"Liber Ordinis Templi."

m memorial " chapters , called the " Observance of Seven Deo-rees , " London , which was at the head of the roll in 1810 , but when the latest numeration was arranged it was g iven the letter E . The other "chapters" without numbers in 18 to were the

" Redemption , " York , and the "Baldwin , " Bristol , termed " Time Immemorial- " Now there are five preceptories , lettered A to F , excluding E ( as noted ) , being held respectivel y at ( A ) Nottingham , ( B ) Hull , ( C ) Bristol ) , ( D ) London , and ( F )

Exeter . I wonder if any of these possess older documents in proof of earl y working than ( C ) Bristol , No . 2 , Portsmouth , and No . 5 , Manchester , have , prior to the formation of the Grand Conclave in I 79 I .

Knig ht Templary was active , though not regularl y formed as a Grand Body in London for all England , long before the year 179 I—when Bro . Thomas Dunckerley became the Grand Master , and the Regulations were agreed to , on which all subsequent Laws have been more or less based . We know that Dunckerley

granted authority—exactl y how we cannot tell—to the Royal Arch Companions at Portsmouth to make Kni ghts Templars , so early as I 77 8 , as Bro . Alex . Howell has stated in his massive History of the " Phoenix" Lodge , & c , No . 257 . Bro . John Yarker , in " Transactions of the Prov . G . Conclave of Lane . "

for 186 9 , has ably proved that the " Jerusalem Encampment " was active from I 786 under the " G . L . of all England , held at York , " and from 1795 under the London organisation . The Bristol Knights also still preserve their " Charter of Compact " of 20 th Dec , 17 80 , which recites the formation of the "Supreme

Grand and Royal Encampment" for England , which then claimed supremacy . The latter document will be found in my " Orig in of the English Rite " of 188 4 . In 1810 , No . I was held at Bideford , and bore date April 10 , 1790 , but when erased I cannot tell . No . 2 , then , as now , is at Portsmouth ; No 3 figures at Redruth , of Aug . 16 th , 1791 (

subsequentl y removed to Falmouth , and finall y erased ); No . 4 , now No . 3 , is at Kei ghley , and still bears its ancient title ; and the Hope , now No . 4 , Huddersfield , was then No . 6 , at Halifax ; Nos . 7 and 8 appear to have succumbed , ( viz ., at Hollywood and

Carlisle ); and No . 9 , Jerusalem , now No . 5 , continues at Manchester . The present St . George ' s , No . 6 , was then No . 10 , and called the " Cross of Christ ; and the last of the 18 th century " Chapters" was No . II , Ashton-under-Lyne , of Aug . 12 th , 179 6 , since No . 7 , with an extended title .

There are others on the Register now that were not on the Roll in 1810 , though working long before then , as alread y noted , about which authoritative information would be of much value ,

and all the more so , because the histories of these ancient Kni ght Templar organisations of late have been almost overlooked and virtuall y neglected , save in a few honourable instances .

Now that the " Convent General" has been set aside and ended , the Great Priory of England and Wales will have a good opportunity to revive the Order in this country , and it is to be hoped that the new Regulations will be g iven fair time to come into operation and be thoroughly known before any more changes are suggested .

, For reasons which need not be gone into , Kni ght Templary has not been so popular in Great Britain and Ireland as it used to be ; but with H . R . H . the Prince of Wales as the Sovereign of the United Orders , and a most active and enthusiastic Grand Master , a number of zealous Provincial Priors , with

muchrespected Great officers like the Chancellor , Registrar , and the Vice-Chancellor ( on whom the guidance of the Society will mainl y fall ) , we may reasonabl y anticipate a period of great prosperity and a revived interest in this Order , which has such an amazing hold on our brethren in America .

I hope to offer a few words about the ' new Statutes , when the Volume is issued , and so , meanwhile , do not refer at length to the Report of the Great Priory on this subject . W . J . HUGH AN .

Consecration Of The Headingley Lodge, No. 2608, Leeds.

CONSECRATION OF THE HEADINGLEY LODGE , No . 2608 , LEEDS .

