The City's Sheriffs.

The City ' s Sheriffs .

r pHAT the historical offices of the Sheriffs of London I should be represented by men of the type of Bros . Sir George Wyatt Truscott and Sir Thomas Brooke-Hitching is not , we believe , an unimportant factor in the continued maintenance of the cherished institutions of the

into , sin GEoitGE Tituscorr . City at a time when every department of municipal government is under review . It is to us a pleasing circumstance that both the present holders of these civic offices have been

initialed into Freemasonry and continue subscribing members of her lodges . Bro . Alderman Sir G . W . Truscott , the Senior Sheriff , who is , as is well-known , the son of the late Bro . Sir Francis Wyatt Truscott , P . G . Warden , was fortunate in inheriting

Masonic not less than civic traditions . Entering his father ' s business in 1 875 , at the age of eighteen , he gradually obtained , by actual experience of the different departments , a thorough knowledge of the practice as well as ( he theory of the printing craft . On the retirement of his father , the Alderman

entered into partnership with his brother , whose subsequent death left him , at a comparatively early age , the senior partner in the firm of James Truscott and Son . It was not , however , until some years afterwards that his municipal career commenced , when he became , in 1882 , a member of

the City Corporation . On the lamented death of Bro . Sir Francis Truscott in 18 95 , the representation of the Dowgate Ward became vacant , and his son was elected in his place . It was in this same year that our distinguished brother was initiated into Freemasonry in the Grand Master ' s Lodge ,

No . 1 , in which his late father had twice filled the office of Master . J 11 i < . joo , not inappropriately , Bro . Sir George Truscott , who has subsequentl y been elected Master of the Stationers ' Company , became a founder of the St . Bride Lodge ,

No . 2817 , established for members of the Order connected with the printing trades . With characteristic zealousness our worthy brother has not scrupled to fill the minor offices in this lodge , being its present Senior Deacon . In addition to the Mastership of the Stationers' Company ,

the Senior Sheriff holds the position of Chairman of the Controlling Committee of the City of London Asylum , is a member of the Court of the Haberdashers' Company and a Liveryman of the Vintners' Company . It may not be unreasonable to anticipate that with additional leisure Bro . Sir George Truscott will be still further heard of in connection

with the Masonic Order , of which , by position and heritage , he is so distinguished a member . The Junior Sheriff , Bro . Sir Thomas Brooke-Hitching , also entered commercial life in his father's business , but , finding it uncongenial , experimented in the business ot

perambulator making , in which he effected many improvements , notably the adaptation to the baby-carriage of the bicycle wheel . The experience thus gained led eventuall y to the founding of what is now the well-known firm of Hitchings , Limited , with which , as managing director , Sir

Thomas still retains his connection . It was in 188 4 , eight years previous to the commencement of his municipal life , that our distinguished brother , introduced by Bro . Klingenstein , was initiated into the mysteries of our Order in the Chaucer Lodge , No . 1540 , subsequently filling the

highest office in that lodge . In 18 92 his election as a representative of the Ward of Farringdon Without took

111 ) 0 . SIR THOMAS HRO . KvE-lIITCHIN'U . place , a position which he stills retains . As a member of the Corporation , Bro . Sir Thomas Brooke-Hitching ' s energies have been many . It is interesting to observe that his Masonic connections not inadequatel y illustrate his activity in other spheres , for it was while filling the office of Chairman of the