Robert Charlton

Robert Charlton, pictured above, is the subject of the story below. He was a member of Greyfrairs Lodge in Leicester, Kingsland Lodge in London, and a member of the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institute.

They say diamonds are a girl's best friend but in the case of cheating Robert Charlton they were a bargaining tool to excuse his philandering ways.
A stunning collection of jewellery that the guilty but very wealthy businessman gave his long-suffering wife when ever he cheated on her has sold for nearly 300,000 pounds.
Millionaire Mr Charlton regularly presented wife Elizabeth with new and expensive charms to ease his guilty conscience.
And although she knew all about his infidelity, the luxury items made it easier to forgive him.
The bizarre arrangement kept their marriage alive until Mr Charlton died aged 63 in 1974.
His widow cherished the necklaces, earrings, bracelets and rings for the rest of her life until she passed away in 2006, aged 90.
The jewellery, some of which would make Victoria Beckham green with envy, was passed down to their only child Marie and has now been sold for 286,000 pounds.
The most expensive item was a beautiful riviere necklace made up of 54 diamonds, totalling 32 carats, which was auctioned for 50,000 pounds - the equivalent of about 5,500 pounds in the 1960s.
A large pendant in the shape of a diamond went for 44,000 pounds and a chunky diamond solitaire ring sold for 19,000 pounds.
A pair of drop earrings went for 18,000 pounds while a gold bangle with nine diamonds on fetched 20,000 pounds.
Clare Durham, of auctioneers Woolley and Wallis of Salisbury, Wilts, said: "It is a beautiful collection of fine diamond jewellery.
"There were 43 items in total and most of it dates back to the late Victorian and early Edwardian period.
"It would have been antique when it was bought in the 1950s and 1960s.
"The stand out piece is definitely the riviere necklace which is just beautiful.
"It would seem that anytime Mr Charlton was naughty and played away he bought his wife a nice bit of jewellery to keep her sweet.
"She was well aware of what was going on - he cheated on her a lot.
"It may have been more than 43 times, because the family have kept some of the pieces, or it may have been less.
"Certainly the best, most expensive pieces were bought when he played away.
"They married in 1948, and Elizabeth took in Robert's 11-year-old daughter Marie as her own.
"He died 30 years ago and his widow, Elizabeth, has only just recently died.
"His daughter was fully aware of what was going on at the time and the family have told us the story - it was no secret to anyone.
"As well as his other businesses, he also ran two nightclubs in Leicester: theMayfair and the Continental.
"The affairs were certainly linked with these and a lot of them were with womenwho worked for him there.
"They could have been bar staff and there were probably even a few dancinggirls, back in the 50s.
"It is perfectly possible that his other affairs happened through hisbusinesses and he succumbed to the stereotype of an affair with his secretary,but we can't know for sure.
"He was quite high up in the freemasons and a prominent member of a golf club.
"All this would make it seem like he was an upstanding member of the community,but he was doing the dirty all along.
"He also launched a company called Marpak Graphic, which specialised inpackaging for the hosiery industry.
"It seems quite telling in the circumstances - he even brought women'sunderwear into his business decisions."
Mr Charlton, from Leicester, was a rich businessman, chairman of a large building company and he also ran a printing firm.
He was a well-known freemason and honorary member of Kibworth Golf Club in Leicester.

The Bard's Bible

The Bible used by famous Freemason Robert Burns in his last few weeks of life is set to go up for auction in Edinburgh.

Records show he took the small pocket edition with him during his visits to the Brow Well near Dumfries.

Also going under the hammer at Bonhams annual Scottish sale is the chance to "sponsor" the manuscript and lyrics of Auld Lang Syne written in 1788.

The small Bible is expected to fetch about £2,000 while sponsorship of the famous verse could reach up to £50,000.

The Bible is preserved in a velvet-lined blue Moroccan box lettered in gilt with the words "Burns Bible".

The volume was left to a Mr Scott, a schoolmaster at Clarencefield, near to where Burns spent some of his last days.

