In the early day; of Freemasonry in Calcutta the membership of the Lodges was confined to European males only. We did not have in Eastern India any one like Omdat-ul-Omrah (the Nabob's son and later Nabob of Carnatic), who was initiated into the Craft at Trichinapoly in 1775. Sir John Day, Advocate General of Bengal, delivered the letters and gift front the Grand Lodge of England to the Nabob in person. The latter considered the title of an English mason as 'at once a cement to the friendship between your nations and me and confirms me the friend :if mankind'. (GHOF.. IV, 68). We had to wait for nearly about a century before a Hindu was first made a Mason. He was Babu Prosonno Coomar DLitt, initiated in Lodge Anchor and Hope (now No. 1 of GLI) in 1872. He ruled the Lodge as the first Hindu Master in 1874 and 1875 and rose to be the Deputy District Grand Master of Bengal (1895-6). In an address presented to him in 1876 the members of the Lodge expressed 'our hearty and grateful acknowledgments of your untiring zeal and energy for admission of Hindus into the mysteries of Freemasonry'. That Lodge founded in 1773 was committed to the charge of Hindu Bretheren' since 1874.

Women were not admitted into the Lodge. But the wife, sister or daughter of a Brother was considered as a 'sister' (ibid., 58). In 1774 a sister was entitled to 'blue ribbons' as the proceedings of 22 December 1774 show. Those of 5 January 1778 mention 'our sister Durham, (widow of the late P. G. S.)' who was granted some contribution from the Provincial Grand Lodge, which was moved by `the distress of our sister.' In the Ball held on 30 December 1774, 'About 60 ladies were present, most of whom wore ribbons as sisters of the honorable Order, and the country dances, Sec., continued till three in the morning.' In 1786 'the sisters of the Foreign Settlements' were also invited to the Masonic Festival.

If the racial distinction could not be obliterated at the entrance of the Lodge, the Craft levelled the difference of ranks among its European members. Top officers of the East India Company used to take active interest in Freemasonry in Bengal from early days. According to Cotton, `Roger Drake, the Governor nor of Calcutta, was District (sic) Grand Master )when the "Troubles" of 1756 overtook the settlement' (ibid., 916). Drake deserted the English inhabitants, when Nabob Siraj-ud-Dowla invaded the town in 1756. Cotton adds, ' ... and when the provincial Grand Lodge of Bengal was revived in 1759, after the recapture of Calcutta by Clive and Watson, the chair was filled in turn by William Mackett, uncle of the gallant little middy Billy Speke, whose tomb still stands in St. John's churchyard, and by Culling Smith afterwards a baronet and progeniter of Mr. H. C. E. Childers, Chancellor of the Exchequor from 1883 to 1885. Holwell was also a high office-bearer, and when during his short administration as Governor at Fort William the foundation stone was laid on June 24th, 1760 on the makeshift Chapel of St. John on the site of the Black Hole the ceremony was performed with full Masonic solemnities. In 1790, Charles Stuart, Member of Council during the whole of Cornwallis' first Government, was District (sic) Grand Master; in 1813 and 1817 the office was held by two other Members of Council, Archibold Seton and James Stuart. The Patrons of the Craft have been three in number Lord Hastings, Lord Dalhousie and Lord Mayo and the first named enjoys in addition the distinction of having been the first and only "Grand Master of All India".' Elsewhere we have set out addresses delivered to and by the Earl of Moira (later the Marquees of Hastings) from which it will appear how deeply and widely this dignitary influnced Freemasonry in Great Britain and India. Many other personages like a major-general, judges and magistrates, accountant-general and advocate-general and others of high ranks held important offices in tine private Lodges and the Provincial Grand Lodge of Bengal.

The Church seems to have taken a keen interest in the organization and on solemn occasions like the anniversaries of St. John (the Baptist and the Evangelist) the Masons took active parts within the Church. One, the Rev. Mr. Johnson, was a member of the Fraternity in 1787. In 1811 the Rev. Dr. Ward preached 'an excellent sermon' 'anion the Members of the Masonic Lodges of Calcutta and Fort William, accompanied by a number of other Brethren not attached to any Lodge at the Presidency.' It had far-reaching consequences, as we see elsewhere.

In 1813 the Rev. T. Thomason preached a similar sermon. In 1819 the Provincial Grand Chaplain was one the Rev. Brother H. Shepherd. In 1823 the Rev. Brother Tayler preached all appropriate sermon, which the Governor-General and his Lady attended.

The Lodge No. 2 of Calcutta, in which William Hickey, a Calcutta attorney, was `made, had belonging to it several tradesmen of Calcutta; also two or three vagabond attornies, to neither of which description of persons did I (says Hickey) even speak, and was therefore considered by them extremely proud.' He mentions 'a new Lodge having been established, consisting of the principal gentlemen of the settlement'. We also hear of a Lodge 'consisting of Handicraftsmen in Calcutta' (1787) and another formed by persons employed in the Government's marine service (GHOF., IV. 61).

A toast was given in 1813 to 'our excellent and worthy Brother Sir William licit, to whose exertions the present flourishing state of the Royal Art in Bengal is chiefly to be attributed.' He was the worshipful Master of the Moira Lodge.

W. C. Blaquiere, Master of the Lodge Star in the East in 1813 and Deputy Provincial Grand Master in 1819, was another distinguished name, which was borne till recently by a square and still is by a lane in North Calcutta.

Larkins Lane commemorates the name of John Pascal Larkins, 'Provincial Grand Master of the Fraternity of Free Masons in Bengal,' in 1824.

The Provincial Grand Lodge discouraged improper discrimination among Freemasons. In 1775. they 'recommend it to the Brethern who call themselves Scot and Elect,' that they do lay aside tine wearing of red ribbons or any other marks of dastinction but such as are proper to the three Degrees, or to the Grand Lodge as such, because the wearing of such ribbons and ranks is objected to by some of the Brethcrn.' (HOFIB., 11-2).

Thus cross-sections of the European community in Calcutta were represented in the Lodges. When their doors were opened for the admission of the Indians, many distinguished gentlemen from ties Indian communities soon joined the Fraternity. For instance, in the list of office-bearers of Lodge Anchor and Hope alone in the last century we notice many well-known names, - W. C. Bonnerjee (the first President of the Indian National Congress', N. N. Bhup (Maharaja of Cooch Behar, later Past Senior Grand Warden of England, 1887), G. C. Chunder (a member of the Lieutenant Governor's Legislative Council and Deputy Sheriff), his son R. C. Chunder (Deputy Sheriff and Commissioner of the Calcutta Municipality), N. C. Bural (leading attorney), his son, L. C. Bural (well-known singer) and Dr. S. P. Sarbadhicary (prominent physician), to name a few. This Lodge claimed Europeans, Hindus, Parsecs and Armenians among its members. It is reported that Narendra Nath Datta, before he became Swami Vivekananda, was initiated in this Lodge.

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