Provincial.

PROVINCIAL .

MIDDLESEX . TWICKENHAM . —Consecration of the Strawberry Sill Lodge ( No . I 24 S ) . —This ceremony took place at the Grotto Tavern , Twickenham , on Wednesday last , and although the weather was drizzling , everything else was " All red . " At the hour appointed , two o ' clock , we recognised amongst those brethren present the following members of the new lodge , Bros . Johu GurtonStedwellCollardArcherPiattFaithfulWheeler , and

, , , , , , Bowyer . Amongst the visitors were Bros . John Savage , P . G . D ; Hammond , Prov . G . M . Guernsey and Jersey ; Devereux , Prov . G . Sec . Berks and Bucks ; W . Watson , P . G . S . ; George States , S . W . 202 ; Morbey , P . M . 169 ; Grant Edwardes , P . M . 1097 ; W . Aspinwall , G . W . Yates , and Matthew Cooke , 23 ; G . E . Jones , 752 ; Maples , 16 S ; Oliver , 228 ; Isenbiel , 1122 ; and several others . The business of the day commenced by Bro .

Savage opening the lodge from the chair of the W . M ., with Bros . Devereux as S . W ., and Morbey as J . W . After which , Bro . Savage having paid some graceful compliments to Bro . "W . Watson , the ceremony of consecration was undertaken by the latter brother , Bro . Matthew Cooke performing the music . Bro . Savage then proceeded to install Bro . John Gurton as first W . M ., and upon his being seated in the chairhe was greeted by

, a most hearty round of applause . Bro . Savage dispensed with au Installing Board of Masters as likely to cause inconvenience to the brethren below the chair , Bro . John Gurton being already a P . M . Bro . Gurton then proceeded to appoint and invest the following brethren : Bros . Savage , P . G . D . as P . M . ; Stedwell , S . W . ; Collard , J . W . ; Piatt , Sec ; John Archer , S . D . ; Faithful , J . D . ; Wheeler , I . G . ; and Riley , Tyler . There were three

candidates for initiation present , viz ., Messrs . Thomas Bendy , Nathaniel Foresight , and William Rabken , who were made Freemasons by Bro . Gurton with his usual ability . After tin ' s the usual business of the lodge was transacted , joining members elected , and a vote of thanks ordered to be inscribed on the minutes' to Bro . Savage for his attendance that day . The lodge was then called off and the brethren proceeded to the banquet , which was all that the most fastidious could desire , both in quality , quantity , av . d elegance , reflecting considerable redit on Bro . Bendy , the senior initiate of the day .

The cloth having been cleared , the W . M . gave the usual oyal and Masonic toasts of the Queen and the Craft , and the M . W . G . M ., the Earl of Zetland . Upon proposing that of the D . G . M ., the Earl de Grey and Ripon , and the rest of the Grand Officers , he said every brother who had seen his Lordship in Grand Lodge , must have been deeply gratified to see the way in which he frequently conducted the business there . His Lordship also freely gave up his time

, really valuable to the country , proving that his heart was in the cause of Freemasonry . They , that evening , were honored by the presence of two Grand Officers , Bros . Hammond , the Prov . G . M . of Jersey ; and John Savage , P . G . D ., and with their names he coupled the toast . —Bro . HAMMOND , Prov . G . M . of Jersey , was honored by having his name connected with that of Lord De Grey and Ripon and the Grand Officers , and in their

name he returned thanks . In his individual character , he had only heard of the inauguration of the lodge on the previous day , and as he was about to perforin the ceremony of consecration in his own province , and knew Bro . Savage could give him some valuable instruction , he had attended there , and he could say that although be had not seen Bro . Savage perform the ceremony , yet he had received the greatest pleasure in

seeing it so beautifully worked by Bro . Watson . He should he wanting in courtesy if he did not acknowledge the kind welcome he had met with , and if any of the members should visit Jersey , he hoped they would favour him with a call , and he should be happy to return the compliment both in and out of lodge . —Bro . SAVAGE had hoped he should not have had to trouble them with a replybut since they had afforded him so

