Page 26 - The Early History of The Lodge of Nine Muses No. 235. UGLE

THE REVIVAL TO THE UNION

ETWEEN this revival and the Union of 1813, Sir William and some of the
other members of the Lodge seemed to have been involved in most of the
Bminor masonic incidents. At the William Finch inquiry, Sir William Rawlins
was one of the two Masters of Lodges who did not sign the recommendation of
disapproval of his publications. Then there was the row in the Special Lodge of
32
Promulgation between James Savage and Charles Bonnor with Sir William in the
middle of it, and finally Sir William came into the further activities of Francis
33
Columbine Daniel. 34
Unfortunately for the Lodge, Sir William had crossed swords with the Duke of
Sussex on more than one occasion and, the unpardonable sin, he was subsequently
proved to have been right. As stated, there was the Savage—Bonnor incident in the
Lodge of Promulgation in which the Duke backed Bonnor, then just before the
Union the Lodge forcibly regained possession of their candlesticks from the Prince
of Wales’s Lodge of which the Duke was a member. Finally, Sir William obtained
35
the return of their beautiful “Master’s Jewel” from the Duke of Sussex himself after
he had stated that he had lost it.

32 AQC. 55. “William Finch”.—F. M. Rickard.
33 AQC. 25. “Special Lodge of Promulgation 1809/11.”—W. B. Hextall History of Lodge of
Antiquity Vol. II. op.cit.
34 Calvert’s Grand Stewards, op.cit. pp. 355/356. AQC. 23. “History of the Royal Navy Lodge.”
op.cit.
35 Masonic Record. Apr., 1972, “Burying the Hatchet.” op.cit.