Freemasonry In Cheshire*

are splendid examples of penmanship , to be handed down from generation to generation as specimens worthy of emulation . " Thus from the end of 1 743 , for a period extending to near ]) - 15 8 years , Piro . ARMSTRONG has had authentic material to work from ,

and has turned this enormous advantage to the best possible account , but it is for the years preceding the commencement of this oldest Provincial Cheshire Minute Book that authentic material is needed , and , though Bro . ARMSTRONG has done much

to enli g hten us as to the earl y proceedings of the Cheshire Craft , he has not , as wc have said , had trustworth y hel p to any appreciable extent . He has done what he could , and it is his misfortune , not his fault , that he has not been able to accomplish

more . Wc cordially echo the hope expressed by thc author on p . 17 , that some of the earlier volumes of records " may yet be found in some public or private collection of MSS ., just as the 1 743 to 17 6 7 volume was found some few years ago in Mr . BLACK ' S collection . "

That Cheshire was an earl y home of Freemasonry is a most natural conjecture on thc part of Bro . ARMSTRONG ; whether if was introduced into Britain by the Roman Collegium , or whether it came into the country in Saxon times with the introduction of

Gothic architecture . What is certain—and we are indebted to RANDLE HOLME for Ihe information , amplified as it has since been by the painstaking researches of Bro . W . II . RYLANDS , P . A . G . D . C . —is that there was a speculative lodge at Chester

" in or about the year 1600 . " RANDLE HOLME has recorded the names of 26 members forming it , and Bro . RYLANDS has " found them to be men of some social status , certainly above that of a working mason , and many of them possessed a

considerable estate . " Following the list of members of the Chester speculative lodge aloresaid come lists of the members of the three lodges in Chester included in the list of " Regular Constituted Lodges" as delivered at a Quarterl y Communication of

Grand Lodge held on the 27 th November , 1725 . These lodges were held at the "Sunn" Inn , Bridge-street ; the "Spread Eagle , " and ( he " Castle and l ' aulkon " respcctivelv , and Bro . ARMSTRONG gives complete lists of the members as entered in

the records of Grand Lodge , the list of the "Sunn" members being headed by " CoU . Francis Columbine , Provincial Grand Mr . ' ; " followed by Samuel Smith , Deputy , " and " Coll . Herbert Lawrence and Captain Hugh Warburton , Wardens . " Then

come the names of Master , Wardens , and members of the lod « f e . In ( he next few pages the author states what he has been able to learn as lo the social status of the brethren , thoss forming the "Sunn" Lodge being of hig her position in this respect than those belonging to the . other two lodges .

In the remaining jiortion of Chapter I ., Bro . ARMSTRONG traverses the opinion expressed b y Bro . HENRY SADLER as lo the lodge constituted at the Horse and Groom in Chester in 1739 , having been an entirely new lodgr , and he does this .

on evidence which he considers " is sullicient to prove with little doubt that the No . 180 of 1739 and the lodge at the 'Sunn' in 1725 were one and the same lodge . " He also quotes a letter furnished b y Bro . SADLER from the Grand Lod <> e

Records addressed b y Bro . HIGH WARBURTON , P . G . M ., his Deputy , Bro . S . SMITH , and his Wardens , to the Grand . Master in London , the letter bearing date the 15 II 1 April , 1727 , and being written from the " Castle and Falcon" Lod ge . Lastlv

he stales that " ( oloncl COLUMBINE and his successors were annually elected , from 1725 to 1757 b y ( he members of the Provincial Grand Lodge just as Grand Lod ge now annually elects thcGrand Master , iiut lor howmany years a Prov . G . M . was eK-clcd

before I 725 we do not know . " This will doubtless account blithe fact that the Captain ROBERT NEWTON whose re-election as Pl-OV . G . M . 011 the 271 ) 1 December , 1743 , is ||| e ( j rs | ,. Veiit recorded in the oldest Prov . minute book , is not included in f ] u . " Succession of Provincial and District Grand Masters

from 1717 to the Present lime , " as published at pp . 207-216 in our Grand Lodge Calendar . We shall take an earl y opportunity of describing the further contents of Bro . ARMSTRONG ' ably written and inleresiin » work in a future article or articles .

