M . at

the time of his death . In 1862 , he became founder and first W . M . of the University Lodge of Mark Masters , No . 55 . Oxford , and continued to occupy the chair of A . till 1 S 65 . In 1 S 63 , he served as Deputy G . Master to Lord Holmesdale—now Earl Amherst—and on his vacation of the chair of Grand Master in 18 S 6 was elected and installed his successor . On completing his three years' term , he retired and made way for his Deputy , the late Bro . the Rev . G . R . Portal .

As regards other Dfgiees , he was Provincial Prior of Hampshire for over a quaiter of a century , and in 1893 , was made a Knight Cross of the Order , while in the Ancient and Accepted Rite he had been perfected Rcse Croix , 1 S , and was a Past IYI . W . S . in the Royal Naval

Chapter , No . 9 , Portsmouth , of that Degree . Thus at the time of his death he was the respected chief of Craft , Royal Arch , Templar , and Mark Masonry in the Province of Hampshire and the Isle of Wight ; Grand J . in Supreme Grand Chapter , Past Grand Master of the Mark , and G . Cross of the Tetrple .

As regards our Charitable Institutions , there are few who have rendered them more signal service than our deceased brother , who was a Life Governor of the three , had served three Stewardships for the Girls ' School , four for the Boys' School , and one for the Benevolent Institution , while , in addtion , he was one of the Trustees of the Boys' Institution , in which he seemed to have taken particular interest . Above all , he presided as

Festival Chairman for one or other of them on five different occasions , his earliest experience in that character belonging to the year 1870 , shortly after his appointment as Prov . G . Master and G . Superintendent of Hants and the Isle ol Wight , when he occupied the chair at the 82 nd Festival of the Girls' School , and a total of £ 4050—at the time a very substantial Return —was raised . In 18 S 3 he presided a second time for the same Institution ,

when the Donations and Subscriptions amounted to £ 10 , 510 . In 1877 he presided at the Boys' School Festival , and a sum of £ " 13 , 249 was obtained ; while , on the 26 th June last , he took the chair a second time for the same School , and the Donations and Subscriptions reached ^ 23 , 020 , towards which his own Province contributed ^ 4000 , inclusive of the 1550 guineas for a Perpetual Presentation , as a memorial of his

Chairmanship . Once only did he preside as Chairman at a Benevolent Institution , and that was in 1887—the year of her late Majesty ' s Jubilee—when what was then the unprecedented total of £ " 19 , 229 was obtained , and in consequence of this splendid success and other special contributions by Grand Lodge , and for the purchase of two Perpetual

Presentations by the Province of West Yorkshire , the number of annuitants on the Male Fund was increased by five , from 173 to 178 , and the number on the Widows' Fund from 202 to 227 , exclusive of the West Yorkshire Presentations . He was also President and ex-ojftcio Trustee of Hampshire and Isle of Wight Masonic Educational and Benevolent Association , which he had materially helped to foster .

In respect of wh t he did in his Province , there is no need to say more than' that wherever and whenever there was need for his service , it was always most readily given . It may have been the dedication of a new Masonic Hall , the consecration of a new lodge or chapter , or the laying the foundation or memorial stone of some public or Masonic building ; if Bro .

Beach were well enough to attend and perform the ceremony , he attended and performed it—the last great occasion on which he did a service of this kind being on the 12 th October , iSgS , when he laid , with Masonic ceremonial , the coping-stone of the new Deep Water Quays at Southampton , the foundation-stone of which had been laid 60 years before to the very day by his predecessor in office , the late B .-o . Admiral Sir Lucius Curtis .

We are informed that a wreath was sent in the name of the Supreme Grand Chapter , and that the Grand Secretary was requested by the M . W . Grand Master to represent his Royal Highness at the luneral .

A New American Grand Lodge.

A NEW AMERICAN GRAND LODGE .

( Costa Rica ) . The Proceedings of the Grand Lodge of Costa Rica for 1900 , being the first published , have just been circulated , and are of an interesting character . It appears that Freemasonry was first introduced into the Republic of Costa Rica in 1865 , but the

lodge of that year , an 1 others subsequently formed , became extinct in 1887 . In the following year the Grand Orient of Central America , Guatemala , again chartered a lodge , and by 1 S 99 three more , making four in all , three working in Spanish and the other in English .

Owing to the great difficulty in communicating with this Grand Orient , and to meet the growing needs of the Craft in Costa Rica , a movement was started in 1899 to constitute a Grand Lodge for the Republic of Costa Rica , and on the 7 th

December , 18 99 , one was duly formed by these four lodges , whose accredited representative's agreed to a preliminary Constitution of 15 Articles , and M . W . Bro . Arthur G . M . Gillott was elected and installed as the premier Grand Master , the