On Friday , the lolh instant , a new lodge was consecrated in Leeds , making the ninth in that city and the 78 th on the roll of West Yorkshire . It now some 12 years since such an event occurred in this populous centre , ¦ e last instance being the Prudence , No . 206 9 , in 18 S 4 . This was in the nal year of the reien of Sir Henrv Edwards as Prov . Grand Mastpr fnr

his D sllire > . the ceremony was carried out by Bro . T . W . Tew , West ^ ' ^ t . " ^ ' mmediate successor . From that date to the present time have a •, •re ' increased its numbers by 10 lodges only , of which four by v , r t 1 Een 'P Sheffield . The growth and spread of Freemasonry , judged abnorm n the number of lodges , cannot therefore be said to have been are rath y rapid in West Yorkshire , and Masonic statistics on this point rawer curious . Take the pounty of Lancaster . This , for Masonic

Consecration Of The Headingley Lodge, No. 2608, Leeds.

purposes , is divided into Lancashire East and Lancashire West . Each of these divisions contains over a hundred lodges , the actual number being at the end of 1805 , East Lancashire , 111 lodges ; West Lancashire , 112 . During the 12 years alluded to , the two Lancashires have added 42 lodges to their roll , whilst the whole of Yorkshire , including the North and East

Province , has not increased by more than 14 or 15 in the same period . Again , Liverpool has some 37 lodges , Manchester 34 , Birmingham 16 , and Nottingham 10 , whilst Leeds , until the io : h inst ., stood at eight only ; and , finally , whilst in some towns in the province there are lodges in the proportion of one to every 10 , 000 or less of the population , in Leeds it was about one ledge to every 50 , 000 of its actual inhabitants .

Taking these facts into consideration , it is not surprising that it should have occurred to some of the Leeds brethren that an increase in the number of its lodges might be desirable . Headingley , from which the new lodge takes its name , whilst withir ; the Parliamentary and Municipal borough , is yet a popular residential suburb of the city . All Masonic lodges have hitherto met in Leeds itself , and to form a home and abiding place in the outskirts is a new departure . Justification for this procedure is sought in

the fact that many residents , once they have returned from business , have much disinclination to again go back into the town , and would prefer to have their lodges within easier distance . Add to this , there are some Masons in the neighbourhood who are compelled , through business or professional connecliors , to live outside the provinces in which they were made , and who have not attached themselves to any Leeds lodge . These , it was estimated , would join a new lodge , if invited , and so the project gradually worked itself out .

Of the 17 founders , one- the W . M ., Bro . Alf . Cooke - though a member of a Leeds lodge , is more intimately connected with the Columbia Lodge , No . 2397 , London , in which he passed the chair ; three others—B-os . W . F . Tomlinson , 304 ; Alfred Scarth , 289 ; and W . H . Bradford , 1211—are well-known Leeds Masons , Past Masters of their lodges , and P . P . Grand Officers ; of the rest , some are joining members of Leeds lodges , others

members of other West Yorkshire lodges , and the remainder , some six or eight in number , are from London , Kent , North Wales , Durham , North and East Yorkshire , and Sydney ( New South Wales ) . In a limited sense , therefore , the character of the lodge may be described as cosmopolitan , which , however advantageous in other respects , will , when the form of ritual is considered , doubtless present difficulties .

After some delay , a suitable meeting place was discovered and secured in the Parochial Institute , Bennet-road ; Headingley , and on Friday , the 10 th instant , a large gathering of brethren assembled to witness the consecration and constitution of the lodge . This was done by the P . G Master , Bro . the Right Hon . W . Lawies Jackson , M . P ., in a most solemn and impressive manner . He was assisted during the ceremony by Brj . the Re <\ L . S .

Calvert , M . A ., his Prov . G . Chap . ; Bro . J . W . Monckman , P . M . 101 S , who acted as Director of Ceremonies ; Bro . H . S . Childe , Prov . G . Reg . ; Bro . H . G . E . Green , Prov . G . Sec . ; and by four Worshipful Masters of Lceis lodges , viz ., Bros . J . P . Mann , 28 9 ; R . J . Smith , 1042 ; R . Tasker , 1211 ; and J . W . Wood , 1221 . In addition , were assembled many Prov . G . Officers , Present and Past , and a numerous company , comprising , amongst others , Bros . J . C . Malcolm , G . D . England , D . P . G . M . ; Harry Allen , 1779 ,

