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opportunity of visiting . Lastly he referred to the pleasant ceremony which had taken place in the early part of the year , when the brethren had presented Lady WILLIAMSON and himself with an illuminated address and silver vase in commemoration of their Silver Wedding , and he expressed the gratification they had both experienced at receiving from the brethren so

signal a mark of their respect and goodwill . With the appointment of the Prov . Grand Officers for the year—who were loudly cheered as they severally advanced to the dais for investiture—and the customary banquet , at which the PROV . GRAND MASTER occupied the chair , the proceedings of a busy

and most enjoyable gathering were brought to a conclusion , and it now remains for us to congratulate our Durham friends on the success which has attained their labours during the past 12 months . May it always be in their power to render so excellent an account of their work !

* * * „ IT must be extremely gratifying to our Shropshire brethren to in know that the work they have done during the brief period of arop ire . ^ y , j r existence as a separate province is so generally

appreciated . It is barely three years since Bro . Sir OFFLEY WAKEMAN , Bart ., who had been for some time Deputy to the late Bro . Sir W . WILLIAMSWYNN , Bart ., M . P ., Prov . Grand Master of North Wales and Shropshire , was installed as head of the Craft in the lesser half of the old province , yet it is not too much to say that Shropshire at the present moment

occupies a far worthier position among the Provinces of England than its mere numerical strength would justify . It started on its separate career with 10 lodges , and one has since been added to the roll ; and therefore had the work it has accomplished been less considerable , it would still have been entitled to our thanks , and the thanks generally of the Craft throughout the

country . But it has by no means contented itself with observing the usual routine of duty and the more limited support of our Institutions which is looked for in so small a province . The first 12 months it devoted chiefly to the task of setting its house in order , but at the same time it found the wherewith to help the Charities in an unpretentious way . In 1887 its Prov .

Grand Master undettook to preside at the Girls' School Festival , and the province , with an eagerness to distinguish itself which became it well , put forth its strength to such purpose that its contributions reached the handsome figure of ^ 1022 17 s . This year it has again been conspicuous , the amount it raised for the Centenary Festival

of the Institution for Girls being set down as £ 604 . Indeed , we shall not be greatly overstating the case if we assert that in the three years of its existence as a separate province Shropshire has distributed close on £ 2000 among our three Institutions , that of the Girls ' having obtained , and under the circumstances we have described justly

obtained , the lion ' s share . It is clear , therefore , that in its support of our great Masonic Charities , Shropshire has done more than its prescribed duty ; while , so far as we are able to gather from the reports which have been annually submitted to Prov . Grand Lodge , it has been equally successful in all that relates to its internal organisation . Our Shropshire brethren

must be proud to serve under so worthy a chief as Bro . Sir O . WAKEMAN , and the latter must be equally proud to preside over so enthusiastic a band of lodges , and especially that he and his able Deputy , Bro . ROWLAND VENABLES , have so efficient a Prov . G . Secretary to aid them in their work

of government as Bro . W . H . SPAULL , who has been honoured with office in United Grand Lodge by his Royal Highness the GRAND MASTER , and to whose ability and worth a justly merited compliment was paid at the recent meeting at Ironbridge , on the 18 th ult ., of the Provincial G . Lodge . We congratulate Bro . SPAULL on this latest evidence of the esteem and

respect in which he is held b y his Provincial Chiefs and the lodges and brethren over which they preside .

* * * England THE " Historical and other Reminiscences , " which will be and found in another part of this paper , will be read with interest by our numerous readers , especially b y those who are familiar with the unfortunate differences between England and Quebec at the present

time . Our esteemed correspondent is fully informed as to the origin and history of the Craft in Canada , and we hope that his good wishes and desires for a speedy settlement of the existing difficulties will be abundantly realised . There is no doubt that H . R . H . the Duke of KENT had his mind firmly

made up to ' * heal the differences " between the two rival Grand Lodges in this country ; and if his ROYAL HIGHNESS ' grandson , our illustrious GRAND MASTER , could bring about a similar union between Quebec and this Grand Lodge , none would rejoice more than our correspondent and ourselves .

