RT. WBRO. H.R.H. THE DUKE OF CONNAUGHT
ELEVATED AS MOST WORSHIPFUL GRAND MASTER 1901-1939
Ever since the retirement of the previous DGM, the District was in charge of WBro. H.R. King Deputy District Grand Master until the Installation of HRH the Duke of Connaught in November 1887. The Duke held the simultaneous position as the Commander-in-Chief of the Bombay Army.
In November, a Special Communication was held at Government House, Parel under the Presidency of the Deputy District Grand Master WBro. H.R. King for the purpose of Installing HRH the Duke of Connaught. Representatives of the DGL, Bengal, Punjab and ASFI were also present. WBro. King considered the appointment of the Duke as a great honour to the Bombay Presidency. As evidence of the great interest His Royal Highness evinced in freemasonry in this District, the Deputy DGM said that although the Duke had recently met with a severe accident which rendered him lame, he undertook to attend this meeting. The Duke entered into the DGL limping and walked with the aid of a stick.
A fanfare of trumpets outside the Lodge signal the arrival of the DGM designate. After the presentation and scrutiny of the Patent of Appointment, His Royal Highness was escorted by a deputation of senior brethren and was installed as District Grand Master.
According to Gould, this was the first and only instance of a Prince holding this office in an overseas jurisdiction. Similarly, the Duke of Connaught was the first DGM to later on become the Most Worshipful Grand Master.
Addressing the gathering, His Royal Highness said:
“There is no more unique district anywhere than the District of Bombay. In this District there are Masons of all nationalities and all creeds, but all imbued with the same spirit of devotion to the Craft.”
At the regular Half-yearly Communication held a fortnight after the Installation presided over by the Deputy DGM, an Address was presented to Her Majesty Queen Victoria on the Jubilee of her reign.
At the November 1888 Communication presided by the Deputy DGM, it was reported that a new Lodge St. John No. 2280 was consecrated at Saugor. This Lodge was closed in 1904.
During the year the DGM with his officers paid an official visit said to be the first such to an “Indian” Lodge Rising Star of Western India (SC). He was honoured by the ASFI by giving him the rank of Hon. Past Grand Master.
Lodge Friendship No. 2307 was founded in Ajmer in 1889. This lodge was transferred to GLI in 1961.
HRH the DGM visited Mhow in February 1890 when he was presented with an Address by the members of Lodge Malwa. Replying, DGM said
“Where there is friction and jealousy between Lodges of the two Constitutions, as has been sometimes the case, their Masonry is sure to suffer. It is most important that our Order should show a firm and united front in India and so perhaps a day may come soon when the two Constitutions may be merged into a United Grand Lodge of India.”
In March 1890, a farewell entertainment was held in honour of His Royal Highness on the eve of his return to England after three and a half years of holding the office of DGM. He however continued to hold office as DGM till 1901. On the ascension to the throne of England by the Most Worshipful Grand Master as His Majesty King Edward VII, HRH the Duke of Connaught relinquished his office as DGM and was Installed as the Most Worshipful Grand Master. He held this office up to 1939. During the decade of the DGM’s absence from India, the District was governed either by the Deputy DGM or Pro DGM.
Lodge Royal Connaught No. 2377 at Ahmednagar was added to the district in 1890. At the direction of the Deputy DGM, the members of the DGL stood to order and greeted the new Lodge with Grand Honours.
A proposal was made to set up a “Tyrrell Leith Scholarship Fund” by transfer of Rs. 6,000 from the Fund of Benevolence to the BMA. The proposer paid tributes to the late DGM and mentioned that it was he who formed the Fund of Benevolence which had credit balance of Rs. 974 in the first year, had grown Rs. 10,700 at the end of ten years.
In 1891, it was reported that during the preceding decade, the assets of the BMA rose from Rs. 8,000 to Rs. 37,000. It was further reported that English Masonic bodies contributed Rs. 55,000 and the Scottish Rs. 45,000 towards maintenance of the Masonic Hall.
Lodge Faith No. 2438 was consecrated at Manora, Kurachee in 1892. This Lodge was transferred to Pakistan in 1950. Lodge Dharwar No. 2527 was founded in 1893 and was transferred to GLI in 1961. Lodge Khan Bahadur B. Rajkotwala was consecrated in Karachi in 1895 and transferred to Pakistan.
The Duke in his capacity of the Grand Master while passing through Bombay in 1902, could not visit the DGL and was sent a joint Address from the DGL and the ASFI.