Page 124 - An account of the Lodge of Nine Muses No. 235. 1777 to 2012UGLE

124 An Account of the Lodge of Nine Muses

In 1904 the furniture was again in trouble, for on 9 February correspondence
was reported between the Secretary, Bro. Walter Webb, and the manager of the
Grand Hotel, where the Lodge had been meeting since March 1890, calling
attention to damage from careless handling. The Secretary’s letter ends “Should
the valuable arms or carved portions, which as you know, are of best Wedgwood,
receive injury, the Lodge would never forgive me for not having paid proper
attention to my duties, by overlooking the careful charge of our valued and
unique possessions.”
The manager replied as might have been expected, repudiating the charge and
saying that “every care has been and will be taken”.
“Wedgwood” is obviously a slip, perhaps for Chippendale. Thomas Chippendale
died in 1779, two years after the foundation of the Lodge, but the chairs are not
in his characteristic manner.
On 10 October 1929, Bro. Sir Philip Dawson gave to the Lodge a Perfect
Ashlar, quarried in King Solomon’s quarries at Jerusalem; this is exhibited at all
Lodge meetings.
An alms-dish in hammered copper, for use in the first degree ceremony, was
presented to the Lodge on 19 October 1936 by the I.P.M.
The oak ballot-box, the tracing-boards and other accessories are of ordinary
patterns and call for no description. Three folding tracing-boards mentioned in
an inventory dated 1 January 1863 have disappeared, and three small tracing-
boards existing in 1914 were no longer to be found in 1927. 46
The table furniture has already been described in the preceding chapter.

In 2007 W. Bro. David John Fowles, grandson of Stanley, son of John and and
Nephew of Arthur William (fondley remembered as Uncle Bill), presented the
Lodge with three gavels in cherry wood with matching blocks, dedicated to his
family.
A Silver Plate/Goblet ??? was added to the treasures of Nine Muses for use by
the installed W.M. in memory of W.Bro. Bob Pollit

46 When Bro. Norman Latchford died he made a bequest to the Lodge. This was used to obtain
a silver salver for the collection for charity, taken during dinner. There was sufficient besides
to obtain a silver ‘Cover’ for the ‘Overseas Cup’ and a set of Tracing Boards, with the names
of the Muses inset around the 1st Degree Board, and the name of the donor and Lodge on
the reverse, all housed in a substantial case.