Armaments Reimagined: A New Display in the FMH Museum
IT'S YOUR ARENA
To send a story to Arena, please email
We are also looking for writers – please email the Editor at the same address if you would like to contribute.
Prof Garry Bignell SLGR, a Past Master of Armament Lodge No 3898 and WM of Bolingbroke Lodge No 2417, writes…
Have you visited the Museum at Freemasons' Hall lately? If not, and you have a little time before your next Lodge meeting, may I suggest you make your way through the Library to the South Gallery where you will discover a new exhibit about Freemasonry and War.
Amongst the fascinating items on display are several from the former Armament Lodge No 3898, now amalgamated with Bolingbroke Lodge No 2417.
You will see an 18-pounder artillery shell which has been hollowed out and used for alms collections in the Lodge. On the side is engraved the Lodge crest and the name of the donating Brother. Alongside you will find a unique set of three gavels and matching sound blocks also inscribed with the name and number of the Lodge. These were made from half-pounder AZ shells and attached to small-arms rifle barrels as handles. Each gavel bears the name of the Lodge and is bespoke to each of the principal officers by engravings of a square, level and plumb rule.
All items will be on loan to the Museum for a period of five years by kind permission of Bolingbroke Lodge.
This article is part of Arena Magazine Issue 61 – Summer 2026.
Arena Magazine is the official online magazine of the London Freemasons – Metropolitan Grand Lodge and Metropolitan Grand Chapter of London.
Read more articles in Arena Issue 61 here.
Get Arena stories direct to your phone with the Arena App, available for Apple and Android smartphones here:
