Page 29 - Amo Amass A-muse is some of the fruit of a lifetimes love of Freemasonry - the Lodge of Nine Muses No. 235

Amo Amass A-Muse - Lodge of the Nine Muses 29

Harper, now a Past Senior Grand Warden of the Antients was appointed in 1797 to a
committee whose job it was to try to resolve the differences between the two Grand Lodges.
In 1801, he joined our Lodge and became our Secretary whilst Ruspini, upon the
death of Lord Rancliffe, returned to rule us. It was then that Harper was appointed
Deputy Grand Master of the Antients and was expelled by the Premier Grand Lodge
for belonging to the rival Grand Lodge. This led to Our Lodge going underground for a
few years, during which time Ruspini handed our Candlesticks and other paraphernalia
over to the Prince of Wales’s Lodge. Our Lodge was subsequently revived by Sir William
Rawlins and other members of the Lodge of Antiquity. Now, Sir William was a Past Senior
Grand Warden of the Premier Grand Lodge and had acted as Deputy Grand Master to
the Earl of Moira when he expelled Thomas Harper. Sir William had been a member of
the Globe Lodge with Harper, and knew him well and also had joined the Chapter of
Harodim, the Lodge of Antiquity and the Chapter of St. James R.A. On the rescinding
of Harper’s expulsion in 1810, Sir William, as Right Worshipful Master of our Lodge
immediately welcomed him back and he was appointed Deputy Master of the Lodge.
Thomas Harper then made our Lodge his masonic home, being a regular attendant until
his retirement in 1827. Ruspini and Harper still seemed to be associated with each other
because in his letter attached to the minutes of the Prince of Wales Lodge about our
Candlesticks, he refers to him as “my very dear friend.”
Thomas Harper brought his son Edwards Harper into our Lodge. Edwards was one of the
Grand Secretaries and became our Worshipful Master in 1822/ 23. Although he had proposed
Harper’s expulsion, Sir William seems to have been a close friend of his, because both in our
Lodge and in the Chapter of St. James if one proposed anything the other was sure to second it.
Thomas Harper provided the frame for our substitute Master’s Jewel, but his miniature
within was not considered good enough and was replaced by one painted by Brother
G. Brighty, R.A. His was rather crude and is now in the Library of the Provincial Grand
Lodge of Warwickshire.
Thomas Harper, despite his social handicap, became a very great Freemason. He had
to put up with accusations from those of his own Grand Lodge who were opposed to the
Union and from those of the Premier Grand Lodge who considered that he was a spy
amongst them. He never complained and successfully brought the Antient Grand Lodge
to Union on equal and honourable terms.

P.J.D. August 1980