Ancient Order of Druids

[BarryW]

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

[stanmapstone]

I assume you have seen http://www.aod-uk.org.uk/ 

Stan

[BarryW]

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

[bircle]

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.

[stanmapstone]

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

[BarryW]

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.

[brendan]

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.

[BarryW]

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

[brendan]

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