Old Warrants, No. Xxviii.

OLD WARRANTS , No . XXVIII .

The "British Union Lodge , " No . 114 , Ipswich , was warranted , as the following document proves , on January , 21 st , 1762 . The number originally was 270 , but on the transcript sent me ( some years ago now ) it is entered as 214 , which is the second it bore , and was given it in 1770 . Five other numbers distinguished the lodge until 186 3 , when it became 114 , at which it still remains . Some fifteen places of meeting , beginning with the "Green

Man , ' in 1762 , are enumerated by Bro . John Lane in his " Masonic Records , 1717-1886 , " the last being its present home , viz ., the Freemasons ' Hall , Soame-street Ipswich . The lodge has a centenary jewel warrant of the ordinary pattern , so the members must have delayed their application for that distinction . * Had it been made prior to 1867 , a medal of a special

design might have been the distinctive decoration of the "British Union " Lodge . There are four lodges held in Ipswich , No . 114 being the senior . There was , however , an old lodge working there from 1732 , held at the " White Horse , " as No . 9 6 , becoming No . 85 in 1 740 . According to Bro . Lane , it was erased in 1754 , possibly some of the members uniting to found its successor of A . D . 1762 . I wonder if there are any Records preserved

Old Warrants, No. Xxviii.

of this old lodge of 1732 , or if the Warrant is still in existence . The senior lodge now on the Provincial Grand Lodge is No . 71 , "Unity , " Lowestoft chartered on May 9 th , 1747 ; the second in order of precedence being the " Doric " Lodge , Woodbridge , but its present charter only dates from 1 ? January , 1812 , being a second issue of an " Ancient" Warrant ori ginally

granted to a London lodge of 1762 , which lapsed—if it ever existed at all— . a few years afterwards . It will be seen that No . 114 is really the second as respects its antiquity , of existing lodges . I should much like a copy of the Warrant of No . 71 , of A . D . 1747 , if any member of the lodge , with the consent of the W . M ., will kindly transcribe , and send to me , or will have it published in the Freemason as one of this series . W . J . HUGHAN .

COPY OF WARRANT OF A . D . 1762 . ( Signed ) TO ALL AND EVERY our Right Worshipful , Worshipful and Aberdour Loving Brethren WE Sholto Charles Douglas Lord Aberdour Grand G . M . Master of the Most Ancient and Honourable Society of Free and Accepted Masons send Greeting . KNOW Ye that We at the Humble Petition of our Right Worshipful / - \ and Well-Beloved Brethren John Clarke , John Hunter and William

/ \ Clarke and several other Brethren resiling- at Ipswich in the County of [ L . S . ] Suffolk Do hereby Constitute the said Brethren into a regular Lodge of \ ' ' j F'ee and Accepted Masons to be Opened at Brother John Concom ' s \ J the Sign of the Green Man in the parish of St . Mary Key Ipswich in ^— / the County aforesaid , And do further at their said Petition and of the Great Trust and Confidence repos'd in every of the said above named Three Brethren Do hereby appoint John Clarke to be Master , John

Hunter Senr . Warden and William Clarke Junr . Warden tor opening the said Lodge and for such further time as shall be thought proper by the Brethren thereof it being our Will that this our Appointment of the above Officers shall in now wise Affect any future Election of Officers of the Lodge . But that such election shall be regulated Agreeably to such bye Laws of the said Lodge as shall be consistent with the General Laws of this Society contained in the Book of Constitutions and do

hereby Will and require you the said John Clarke to take Especial care that all and every the said Brethren are or have been regularly made Masons and that they do observe perform and keep all the Rules and Orders contained in the Book of Constitutions . And further that you do from time to time cause to be entered in a Book kept for that purpose an account of your proceedings in the Lodge together with all such Rules Orders and Regulations as shall be made for the good Government

