Consecration Of The Cathedral Lodge, No. 2741.

respected and high dignitary of St . Paul ' s Cathedral . I am sure that you will join with me in wishing this lodge a career of great prosperity , that it may accomplish all those great objects the founders have in view , and that it may advance the best interests of the Order . Brethren , this lodge is about to be dedicated to the service of Almighty God , and I will now ask our rev . brother the Chaplain to give us the advantage of prayer .

The ceremony was then proceeded with , and the Dean of GLOUCESTER delivered the oration . VVhen the consecration was over , Bro . Archdeacon Sinclair was installed as W . M . Bro . W . H . Cummings , G . Org ., was appointed to act as I . P . M . for the first year . The other officers were Bros . Charles E . Tinney ,

S . W . ; Alfred Kenningham , J . W . ; the Rev . Professor Shuttleworth , Chap . ; Robert De Lacy , Treas . ; Vernon Taylor , Sec . ; Henry J . Dutton , S . D ., * George May , J . D . ; R . E . Miles , I . G . ; R . R . Johnston , D . ofC ; Sir George C Martin , Mus . Doc , Org . ; VV . H . Pocklington and Robert Bullen , Stwds . ; and Thos . Bowler , P . M ., Tyler .

After the banquet the usual toasts were proposed , which were interspered with some charming singing . " The Queen and the Craft" having been honoured , the ARCHDEACON , in proposing " The M . W . G . M ., " said it gave him peculiar pleasure to do

so on this occasion , because the Cathedral Lodge had received its warrant in the kindest possible way from his Royal Highness , who , all the brethren knew , took the greatest interest in the Craft . During thelong time H . R . H . the Prince of Wales had been in office in Freemasonry he had done his best for the Order .

The Archdeacon of LONDON next proposed " The Pro Grand Master , the Deputy Grand Master , and the rest of the Grand Officers , Present and Past , " and said the brethren were greatly indebted on the present occasion to Grand Lodge Officers for the great interest and kind attention which they had paid to the foundation of this Cathedral Lodge . He should have an opportunity later on of expressing on behalf of the brethren the warm

debt of gratitude they owed to the Grand Secretary ; but he did not think the attention of Grand Lodge itself had been less in any degree than that of the Grand Secretary . The proposal to form the lodge was accepted in the very kindest manner , and that was testified by the presence at the consecration of no less than 14 Grand Officers . The lodge was not just yet very wealthy , but its members had great pleasure in entertaining the Grand

Officers . He trusted that the pleasant connection between Grand Lodge and the Cathedral Lodge would always be maintained . The Cathedral Lodge was now , of course , the youngest of all lodges , and had not many Grand Officers connected with it . They had , however , one who acted as Immediate Past Master , who had given them the benefit of his great

experience in lodges he ( the Archdeacon ) had the honour of being connected with , and the honour , dignity , success , and good working , and character of those lodges had very largely indeed depended upon the Past Masters . The Ven . Brother then mentioned the names of the Grand Officers present , and their good works in Masonry . Bro . Sir J . B . MONCKTON , P . G . W ., briefly replied .

The Archdeacon of LONDON , in proposing the toast of " The Consecrating Officers , " said all the members of the lodge , as well as himself , felt profound gratitude to the Consecrating Officers . It would have been absolutely impossible for the consecrating service to be performed with greater sympathy , reverence , or impressiveness than the brethren had been witnesses of that evening . ( Applause . ) It was , of course , the object of

everyone that everything in this life should be done as well as it possibly could be , and especially everything connected with public working . Therefore it was a great object-lesson for this very young lodge that it should have an admirable example of Masonic work on the first day of its assembling . He hoped it would emulate the example . Having commented on the merits of the different Consecrating Officers as he coupled Bro .

