Page 22 - Amo Amass A-muse is some of the fruit of a lifetimes love of Freemasonry - the Lodge of Nine Muses No. 235

ThOmAS hOWARD, 3RD EARl OF EFFiNGhAm

E IS THE MOST SENIOR MASON who ever joined our Lodge. He was
born in. 1746, educated at Eton and entered the Army in 1762. He travelled
Habroad and there is a portrait of him in Turkish Costume.
He succeeded his father in 1763 as the 3rd Earl when he became the hereditary Deputy
Earl Marshall of England. He married a daughter of Metcalf Proctor of Thorpe, near
Leeds, bringing him a Dowry of £10,000. When George III was ill once, he is supposed
to have remarked — “Has Lord Howard ridden down on his little white charger? Tell him
not to trouble himself. I know that he is not sincere. He was angry with me for not letting
him marry Lady Effingham. I knew that his family would not treat her well.”
He was opposed to the coersion of the American Colonists and spoke against it in
parliament. When the War broke out, rather than act contrary to his principles he resigned
the Command of his Regiment, the 22nd Foot, when that Regiment was ordered to
America. The King, whilst regretting his loss, was pleased to declare that he should not
suffer the benefits of his rank on any future occasion.
He was initiated in the Shakespeare Lodge (now No. 99) in 1773 and was their R.W.M.
in 1776/77. This was Major General Salter’s Lodge. He was the first Ranker-General
and had been the Deputy Grand Master of the Premier Grand Lodge. That Lodge was
opposed to ‘Incorporation’ and during this controversy Salter was deposed and the Hon.
Viscount Charles Dillon of the Lodge of Friendship No. 3 of the Noble set sponsoring
‘Incorporation’ succeeded him.
In 1778, the Earl joined Somerset House Lodge No. 2 but it seems he did not like
it and joined our Lodge of the Nine Muses on 15th March 1779. That same year, he
refused the offer to become The Grand Master of the rival Grand Lodge of the Antients.
From all this it is clear that he had no animosity towards the rival Grand Lodge and had
joined our Lodge and other New Whig Nobles, opposed to both the American War of
Independence and the antagonism between the two Grand Lodges. The following year, he
was appointed the Acting (now called Pro-) Grand Master of the Premier Grand Lodge
by H.R.H. the Duke of Cumberland who had just been elected their Grand Master. This
was the first time that Royalty had ruled the Grand Lodge and he appointed a nobleman
to act for him.