P . S . G . W . ; J . A . Godwin , J . P ., i 3 , P . J . G . W |; A . Robertshaw , 44 S . T . H . Tanner , 337 , W . R . Hinings , 6 oo , andH . S . Wood , 439 , Prov . G . Deacons ; T . R . Vaux , 208 , P . G . S . of W . ; D . White , 149 , P . A . G . D . C . ; T . Shaw , 1514 . P . G . S . B . ; F . Broadhead , 260 S , P . G . Std . Br . ; T . W . Handforth , 2491 , P . G . Org . ; J . Matthewman , 1019 , P . A . G . Sec ; j . H . Pawson , 242 , as P . G . Purst . ; and Dr . J . Mossop , 974 . Joseph B . sc , 302 , and Henry Telford , 387 , P . G . Stwds . ; also A . Milner , 1283 , as P . G . Slwd ., all acting Prov . Grand Officers .

Of the P . P . G . Officers there were Bros . Henry Smith , P . D P . G . M ., P . G . D . ; C . Lttch Mason , 304 . P . P . G . W . ; W . F . Smithson , P . P . G . W ., P . G . D . ; J . Dyson , 306 , P . P . G . D . ; T . Wynne , 1211 , P . P . G . S . of W . ; and others .

The gathering of brethren below the purple was great , and amongst others , not previously mentioned , were Bros . W . Cockerlyne , W . M . 304 ; F . G . Dimery , W . M . 206 9 P . P . G . P . Somerset ; A . Redmayne , 304 ; D . Mclver , 304 ; W . Warren , 1211 ; H . T . Cockerlyne , 304 ; James Mllington ,

1221 ; D . G . Kershaw , J . H . Nettleship , 1311 ; J . E . Cawthorn , j . R . Barton , R . Waide , T . H . Hardcastle , J . H . Oath , W . Wright , C . Soiven , W . T . Carter , A . Barrett , E . W . Smith , W . McQual , H . Child , J . Potts , A . Haigh , A . Dougill , H . Cowbrough , R . Crossland , R . B . ston , A . W . Chapman , J . T . Last , and others .

The furniture of the lodge is of fumed oak , the pedestals having moulded friezes , supported by fluted columns , with Corinthian capitals . The jewels are sol . d silver , and the working tools , gavels , & c , of exquisite workmanship . For the first time the very handsome silver-gilt consecration vessels presented to the province by Bro . Henry Smith on his retirement from the office of Deputy were used . The musical arrangements

had not been overlooked , and the anthems , chiefly taken from the " Liber Musicus" of Dr . Spark , were beautifully sung by Bros . Blagboro , T . Child , W . O . Tooke , J . J . Binns ; and Wood Higgins , to the able accompaniment of Bro . H . T . Cockerlyne . Previous to the consecration , and almost immediately after the Prov . Grand Master , his Deputy , and officers had entered and been saluteJ , Bro . W . L . J ACKSON gave the following address :

Brethren , —We are met here this afternoon to consecrate a new lodge ; we have a long programme , and I will , therefore , not detain you more than a few minutes . An occasion of thus assembling together is not frequent amongst us , but is very interesting , for rightly and properly carried out , and with good reason , the consecration of a new lodge indicates growth and development ot our Order . Though it is desirable to make due provision for increase in membership , yet the

formation of a new lodge should not be lightly undertaken . Some think our object should be not to dissipate energy , but to concentrate it , but in a Urge and populous town like Leeds , I can conceive that it may be a convenience to increase the number of our lodges in order to enable us to meet more frequently . Let us not , however , lose sight of the fact that to divide is often to weaken . Some attach importance to the idea of having a central meeting plice only , but 1 must

frankly say that wnen I considered all the circumstances , I thought it my duty , and I , therefore , did not hesitate to recommend the prayer of the petition for this Headingley Lodge , whilst , at the same time , keeping in view my purpose to countenance nothing , and to encourage nothing wnich would tend to make the Order less strong . Those who take upon themselves to form a new lodge assume

very great responsibility , because , if , upon their representation a warrant is granttd , and yet not good but evil results follow , the responsibility rests upon the promoters , liiut I know the brethren who are sponsors for this lodge are prepared to fulfil their duly , to see that nothing which the dignity and importance of Freemasonry may demand shall be wanting , and to justify our sanction by mikin ' the