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Friendly and Fraternal Societies

B

BarryW

Guest
Hello All

I am interested in the history of friendly and fraternal societies. Can any one let me know of any inscriptions or monuments they have come across with links to these societies such as the Oddfellows, Druids, Foresters, Masons etc.

I am aware of a really nice grave for a Brother of the Ancient Order of Druids in Hockley which is in the shape of a trithalon.

Any info would be great

Thanks

Barry
 
Thanks

Alf

Thanks for this. I have seen this one. Idealy I would like to talk to a "Buff" and have a look at a Lodge room.

The Buffs have a really nice nuseum which is open once a week in Harrogate that is well worth a visit.

Regards

Barry
 
Alf,

Thanks for the link as I've been endevoring to find out what my father who was a Buff (Hockley way) did. He had among others a silver medal with a Scottish Link?

Can anyone enlighten further please?

Ray
 
I don't have any information on the Buffs. Just this photograph of a Thomas Taylor, taken at some event for The Royal Antediluvian Order of Buffaloes. I don't know where the lodge was, just that Thomas Taylor lived in Hay Mills.

Ann
 
Forward

If you could post a photo of the jewel front and back I might be able to help you. I'm a Buff with quite a few years standing, though I have not been to a lodge for 20 years.

Once a Buff always a Buff they say, at one time in Birmingham there was a lodge in nearly every pub with a club room. The changing times soon put paid to the order and as these pubs closed and were demolished so did the lodges.

Phil
 
Forward said:
Alf,

Thanks for the link as I've been endevoring to find out what my father who was a Buff (Hockley way) did. He had among others a silver medal with a Scottish Link?

Can anyone enlighten further please?

Ray
Click to expand...

Ray I don't know if BarryW last post can help as I lent him a directory of English Lodges about 12 months agol :)

Phil same here 21 years ago when I moved up here.

Have you noticed the price of M&Bs Pale Ale on the photo Ann posted #5

Women were not allowed in the Lodge it must have been a social get together.
 
Last edited:
Phil, Alf,

Thanks to you both. I gave medals etc to my sister, but will hopefully borrow them back and then scan and post.

My memory says the pub was on Icknield St just before the railway bridge near to the Mint. In later times it faced a salvage yard selling timber and steel.

Oh by the way you folks moved up here and after 60 odds years I've moved out to Skeggie. I will look to see if I can amend profile.

Kind regards

Ray
 
Got a scan and over the phone reading of inscriptions, thus something along lines of:
Shamrock like – no inscription
Large pointed - Brother George William King -Aberdeen - Lodge 5959 - Exalted 8/8/71
Large round – presented to George King CP for service rendered on 26/3/65
Two medals joined together – Order of the ladies CLADES

To our knowledge dad never lived at Aberdeen?

Thanks

Ray
 
Interesting CLADE is Greek for Branch never seen the word used before.:)
 
This is a photo of my husband's grandfather - Leopold Benson (b. 1898). He was a member of the "Buffs". Can anyone tell me anything about the various medals and badges, also what does the WP stand for?
 
BarryW said:
Hello All

I am interested in the history of friendly and fraternal societies. Can any one let me know of any inscriptions or monuments they have come across with links to these societies such as the Oddfellows, Druids, Foresters, Masons etc.

I am aware of a really nice grave for a Brother of the Ancient Order of Druids in Hockley which is in the shape of a trithalon.

Any info would be great

Thanks

Barry
Click to expand...

Have a look at AOFB and the FOFB links below
 
The Ladies formed "Glades" not Clades. Think Wp is Worshipful Primo which is the Master of the Lodge!!
 
Very good book "Discovering Friendly and Fraternal Societies" their badges and regalia, by Victoria Solt Dennis (A Shire book). Very academic and well researched.
 
Hi Suemailings

The RAOB jewels were,

1st Degree Initiation Jewel presented after joining and being accepted into the lodge. Known as the Kangaroo Jewel for obvious reasons.