, kind a reception he should be ungrateful if he did not acknowledge it . He could endorse all that had fallen from their W . M . on the excellencies of the D . G . M ., who more than came up to their expectations . The Grand Officers desired to promote the prosperity of the Craft , and on their behalf he tendered his thanks . For himself , he thanked them cordially . He could assure them that the Prov . G . M . ' s invitation to Jersey would-be

a real treat to any one who accepted it . He had been there himself , and Bro . Hammond was his cicerone , and excellently did he perform the part both Masonically and locally . He would not trouble them with any further remarks as they had

two strings to their bow in the presence of two Grand Officers , who were most happy to have been present at the auspicious opening they had made that day . —Bro . GURTON here placed upon the table a punnet of very choice strawberries which were hailed as " allred" by those in the secret . —The W . M . said lie should give the health of the Visitors , as the next toast . He could not say they were always very happy to welcome visiting brethrenas that was their first time of

meeting-, as a lodge , but he should add that they would always be very happy to welcome jthem in the future and greet them as heartily as they " did that day . He then went through the list , complimenting each one for Masonic , personal , or private reasons , and concluded by a warm , eulogium on Bro . Devereux ' s working , with whose name he led the toast . —Bro . PJEVEBET / XProv . G . Sec . Bucks and

coup , Berks , on behalf of the visitors , was very grateful for the handsome way in which their presence had been acknowledged , and for the hearty welcome that had been afforded them . It was a great pleasure to them all to see so excellent a lodge , established more particularly on the classic ground , which had been thehome of Pope and Horace Walpole . He felt sure , under the able management of so good a Masterthat it would flourish ,,

, be a pattern for work , and increase rapidly in numerical strength . —Bro . W . WATSON asked all to assist him in the next toast , " that of "The Health of Bro . John Gurton , W . M . of 1284 . " ( Cheers . ) He did not come there to seek the honours of the chair for the first time , because for many years their W . M . had reached tho highest honour a Craft Lodge could confer ; but lie had eome forward as a resident in Twickenham to give his

able and willing assistance . He was no novice in the work of the chair , but equal to all its duties , and as a gentlemen endowed with a good heart , he would be sure to find similar hearts to support him . No lodge had ever been formed with such capital prospects and under a brighter or a better Freemason . ( Cheers . ) —Bro . JOHN GURTON , W . M ., felt more had been said than he deserved ; yefc , his aim should be to merit some portion of it ,

and try to do his duty . He hoped for many years to he a P . M . of the lodge , and , with the co-operation of his Officers , would do all he could to sustain the dignity of the lodge . The Strawberry Hill Lodge bad only the interest of Freemasonry at heart ,

and in no way sought to clash with the Crescent Lodge , whose members , as a lodge , or as individual brethren , they would always be happy to meet . He hoped for many years to be associated with the lodge they had formed that day ; to have many happy meetings together , and , that it might be so , there should be nothing wanting on his part on behalf of tha lodge . — The W . M . could assure the initiates that the lodge was very happy to receive them . The host of the Grotto TavernBro .

, Bendy , was their first initiate , and all were glad that he was so . Bros . Foresight and Rabken had each of them evinced that they felt the importance of the ceremony they had gone through , and he , the W . M ., could assure them that every further step they took would be more important still . They no doubt had often heard of Freemasons being a set of jolly fellows , but , while he did not deny the jollityhe informed them that it was also an

, eminently practical Institution . Its Charities were one of its proudest monuments , and he was happy to say the means of those Institutions increased daily . They would hear and see of them in time , and he contented himself with performing one of aW . M . ' s most pleasing duties in proposing "The Health of the Initiates . " —Bro . RABKEN , although the junior , had been deputed to speak in the name of the three , and return thanks for the toast

proposed . He felt it the greatest honour he had ever risen to in being made a Freemason , and he hoped they would each , as they progressed , gain further knowledge , and apply it properly . — The W . M . then gave " ¦ The Healths of the Officers . " Bro . Stedwell . S . W ., was a young Mason , but had a laudable ambition to excel ; and he , the W . M ., had never found a young Mason with so much Masonic knowledge . Bro . Collard , J . W ., was well known

as one that could work anything and everything . Bro . Archer was well known , both there and at the Shrubbery , as a modest retiring brother ; he was also an old P . M . Bro . Faithful was an energetic Mason , and would do good service in the lodge . Bro . Wheeler , the I . G ., came and joined them at a moment ' s notice , and he , the W . M ., had appointed him to office on account of Masonic and private grounds . Firsthe was a very talented

, brother , and would be a very bright Mason ; and secondly , Bro . Wheeler's mother had introduced the W . M . to his wile , which introduction had been the turning point of his success in life ; and he , Bro . Gurton , thought he could scarcely be blamed for recognising in the son the favour that had been done him by