Page 77 - Amo Amass A-muse is some of the fruit of a lifetimes love of Freemasonry - the Lodge of Nine Muses No. 235

ThE OFFiCERS OF ThE lODGE OF ThE NiNE muSES

TEWARDS, DEACONS OR WHAT?

SIt has been generally accepted that, whereas Lodges under the Antient’s Grand
Lodge had the office of Deacon as assistants to the Master and Wardens in line with that
which had been evolved in Ireland, this was not so under the Premier Grand Lodge. They
had used Apprentices as assistants when required and Candidates were usually escorted
by their Proposer and Seconder. Later on, when the office of Grand Steward had been
evolved to assist the Grand Wardens, Lodges copied by using Stewards as assistants.
From very early times Operative Lodges in Scotland had Deacons but they were much
more important Officers.
William Preston, who had been ‘made’ in an Antient Lodge, had said that The Lodge of
Antiquity, then No. 1., had always had Deacons rather than Stewards, but there is no sign
in their records, before the reunion of the two halves in 1792, of Deacons being appointed.
However, as a result of the work of the Lodge of Promulgation in 1810, the Premier Grand
Lodge recognised the office of Deacon rather then Steward in line with Ireland, Scotland
and the rival Grand Lodge of the Antients.
Unfortunately the Lodge of the Nine Muses, founded in 1777 by the Premier Grand
Lodge as No. 502, no longer possesses its early minutes as No. 421 on 28th January 1814.
The existing minutes start at the Union copied into a new Book purchased in 1816.
In its first minute, only the R.W.M., the two Wardens and the Secretary were present.
The next Meeting was the Installation meeting, Rt. Wor. Brother Thomas Harper, Past
Deputy Grand Master was re-elected Deputy Master and the Treasurer was re-elected.
A Tyler is not mentioned but we know that Bro. Miller was then Tyler because there is a
note opposite the minutes of 9 May 1830 that he had been in attendance for the past 17
years. Deacons are first mentioned in October 1814 and an Inner Guard in January 1815.
In January 1816, the election of Stewards was deferred but in January 1817 a Senior and
Junior Steward were elected but their election was again deferred each year from 1819
to 1821.
In 1824 Bro.Edwards Harper, the Grand Secretary, was our W.M. and during his two
years new By-Laws were approved and the assistant Officers of Deacons and an Inner