The Province Of Shropshire.

Institution no less a sum than £ 1199 is . 6 d . was collected by fifty one Stewards , earning for the province the compliment of " W ell done , Shropshire ! " The brethren of this small province may , therefore , fairly claim to be doing their best to merit the benefits the }* have received and are receiving . In the Boys' Institution the

province possesses jointly , with the province of North Wales , the "Sir Watkin" Life Presentation , contingent on the life of H . R . H . the Princess Beatrice * , this was purchased in the year 1877 to commemorate the completion by Sir Watkin of twenty-live A * ears' rule over the province , and the right of

BliO . W . H . SPAULL , P . A . G . D . C , PROV . GRAXI ) SECRETARY * . nomination is now exercised alternatel y by the IAVO provinces . Policies of lassurance on the life of Her Royal Highness have been taken out by both provinces to secure the perpetuation of this right . The Provincial Calendar , founded and edited

by the W . Deputy Provincial Grand Master , Bro . R . G . Venables , P . A . G . D . of C , is a singularl y complete and useful work , and might well serve as a model to larger provinces . The Provincial Board , founded by the R . W . Provincial Grand Master , and containing elective members from every

lodge in the province , as Avell as certain ex-officio members , is intended to form a channel of communication between the brethren of the province and the R . W . Provincial Grand Master ; this is the embodiment of an idea which has much to be said in its favour , and in practice is found to produce useful results . Both the R . W . Provincial Grand Master and the W . Deputy Provincial Grand Master frequently attend the

various lodge meetings . Provincial Grand Lodges are held in turn in the different towns in Avhich lodges exist ; the yearly audit of lodge minute books is thoroughly carried out , and every endeavour is made by the officials not only to secure accuracy of work , but to promote the success of the province as a whole .

The province is singularl y destitute of any Masonic buildings . All the lodges , except No . 611 , Ludlow , Avhich for some years has possessed a small Masonic Hall , at present being obliged to meet in public assembly rooms or hotels . Many attempts have been made during the last fifty years to erect a Masonic Hall in ShreAVsbury , but hitherto

these efforts have only ended in failure . At the present time the want of a suitable site seems to be the chief obstacle to success in this direction . The Masons at Oswestry , it is reported , are about to build a hall in that town for the use of its IAVO lodges , 1124 and 1432 , and Ave Avish them every success in their endea \* ours .

Interesting antiquities are somewhat scarce ; such as do exist are chiefly relics of lodges long since dead . Thus the Castle Lodge , 1621 , Bridgnorth , possesses a ICAV of the belongings of the old Lodge of Industry , Avhich was founded in the same town in 1799 . These include a charter of the chapter formerly Avorking in connection Avith that lodge , and

a set of Avorking tools of unusual dimensions , the level being about four feet Avide by three feet high . The Lodge of St . Oswald , 112 4 , Oswestry , still uses three antique chairs formerly used by the Wynnstay Lodge , founded in 1771 , and which met at Wynnstay , the home of Sir Watkin and his ancestors . The Lodge of the Marches prizes greatl y

some of the furniture and jeAvels of the Mercian Lodge already mentioned , and also possesses a curious glass goblet made for the Silurian Lodge in 1791 , the year in Avhich it Avas founded at Kington in Herefordshire b y Thomas Dunckerley . The Salopian Lodge , 262 , has two decanters and some other pieces of glass , Avhich must have been

purchased for its use before 1792 , as they are engraved Avith the number 525 , which the lodge ceased to use in that year , owing to a general renumbering of the lodges . This lodge also formerly possessed a valuable gold ring , dug up in 18 39 in a field near Haughmond Abbey . This ring had , about the year 1600 , been presented b y Sir William

Leighton , Chief Justice of North Wales , when raised to the rank of Sergeant-at-Law , to Richard Barker , then Recorder of Shrewsbury and a Judge of North Wales , and Avhose family then resided at Haughmond . The ring was unfortunately lost in 1862 , but a reproduction of it was made

from wax impressions in existence , and this reproduction is worn b y the Master of the lodge when acting in his office . The device upon the ring , of which a copy is given , will show that it possesses something of a Masonic nature . The sword of state of the province Avas acquired from the family

of Bro . White , G . S ., and bears the inscription : " Royal Arch Constitutional Sols . " The Sols were a Secret Convivial Society , in no respect Masonic , established about the year 1780 .

The Late R.W. Bro. Sir John B. Monckton, P.G.W.

The late R . W . Bro . Sir John B . Monckton , P . G . W .

THE death roll of members of the Fraternity during the short period of the existence of " THI * MASOVIC ILI . USTHATKI ) " has been a formidable one , both in point of number and in the eminence and great services of those Avhose loss it has been our painful duty to chronicle , but amongst these the death of R . W . Bro . Sir John B .

Monckton , which occurred , after a very short illness , on the 3 rd February , will stand out in bold relief as a Masonic bereavement almost irreparable . This is brought home to us more fully when we consider not only the length of his service to the Craft , but the nature of those services Avhich it was his privilege to render .

His initiation took place in the year 1856 in the Belvedere Lodge , No . 503 , Maidstone , in which town he then resided , and on taking up his residence in London shortly after , Sir John speedily extended his Masonic relations by joining the Jerusalem Lodge , No . 197 ; the Buckingham and Chandos Lodge , No . 1150 ; and the Alliance Lodge , No . 1827 ;

Avhile lodges innumerable conferred on him honorary membership . It is , hoAvever , difficult to identify him in our thoughts with membership of any one lodge . He Avas the personification of the idea of the universality of Freemasonry , and his presence at any Masonic gathering Avas always equally acceptable whether as a member or a visitor . But