BRO . SIR JOSEPH C . DIMSDALE ,. M . P ., has resigned his seat upon the London board tf Goldsbrough , Mort , and Co ., Limited .

Consecration Of The London Hospital Lodge, No. 2845.

CONSECRATION OF THE LONDON HOSPITAL LODGE , No . 2845 .

The consecration of a new lodge in connection with the London Hospital took place at the Hotel Cecil on the 2 nd instant , the ceremony of consecration being admirably performed by B . 'o . Ii . Letchworth , F . S . A ., Grand Secretary , assisted by Bros . Clement Gadson , M . D ., P . G . D ., as S . W . ; Alfred Cooper , F . R . C . S ., P . G . D ., as J . W . ; Sir Borradaile Savory , Birt , M . A ., G . Chap ., as Chaplain ; Frank Ric ' iardson , P . D . G . Reg ., as D . C . ; and Lieut .-Col . Kiallmark , P . G . D ., as I . G .

Bro . A . Ernest Sansom , M . A ., M . D ., F . R . C . P ., P . M ., was theW . M . designate ; Bro . F . S . Eve , F . R . C . S ., P . M , the S . W . designate ; and Bro . F . J . Smith , M . A ., M . D . . . F . R . C . P ., P . M ., the J . W . designate . The founders of the lodge—each of whom received a memento of the interesting occasion in the shape of a very haodsom ; founder ' s jawil ^

werc—Bros . Wm . Gavton , M . D ., P . M .. P . Z ., P . P . G . Rcpr . Essex ; A . Ernest Sansom , M . D ., P . M ., P . Z .. P . P . ] . G . W . Middx . ; Fred . S . Eve , F . R . C . S ., P . M . ; Fred . I . Smith , M . A ., M . D ., P . M . ; Wm . J . Best , P . M ., P . ' / .. ; G . F . Rogers , M . D ., P . M ., P . P . G . W . Cambs ; T . H . Openshaw , C . M . G ., F . R . C . S ., P . M . ; S . Luther Martin , M . D ., P . M . ; B . Hubert Gardiner , M . D ., P . M . ; J . Atkinson Hosker , P . M . ; E . C . Montgomery Smith , M . D ., P . M . ; T . Gilbart Smith , M . D . ;

Percy Furnivall , F . R . C . S . ; Gustavo I . Schorste ' m , M . A , M . D . ; Bertrand Dawfon , M . D . ; Probyn Williams , M . D . ; William Riwes , M . D ., F . R . C . S . ; Charles H . Millar , IL H . Bonham , M . D ., P . M ., P . Z ., P . P . G . S . B . Bristol ; E . Shedd , P . M .. P . Z ., P . P . G . Reg . ; \ V . A . Wetman , P . M ., P . Z , P . P . J . G . W . N . and E . Yorks ; W . A . Grogono , P . M ., P . G . Stwd . ; J . E . S . Passmore , P . M ., P . P . G . Stwd . Lines ; F . H . lvyngdon , M . D ., P . M ., P . G . D . Australia ; D . inLis Grant ,

M . A ., M . D ., P . M . ; James Harrison P . M . ; Macdonald Brown , P . M . ; Seymour Tuke , M . A ., M . D . ; Edwd . Woakos , M . D . ; F . J . Wethercd , M . D . ; Hope Grant , M . D . ; James Codling , J . M . Cirvell , Ernest Burchell , W . C . Jarvis , H . J . Scrjucirn . Jno . S . Crone , F . W . Collingwood , G . D . K . Bannerman , Fred Ellis , Hutchinson S-. v . inton . Morley Aijar , H . Shapter Robinson , A . B . D ivies , Hunter Tod , and F . W . Barrett , M . B .

