Page 68 - An account of the Lodge of Nine Muses No. 235. 1777 to 2012UGLE

68 An Account of the

Sir William last attended the Lodge on 14 November 1837, and died in the
following March.
The first act of the newly-elected Treasurer was to buy an account-book for
10s., in which the first entry is “1835, 12 Dec. By Cash of Sir Wm Rawlins
late Treasurer being ballance in his hands – 21.11.1.” From that date onwards
accounts have been regularly kept, in Bro. Arden’s purchase up to the end of 1900,
and since then in a book still in use. These accounts have proved of great value in
supplementing and elucidating the entries in the minutes. Bro. Arden, by the way,
regularly spells “balance” with two “l’s”.
In March 1841 a curious system of fines was instituted to keep the Officers and
others up to the mark in their attendance at the Lodge. This is explained in the
next chapter. But, as might have been expected, the results were not encouraging,
and after 1850 the attempt was given up.
The takings under this scheme are given a page to themselves in the account-
book in the following form:
Dr John Propert Esq in fines a/c with the Lodge of Nine Muses. No 268
1843 To Fines paid ................................. 2 10
1844 To Fines paid ................................. 2 5
1845 To Fines paid ................................. 2 5
1846 To Fines paid ................................. 2 15
1847 To Fines paid ................................. 1 12 6
1848 To Fines paid ................................. 1 17 6
13 5 0
1850 1 - -
£14 5 -
There is no entry on the credit side
Bro. Propert became Treasurer in 1843 and held the office for fifteen years. He
tried evidently to get the system adopted two years previously on to a business
footing, but had to abandon the attempt; the recorded attendances do not show
that the fines had any marked effect. What became of those collected before 1843
is not revealed.