Finding masonic jewels is often a case of being in the right place at the right time. Whilst collecting some items from an antique dealer recently, I was informed of a continental dealer with a substantial stock of masonic items. Having been given the gentleman’s business card, I eagerly requested a catalogue. Within a week I received a reply informing me that the stock was too large to list but nonetheless he enclosed a brochure of a forthcoming auction. What a surprise it was! 12 pages full of jewels, porcelain, glass, bronze, books, aprons, sashes: an endless supply of collectibles. Then I saw the find of a lifetime - an illustration of a beautiful casket, first presented in 1891 to Right Worshipful Brother Sir Francis Burdett Bart. This is the auction catalogue’s description (translated) of the casket:

Exceptional casket in solid silver. At each corner rises a column of ivory topped by a globe. The casket is finely chased on each surface with the two sides carrying the enamelled coat of arms of the Mark and the Royal Arch. On the rear surface are two agates representing the two sides of the stone of the Royal Arch. The lid is opened with the use of a small triangular key and is finely decorated with leaves and on each side with an enamelled coat of arms, of which one is that of the Province of Middlesex and Surrey. At the top is a woman sitting with a child at her feet.
    The front of the casket is engraved in the following manner: Province of Middlesex and Surrey Mark Master Masons. This casket containing an address was presented to the Right Worshipful Bro. Col. Sir Francis BURDETT Provincial Grand Mark Master to commemorate the 21st year of existence of the Province during the whole of which period it has been under his guidance and direction. 1892.
    The address is presented on a dark red velvet base in a black leather surround sheathed in green silk. This piece, made in 1891 by the famous London firm Mappin & Webb, was presented to the Provincial Grand Master of the Province of Middlesex and Surrey. More than 800 brethren participated in this gift which was presented during an important official ceremony which took place on 28 May 1891 in the presence of the Duke of Cambridge.

But who was Sir Francis Burdett? With the auction only two weeks away, I had to start researching immediately. Reference to the Mark Year Book revealed that he was the only Provincial Grand Mark Master of the then combined Province of Middlesex and Surrey from 1870-92, and that the casket was presented to mark his continuous rule for 21 years.

Sir Francis Burdett

Rt Worshipful Bro Col. Sir Francis Burdett Bart. was born on 23 November 1813, succeeding as the 7th Baronet shortly before his death 79 years later. On 18 April 1834 he enlisted in the army and was commissioned in the rank of Cornet in the 13th Light Dragoons, sailing from Portsmouth on the ship Asia on 19 December 1835 for Madras, India. There he became involved in the Craft, being initiated into the 13th Dragoons Lodge No 400 (I.C), thus starting a 55 year masonic career. On 26 December 1837 he transferred to the 17th Light Dragoons and, shortly afterwards, left India for the mother country with his new regiment.
    He retired from the regular army in 1849 and in the same year became a member of the Grand Lodge of Ireland, acting as Junior Warden at a meeting in May and acting as Senior Grand Warden at a meeting held in the September of the following year. In 1869 he was appointed a Past Senior Grand Warden of the United Grand Lodge of England when the Grand Lodge of Ireland selected him as their representative. On 22 January 1870 he was installed as first Provincial Grand Master of the Provincial Grand Lodge of Middlesex, after having been first installed as the Master of Burdett Lodge No 1293 - a most memorable occasion for those present.
    In 1871 he was installed as Provincial Grand Mark Master of the combined Province of Middlesex and Surrey and was also appointed Grand Superintendent of Royal Arch Masonry in Middlesex - offices he held until his death on 31 March 1892. He also held high office in a number of other orders, directly or indirectly associated with Freemasonry.
    At the time of Sir Francis Burdett’s death in 1892, there were 40 lodges in the Province, and it was deemed an appropriate time to create two new Provinces. The Most Worshipful Grand Master decided therefore that the split should be into three categories. Firstly, all lodges meeting within two miles of Mark Masons’ Hall should be in the London District under the direct control of headquarters. Secondly, that lodges outside this radius in the County of Middlesex should form the new Province of Middlesex, and, thirdly, that lodges outside this radius in the County of Surrey should form part of the Province of Surrey.
    Appreciating the importance of this find, I immediately contacted the Provincial Grand Treasurer and Provincial Grand Secretary (Mark) of the Province of Surrey, only to find - not surprisingly - that funds would not be available to purchase the casket ( I had estimated the cost as being somewhere between five to ten thousand pounds). A similar response also emerged from Great Queen Street. By now I had to accept that the likelihood of securing this very important piece of heritage was remote, to say the least, and therefore the best I could do was to obtain a photocopy of the address contained in the casket.
    The assistance I received from the dealer over the next few weeks was second to none. Not only was he prepared to let me have a copy but he also informed of the reserve price, while adding that the hammer price was expected to be much higher owing to the casket’s beauty and uniqueness. The auction was now only days off, with both the Provincial Grand Secretary of Middlesex and myself desperately trying to obtain funding. First the reserve price was matched, then, the day before the auction, a final offer of £5000 was made. Unfortunately, it was a case of too little too late - the final price being FF80,000 (£8000). We lost.
    I know that I am not alone when I express disappointment that another piece of our heritage should so needlessly be lost and that, lacking readily available funds, yet more lost opportunities will follow. I would however, like to convey my sincere thanks to W Bro David Sparks, Provincial Grand Secretary (Mark) of the Province of Middlesex for his valued interest and his endeavours in attempting to bring this casket back home. I might at times be discouraged, but despair? Never.

WBro Terry J Iles PProvSGD (Bristol) is a collector of masonic jewels and memorabilia and writes for The Diadem, the magazine of Jewels of the Craft of which he is a member.