Page 14 - Amo Amass A-muse is some of the fruit of a lifetimes love of Freemasonry - the Lodge of Nine Muses No. 235

14 Amo Amass A-Muse - Lodge of the Nine Muses

occasions. He succeeded his brother as 8th Earl Ferrers in 1827. In 1831, he became
Provincial Grand Master of Staffordshire as well. He died in 1842 of a stroke and it is
reported that he continued to think of Masonry after a long illness until his death. He
married Francis, the daughter of the Rev. William Ward, the brother of the 1st. Viscount
Dudley and Ward, who was Grand Master of the Premier Grand Lodge in 1742/43.
This leads on to the 3rd Viscount Dudley and Ward, S.G.W. in 1784, who was made in
our Lodge in January 1783. “Distinguished by the purest and most munificent benevolence
of character”. He succeeded his brother, the 2nd Viscount, and was therefore a 1st Cousin
to Washington Shirley. He married Julia, daughter of Geofry Bosville of York.
The last of our Shirley connections was the Right Hon. Lord MacDonald of Slate,
S.G.W. in 1787. He joined the Muses in 1783. He married Elizabeth, another daughter of
Geofry Bosville, so making him a brother-in-law to the 3rd Viscount Dudley and Ward.
He lent the Grand Lodge £500 towards the rebuilding of the Freemason’s Tavern. He
became the Grand Patron of William Preston’s Grand Chapter of Harodim and Trustee,
initially, of Ruspini’s School for Girls; he died in 1795.
I felt that I must tell you about these connections of the Shirley family although they
are most complicated because it is clear that they greatly contributed to the success of our
Lodge during the first 20 years of its existence.

P.J.D. August 1983