Blisworth Oddfellows Travellers' Home Lodge,
Demographics and Members Details

Through the good offices of the The Oddfellows association at Wellingborough we were fortunate to discover that their local records had been lodged at the N.R.O. in 2009.  The main document studied covers the members at Blisworth joining from 1849 to 1960.  Why this record book did not start at 1842, when the Lodge was created at the Inn (then called The Half Moon Inn), is a mystery.  There is another record book which covers 1841 to 1847 but with a format that only states the 'brothers' who proposed and seconded the people who joined.  The list of these 'founder' brothers in 1841 runs to 26 names which are given at the bottom of the page and in that year, the year before the formal formation of the Lodge, there was quite an influx of 18 people.  

Returning to the main 1849 record book, the numbers joining and the proportion of them from Blisworth is plotted in the diagram to the left.  The zero of the numbers scale is a guess based on the number of founders and the number joined in the first 6 years.  There is an implication that the formation of a small Odd Fellow group might have occurred well before 1841 because so many reliable members were prepared to introduce others.

As the main record book covers from 1849 to 1958 and includes date of birth, parish lived in, date of marriage and death and a few other details such as whether the person was ever fined for poor conduct, it is a valuable resource for family research.  The record has been cut off at the date 1940 and formed into a PDF (19 MB) for download here.  It is a help to know that the people joining, especially in Victorian times, tended to do so at the youngest age possible which was initially 18 years but reduced to 17 years after a while.  There was also set up a Lodge for juniors, for which the joining age was 12 years.  Little is known of this Lodge, called Simmonds Lodge, based presumably in a private Blisworth residence and set up in 1889 (according to GF notes).

Initially only 25 to 30% of those joining were from Blisworth.  This emphasises the fact that the Lodge is called a Travellers' Lodge.  Perhaps many were related to Blisworth families and joined because they knew they would be available for meetings.  This is not clear for it is said that non-attendance was punishable by fine and so relations would perhaps need to be quite 'local'.   In fact, at least three people joining were publicans from other inns - an interesting connection!  However, in 1885, some brothers wanted to relocate the Lodge in an unlicensed place presumably to avoid the distractions, according to a minute book covering 1884 to 1892.  There was a vote - 16 in favour, 16 against and it was resolved to hold a ballot soon after (the decision has not been found).  The Lodge was moved eventually to the Royal Oak and in 1955 was evicted to the Baptists' Lecture Hall.

The year 1875 marks the introduction of an Act of Parliament that sought to remove relatively dodgy building societies as investment houses and promoted the growing trend in friendly societies.  In the diagram L denotes the Lodge formation, S a very substantial pulse of extra people joining in 1912 and 1913.  From 1890 to 1906 the working class enjoyed a rising standard of living and developed through the trade union movement a greater expectation of 'respect and sharing' from the employers.  By 1911 many grievances were being expressed and there was a national railways strike (among many other strikes).  Along with the probably lessening of security in the two quarrying companies in the village the conditions on the railways  would be likely very unsettling.  In fact there was also a radical surge in Blisworth in 1911 and the political unrest was reported in newspapers at the time.  Maybe the aftermath of all that caused many villagers to join the order.  It centred on the shortcomings of the main landlord, Duke of Grafton, who was not providing sufficient housing.  V, for victory, denotes the end of the WWII and a marked fall in joining rate as the 1948 National Health Service was started.  Incidentally, from c1912 until 1948 the Oddfellows Groups made collections for the National Health Insurance as local agents for the central government scheme before the health service came into existence.  There was also a "State Insurance" the role of which is presently obscure - read more at http://www.nationalfriendly.co.uk.

The various record books indicate that there were degrees, or attainment levels, for members.  Lowest was 'White', then came in sequence 'Blue', 'Scarlet', 'Gold' and 'Purple'.  Those with the 'Purple' degree were officers - G (Grand) and NG (  ), each with both left-hand men and right-hand men.  This group of six officers, wearing long sashes, ran the meetings and defined policy but there was also Tyler, in a white gown, whose job was to be a doorman able to ascertain membership and turn away strangers and nuisances - much of the practice and ceremony within the meetings was secret just as it is with Masonic groups.  As groups modernised much of the attainment degree detail was set aside and ordinary officials such as Treasurer and Secretary were adopted - sashes were retained in Blisworth up to the 1960s.

It has been stated that the earliest formation of Oddfellows, alongside the grouping of merchants or burghers in towns, was illegal.  This was certainly true of trade unions in c1800 and Oddfellows were indeed a type of trade union.  Given that the Oddfellows were, in the main, forming a friendly society and not hiding active trade unionism (ie. discontentment between employers and working classes) behind that facade there was turned a blind eye to them.  The name 'Odd Fellows' is said to stem from the definition "miscellaneous artisans and tradesmen" outside the town merchant group or "The Guild".  They formed their own group to enhance their influence and to support each other.  More on 'aims of the groups' is given in a related article.

The "Founders" in 1841

A note on W. Mansfield
(Stone Mason, Mill Lane)