In February 1861 W.Bro. George Taylor, Barrister at Law and Worshipful Master of Lodge St. George No. 807 was recommended to serve as Provincial Grand Master for Western India. W.Bro. Taylor was installed as the Rt. Worshipful Provincial Grand Master for Bombay on 16th July 1861.

The above stated date of installation was recorded in 1890 by WBro. Herald R King Dy. DGM when presiding over District Grand Lodge Communication when the passing away of Rt. W.Bro. Taylor to the Grand Lodge Above was referred to by him.

On the commencement of the Province of Bombay, there were 4 Lodges under Rt. W.Bro. Taylor’s jurisdiction, they were:
1. Orion in the West No. 415, Poona, founded in 1833 (transferred to London in 1948)
2. Saint George No. 807 (now 549), Bombay, founded in 1848
3. Concorde No. 757, Bombay, founded in 1859
4. Union number 767, Kurrachee, founded in 1859. This Lodge went into abeyance in 1867 for insufficiency of members and returned its Warrant and other belongings of the Lodge. The funds were ordered to be invested in Government Paper for the benefit of the Lodge. Later revived and transferred to Pakistan in 1950.

Lodge industry was founded in 1861 at Kotri (Sind) but later shifted to Hyderabad (Sind). This Lodge was transferred to Pakistan in 1950.

Presently, the second oldest Lodge with us is Lodge Truth No. 944 founded in 1863. The Dispensation or Provincial Warrant for the holding of the Lodge Truth was issued by the Provincial Grand Master on Christmas Day in 1862. The Consecration took place early in the succeeding year.

Minutes of the meeting of Lodge Concord describe that a new Lodge Truth has been formed and proposed that the use of the bungalow be granted at a rental of Rs. 40.

On 11th July 1863, it is reported that a Half-Yearly Communication of the District Grand Lodge (DGL) was held when 17 brethren were present including Brethren from St. George, Concord and Truth with Rt. WBro. George Taylor presiding.

At the Half-Yearly Communication held on 9th March 1864, the DGL when asked for an opinion from Lodge Concord, the DGM said that the Lodge had acted correctly in giving the 2nd Degree do an Initiate of the Scottish Constitution and would quite be justified in giving the 3rd Degree also should the Brother wish to take it.

it appears that in those days an annual Masonic Ball used to be held. It is reported that the Annual Masonic ball held on 17th February 1865 under the auspices of the English and Scottish constitutions was well attended. The function began at 8:00 PM. Around midnight, there was a stand up supper comprising all the delicacies of the season and the party lasted practically till daybreak.

A new Lodge Star of India No. 1062 was consecrated on 3rd August 1865 by WBro. Rev. J.J. Farnham, Past Provincial Senior Grand Warden at the Freemasons Hall near Baboola Tank in the presence of a large Masonic assembly. This Lodge was closed in 1877.

In 1865 another Lodge Alexandra No. 1065 at Jubbulpore (Jabalpur) was petitioned and consecrated on 8th December 1865. Happily this Lodge has been continuously functional and presently has the Past District Grand Master Rt. WBro. Dorab Bajan and Past Deputy District Grand Master VWBro. Arun Deshmukh among its members.

In 1865, the Grand Lodge took some significant decisions affecting this District:
the designations of the Provincial Grand Masters outside England was changed to that of District Grand Masters
likewise the Provincial Grand Lodges were redesignated District Grand Lodges.
the District Grand Lodge were to continue their existence notwithstanding the death, resignation, removal or suspension of a District Grand Master. Powers of the DGM were also increased.

In 1866, Lodge Emulation No. 1100 at Bombay was Consecrated. This lodge too has had its continuous existence to date and meets at Pune.

Another Lodge Consecrated in 1866 at Nagpur was Lodge Corinth No. 1122. It is peculiar that, though another Lodge St. Andrew’s was placed under the District of the Coast of Coromandel (now Madras), Corinth was placed under Bombay.

At the District Grand Lodge Communication of May 1866 it was decided to establish a Board of Benevolence by merging the Charity Funds of all the Lodgers under its jurisdiction to develop a substantial corpus.

In 1867 the need for a Lodge for Indians was fulfilled by an application from 11 Parsis and Mohammedans was approved for the formation of the Lodge Eastern Star No. 1189.

In 1869 in the railway town of Eeghatpura (meaning- the Ghats are over – now known as Igatpuri) The friendship and Harmony Lodge No. 1270 was Consecrated. At the foot of the Ghats at the station known as Kasara, additional locomotives are even today joined at the rear of all trains to push up the trains up to Igatpuri where they are detached. The membership therefore consisted of railway drivers, guards and some others from Bombay.

For Rt. WBro. Taylor this Lodge brought the total number of Lodgers under his jurisdiction to 12 .

At the Half-Yearly Communication in March 1870, Committee of General Purposes was appointed. Also the geographical jurisdiction of Bombay District was defined as follows:-
“The frontier of Sind from the sea to the Kusmore, and a line drawn from Kusmore to Kishenghur, from Kishenghur to Jubbulpore, from Jubbulpore to the town of Armoree and from Armoree to Honawar.”

In July 1870, the term of this great first Rt. Worshipful District Grand Master ended with the installation of WBro. The Hon. Justice James Gibbs as District Grand Master.

It is learned that Rt. WBro. George Taylor died in 1890. Referring to his passing away the Deputy DGM WBro. Herald R King said, “A one-time wealthy man, unfortunately realised the fickle change of fortune and died leaving a widow and family without means. Mrs Taylor has appealed for help from our friends and I doubt not the appeal will not be made in vain.

Indeed it was a sad and unfortunate end for a person who managed the District with efficiency and popularity, was able to enhance the prestige of Masonry and increase the number of Lodges from 4 to 12 to cover a vast section of India.