At The Sign Of The Perfect Ashlar

with the Craft . He was installed as Alaster of the Union Lodge , No . 247 , Demarara , in 1873 , and was again elected in 18 9 6 , but was then unable to assume office on account of ill-health . He has also been a member of the Royal Arch since 1862 , besides joining the Orders of Knights Temjilar and the Ancient and Accepted Rite .

* The annual meeting of the Provincial Grand , Lodge of Worcestershire was held at Worcester on the 17 th September , under the banner of Lodge No . 280 . The Provincial Grand Alaster , Bro . Sir Frederick Godson , ALP ., presided . A report was presented ujion the state of Alasonry in the jirovince ,

and the accounts of the Provincial Grand Treasurer were adopted . Formal business followed , and the Provincial Grand Alaster then made a jiresentation , on behalf of the whole of the lodges of the jirovince , of Grand Lodge regalia to the Deputy Provincial Grand Master , Bro . W . T . Page , on

his ajijiointment as Assistant Grand Director of Ceremonies of the Grand Lodge of England . The Provincial Grand Alaster then ajijiointed and invested his officers . Bro . E . Collens received the rank of Past Provincial Senior Grand Warden ujion the accession of the Duke of Connaught to

the Grand Alastershiji , and Bro . Enoch Wood similar rank in celebration of the King ' s Coronation . A banquet was nfte . vwards served at the Guildhall .

# ' « S > « $ The annual Provincial Grand Lodge of Devonshire was held on Wednesday , the 3 rd Sejitember , at the Bath Saloons , Torquay . In the absence of Lord Northcote , C . B ., G . C . I . E ., Provincial Grand Alaster , Bro . G . C . Davie , P . G . D ., Dejiuty and Acting Provincial Grand Alaster , jiresided , sujijiorted by

Bros . W . J . Hughan , P . G . D ., Acting Dejiuty Provincial Grand Alaster ; P . Colville-Smith , P . G . D ., Deputy Provincial Grand Alaster of Cornwall ( Secretary Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution ); Rev , Richard Peek , P . G . Chajilain ; AI . Fortescue , P . G . D . ; F . B . Westlake , P . D . G . D . of C . ; John Stocker , A . G . D . of C , Provincial Grand Secretary , and upwards of 300 brethren .

© © © The Provincial Grand Secretary jireseuted his report , which showed that the number of subscribing members in the jirovince on the 31 st of December last was 4339 , an increase of 190 over the previous year , and the amount received in clues and fees X 513 4 s ., an excess of £ 53 6 s .

over the jirevious year . The names of 297 brethren had been removed from the register . There had been 384 initiations and 103 joinings , an increase of 8 5 and 18 resjiectively over the jirevious year . The number of Past Alasters returned was 94 6 , an increase of 17 . He had

received 14 applications from lodges for the supplemental grants of ten guineas to enable them to acquire lifegovernorships in the great London Charities . Of these two were for the Royal Alasonic Institution for Girls , four for the Royal Alasonic Institution for Boys , and eight were for the Royal Alasonic Bevcvolent Institution for Aged Freemasons and their Widows .

Bro . J . Clajiji jireseuted the rejiort of the Fortescue Annuity Fund , which showed that the fund was making steady progress . They were esjiecially grateful to the executors of the late Bro . R . B . West for a legacy of . £ 500 , which had been invested . The Acting Grand Alaster then

conferred Past Provincial Grand rank on several brethren in commemoration of the Coronation of His Alajesty the King , and afterwards ajijiointed the officers for the ensuing year .

The annual meeting of the Provincial Grand Lodge of Cheshire was held at Knutsford Town Hall on the 17 th September . The Hon . Alan de Tatton Egerton , ALP ., Provincial Grand Alaster , presided . There was a large

attendance ; in fact , the greatest known at any similar gathering in the province . The Provincial Grand Alaster , in delivering his annual address , congratulated the brethren on the steady increase that Alasonry was making , and the

continued prosjienty of the loclges of the jirovince . This year had been remarkable in that since their last annual meeting four new lodges had been consecrated , bringing the number up to fifty - nine . The membership had risen 103200 . They felt profoundly thankful at the restoration to health of the King , and he hoped His Alajesty might be sjiared for many long and hajijiy years to reign over his loyal subjects .

Bro . Broadsmith read an address which had been prepared for presentation to Bro . Sir Horatio Lloyd , congratulating him on having completed his fiftieth year as a member of the Fraternity . High apjireciation was expressed of the services

he had rendered to the cause of Alasonic Charity , and especially in desiring that the sum of . ^ " 210 contributed by the brethren last year for the purpose of presenting him with some article of vertu , as a token of their esteem and affection ,, should be devoted to the jiurchase of votes in the Royal

Masonic Benevolent Institution , whereby sixty votes were obtained in jierjietuity in that institution in the name of the Dejiuty Provincial Grand Alaster of the jirovince .

© € > O Comji . Cajitain R . J . Blackham , the First Principal of Umballa Chapter , No . 5 6 3 , Umballa , was the recipient recently of a very pleasant ajijireciation of his services to his chajiter . His Highness the Rajah of Faridkote , one of

the leading Sikh Princes of the Punjab and a jirominent member of Umballa Chajiter , asked permission to give Comji . Blackham some token of his esteem during the Coronation year . Permission was granted , and his Highness ,

CO . MI' . CU'TAIX II . J . lil . ACKMAM . with true jirincely generosity , presented Comji . Blackham with a complete suit of Knight Templar and Knight of

Malta clothing and an exquisite Royal Arch Principal's sash and apron with chain , tassels , and fringe . His Highness , in the course of his jiresentation address , exjiressed a hojie that the regalia would serve to remind Comp . Blackham of his numerous Sikh friends and brethren when far away from the

Punjab . «& * * An imjiortant item in the proceedings of the last meeting of Grand Lodge was not unhappily anticipated by the Freemasons of Dover , whose combined lodges met on the last clay of August for the jmrjiose of commemorating the King ' s Coronation and at the same time His Majesty ' s