Canada 150 - The Twelfth

During our country's 150th anniversary celebration of confederation I will write posts titled Canada 150 with a link to a publication or website I find that may help you tell the story of your Canadian ancestors.
Click on the Canada 150 label on the right or at the bottom to see all the posts.

Today I have for you...

The Twelfth, also called Orangemen's Day

The Twelfth of July is the day celebrating the Glorious Revolution and the victory of the Protestant king William of Orange over the Catholic king James II at the Battle of the Boyne. The battle took place across the River Boyne near the town of Drogheda in the east of Ireland.

The Orange Order is headed by the Grand Orange Order of Ireland, established in 1798, and which records the first parade as having been held in 1791.

According to the Grand Orange Lodge of Canada, "Most historians agree that Orangemen were in Canada previous to 1812 and by 1822 the 12th Parade in Toronto had become the most popular event of the day."

Orange Parade Toronto, c1860s

Relevant Links

Vancouver County Orange lodges :fiftieth anniversary of the formation of order in BC

Anniversary of Battle of the Boyne July 12 – Toronto 1902

Report of the proceedings of the Grand Lodge of C.E., of the Loyal Orange Association: at the semi-annual meeting, held at Aylmer, C.E

Report of the twenty-ninth annual session of the Grand Lodge of the Loyal Orange Institution of British North America assembled in the Public Hall of the City of London

Reports of the fifty-first annual sessions of the Provincial Grand Orange Lodge of New Brunswick: held respectively in the Orange Halls, St.John and Fairville, N.B

Serendipity Sunday - Founders and Patriots of America

This week I came across this publication....

The Order of the Founders and Patriots of America Register 1904

'''The Order of the Founders and Patriots of America''' (OFPA) is a highly restrictive, United States-based, hereditary fraternal organization whose self-declared purpose is to collect and preserve records related to the original American colonists and their descendants, and to promote camaraderie among descendants of original colonists. Its strict bloodline mandates and small size (currently less than 1,000 members), has earned it a reputation as the most exclusive lineage society in the United States."


There are more records here.

Societies, Orders and Lodges

Have you seen these symbols on the gravestones of your ancestors? Or among their papers, or on a badge?  If so, that person once belonged to a lodge of the Orangemen, the OddFellows or the Freemasons. These are fraternal organizations which have their roots in the medieval trade guilds, and that count as its members like-minded men of all ages. The Orange Order came about after the Battle of the Boyne in Ireland, in which one of my ancestors fought in 1690. You might want to read a bit of the history of these lodges to understand more about your ancestor, and what they stood for.

There were other groups in the 1800’s that attracted members, to name a few:

•  Independent Order of Rechabites, which was a temperance group.  
•  The Salvation Army began its work in Canada in 1882
•  The Knights of Columbus is a catholic fraternity founded in 1882.
•  B'nai B'rith is the oldest Jewish service organization and it was founded in 1843.   
• Ancient Order of Hibernians is an Irish Catholic fraternal organization founded in New York in 1836.
• Ancient Order of Druids is an English organization founded in 1781.         

             

 Montreal Salvation Army Citadel Band 1901

(My great-grandfather Alexander Mavor far right front row)

Do a search on any of the Lodge names with your city, then you can do a search with what you find at archive.org for possible books of by-laws, services, and members. In the 1800’s you may also find your female ancestors belonging to a Ladies Aid Society, a Temperance group, or the National Society for Women's Suffrage.

Relevant Links:

The Orange Order (Irish) History

OddFellows

Illustrated Fraternal Directory 1889 (USA)

Zetland Lodge Masons - 1876

Lodge of Social and Military Virtues, no. 227, I.C., instituted March 4, 1752, in the 46th British Regiment, now the 2nd Battalion, Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry

History of the Salvation Army

Rechabites Honour Roll 1919 - Queensland, AU 

Early Woman’s Associations of Newfoundland and Labrador

Yearbook of the Holland Society of New York (several years)

Geschichte der Deutschen in Syracuse and Onondaga County 1897

The Pennsylvania - German Society

Society of Mayflower Descendants Membership Roll - 1908

Souvenir programme fifty-seventh annual conclave of the Grand Commandery Knights Templar of Pennsylvania : Lancaster, May 23-25, 1910

Constitution and list of officers of the Young Men's Colonization Society of Pennsylvania

YMCA Yearbook and official Register (various)

National Society of the Colonial Dames of America