The Province Of Hampshire And The Isle Of Wight.

later—in 1819—the Peace and Harmony Lodge , No . 359 , Southampton , was warranted , and in 1829 the Southampton Lodge , No . 394 , meeting in the same town . In February , 1843 , not verv long before the death of H . R . H . the Duke of SUSSEX ,

the Portsmouth Lodge , No . 487 , was warranted in the town from which it takes its name , while in February , 1848 , the Yarborough Lodge , No . 551 , was founded at Yentnor . In 18 57- as 111 "iny as three new lodges were constituted , the Oakley Lodge ,

No . 6 94 , Basingstoke , of which Bro . BEACH was the first W . M ., the Ryde Lodge , No . 6 9 8 , Ryde , and the Panmure Lodge , No . 723 , Aldershot . In 1859 two other lodges—the Lodge of ( he Twelve Brothers , No . 7 85 , Southampton , ancl the Carnarvon

LoHge , No . 804 , Havant—were added to the roll , and then at different times the Gosport Lodge , No . 903 , Gosport , in 1861 ; the Lodge of " Friendship , No . 928 , Pelerslield , in 1 S 62 ; the United Brothers Lodge , No . 1069 , Portsmouth , in 18 C 5 ; and the

Shirley Lodge , No . 1112 , Southampton , in 1 S 66 . J hesc were the 24 lodges on the roll of the new Province of Hampshire and the Isle of Wight , over which , on the ist June , 186 9 , the late Karl of ZETLAND , M . W . G . Master , appointed our

recentlydeceased Bro . W . W . B . BEACH , M . P ., to preside as Prov . G . Master ; since then the number has been doubled , 24 new lodges having been constituted under the auspices of the distinguished brother whose loss we are so deeply mourning .

Of the new lodges constituted during the BEACH rcg / mc thc earliest is the Aldershot Camp Lodge , No . 133 1 , whose warrant bears date ( he 19 th September , 1870 . Two years later was founded the St . Hubert Lodge , No . 1373 , Andover , ancl in 18 73

the United Service Lodge I ' oris mouth , and the Clausentum Lodge , Woolston , Nos . 1428 and 1461 respectively . A period of comparative rest , extending over nearly four years , followed , and then , in June , 18 77 , the Prince of Wales Lodge , No . 1705 ,

Gosport , was formed The year 1 S 7 S saw the constitution of tlie Landport Lodge , No . 177 6 , and the Albert Edward Lodge , No . 17 80 , meeting at Portsmouth and Southampton respectively , and 18 79 , the Duke of Connaught Lodge , No . 18 34 , Portsmouth .

Three lodges date from the year 18 S 0 , namely , Ihe Sandown Lodge , No . 1869 , meeting at ( he pretty Iitlle seaside resort of the same name in the Isle of Wight ; the William of Wykeham Lodge , No . 1883 , Winchester , thus named after the

celebrated Bishop and Patron of architecture , who occupies an honoured p lace in what the late Bro . the Rev . A . F . A . WOODFORD justly described as the " pre-histcric " list of English Grand Masters ; and the Chine Lodge , No . 1884 , Shanklin . Isle

of Wight , which is on ( he eve of celebrating ( he attainment of its majority , and which , though so young a lodge , has achieved for itself , mainly through the energy of Bro , A . GREF . NIIAM , a position far beyond its years . In September , 1886 , it held ,

under thc patronage of the late Prov . G . Master , an exhibition of rare Masonic books and documents and curios , and since then il has erected a Hall of its own , of which it has become the owner . In 1881 was formed the Prince . Edward of

Saxe-Weimar Lodge , No . 1903 , Portsmouth , his Highness , though not , we believe , a Mason , having very kindly consented to ils being named after him ; and , in 1 S 82 , the St . George ' s Lodge , No . 19 = 58 , Portsmouth , and the Aldershot Army and Navy

Lod « -e , No . 1971 , of which H . R . H . the Duke of CONNAIGIIT is the permanent W . M .. In 188 3 were founded the Hampshire Lodge of Emulation , No . I 990 , Portsmouth , lor encouraging a study of . our ritual , and the Shalden Lodge , No . 2016 , Alton ;

while , in the following year , Portsmouth acquired two new ] 0 (] g es—tlie Portsmouth Temperance , No . 2068 , and thc St Clair , No . 2074 , of which Captain—now Rear-Admiral—W . II . C . ST . ( J . AiR , Past S . G . Deacon Eng ., was the

principal founder and first W . M . In lS 8 f > there were established three lodges , namely , the Lodge of Hope , No . 2153 , Gosport , and the Boscombe , No . 2158 , both warranted in April , and the Osborne , No . 2 lf > 9 , East Cowes , I . W ., in August ; while , in 188 7 ,

there were formed ( he rarnborough and North ( amp Lodge , No . •2203 , Aldershot , and the Horsa Lodge , No . 2208 , Bournemouth , which , wilh the Hengist Lodge , No . I 95 , will serve lo perpetuate the names of the chiefs of the lirst band of Anglo-Saxon

invaders of Britain , and Ihe founders of the Kingdom of Kent , thc . oldest of the seven Kingdoms constituting tbe Heptarchy , The junior lodge on the roll—the Border , No . 2475—was constituted al Blackwater in 18 93 .

