The Province Of Durham.—(Continued.)

evidently were opposed to the local nomination and appointment of the senior lodge . The expense of the provincial jewels was met by the " Marquis of Granby , " the members of which may fairly be credited with having started the first real active Provincial Grand Lodge . Some ten years later Sir Ralph Milbanke , Bart ., succeeded ,

followed by Sir Ralph Noel , Bart ., in i 8 r 6 . Two years later the revered Earl of Durham was installed ( then the R . W . Bro . John George Lambton , M . P . ) as the Provincial Grand Master . His lordship was also Deputy Grand Master of England , 18 34-5 ; and had as his Deputy Provincial Grand

Master for a portion of his rule , Sir Cuthbert Sharp , who was appointed to the rank of Past Junior Grand Warden of England in 18 39 , and is credited with having written an excellent sketch of " Freemasonry in the Province of Durham " ( 18 3 6 ) , which is now rarely met with , and is of special interest .

Sir Hedworth Williamson , Bart . ( Junior Grand Warden in 1826 ) , succeeded Lord Durham in the presidency of the Province in 1842 , but resigned three years later , when the R . W . Bro . John Bowes , M . P ., of Streatlam Castle , was appointed , but was never installed . His successor was the R . W . Bro . John Fawcett , in 18 47 Sir Cuthbert Sharp being

, the installing officer . The province was well served by Bro . Fawcett for many years , so that though the nomination of the Marquis of Granby Lodge , supported by other lodges , of Bro . Bowes , was not a success , the second attempt was all that could be desired . The Marquis of Londonderry , K . P .

( Senior Grand Warden in 1868 ) , became the Provincial Grand Master in 1880 , followed by Sir Hedworth Williamson , Bart . ( Senior Grand Warden in 1862 ) , and on his regretted decease in 1900 , the Right Hon . Lord Barnard ( Junior Grand Warden in 18 95 ) became his successor , and has the warm support and esteem of the whole province .

These latter eventful appointments are all so fresh in the minds of the Province of Durham generally that nothing need be said here as to the conspicuous worth and abilities of the successive rulers of the province , from Bro . Fawcett to Sir Hedworth Williamson , Bart . Their memories are lovingly cherished , and now the brethren are hearty in their

I'IKENIX . MASONIC HALL ( I'AST VIKW ) .

appreciation of the zeal and ability manifested by Lord Barnard , who is an ideal Provincial Grand Master . The extinct lodges would require considerable space to do them justice , particularly the senior of all , which was constituted by Dr . Desaguliers , D . G . M ., on February 2 nd , 1726 ( 1725 , O . s . ) , at the " Swan and Rummer , " Finch Lane ,

London . It was removed ( but precisely how or why remains to be discovered ) to the " Queen's Head , " Stockton-upon-Tees , Durham , in 175 6 . The meetings were held subsequently at the " Black Lion "—in a room prepared on purpose—then in Masons' Court , and finally at the " Vane

Arms Hotel , " the last being in 1829 , its erasure following in 18 3 8 . The original petition to form the lodge , certificate of constitution , and the early minutes ( 1726-1734 ) are still preserved by the Stockton Freemasons' Club , to whose members I am indebted for perusal thereof ; many of the

records of the later lodge being also in the possession of the same body . It was called the Philanthropy in 1788 , and it is " a thousand pities" the lodge was allowed to fall through . The present Lodge of Philanthropy , No . 940 , was formed in

1862-3 . I wrote a sketch of this very old lodge for " Ars Quatuor Coronatorum " ( 18 9 8 ) , and under "An Old Masters ' Lodge" in The Freemason for 18 97 . There is likewise a brief article in THE MASONIC ILLUSTRATED for January , 1 9 , with a cut of the old seal .

A lodge at Gateshead , of 1736 , was erased in 1768 ; and the " Union" of 1773 , No . 456 , which in 1817 , as No . 37 6 , joined another of the Atholl Constitution , No . 27 , of 1813 , was struck off in 1827 as No . 41 , known as the Prince Edwin and the Gateshead Union . At Barnard Castle there were

lodges warranted in 1759 ( 243 ) , 1770 ( the Concord , No . 406 to 231 ) , and 1825 ( St . Cuthbert , No . 800 to 530 ) , which were erased in 1768 and 18 3 8 respectively . A lodge at South Shields was started in 1774 as No . 471 ( St . Bede ) , but was removed to a neighbouring province at Morpeth , where it was struck off in 1815 . The Harmony

of 1774 , at Monkwearmouth , only kept on the roll to 1790 , when it was extinguished as No . 3 81 . The Raby , at Staindrop , was formed in 1784 , but ceased in 1798 , and