2nd Degree Jewel Certified Primo, The only one you had to earn you had to pass a verbal exam that demonstrated you were capable of running a lodge. Could only be obtained after being a member of a lodge for 12 months.

3rd Degree Knight Order of Merit this entitled you to enter the Knights Chapter. Could only be obtained 3 years after obtaining the 2nd Degree.

4th Degree Roll of Honour Assembly. The final Degree obtainable in the order. Could only be obtained after a minimum of 10 years service in the order.

I'm posting a photo of my jewels they are laid out left to right. The 4th jewel in the row is a 1977 Silver Jubilee jewel and the 5th one in the row is a 4th Degree jewel that does not belong to me. Unfortunately my lodge closed before I could earn one.

By the way leonardjob the term WP means Worthy Primo. I think Worshipful is a Masonic thing.

Forward Aberdeen would have been the name of your Dads Lodge not a place name.

These are the objects of the order.

The functions of the Order are social and benevolent and its objects are to assist necessitous members and the widows and orphans of deceased members; to support such external philanthropic and charitable objects at both national and local levels as may be deemed desirable; and to encourage fraternity and mutual intercourse amongst its members.

Phil
 

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Thanks Phil I stand corrected. Am a Mason myself but interested in all fraternal societies, and have 4 volumes of the history of the Buffs. V Interesting
 
Forward - I have had a look in Alf's "big book of Buffs" and can't see an Aberdeen Lodge 5959, certainly not in Scotland. I think as suggested it was probably a local lodge which closed before Alf's book was printed in 1984

Sorry

Barry
 
All this reminds me of the little boy who got home from school and his mother said, "What have you been doing today Johnny?"

The boy replied, " We had biology today Mom. Do you know how buffaloes make love?"

Mom replied , "I don't son. Your dad is a Mason"

Old Boy (with apologies)
 
Forward

I would take a guess that your fathers lodge would have been located at the Queens Head in Aberdeen St Winson Green. Lodges were often called after some local person or place .

If you wanted to check I know that the RAOB used to publish directories of lodges in the various provinces at one time. If you were to check with them I'm sure they could let you know.

I'm sure as BarryW suggests the lodge had probably closed before 1984 as quite a lot had by then.

Phil
 
Thank you all for your replies.

I will follow up on information gained from you. Many interent miles have been spent on 'Aberdeen', it would seem a waste, but we live and learn.

Ray
 
I think pmc is probably right. In the 1984 Directory which is the earliest I have, there was a "Highland" Lodge No. 4599 in Cliveland St in Newtown.

Leonard - Just interested - I was also taught to be cautious! Generally friendly and farternal society history is my real interest. I am a member of some of them. Others, like the Moose or the Mechanics I know very little about.

B
 
Hello there, my late father was in the Buffs, I believe at one time he was
grand primo of england, whatever that means, Ive got some of his medals
in a box somewhere, I cant remember where his lodge was, in town thats
all I say, his name was Joseph Henry Arnold and he passed away in 1950.Sorry I cant be of more help, Bernard67Arnold
 
Hi Bernard

I have a list of all the past Grand Primos of The RAOB Grand Lodge of England from 1866 till 1973 in my old rule book. There is no Joseph Henry Arnold listed.

He may have been Grand Primo of one of the splinter off sections such as the Grand Surrey Banner or was it possible that he held some other Grand Lodge Office.

Phil
 
Thanks Leonard - Stirling Rd?


As for me St John's 1039 in Tamworth.

B
 
Barry, meet at Yenton , Warwickshire Province.

The Grand Lodge of Buffs met at "The Crown" Station St Bham for many years.
 
Hi leonardjob

Are you sure you are not thinking of The Provincial Grand Lodge as The Grand Lodge was only in Birmingham 1897 to 1900 and in 1950 and again in 1964.

I know that the PGL used to meet at the Farcroft Public House in Hansdworth in the early 70's and a little later they purchased a club in Cliveland Street Newtown that they used for PGL meetings.

Phil
 
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