Centenary Of The Prince Of Wales Lodge, No. 259.

CENTENARY OF THE PRINCE OF WALES LODGE , No . 259 .

Thursday , the 13 th March , 18 90 , will always remain inscribed in the annals of the Prince of Wales Lodge , No . 259 , as the brightest of its red-letter clays . This distinguished lodge was founded in the year 178 7 , not very many months after GEORGE ,

Prince of WALES , had been initiated into our Order , and in the ordinary course of things the centenary of its constitution should have been celebrated in the year of the QUEEN ' Jubilee . But the numerous engagements of the Prince of WALES , M . W . G .

Master , who has been W . M . of the lodge since January , 18 74 , stood in the way , and it was not till quite recently that his Royal Highness found himself in a position to fix the day we have named for the commemoration of this auspicious event . The

necessary arrangements were accordingly made , and the lodge—which is ordinaril y held at Willis ' s Roomsmet on this particular occasion in the Whitehall Rooms of the Hotel Metropole . The Prince of WALES himself presided , both

in lodge and at the banquet which followed , while the chosen few who were invited to take part in the celebration included Bro . the Earl of LATHOM , Deputy Grand Master of England ; the Provincial Grand Masters of Oxfordshire , Wiltshire , North

Wales , Norfolk , Northants and Hunts , Worcestershire , Hants and the Isle of Wight , and East Lancashire ; and Bros . Sir J B . MONCKTON , P . G . W . ; F . A . PHILBRICK , Q . C ., Grand Registrar ; Col . SHADWELL H . CLERKE , Grand Secretary ; and

the Rev . C . J . _ MARTYN , P . G . C . That , under the presidency of his Royal Highness , and with such a brilliant array of the dignitaries of our Order present as guests , the proceedings

passed off with all possible eclat may be taken for granted , and we warmly congratulate the Prince of Wales Lodge on its addition to the roll of lodges to which centenary warrants have been granted .

We have said that the lodge was constituted in 178 7 , the idea of the brother to whom its establishment is mainly due—Bro . the CHEVALIER RUSPINI , the founder of the Royal Masonic Institution for Girls being to form a lodge which should be composed

principally , if not entirely , of personal friends of the illustrious Prince from whom it took its title , the officers of his household , and others who were distinguished by strong feelings of loyalty and affection for his person . That a lodge thus constituted should

not only enter on its career with every prospect of success , but in a very brief time should become one of the foremost among the lodges on the roll of Grand Lodge is not to be wondered at ; and though during the closing years of last century , owing to the

wars in which this country was engaged with France and other European States , the meetings were few , and the additions to its roll of members were scanty , it has always maintained its prestige , nor , except during the brief period we have just alluded

to , has it ever stood in need of prominent brethren willing and anxious to fill the vacancies on the roll of members caused b y death or resignation . From its foundation till 18 43 it had a Prince of the Blood Royal for its Master , GEORGE , Prince

of WALES , occupying that position till 1820 , when he ascended the throne as GEORGE IV ., and was succeeded by his brother , the Duke of YORK . In 1827 the latter died , and his brother , the Duke of CLARENCE , became Master , and so

remained till 18 30 , when he ascended the throne as WILLIAM IV ., and his younger brother , the Duke of SUSSEX , M . W . G . M ., was elected to the vacant chair . In 18 43 , the last of these illustrious rulers died , and during the 30 years that followedthe position

, of W . M . was filled by a succession of distinguished brethren , among whom may be mentioned Bros . T . H . HALL , sometime Provincial Grand Master of Cambridgeshire ; W . CUBITT , M . P .,

a Lord Mayor of London ; FRED DUNDAS , M . P ., R . WARNER WHEELER , afterwards J . G . D . ; W . SIMPSON , J . G . D . in 1863 ; J AMES MERRYWEATHER , J . G . D . in 186 5 ; J OSEPH B . RIGBY , E . B . SUTTON , J . G . D . in 1878 ; and THOMAS

Centenary Of The Prince Of Wales Lodge, No. 259.

FENN , P . G . D ., and now President of the Board of General Purposes , as well as historian of the lodge . In 1872 H . R . H . the Prince of WALES was elected a joining member from Royal Alpha Lodge , No . 16 , and in January , 18 74 , he was installed in office as W . M ., one of his first acts after his installation being his initiation of his brother the Duke of CONNAUGHT . During the

years that have since elapsed the lodge has enrolled many valuable recruits , nor can there be the slightest doubt that with an array of members which includes such well-known Masons as Bros . T . FENN , ROBERT GREY , President of the Board of General

Purposes , J . D . ALLCROFT , Past Grand Treas ., the Hon . W . H . J . BYNG , P . G . W ., and others , it will remain what it always has been , one of the most distinguished lodges on the roll of our United Grand Lodge .

The Universities Lodge, No. 2352, Durham.

THE UNIVERSITIES LODGE , No . 2352 , DURHAM .

Among the many new lodges which have latterly been consecrated in London and the Provinces , there is none more likely to render good service to the Craft than the Universities Lodge , No . 2352 , Durham . The University of Durham is not so well known among the general public as its sister Universities of

Oxford and Cambridge , but the reputation of its theological and other schools stands high in the north of England , and we can hardly doubt that now that a connection has been established between it and the Masonic body , it will prove greatly to the advantage of the latter . It must be borne in mind that the

members of the University who join the new lodge , whether they be graduates or undergraduates , will be , all of them , men of education and culture , who will take more kindly than the average Masonic recruit to the study of Freemasonry , and who by their general attainments will stand a good chance of rapidly

winning distinction in the ranks of our Order . Moreover , when their immediate connection with their alma mater comes to an end and they become scattered about the country , they will take with them to their new homes the knowledge they have acquired of our mysteries , and be able , as no doubt they will be willing ,

to assist in strengthening the lodges they find already established , or in adding new ones to the roll of Grand Lodge . Probably the Apollo University Lodge of Oxford , which is composed almost entirely of Oxford men , exercises a greater and more beneficial influence among its sister lodges in town and country

than any other lodge in England . It certainly numbers among its past and present members a very formidable proportion of the hig her dignitaries of our Order . The Grand Master himself , the Pro Grand Master , the Deputy Grand Master , and quite onehalf of our Prov . Grand Masters , the late and present Grand

Masters of Ireland , and Grand Officers innumerable , will be found on its register , mostly as initiates , but , in a very few cases , as joining members . It was under its auspices that they acquired their lirst insight into our mysteries , and this knowledge , together with the love and respect they thence acquired for the

princip les of our Order , they have carried with them wherever they have settled , nor have they ever held aloof from any undertaking that was calculated to promote the welfare of Freemasonry . The Isaac Newton University Lodge of Cambridge , which was founded in 1861 , and started on its career under the

presidency of the Duke of ST . ALBANS as its first W . Master , has played a similar , but less conspicuous , part in our history , while within the last few years there has been established a University of London Lodge , which also bids fair to have before it a long and honourable career . Thus the Durham Universities

Lodge , which will be composed of pretty nearly the same material , and which has been ushered into existence under Bro . the Rev . Canon TRISTRAM as W . Master , with these successful examples to encourage it , will'doubtless render valuable services when it has once become firml y ^ established . We certainly wish it a long and prosperous career .