Letchworth ' s name with the toast , he said with regard to that brother it was really impossible for him as a thorough believer in Masonry , how much they were all indebted , to the Grand Secretary for the most admirable way in which he performed his duties and the readiness with which he placed himself at the disposal of all lodges . Bro . Letchworth told him he had five or six other consecrations immediately on hand . They all believed in Masonry

—that it induced into life the principle of order , of dignity , of religion ; and whenever Bro . Letchworth did any Masonic work in that sense , he thoroughly believed in what he was saying . They also believed that the Masonic Craft was deeply bound up with the Christian religion in this country , and that was the great aim with which Bro . Letchworth was

gratified . They also knew that Masonry was one of the best exponents of the great principle of Brotherhood and philanthropy , and they could not have a greater exponent of that than Bro . Letchworth . ( Hear , hear . ) They all thanked Bro . Letchworth from their hearts for the great kindness and sympathy he had shown to this lodge . ( Hear , hear . )

Bro . E . LETCHWORTH , G . Secretary , in responding to the toast said hc wished in the fewest possible words—words as sincere and as true as was consistent with the idea of those with whom he had had the honour of being associated that day , and as was consistent with the grand object they had m view—for the more than kind words with which the Ven . Archdeacon had proposed the toastand the kind reception given to his remarks by the

, brethren . It had afforded him and his brother Consecrating Oflicers the greatest pleasure to assist in the starting into existence of a lodge under such auspices ; it had afforded him peculiar pleasure because , for the second time , he had installed in the chair of K . S . the W . M ., whom they all congratulated on being placed in that important position . ( Hear , hear . ) He had another subject of congratulation , because he ( Bro . Letchworth )

happened to be an old Past Master of that lodge of which Sir Christopher VV ren was reported to have been the Master , and which lodge had the pleasure and honour of recommending the Cathedral Lodge to thc Grand Master . ( Hear , hear . ) On behalf of the Consecrating Oflicers he thanked the VV . M . and brethren for this toast , and assured them that the Consecrating Officers wished the lodge the greatest possible success in its career .

fhe Dean of GLOUCESTER proposed "The VV . M ., " and referred to his loni / and sincere friendship with Archdeacon Sinclair . He had fallen into ine sere and yellow leaf since he first became acquainted with him . Thc Archdeacon was a profound scholar , a man of great intelligence , thoroughly in

up all those questions of theology which agitated the present day . He th * ^' t 0 ' lave s a warm fr ' l the Master of that Iodge . He lelt ru ^ y l ^ ^ was assoclated in a very humble way in making history . -the annals of Freemasonry were the annals of England . There were several lodges ; they wished them all God-speed ; but it was not every day "tat under the Cathedral of St . Paul ' s a lodge was founded . He congratu-

Consecration Of The Cathedral Lodge, No. 2741.

lated the Archdeacon on being Master of the lodge , and the lodge on having such a Master . He wished the lodge every prosperity and the Master also . The Archdeacon of LONDON , replying , said he could not have had more perfectly congenial words expressed than those which emanated from the ideas which governed the Dean of Gloucester's mind , shown by the

eloquent terms in which he had proposed this toast . He only wished he had lived , perhaps * , a 100 years ago , and occupied the position he now filled in the Church and in the lodge , because then some little act or word of his might have been recorded by the historical terms of the Dean of Gloucester in lhat admirable history of England he had recently given to the world— " The History of the Church of England . "

He believed that if any " one who did not know anything about the history of our great national church desired a guide to take them through the historical times , they should never swerve to the right or the left if they took for their guide the Dean of Gloucester in the four volumes he had lately given to the world . ( Applause . ) With regard to the Cathedral Lodge , he thought that day had been a most interesting

day . The subject of the lodge had been talked of for many months , and they had peculiar facilities with regard to St . Paul ' s Cathedral , in that all the gentlemen members of the choir were Masons with one exception ; and besides that many of the Sunday evening choir were Masons , as also were many of the special service choirs . They had also a clientele among those who had been choir boys at St . Paul ' s .