Included with the lot is an 1893 newspaper cutting stating: "At the time Burns was staying at the Brow Well he used the Bible, which he took with him when he went there to recruit his health.

"When he returned to Dumfries he left it with a Mr Davidson or Mrs Burnie, and then a Mr Scott, a schoolmaster in the parish."

Miranda Grant, managing director for Bonhams Scotland, said it was hoped the book would generate wide interest.

"It is very exciting indeed to have such a personal possession of the great poets included in the 10th Scottish sale," she said.

"As well as appealing to collectors of rare books, this Bible will obviously also be of great interest to anyone with an interest in Burns and indeed in Scottish history."

The book is being auctioned alongside the sponsorship opportunity for the manuscript and lyrics for Auld Lang Syne.

The successful bidder will help safeguard the manuscript within a new National Trust for Scotland museum dedicated to Burns.

They will also be recognised by the installation of a plaque bearing their name as its patron.
The Bible and sponsorship go up for sale between 18 and 21 August.

Why do you laugh?

This is an unusual 18th century watch that is coming up for sale at Thomson Roddick and Medcalf in Carlisle.

The catalogue description reads: "...18th century cylinder watch by Josh Hardin, London, no. 134, with gold `scope, wheel, square baluster pillars, pierced cock foot & slide plate & ruby end stone, the enamel dial with painted Masonic symbols & mottos "Upon My Honor" & "Quid Rides", in silver pair cases, probably by Vale & Co., Birmingham, 1822. The movement - 18th century, cases & dial - later, 46mm. "

Quid Rides apparently means "why do you laugh?"

The sale is on August 18 and it could fetch several hundred pounds.

A Mason's outburst

This from today's Private Eye. Found in the Rotten Boroughs section.

One The Square

Tory freemason Bill Sharp has been suspended for two months from Castle Point council in Essex for calling its environmental director "a fucking liar" and for trying to influence planning decisions on behalf of property developers, one of whom is a mason he has described as "my brother".

Sharp tried to attend a meeting to consider a planning application made by a company owned by a pension fund of which friend Jack king was a trustee.

When refused admission he assumed environmental director Ian Burchill, with whom he had clashed before, was behind his exclusion, and was found in an office shouting down an internal phone to the council's monitoring officer: "Burchill is a fucking liar. I despise him. He's just doing this because he doesn't like me. He's a fucking idiot."

The council's standards committee also found that Sharp failed to declare that he was a friend of developer Gordon Sanders despite "a long social and business connection between [them]... additionally both men are active freemasons". At one point Sharp called Sanders "my brother."

Powder horn - 1815

This powder horn is being sold by Lyon and Turnbull in Edinburgh on August 17 with an estimate of £1,000 - £1,500.

The catalogue description reads:

Military interest - an early 19th century powder horn the curved section of cow horn with wood plug and pull out nozzle plug, the horn incised with decoration including the badge of the 90th Perthshire Volunteers, together with Egypt battle honours for 1801 and named Josh Barr 90th, with additional display of intertwined thistles and roses, with Masonic symbols and dove of peace, with shaped cartouche suspended from beak with `PEACE 1815` and `1844 this given to his son J H Barr 90th` 35cm long Notes: The continued use and history of this item is interesting with the family connections within the regiment (90th Perthshire Volunteers) and the addition of the decoration by subsequent generations. The piece was obviously considered of great importance within the family. The 90th Regiment of Foot (or Perthshire Volunteers) was raised in 1794, by Mr. Thomas Graham, of Lynedoch, Perthshire, later General Lord Lynedoch. By the Regimental Record Book, there appear to have been enlisted by 1812 a total of 538 Scots, 1097 English, 486 Irish and 23 foreigners. As these total 2144 this would have covered both battalions. The Regiment saw a good deal of service including Egypt in 1801, and the capture of Martinique in 1809 and Guadaloupe [Dominica] in 1810, two valuable islands in the West Indies; however they were not engaged in the Peninsular war and Waterloo campaign. In 1815, they were designated as one of the six Light Infantry regiments.