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General => The Common Room => Topic started by: BarryW on Saturday 09 August 08 21:51 BST (UK)
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Hi All
I am researching the fraternal order the Ancient Order of Druids and the friendly society, the United Ancient Order of Druids.
If anyone has any links, photos or memories I would love to hear them.
Thanks
Barry
Staffordshire
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I assume you have seen http://www.aod-uk.org.uk/ :)
Stan
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Hi Stan
Yes thanks for that.
I am in fact a member but most of the records of the Order appear to have been destroyed in the war. There are about 11 lodges of the AOD left in England. The UAOD has gone alltogether and only now exists abroad.
I am trying to record what we do have left.
Regards
Barry
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Can you tell me when the UAOD was formed and where, also, when it disbanded please. Perhaps there is a founding charter still in existence?
The names of the founders would be interesting, before their memory is lost like everything else associated with our industrial past.
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The United Ancient Order of Druids was formed in 1833, by a split from the Ancient Order of Druids.
Apparently it is still around; from http://www.friendlysocieties.co.uk/index.htm
United Ancient Order of Druids Friendly Society
c/o Tyrrells
11 Cotham Road South
Bristol
BS6 5TZ
Stan
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Hi Bircle
Stan's email is really intersting in that I have not seen any contact for the UAOD.
I believe them to not to be in existence in the UK although they are quite strong overseas and in Germany and Scandinavia particularly. I thought they had closeed in 1999 but I will follow up Stan's link.
Again Stan is right that certain lodge left the Ancient Order of Druids in 1833/34 to form a friendly society.
I ahve attached an image of an UAOD collar
The first meeting of the UAOD after it ceeded was in London at the Old Bell Inn in Fleet St.
Names of the "founding brethren" were Bro's Letts , Willoughby (of Lodge Number 2), Whitney and Brown of Lodge 64, Woods and Whorship (of Lodge 27), Reverblade (of Lodge 124) and Hunter (of Lodge 116).
It is very fortunate that the original minute books survive which give much of the detail of the founding. I have not yet had the time to look in the detail that I hope to in the future. I agree that if we are not careful this memory will go as will the parent order the AOD.
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Hi
My 82 year old father is posative his father Thomas Turner was a member of the ancient order of druids, my dad remembers playing with a cerimonial belt it was gold with the ancient order of druids written on it. This would have been in the 1930's in the limehouse area of east london.
Do you know if i can find out more about my grandad's membership.
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Hi Brendan
I wonder whether it was perhaps a collar that he played with? The collars did tend to have AOD on them but I have never seen a belt as you describe.
Membership details will be virtually impossible to find as the Druids lost all of the records in the war. Your best bet is to see if anything survives in a local records office as individual lodge items seem to have survived.
I am not familiar with London so if you let me know where Limehouse is close to I will have a look through my lists of lodges. There were quite a lot of Lodges in the East end.
Best Wishes
Barry
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Hi Barry
the limehouse area is in Stepney. It could have been a collar although dad is sure it was a belt.
Thank you so much for your help
lynn
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The two most likley lodges that I can find from the 1923 lists are:
Lodge number 2 - Queens Head, York St, Stepney (met on a Wed). This was a very old lodge, probably formed in the early 1780's
Lodge Number 434 - Ship Afloat Lodge, Spread eagle, Gill St. Limehouse (met on a Tue)
Both Lodges have long gone I am afraid but ther may be something lurking in a local library/record office. If you find anything please let me know.
Regards
Barry
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Barry I have been trying to track you notes to various people on the subject of Ancient Order of Druids – you seem well informed. My interest is that Grandfather was a member up-till death.
December 1924 on till 1972 (Alma Lodge 577 AOD – The Holborn restaurant and Kings Hall rooms…I think) . I have a photo of the 13th world Congress in Margate in June 1967 too – However I understand, from your notes about the changes over the years and that the was a split and name changes.
the papers I have include info on: The Beaconsfield Lodge 460, the Alma Lodge 577 13th Banquet November 1925, certificates Royal Arch for 722 chapter 25 Feb 1945 –and a card from Province No2?
Is there any local links to those Margate/Ramsgate/Broadstairs Lodge or indeed any history to help with my research
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Hello Mike
Really interesting
Alma Lodge 577, I have as meeting at the Alma Hotel (Hence the name) York Rd, Wandsworth. These were all lodges of the Ancient Order of Druids
Grand Lodge Number 2 was (and still is) known as the Isle of Thanet Grand Lodge. This contained Lodges 425 (St Aethelbyrht) in Ramsgate; 441 (Providence) in Margate; 450 (Isle of Thanet) in Westgate on Sea; 460 (Beaconsfield) in Margate?; 512 (St John Falstaff) in Ramsgate and later were joined by 722 (Queen of Thanet) again I think in Margate.
You'll be gald to know that Lodges 425; 441; 460 and 722 still exist. Margate has more lodges left than anywhere else in the UK. If you PM me your details I will see if I can get someone to contact you. It is possible that some of the older members may remember him.
Any chance of posting the picture of the world congress on here? There is an affiliation worldwide of fraternal druid groups called the International grand Lodge of Druidry. This photo is of a meeting held in the UK.
