Was there a Provincial Grand Lodge in Madras? Or was it District Grand Lodge of Madras under the UGLE?
Yes, there was a Provincial Grand Lodge in Madras. The authority for this was granted by the Grand Lodge, and it was established under the auspices of Brigadier General Horne, who served as the Provincial Grand Master. This was part of the broader expansion of Freemasonry in India during the late 18th century, where several lodges were constituted under the Provincial Grand Lodge of Madras.
As noted in the historical records, “the lodge of Antiquity has always been, and still continues to be governed”, indicating the structured governance of lodges under the Provincial Grand Lodge system. The establishment of lodges in Madras was part of the efforts to promote Freemasonry in the East, which included the initiation of notable figures such as Omdit-ul-Omrah Bahauder in 1777.