Contents.

CONTENTS .

PAGE

LSADHRThe Province of Hampshire and the Isle of Wight ... ... 441 Provincial Grand Lodge of Devonshire ... ... ... * ... 442 General Committee of Grand Lodge and Board of Benevolence ... ... 443 Craft Masonry ... - - — — " * — 444 The Lodge of Research , No . 2429 ... ... ... — 445

M ASONIC NOTESThe Late Bro . W . W . B . Beach , M . P . _ ... ... ... 447 The Province of North and East Yorkshire ... ... ... 447 Bro . Cornelius Thorne and Shanghai Masonry ... ... . ... 447 Correspondence - •••- - - - 44 S D .,. ; ., m ... ... ••••••" ¦ " ••••44 ° Rf * V 1 CWS ' '" *** ^ T *

- Consecration of a New Lodge Room at Tavistock ... ... ... 44 S The Freemason in the Foc'sle ... ... ••¦ •••... 449 Instruction ... •••••••¦¦ — — — 449 Science , Art , and the Drama ... ... ... ... ... 45 ° Craft Masonry ¦•¦ •••••••••¦•¦ •••45 1 Obituary ... . - ••— ••••••— •••45 ' Masonic and General Tidings ... ... ... •••••¦ 452

The Province Of Hampshire And The Isle Of Wight.

THE PROVINCE OF HAMPSHIRE AND THE ISLE OF WIGHT .

A fortnig ht since in our memoir ofthe late respected Bro . the Rig ht Hon . W . W . B . BEACH , M . P ., Prov . Grand Master of Hampshire and thc Isle of Wight , we stated that as the result of his 32 years' presidency over it thc Province was , as regards

the number of its lodges and chapters , twice as strong at the lime of his lamented death as when he was appointed and installed , firstly as its Prov . Grand Master and then as its Grand Superintendent . In 186 9 , there were in what till then had been

thc separate Provinces of Hampshire under Admiral Sir LUCIUS CURTIS as Prov . Grand Master , and tlie Isle of Wight under Ilro . THOMAS W . FLEMING , Prov . Grand Master , 24 lodges , of which 11 had Royal Arch Chapters attached , Hampshire alone

mustering 19 lodges and eight chapters , and the Isle of Wight live lodges ancl three chapters . In thc year just mentioned these two Provinces were conjoined and placed under the late Bro . BEACH , Prov . Grand Master , with the result that , when he

died some three weeks since , there were under his government 48 lodges , of which 40 wcre in Hampshire and eight in the Wight ; and 26 chapters , comprising 23 in the former and three in the latter ; thc number of subscribing members being to the | 8 lodges about 4000 , and lo the 26 chapters , about 1000 .

1 aking the lodges in the order in which they appear in the Grand Lodge Register , we find the highest and the oldest is the -Medina Lodge , which meets at Cowes in the Isle of Wight , ranks as No . 35 on the Register , and was warranted on the 17 th

l ' cbruary , 1732 . It appears to have been in the lirst instance a London lodge andwasconstilutedas No . 111 at the Theatre Tavern , Goodman ' s Fields . In 1 740 , it became No . 99 , and in 1755 , No . 57 , and during its location in the Fast of London moved from

one house to another until in 1759 it met at the Queenhithe Colfee House in Queenhithe . According to Bro . LANE it lapsed about 17 ( 11 , but wc prefer to think lhat in that year it moved its <| uarters lo the Isle of Wight and settled itself comfortably in

f owes , where , though it has changed its abode several times , it ¦ ¦ ¦ till flourishes at the Masonic Hall , High-street , where it has fulfilled its duties most creditably since 1857 . It took its name of Medina in 1779 , and was honoured with a Centenary Warrant on ist October , 1 S 62 . It underwent several changes of

The Province Of Hampshire And The Isle Of Wight.

numbers during its career as a "Modern" Lodge , while since the Union it has been numbered successively 4 8 , 41 , and 35 . The next in order of seniority is the Lodge of Economy , No . 7 6 , which was waranted by the "Ancient" Grand Lodge on 20 th

May , 1761 , and took its nam--: in 1816 . It ranked as No . 88 "Ancients" until the Union and since then has been Nos . in , 90 , and 7 6 . It has always met in Winchester , but has moved its quarters on several occasions until-in 186 7 it settled down in

its present abode at the Masonic Hall , Parchment-street . It was granted a Centenary Warrant on 9 th May , 1862 . The third in order of number , but not in point of seniority , is the Royal Gloucester Lodge , 130 , Southampton , which was constitu t ed

early in 1772 as No . 174 " Ancients , " and having 20 years later accepted a " Modern " Warrant continued working under both Constitutions until the Union , after which it became No . 212 , and since then successivel y Nos . 152 and 130 . It has not changed its

abode very often and has been located in Freemasons' Hall , Albion-place , since 1880 . It received its present title in its " Modern " Warrant , a nd was granted a Centenary Warrant in April , 1872 . Unity Lodge , though ranking as No . 132 , was

warranted b y the "Moderns " at Lymington , as No . 318 , on the 16 th August , 1764 , and in 1770 , 1781 , and 1792 , became successively Nos . 258 , 206 , and 175 . After the Union , it was re-numbered 214 , and became No . 154 in 18 32 , and No . ~ i 34 in 1863 .

It moved to Ringwood in 1777 , and has occupied the same quarters , though now designated Masonic Hall instead of White Hart Hotel , ever since . It received its Centenary Warrant in June , 18 77 . The next two lodges

on the Register , are the Albany , No . 151 , Newport , and the East Medina , 175 , Ryde . The former dates from Sth May , 180 r , when it was assigned a lapsed "Ancient" Warrant of 9 th July ,

1777 . It has always b ; en located in Newport , but in different houses until 1848 , when it moved to Masonic Hall , in Lugleystreet , where it has remained ever since . The East Medina

Lodge was constituted in 1813 , also under a lapsed " Ancient " warrant of the year 1786 as No . 232 , became No . 291 after the Union , No . 204 in 18 32 , and No . 175 in 1863 . It has always met in Ryde , and since 1848 at the Masonic Hall , John-street .

The Lodge of Hengist , No . 195 , has a Centenary warrant , having been constituted by the " Moderns" at Christchurch on the 23 rd Novembe r , 1770 . There it remained under different numbers till 1851 , when it moved to Bournemouth , and has

flourished ever since . The Phcenix Lodge , No . 257 , Portsmou h , also works under a Centenary warrant which bears date the 20 th May , 17 . 86 .. It was warranted by the " Moderns " as No . 485 oa the 20 th May , 1786 , has always had its home in Portsmouth ,

and has occupied its present Masonic Rooms in the High-street since 1841 . The Lodge of Harmony , No . 309 , Fareham , was Constituted at Gosport in April , 1796 , as No . 551 , and afcer the Union became successively Nos . 575 , 3 8 7 , and 309 . It remained

at Gosport till 1852 , and then removed to Fareham . New Forest Lodge , No . 319 , Lymington , was warranted originally at Winchester as No . 5 84 , but according to Bro . LANE it lapsed about 1808 , and started afresh under the title it now bears—its

previous title having been Lodge of Fellowship—at Lyming * on , and b y successive closing up of the lodges became No . 319 . Hence 13 years must elapse before it will be in a position to

apply for a Centenary warrant . The Royal Sussex Lodge was warranted at Portsea on 25 ' th August , 1814 , as No . G 53 , and since 186 3 has figured as No . 342 . In 1880 it took up its quarters at the Freemasons' Hall , Landport . About five years