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Hi Barry
I am a new member and i have just come across you msg about the order of the Druids i have my mums wedding cert and on the back there is a stamp mark and it reads the order of the druids, board of managment date 23rd of June 1947.
I dont what this means or is it unusual to find it on wedding cert?.
Kind regards Chris 13
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Hi Chris
That ones has got me a bit foxed but I think I may be able to offer an explanation??
The Order of Druids was a friendly society offshoot from the Ancient Order of Druids. It was formed in the 1850's and was strongest in terms of membership in Cheshire, Lancs and Yorks (where are you?). It admitted both men and women.
Members enjoyed set benefits such as sick pay, funeral benefits etc before the NHS/Social Security started. I have not heard them paying for a wedding before but it is certainly possible. I think the most likley explanation is that she was using it as proof of her change of name for one of the saving plans that the OOD ran later on (life insurance or something similar).
Does this seem plausible?
Regards
Barry
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Hi Barry
I am from the north east of England near Newcastle, but my mum was originally from London and thats were my mum and dad got married my dad was in the 2nd ww.
You have given a good explanation but i really dont know any thing about this or the order of the druids i really thought this was odd?
kind regards Chris
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Hi Barry - yes you can have copies - I am at work in Cannock just now but will return to Evesham tonight - I will scan what i have?
Mike
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Chris
There are a couple of nice books out there if you get interested in the subject
Prof Ronald Hutton's book - The Druids has a nice Chapter on fraternal druids; Victoria Solt Dennis's book - Dicovering Friendly and Fraternal Societies is good. The acceptted clasic on friendly societies is I suppose Gosden's - The Friendly Societies of England 1815-75.
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Barry I have been trying to track info re the Ancient Order of Druids as I have a "Past Arch" gold medal that was owned by a distant relation of mine who held the position of Archdruid . The lodge was Regni Lodge No 709 (Kings Lynn, Norfolk I suspect)
Any info on this would help answer 20 years of wondering what it was!
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Hi Johnny
If I can help of course I will. Not sure about this Lodge, it certainly isn't still going but theree are about 3 or 4 lodges still left in the Gt Yarmouth area.
Is it possible to attach a photo of the jewel?
Regards
Barry
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Hi Barry,
I have a photo of an ancestor in his Past Arch collar for the UOAD. Would happily contribute the picture for your research.
Any info you can provide about Lodges in the 1920s in East London would be gratefully received.
Martyn
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Hi ruxsaw.
Yes would love to see this. I have a very nice photo from a bit earlier about 1896 of some east end UAOD Lodges. Have you any idea which Lodge he may have been in?
This picture is in the Old Kent Rd. Not sure which ones though?
It is too big for the site but you can see it at http://www.druidicdawn.org/node/1913
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Is there an email address I could send it to I also have some other questions that I would like to ask
Thanks
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Hi Barry
I emailed you at the official AOD weblink yesterday - as I had just found my Dad's AOD Certificate for Boxmoor Lodge 503.
Does this Lodge 503 from Clapton London still exist? - seems not so from your thread.
On a websurf I found this roots chatroom and I am amazed to see you are in Lichfield as I am.
I am extremely interested to make contact and learn more about my Dad's membership.
Many thanks
Hedley
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I am trying to find out more information about my father-in-law's Druid involvement
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I recently inherited this medal, along with a Khedive's Star which belonged to my Great Grandfather, who lived in West Ham, London. I thought at first it was a masonic medal, but after research I find it's for the UAOD. Family stories say that he ran a working man's club in West Ham, so I assume this would probably been to do with the UAOD. I have been unable to find any information about Lodge 554 on any of the UAOD sites, and wonder if you can tell me where I might look.
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Hi all. In my Grandad's Soldier's Service and Pay Book it says "Approved Society: R.A.O. Druids, Membership no.: 893/395". Could anyone tell me where lodge 893 was. He was born Sept 1921 and brought up in Midsomer Norton, Somerset.
Thanks.
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Hi,
I am trying to find some more information about my great grandfather's involvement in the United Ancient Order of the Druids. I have a collar of deep red velvet decorated with goldwork embroidery. It has the words UAOD 868 and 'Presented to Bro J Penfold for past services' embroidered onto it. My great grandfather lived in Leytonstone in East London so I assume the number is the lodge number. Can anyone confirm this? I was also interested if anyone has any suggestions as to what he would have done to be given this honour. The notice of his funeral in the local paper in 1942/43 mentions he was a member of the United Ancient Order of the Druids and that they also sent flowers.
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Hello,
Could anyone enlighten me what P.P.G.A stand for after a person's name?
These initials are on headstone of a gentleman who was in the Ancient Order of Druid's
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According to this blog, it "stands for the position held within the movement to be that of Past Grand Arch." (though not entirely sure what that means! - "Grand Arch Druid?")
https://sleepinggardens.blogspot.com/2013/05/a-modern-druid-burial.html
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From Wikipedia -
"The Ancient Order of Druids is ruled by the Imperial Grand Archdruid."
Maybe - Past? President? Grand Archdruid
Regards
Chas