Page 37 - An account of the Lodge of Nine Muses No. 235. 1777 to 2012UGLE

Lodge of the Nine Muses 37

Bro. Propert held the office for both 1839 and 1840, and again in 1846, Bro.
Pilcher in 1844 and 1845, and Bro. Kearsey in 1847 and 1848, and for a third
time in 1850.
Since 1860 successive Masters have served for one year only at a time, with the
exception, from unforeseen circumstances, of Bro. Thomson in 1933 and 1934.
During the later nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, however, several
Brethren held the Mastership for a second time after an interval. In a small Lodge
meeting infrequently promotion is perhaps unduly rapid in some cases, and there
may be something to be said for a second term of office in the Chair, at any rate
upon occasion; but this is too controversial a matter to be discussed here. 11
Deacons first appear in October 1814, and an Inner Guard in January 1815,
but it was not until the Mastership of Bro. Edwards Harper, a former “Antient”
Grand Secretary, in 1824, that the appointment of the “Assistant Officers” was put
on a regular footing; earlier references are sporadic. Rather strangely, Bro. Harper
himself had acted as Inner Guard for the previous year.
Before the duty passed to the Deacons the practice had apparently been for
his proposer and seconder, or two elder Brethren, to introduce the candidate into
the Lodge, and shepherd him through the ceremony. Deacons were adopted by
the United Grand Lodge from the “Antients”, and “Modern” Lodges were slow
to come into line.
The first mention of a Director, or Master, of Ceremonies is not till 11 February
1834, when Bro. Crew was appointed to the office, and an appointment seems
12
to have been made annually till 1842. No further appointment is minuted until
1876, when Bro. Staples was appointed; he held the office till 1881. But no
appointment of any officers, except successive Masters, is minuted for the years
1845, 1846, 1847, 1849, or 1856. It will be remembered that there was a “Mas.
Cer.” in 1796.
Bro. Wildy followed in 1884, and, after an interregnum of three years, Bro.
Leigh in 1888; since that date the office has been filled yearly. The longest tenancy
has been that of Bro. E. Luxmoore Marshall, from 1901 to 1929.
So far back as the minutes go no Chaplain, Almoner or Organist has ever
been appointed, nor since 1857 any Lodge Steward. It is rather remarkable that

11 This practice ceased to be controversial after the Second World War and is considered an
accepted choice when occasioned by circumstance.
12 See final sentence of this paragraph stating that one is mentioned in 1796. In 1977 at his
Installation as Bi-Centenary W.M. P.J.Dawson proposed that the office of D.C. should
revert to that of M.C. which has prevailed.