The Province Of Cornwall.

The Province of Cornwall .

— ( Continued . )

\ FTEK ( he Union of December , 1813 , the '' mother lodge " Jr ^ at Falmouth became the recognised authority for the revised " Work " ; the members having been instructed by Bro . \ Y . Ernshaw ( Fast S . G . W . ) , who attended on behalf of the Grand Lodge , and they subsequently did their best to make

BRO . K . MILFOIiD JI 1 LFOHD , P . A . G . D . C ., TREASURER OP THE CORXAS'ALL MASONIC ANNUITY FUND . the ceremonies known in the county . One result of the new Regulations may be traced in the appointment of Provincial Grand Deacons from 1816 ; the custom previously as to

¦ officers being based on the " Modem , " not the " Ancient , " rules . The first to work the " Royal Arch " under " Modern " auspices was the lodge at Falmouth ; a Avarrant being . granted in iSro and exchanged in 1 S 25 for a new charter ,

which is still the authority for the existing chapter . On the resignation of Sir Charles Lemon , the R . W . Bio . Augustus Smith , " Lord of the Scilly Isles" ( initiated in 1832 in Xo . 404 , Watford , and W . M . 331 , Truro , in 1859 ) was appointed the 6 th Prov . G . M ., in 186 3 and the

, province was soon most actively engaged one way and another ; new lodges svere formed , and in 186 4 , the " Cornwall Masonic Annuity and Benevolent Fund" was started at Falmouth , and confirmed at Truro , for the Province , which has proved a great success and as great a boon to

brethren , or their dependents , who have needed aid . Since its formation over £ 1 ^ , 000 have been received in subscriptions , & c . ; some ^ 7 , 000 have been spent in annuities and educational grants , and about the same sum is now safely invested for future use , so well have the funds been managed ,

and the expenses kept down to almost nil . Originally it was for annuities for brethren only , but later on the benefits were svisely extended to widows and children .

On Bro . Augustus Smith s installation there were fifteen lodges on the roll in the county , viz . : Xo . 75 , Falmouth ; Xo . 121 , Penzance ; Xo . 131 , Truro ; Xo . 318 , Helston ; No . 330 , Bodmin ; No . 331 , Truro ; Xo . 450 , Hayle ; No . 49 6 , St . Austell ; Xo . 510 , Liskeard ; Xo . 557 , Callington ; Xo . 589 , Redruth ; No . 6 99 , Chacesvater ; No . 789 , Launceston ; No .

85 6 , Lostwithiel ; and X ' o . 8 93 , Millbrook . These all meet nosv in halls of their own , and were never more united and prosperous than at the present time .

During this period , the kite Earl of St . Germans and the late Sir Frederick Martin Willliams , Bart ., M . P ., were appointed Grand Wardens of England . In 1873 , the Right Hon . the Earl of Mount Edgcumbe was installed as the 7 th Prov . G . M . by the late Rev . John HuysheM . A ., P . G . C , who had also installed his lordship ' s

, lamented predecessor , the R . W . Bro . Augustus Smith . As Lord Valletort , the beloved Prov . G . M . svas initiated in Xo . 10 , London , 1856 , receiving the Third Degree in 18 57 in the presence of the late Earl of Zetland , Grand Master , and the late Earl of Carnarvon ( subsequently Pro G . M . ) , who was

then the W . M . In 18 5 8 his lordship svas installed as W . M . of the Sincerity Lodge , Xo . 189 , East Stonehouse ( being now the senior member on the Roll ) , also in 1876 svas W . M . of the " Meridian Lodge , " Xo . 8 93 , Millbrook , Cornwall , and is still a subscribing member .

From the installation of Lord Mount Edgcumbe , the province has been continuously prosperous , and apparently has not yet reached the height of its success , for the lodges have increased from twenty-four in 1873 , with 1000 members , to thirty in 1902 , svith over 2000 subscribing brethren ;

and the Royal Arch Chapters nosv number thirteen , with 400 companions , his lordship also being the esteemed Grand Superintendent .

Lord Mount Edgcumbe Avas indefatigable in making the necessary arrangements for the visit of H . R . H . the Prince of Wales ( now His Majesty the King ) to Truro to lay the foundation stone of the new Cathedral , with Masonic honours , on 20 th May , 1880 , an Especial Grand Lodge being opened at the TOASTI Hall for the purpose ; and in 1 S 8 S

the members of the province presented £ 600 , through their beloved Prov . G . M ., to meet the expenses of one of the piers of the Central Tower , a suitable inscription being placed thereon to indicate that gratifying fact . It was a proud day in 1891 for the Cornish Craft when their Prov . G . M . svas selected by the M . W . Grand Master

MHO . GILBERT ]! . PEARCE , P . M ., SECRETARY OF THE CORNWALL CHARITY ASSOCIATION . for the high honour of Deputy Grand Master of England , which office his lordship ably filled for live years , during which period Lord Mount Edgcumbe presided over the jubilee Festival of the R . M . Benevolent Institution in 1892 ,