ODD FELLOWS, INDEPENDENT ORDER OF. A fraternal benevolent order, probably founded in England early in the eighteenth century, but in what precise year the records do not show.
The ancient guilds had degenerated into social convivial clubs, anti were replaced by work ingmen's beneficial societies, out of which were later evolved the Odd Fellows, or Friendly So cieties. The earliest record of any of these societies available is that of Aristarchus Lodge No. 9 of the Order of Odd Fellows, which met in 1748 at the Globe Tavern, London. There were many orders of Odd Fellows in England at the beginning of the nineteenth century, of which the Imperial Odd Fellows of Nottingham; the Ancient Noble Odd Fellows, Bolton; the Grand United Odd Fellows, Sheffield Economical Odd Fellows, Leeds; National Odd Fellows, Salford; and the London United Odd Fellows were the principal ones. Between there were no otlieial or friendly relations existing. The enact ment of severe laws by the English Parliament against secret associations in the last years of the eighteenth century tended to retard the progress of friendly societies, and the Odd Fellows ac cordingly suspended operations.
In 1S03 the London Union Odd Fellows Society was organized by some of the city lodges under the title of the Grand Lodge of England, and it succeeded in establishing its authority over the greater part of the Odd Fellow societies in the United Kingdom. A member of one of the city lodges had meantime, in 1809, removed to Man chester, and, having received a dispensation to form a lodge in the latter city, the first Victory Lodge was created, and it immediately declared its independence of the Grand Lodge of England. This was the beginning of the movement for independence. In 1810 a union was effected at Salford between a social club and the Prince Regent Lodge of Odd Fellows, and out of it arose the Lord Abercrombie Lodge, based on the prin ciples of mutual relief to the members, an im proved financial system, and other new features. Several of the existing lodges, including Victory Lodge of Manchester, gave in their adherence to the new movement, and in 1811 the Lord Aber crombie Lodge assumed supremacy over the lodges working on the new system, proclaiming itself as the 'Lord Abercrombie Grand Lodge of Independent Odd Fellows,' a step which led to considerable opposition among the older lodges of the order. In 1813 a convention was called
of the lodges in and around .Manehester in sympathy with the new movement. An organiza tion of the lodges was effected, and the title 'The Manehester Unity of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows' adopted. In 1814 a formal or ganization was effected, a grand committee or district grand lodge was provided, a form of government adopted. and a grand master and a deputy grand master appointed. The formation of provincial districts with a provincial district grand master for each was the most important act of the ses4ion of the grand convention of 1815. The adoption of a funeral fund system was part of the work of the annual session of 1816. The question of adopting degrees into the order was also discussed, the degrees of White, Royal Blue, and Scarlet being estab lished. The Patriarchal, the Covenant, and Re membrance degrees were added later. In 1819 the question of a site for the central government of the order w•as settled by the establishment of a movable committee to hold annual sessions at points agreed upon at a preceding session. In 1822 the first grand movable committee con vetted; it was composed of past and present Spicery of districts and lodges, and had the power to adopt or reject laws proposed by districts. In the same year the Loyal Saint Olive's Lodge, in affiliation with the Manchester Unity, was opened in London. In Liverpool considerable dis cord marked the early operations of the various Odd Fellow lodges until about 1820, when they came under the authority of the Manchester Unity. The order was introduced into Wales in 1820. and into Scotland in 1538. The formation of lodges in Ireland, Germany, and Australia was effected in 1840, and the following year in the Isle of Man.