of the same that in no wise you Omit once in Every Year to send to us or our Successors Grand Mr . or to John Revis , Esqre ; our DeDuty Grand Master or to the Deputy Giand Master for the time being an account in Writing of your said Proceedings and Copies of all such Rules , Orders and Regulations as shall be made as aforesaid Together with a list of the Members of the Lodge and such a sum of Money as may suit the

circumstances of the Lodge and reasonably be expected towards the Grand Charity . Moreover we hereby will and require you the said John Clarke as soon as conveniently may be to send a Account in Writing of what shall be done by Virtue of these presents . GIVEN AT LONDON under our Hand and Seal of Masonry this 21 st January A . D . 1762 , A . L . 5762 . •• [ partly obliterated ] [ By the ] Grand Masters Command Witness ( Signed ) J REVIS , D . G . M . ( Signed ) SAMUEL SPENCER G , S .

England And Quebec.

ENGLAND AND QUEBEC .

HISTORICAL AND OTHER REMINISCENCES . ( COMMUNICATED . ) In 1793 , on the eve of his departure for the mother country , at the close of his benign rule in Quebec as Provincial Grand Master of "the Ancients , " H . R . H . the Duke of Kent , father of our beloved Oueen , was presented by what was even then sometimes styled the Grand ' Lodge at

Quebec , with a loyal and fraternal address , in which , among others , those far-seeing Craftsmen earnestly besought His Royal Highness that on his return to England he would exert his great influence to bring about a "Union" between the antagonistic Grand Lod ges of "Ancients" and "Moderns , " so that united Craft lodge allegiance , with its manifold blessings , could be enjoyed in Quebec .

How nobly and efficiently His Royal Highness fulfilled his solemn promise thereanent to those fathers of the Craft in then Lower Canada , by having been the chief instrument in consummating the glorious Union of 1813 , is well known to all good brethren , not only in England , but throughout the Masonic world ; and whose good effects will continue for evermore . It thus appears that from "Quebec" sprung , if not the primal , yet probably the controlling impulse whose happy consummation was the

formation of "The United Grand Lodge of Ancient Freemasons of England ! " What " return " may England now make therefor ? Nor are other historic incidents in " the line of succession" of the now Grand Lodge of Quebec , to the auspicious Masonic regime in that Dependency of H . R . H . the Duke of Kent , and its peculiar relationship to the illustrious fraternal reign in England , of H . R . H . the Prince of Wales , devoid of interest and importance .

1 he first Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Ouebec , M . W . Bro . John Hamilton Graham , LL . D ., in his ninth annual address , 18 S 3 , spoke as follows ;

"SOME NOTABLE QUEBEC EVENTS . " "Assembled here in Grand Lodge , we cannot forget that it was in this famous old City of Quebec , where our illustrious R . VV . Brother the Duke of Kent , and father of our beloved Queen , presided over the Craft , as Grand Master of the Provincial Grand Lodge of Lower Canada , having been installed June 22 , 1792 . To make the remembrance of this interesting Masonic event the more pleasing , I need but remind the officers and

members ot this Grand Lodge , that on the occasion ol the Tiappy union of the remaining ' Canada' lod ges in our Province , with this Grand Body , there were transmitted to us , through me as the then Grand Master , by the late M . W . Bro . T . D . Harington , as our proper inheritance , an antique Masonic ' square' of gold , having & ' brilliant' at the angle , and having thereon this inscription : ' The g ift oi his Royal Highness Prince Edwardthe first R . W . Grand Master 01

, Ancient Masons in Canada , ' and on the reverse , 'R . W . Grand Lodge , Canada ; ' and also a large key of fine gold , with ' monogram , ' surmounted by a ' crown , ' the gift also to that Provincial Grand Lodge of Pn William Henry , the Duke of Clarence , and afterwards William IV . Als 0 the three Principal chairs , used at this Communication of Grand Lodge ; were the gift , in 1809 , of M . W . Bro . the Duke ol Sussex . _