He was delighted to know that one of the brethren who had taken great interest in the lodge , and had kindly given them his presence that evening , whose name was known throughout the length and breadth of the Church of England as

synonymous with Benevolence and Charity , particularly in the clerical profession , was one of the guests . There was also Professor Shuttleworth , a broad-minded man , whose college had done so much for social life in the City . ( Applause . ) There were also others

connected with St . Paul ' s who were enthusiastic supporters of the lodge , who would have been founders of the lodge had the advice not been given that it was not advisable to have the list too strong , because it was desirable that all founders should have a prospect of going into

office . He had no doubt the lodge would be very largely supported . He expected it would be highly popular , as the musical element was so strong , and this had been acknowledged to-night by his friends sitting right and left of him , who said they had never

heard music so delightfully given . He could not help mentioning in this connection his friend Sir George Martin . He hoped that the music in this lodge would be the means of having better musical services in lodges . They

were not doubtful about the issue of their enterprise , although they had not had much encouragement in starting the lodge from the authorities of St . Paul ' s Cathedral , who had no very great knowledge of the principles of Freemasonry .

Bro . VV . H . CUMMINGS , G . Org ., I . P . M ., proposed " The Visitors . " Prebendary INGRAM responded , and the toast of " The Officers " and the Tyler ' s toast closed the proceedings . The jewels were designed and manufactured b y George Kenning and Son .

Marriages.

Marriages .

Is . KN 1 isn—PKSTELI .. —On the 1 Jth in . st ., at the Highbury Wesleyan Church , Drayton park , N ., by the Rev . J . Henry Greeves , James Kentish , eldest son of Bro William George Kentish , of Blackheath , to Maria Elizabeth , eldest daughter of James Pestel ! , of 11 , Bryantwood-road , Islington , N . MASSEY—BIDE . —On the 17 th inst ., at St . John's Church , Hale , Farnham , Surrey , by the Rev . George Edward Hitchcock , M . A ., Vjcar , Bro . William Thomas , second son of Bro . Henry Massey , of 1 , Clifford's Inn , London , E . G ., and 1 C 6 , Loughborough-road , S . VV ., to Bertha , second daughter of Samuel Bide , of Alma Nursery , Farnham .

Craft Masonry.

Craft Masonry .

Blackpool Lodge , No . 1476 . The annual installation meeting of the above lodge was held on the Sth instant , at the Clifton Arms Hotel , Blackpool . Tliere was a large attendance of brethren . Bro . W . Nuttall having been installed as W . M ,, appointed and invested the following as his officers for Ihe ensuing year : liros . T . VV . Kay , I . P . M . j T . Sankey , S . W . ; J . P .

Procter , J . VV . ; Kev . J . Edwards , Chap . ; II . Brooks , P . M ., Treas . ; E . Procter , P . M ., Sec ; G . Whiteside , Asst . Sec . ; VV . B . Richardson , P . P . J . G . W ., D . C . , * R . Escolme , S . D . j I . Hargreaves , J . D . j Rev . J . Edwards , I . G . j W . If . Fox and R . II . VV . Dunderdale . and A . VV . Taylor , Stewardsj and j . Wray , P . P . G . Std . Br ., Charity Representative .

Ihe lodge having been closed , the brethren dined together , Bro . J . Harling pro viding a sumptuous menu . A lengthy toast list was duly honoured .

Scarisbrick Lodge , No . 2295 . The annual meeting of the above lodge was held at the Masonic Rooms , Lo-dstreet , Southport , on the 15 th instant , when Bto . Frank Moore was installed VV . M ., thc ceremony being impressively performed by Bro . Dr . T . Hammond Fisher , I . P . M ., assisted by Bros . Dr . Charlick , P . M ., and VV . E . Bland , P . M . Subsequently the ollicers invested follows

were as : Bros . T . S . Dower , S . W . j J . II . Knowles , I . W . ; Rev . C . S . Hope , P . P . G . C , Chap . ; ] . Hatch , P . M ., P . P . G . D ., Treas . ; T . E . VVilliams , P . M ., P . G . Reg ., Sec . ; W . " E . Bland , P . M ., D . C . ; Rev . VV . Millington , S . D . j Dr . G . Reinhardt-Anderson , J . D . ; Walter Wilkinson , Org . j J . H . Davies , I . G . j R . W . Lewis and H . E . S . Pears , Stwds . ; and D . Rimmer , Tyler . The installation banquet was held at the Prince of Wales Hotel .