Northumbrian Masonry*.

founded to some extent upon occurrences more or less distorted in tlie narration , it is ever the duty of the historian to sift 'die traditions as well as to collect the records pertaining to the subject with which he is dealing ; and , so far as those traditions

may fairly throw light upon that subject , he is entitled to avail himself of their aid , distinguishing between that of which he can furnish proof and that which can only be inferred from circumstances . In addressing myself to the task of compiling a

Masonic History of Northumberland , I have endeavoured to keep this duty in view , knowing so well the extent to which thc early history of our Order has been obscured by extravagant claims and fanciful stories " And again , after explaining that

the " o-enesis " of the work is "the collection of all matters of record bearing upon Craft Masonry in the province , from 1 725 to 1875 , undertaken and carried out at the request of the Provincial Grand Lodge , under Earl PERCY , by my brother , T . Y .

STRACHAN , " & C , he goes on to say , " In no case have I accepted mere tradition as evidence ; but have cited my authority for every statement made , and have given the facts upon which every inference or presumption of mine has been founded . "

Turning to the work itself , we note that the first four chapters contain all such particulars relating to the history and development of Freemasonry during the centuries that preceded the establishment of Grand Lodges . In Chapter I . is described

" British , Roman , and Saxon Masonry , " the period which is covered extending from the earliest times to A . D . 10 GS . Northumberland , in the opinion of the author , being able to " point with pride to the possession of certain evidence entitling us to

assume that the Masons' Art was practised there long before thc Christian era , " the evidence in question being a number of "brass wedges or chissels , " which are stated in MACKENZIE ' S " History of Northumberland " to have been discovered by a

Mason , when " clearing the earth in Hulne Park ( Alnwick ) , " about the year 1726 . Chapter II . covers the period from 1154 to 13 ^ 8 , and treats of " Norman Masonry and the Development of the Craft , " while Chapter III . deals with "Masonry an Organised

System , " from 1380 to 159 S . In Chapter IV . we have an account of "The Development of Symbolic Masonry" between 16 33 and 1763 , the initiation of ROBERT MORAY , Quartermaster-General of the Scottish Armv , at Newcastle-on-Tyne , on the 29 th

May , 1641 , being the first important fact mentioned in the Chapter . Particulars are also given of ROBERT TROLLOP , of York , Mason , the architect of the Newcastle Guildhall , erected between 16 55 and 1658 , and his brother Henry , who

were "known as hreemasons , being among those ' Ffrecmasons and others of Gateshead to whom Bishop JOHN COSIN , on the 24 th April , 1671 , granted a charter of incorporation , constituting the several crafts named into a ' comunitie , ffellowshipp , and

company , ' and naming the first wardens , who were to be four in number , " and one of whom " must allwaies be a ffree mason . " Particulars arc also given of the old lodge at Alnwick , the

minutes of which are the earliest in England , and show that in 1701 the Masons of Alnwick "met in lodge , with every indication of having been in existence for a long time as an operative body . "

Of the merit pertaining to these four chapters , which- we have so briefly described , and which form so small a portion of the History , we must leave our readers to form their own

opinion , but that that opinion will be a favourable one wc do not doubt any more than that the rest of the book , which it will be our privilege to notice in some future article , will prove to thc full as acceptable .

Still Another Masonic Ms.

STILL ANOTHER MASONIC MS .

I have much pleasure in stating that the Manuscript Roll of the " Old Charges , " mentioned by me in the second edition of my work on the . subject ( Bro . George Kenning , 1895 ) as missing , and once belonging to the late Mr . Bohn , of Brighton ( Bookseller ) , has been traced , and is now in the hands of its most recent purchaser , a Collector residing in London , who is

not a Freemason , but very interested in the study of such documents , and has kindly senc me the scroll for examination . It was obtained from a dealer in Brighton , and is , beyond question , the copy noted by me at p . 159 of my " Old Charges ol British Freemasons , " and seen by the late Colonel John Mead , of Redhill , who failed lo secure it for me , through a gentleman buying it in the interim .

Still Another Masonic Ms.

It is a vellum Roll , in two equal portions , running to some 4 feet 3 inches in length , and about /{ inches in width . It belongs to the " Sloane Family , " and so I have numbered it E 17 ( c ) . In some respects it resembles the " Alnwick Branch , " and has no special text to render it of a more prominent character than that MS . E 10 . It has the word Now added to " Good Brethren and fellows , " like the Dauntesey MS . ( Keystone , 20 th

March , 18 S 6 , Article by Bro . W . H . Rylands , F . S . A . ) , and its general character is indicated by the " Alnwick MS . " reproduced in 1895 , by the Rosicrucian Society of Newcastle-on-Tyne , Edited by Bro . Schnitger , with an Introduction by me . In the instructions for the reception of candidates , " ye ancientest of ' em had to hold a Booke yt he or they may lay his or their

hand or hands upon ; " Jerusalem is termed " Land of the East ; the wages paid by " St . Alban " are omitted , probably because undecipherable in the prototype ; Hiram Abiff is called " Amon " ( as usual ) , and the " Edwinge " legend is given , as well as the other accounts to be found in such documents . Its date is A . D . 1700 circa . The present owner could not have been more attentive to my wants as to the matter had he been a brother . W . J . HUGHAN .

Obverse And Reverse Of Medal.

OBVERSE AND REVERSE OF MEDAL .

The above reproductions of the obverse and reverse of the large Gold Medal I wrote about in the Freemason for 24 ' h December , 1898 , will give a fair idea of its character , and I hope will lead to the identification of the Lodge which presented the handsome decoration to their R . W . Master ( Bro . Balikes ) , in 1790 .

OBVeRSR ,

KEVBRSK .