The brethren having assembled in the lodge room , the Consecrating ; Officer , accompanied by the Grand O . Ti : ers , entered in processbn , aid taking thc chair appointed his officers pro tcm . The ceremony of consecration was then proceeded with , an oration on the nature and principles of thj Institution being delivered by thc Chaplain . Th- ; direction of the ma ; ir ; il portion of the programme was in the hands of Bro . Edmund Branscombe , P . P . G . O . Surrey , assisted by Bros . Geo . May , Dan Price , and Fountain Meen , G . O .

The lodge having been duly dedicated and constituted , the ceremony of installation of the W . M . designate was proceeded with . Bro . A . li . Sansom having been duly installed in the chair of K . S ., appointed the following as his principal officers for the ensuing year : Bros . F . S . Eve , S . W . ; F . J . Smith , J . W . ; Dr . S . Luther Martin , Treas . ; and T . II . Openshaw , C . M . G ., F . R . C . S ., Sec .

After the election of a Committtee to frame bye-laws , and the transaction of other routine business , the lodge was closed , and an adjournment msde to the elegant banquet provided for the occasion by the hotel

management . At the conclusion of the banquet the usual loyal and Masonic toasts were duly honoured . Thc W . M ., in proposing " The Health of Bro . E . Letchworth , F . S . A .,

Grand Secretary , and the other Consecrating Officers , paid a welldeserved tribute to the ability and devotion displayed by those officers in the performance of their dulies , and to thc manner in which the Consecrating Officer had performed the ceremony of consecration that evening . The COXSECKATI . VO OI ' I ' ICER suitably responded .

The proposal of " The Heallh of the W . M . " was the occasion for the proposer to pay a high tribute to the W . M . 's past career , and to prophesy the prosperity of the newly-formed lodge under his guidinc ? . The lemaining toasts were those of " The Visitors , " "The Officers of ( lie I . oc ' gc , " nnd the Tyler ' s toast .

At intervals during the tonst list an excellent programme of music was carried out , under the direction of Bro . Edward Branscombe , P . P . G . Org . Surrey , in which , besides the conductor , Mdme . Marie Hooton , and Bros , Walter Churcher , Dan Price , and It . B . Hopkins took part .

Provincial Grand {Mark) Lodge Of Lancashire.

PROVINCIAL GRAND { MARK ) LODGE OF LANCASHIRE .

The annual meeting of the above Provincial Grand Lodge of Mark Master Masons was held on thc 2 , id instant at the Town Hall , Todmorden , where there was an attendance of about 200 brethren . The R . W . Prov . G . Mark Master , Bro . thf : Right UM . the Earl of Lathom , presided , and amongst others present were Bros . A . H . Jeffries , Dsp . Prov . G . Master ; Alderman John Moulding , P . G . D . Eng . ; J . D . Murra " , Past G . Treas . ; W . Goodacre , Prov . G . Sec . ; and others representing the lodges within the province .

The minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed , thc roll of lodges was called , and after the transaction ol oilier business the following officers were appointed :

Bro . Dr . J . E . Dunn ... ... ... Prov . S . G . W . ,, II . Pretty ... ... ... ... Prov . ( . G . W . ,, W . 11 . Peel ... ... ... Prov . ' G . M . O . ,, T . I . Hayes ... ... ... Prov . G . S . O .

,, W . II . Moore ... ... ... Prov . G . J . O . ,, thelttv . H . V . Pignt ... ... ... } „ " .. „ „ the Rev . W . H . Healey j Prov . G . Chaps . 1 , Robert Gibson ... ... ,.. Prov . G . Treas . „ It . C . K . Smith ... ... ... Prov . G . Reg . ,, W . Goodacre ... .,, ... Prov . G . Sec . ,, A . Brown ... ,., ... ... Prov . Asst . G . Sec .

,, John liregson ,.. ... ,., Prov . S . G . D . „ A . Whitehead ... ,,. ... Prov . J . G . D . ,, Jas . Stopford ,.. ... ... Prov . G . D . C . „ A . J . Boothroyd ... ... ... Prov . A . G . D . C . „ It . Christopher ... ... .,, Prov . G . Std . Br . „ J . Turk . ingt . on „ , , „ , „ Prov . G . S . B .