Masonic Mems.

Prince of Wales as Provincial Grand Master of Sussex , which was consecrated by the Duke of Connaught at Brighton Pavilion on July 15 , 18 S 7 . The first Worshipful Master of the Lodge was the late Mr . Gerard Ford . Sir W . T . Marriott v / as S . W . In the following year he was duly installed in the chair , and having completed his year of office , was in October last appointed Prov .

S . G . W ., and in that capacity became temporary head of the Province , and accordingly presided at the banquet which followed the Provincial Grand Lodge meeting . Sir William ' s appointment is likely to prove popular . Among those who have previously filled the office are Bro . Thomas Read Kemp , iM . P . ( founder of " Kemp

Town" ) , from 1830 to 18 44 ; Colonel McQueen , 1854 to 1858 ; the late Colonel Dalbiac , 1858 to 1 S 65 ; Bro . E . J . Furner , 1 S 65 to 1 S 77 ; Bro . John Henderson Scott , and Bro . Gerard Ford .

* * * A new Masonic Lodge has been opened at Pudsey by the Right Worshipful Provincial Grand Master of West Yorkshire , Mr . T . W . Tew , who was accompanied by the leading members of the Grand Lodge . The Lodge has been dedicated to St . Lawrence ( 2 , 330 ) ,

and is to have its headquarters at the Park Hotel , Pudsey . The Provincial Grand Master and the deputation from the Grand Lodge were received by the following founders and officers designate : — Brethren J . Symonds , W . M . ; J . W . Taylor , I . P . M . ; Chas . Cromack , S . W . ; Robert Love , J . W . ; Rev . J . N . Lee , chaplain ; J . E . Hinings , treasurer ; John Cromack , secretary ; Joshua Hill , S . D . ; John Sewart , J . D . ; H . Kershaw , I . G . ; and M . B . Newell , T .

* * # The quarterly communication of the Sublime Scottish Grand Royal Arch Chapter washeld in Edinburgh on the 21 st ult ., Companion James Crichton , presiding . A commendable alteration has been made in the law for the election of office-bearers in the daughter chapters ,

which has hitherto been on a fixed date . After this the elections can take place any time between September 15 and 31 . On the recommendation of the Provincial Grand Chapter of the Lower Ward of Lanarkshire , it was resolved— " That the Supreme Chapter sanction the removal of Chapter " Commercial , No . 79 , " from said

province to the district of Cathcart , in the province of Renfrewshire East . " Under the immediate care of the energetic R . YV . M . of Sir George Cathcart , 617 , the chapter will soon regain its lost prestige .

* The annual meeting of the Provincial Grand Lodge of Derbyshire took place on the 21 st ult ., at the Masonic Hall , Derby . The Deputy Provincial Grand Master ( Bro . H . C . Okeover ) presided , in the absence of the Marquis of Hartington . There was a large

attendance of Brethren . After the reception of the ordinary reports , Bro . T . Cox , P . G ., treasurer , announced his resignation , and Bro . Thos . Roe , M . P ., was elected in his place . A vote of thanks was also passed to Bro . Cox for his twenty-four years' service , and a committee was appointed to more substantially recognise them . The Deputy-Provincial Grand Master then appointed and invested his officers , and Grand Lodge was closed .

* * * Although the Ashburton Lodge ( 2 , 18 9 ) was consecrated in 18 S 6 , its work has gone on so quietly and unostentatiously that its existence was almost forgotten by the outer world until the 9 th inst ., when its first public function occurred on the occasion of laying a

foundation-stone of the new Masonic Hall which is to be its future home . For some time the brethren , in spite of the care and attention paid them in their present quarters at the Commercial Hotel , have felt desirous of following the example of other Lodges in the Province of Devon by building a hall of their own for the exclusive purposes of Freemasonry , and at last matters were brought to a climax by the most generous offer of Bro . H . Stevens , Treasurer of

the Lodge , to make the brethren a present of a piece of ground to build on in his field adjoining Hayeldcne . The offer being gratefully accepted , plans and estimates were prepared , and on the 9 th ult . the building was sufficiently advanced to have the foundation - stone laid in the north - east corner according to Masonic usage .

- ;<• * * Bro . John Lane writes to the Freemason of the 14 th ult . : — " Through the courtesy of Bro . T . Lamb-Smith , P . P . J . G . W . Worcester , I have examined the minute-book and ledger of Lodge and TruthEveshamwarranted in 181 SNo 703 It does

Mercy , , , . . not appear ^ to have been a successful Lodge , notwithstanding the assistance it received from Cheltenham and other places . There are , however , a few points worth noting , viz ., the members held a Lodge of instruction on three Sundays in September and three Sundays in October , 1818 , and a Lodge of emergency on another

Sunday in the latter ' month . One of the members paid the large sum of ^ 30 for his ' entrance , ' although the usual fee at the time , according to the ledger , for entrance or initiation was £ j . 4 s . only . On December 30 , 1 S 1 S , Bros . Monk and Sncpp ' passed the chair in due form . ' These were the two Wardens , the

former of whom was elected W . M . at the same meeting . On April 28 , 1819 , the members resolved to hold a Lodge of instruction everj- Wednesday , ' and the non-attendants to forfeit threepence . ' No place of meeting is recorded in the old Calendars , but the minutes show that the Lodge met at the Rose and Crown in 1 S 18 , removing to the Crown Inn at the end of 1819 , and to the Cross

Keys in 1 S 24 , where it continued until its demise in 1831 . It , however , ' adjourned' on three several occasions , viz ., to Bro . Bowen ' s Ship Inn , Pershore , on May 17 , 1826 , and April 18 , 1 S 27 , and to the Coach and Horses Inn , Pershore , on August 29 , 1827 . These two books , with other property of the Lodge , were in the

possession of the last Master until his death about ten years ago . Bro . Lamb-Smith's indefatigable efforts to unearth them has - been crowned with success . Will other brethren imitate his example and report the result ? "

* * * The funeral of the late Bro . John Pursall took place on December 26 , at the Cemetery , Warstone-lane , Birmingham . By the death of Bro . Pursall the Craft in the Province of Warwickshire have suffered a heavy loss . The deceased brother was a

P . P . G . W . and Preceptor to the General Lodge of Instruction , P . P . G . J , of the Prov . Grand Chapter and Preceptor to the Chapter of Instruction . He has been a prominent figure among Masons for something like forty-five years , and during that long period has served every office connected with Masonry . His services as

Preceptor for nearly thirty years will long live in the memory of local members of the Craft , and the training of the present generation of Masons is largely due to his perfect working of the ritual . He had the respect and esteem of every member of the Fraternity . At the funeral there was a large gathering of friends , who attended

to pay a tribute of respect to the memory of their dead brother . The Provincial Grand Lodge and the various Lodges of the Province were largely represented .

* * * The remains of the late Bro , W . A . Higgs were on Tuesday December 31 , laid in the family vault at Highgate Cemetery . The Lord Mayor , Mr . Sheriff Harris , and Bro . Under-Shcriff Beard sent their state carriages . The Lord Mayor , who was unable to attend

the funeral in person , asked Mr . Sheriff Harris to represent him , and the Sheriff , who was accompanied by Mr . Henry Williams , joined the procession in a private carriage . Alderman Sir Polydore De Keyser , who was Lord Mayor during Bro . Higgs ' s shrievalty , was accompanied by Mr . Alderman Davies , co-sheriff with tfie deceased .

Many who were not able to be present sent messages of sympathy and sorrow from all parts , and a large number of friends forwarded beautiful wreaths and other floral designs .