The Province Of Hampshire And The Isle Of Wight.

fn addition to the 4 8 lodges now on the roll of the Province there have been 21 others which have at different times been constituted , and , except in a few cases , erased not very Iona * after their constitution . This remark applies more particularl y

to those that were warranted in the late " fifties" and early " sixties" of the iSth century , the majority of which appear to have existed some three or four or five years , while the St . Lawrence Lodge , No . 1516 , Alton , was warranted in 1 S 74 , but

never constituted , ancl was erased in 18 7 8 . There is one lod ge , however—the East India Arms Lodge , at Gosport , which was started in 1 724 , and which , therefore , maybe looked upon as the mother of Hampshire Freemasonry , as regards which , in

conjunction with Bro . HENRY SADLER , we cannot " repress a feeling of surprise ancl regret ' . hat so old and respectable a lod ge should have been permitted to die out . " It was erased in 18 38 ater a chequered existence of 114 years , and , considering that it

was the mother lodge of THOMAS DUNCKERLEY , who was twice appointed to thc oflice of Provincial Grand Master of Hampshire , no effort should have been spared to preserve it . It ranked as No . 2 ft in Grand Lodge at the time of its severance

and many intereslirg details of its history will be found in the pages of Bro . SADLER ' admirable book— " THOMAS DI * NCKERI . EV : I lis Life , Labours , and Letters "—which was published in 18 9 I . Two other extinct lodges that also had a

prolonged existence were the Gloucester Lodge , which was warranted in London in 1755 , took the name just mentioned in 1773 , removed lo Portsea in February , 1 S 09 , was broken up in 1814 and erased in 1 S 22 , as No . 139 ; ancl the Lodge at the Spring

Clock , Gosport , which was warranted in September , 1759 , and " erased ancl warrant returned 13 th June , 1832 - "—see List of Extinct Lodges in the Hampshire ancl Isle of Wi ght Calendar . Having regard to the length to which this article has run

there is not much room left to treat of Royal Arch Masonry . However , as it is so intimately associated with Craft Masonry , it is of comparatively little consequence , more particularly as we consider wc have achieved ( hc object we had in view in

writing the article , namely , to show how Freemasonry has prospered in the Province of Hampshire and the Isle of Wi ght under the rule of its late lamented chief . Suffice it to say , that of the 26 chapters now on the roll of Provincial Grand Chapter existed

at the time he was appointed Grand Superintendent , so that the number of those constituted under his auspices is 15 , the earliest being the Peace Chapter , No . 359 , Southampton , whose warrant dates from 1 S 72 , while the latest is thc chapter which beais

the name of " Beach , " is attached lo the Border Lodge , No . 2475 , Blackwater . and was warranted last year . It will a l so hc interesting to knowlhat the chapters in the Province include those of Friendship , No . 257 , Portsmouth , which was warranted in 17 69 ,

and is one ol the very few chapters—there are onl y 22 of them in the Grand Lodge Calendar forthe current year—which have been honoured with centenary warrants , while the Gloucester Chapter , No . 130 , Southampton , which dates from 178 3 , also enjoys this rare distinction .

Provincial Grand Lodge Of Devonshire.

PROVINCIAL GRAND LODGE OF DEVONSHIRE .

I PRESENTATION TO BRO . STOCKER . I The annual meeting of the above Provincial Grand Lodge was held 011 j the 14 th instant at Honiton . The Committee of Petitions was held in the ! forenoon , when votes were made to cases in connection with Lodge Friendship , Lodge Harmony , and Lodge True Love and Unity . Afterwards there was a luncheon at the Dolphin Hotel , presided over by the Deputy and acting Prov . Grand Master , Bro . G . C . Davie . The usual loyal and Masonic toasts were proposed .

Bro . Rev . T . RUSSELL gave " The Most Worshipful Grand Master and Ihe Grand Lodge of England , " coupling with it the names of Bros . Rev . R . Peek and John Stocker ., Prov . G . Sec . Bro . STOCKER , who was very cordially received , said he was glad tn respond to the tnast on that the first occasion since Grand Lodge had

conferred the honour of oflice upon him . Bro . l > . C . Goi'LU proposed "The Prov . Grand Master and Prov . Grand Lodge , " and mentioned that he had heard from Lord Northcote a fewd . i ) s ago , and his lordship said he never enjoyed better health , and frequently remembered his old friends .

The Prov . Grand Lodge was held in All Hallows' Schoolroom , which . had been admirably fitted up for the occasion . The acting . Prov . Grand Master , Bro . G . C . Davie , presided , Bro . Rev . Thos . Russell , P . P . J . G . W ., acting as Deputy Prov . Grand Master . The Prov . Grand Lodge was constituted as follows , most of the brethren being present : Bros . Lieut .-Col . F . fi . Edyvean , 26 55 , I'rov . S . G . W , ; J . R . Wilson , 954 , I ' rov . J . G . W . ; Rev . li . H . Donaldson , 230 , and Rev . C . H . Salt , 12 . ( 7 , PG . Chaps . ; C „