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Odd Fellows Hall Temple Street

Vivienne14

Vivienne14

Kentish Brummie Moderator
Staff member
The Odd Fellows were a friendly society with a mission to help others. It's a non-partisan, non-sectarian organisation. There are a number of Odd Fellow Societies around the country.

The Birmingham group were around from at least 1848, having premises in Temple Street (sometimes reported as Upper Temple Street).

The premises appear to have had a presentation hall, a library, offices and rooms. It was used for performances, auctions. exhibitions, debates and dinners.

It survived a fire in 1852, underwent refurbishment in 1869 and seems to have still been in operation until at least 1894.

I wonder if the building still exists in Temple Street? Viv.

27/12/1866 Birmingham Daily Gazette
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4/12/1852 Halifax Guardian
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9/10/1869 Cornwall Gazetfe
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4/12/1894 London Evening StandardScreenshot_20220903_161110.jpgSource: British Newspaper Archive
 
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Map from 1889...

0 - Temple St.jpg


And not sure if this will work but it the building/pub with the green frontage is where it was. Not sure if it's the same building...

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Kelly's directory lists Manchester Unity of Odd Fellows Friendly Society as part of Commercial Chambers
This is the 1892 entry but there are similar entries in later years. I can only access certain years on Ancestry and the entry in 1913 is the same as 1892 but by 1940 Commercial Chambers seem to have gone.
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In 1800 the number 10 group of the Odd Fellows would meet at the Crown and Thistle in Floodgate Street. In 1823 the number 11 group moved from the Three Crowns in Worcester Street to the Bell in Steelhouse Lane.

I think this means there were several groups of Odd Fellows at this time. Sometimes there are pubs named "Odd Fellows" which were presumably once meeting places.

Maybe the location of the Odd Fellows Hall in Temple Street was to bring these all together into one meeting place ?

Viv.

Screenshot_20220904_084046.jpg
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Source: British Newspaper Archive
 
I think the reference here to the Temperance Hall must be the same as the Odd Fellows Hall. This is dated 31/5/1871 in the Birmingham Daily Post.

Viv

Screenshot_20220904_091304.jpg
Source: British Newspaper Archive
 
The 1872 PO directory just lists Temperance Hall somewhere between nos 2 and 9 Temple St, as does the 1884 Kellys.No mention of Oddfellows. The 1884 Kellys also show the Manchester Unity of Oddfellows at no 13 Commercial Chambers, together with other firms and organizations
 
My great grandfather David Prowett Deakin was a lithographer in Temple Row in the mid 19th century. He was a part proprietor of a ‘Panorama’ with William Henry Vernon which exhibited at Odd Fellow’s Hall. Any any idea how this could be further researched?
 
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