Odd Fellows

Odd Fellows or Oddfellows, also Odd Fellowship or Oddfellowship, is a fraternity consisting of lodges earliest documented in 1745 or 1730 in London, United Kingdom. The first, Loyal Aristarcus Lodge No. 9, connotes earlier ones in the 18th century. Notwithstanding, convivial meetings were held "in much revelry and, often as not, the calling of the watch to restore order." Names of several British pubs still today suggest past Odd Fellows affiliations.

In the mid-18th century, following the Jacobite risings, the fraternity split into the rivaling Order of Patriotic Oddfellows in southern England, favouring William III of England, and the Ancient Order of Oddfellows in northern England and Scotland, favouring the House of Stuart. Early known Odd Fellows from the time include John Wilkes (1725–1797) and Sir George Savile, 8th Baronet (1726–1784), advocating civil liberties and reliefs, including Catholic emancipation. Political repressions such as the Unlawful Oaths Act (1797) and the Unlawful Societies Act (1799), resulted in neutral amalgamation of the Grand United Order of Oddfellows in 1798. Henceforth, the fraternity has remained religiously and politically independent. Notably, King George IV of the United Kingdom (1762–1830), admitted in 1780, was the first documented of many odd fellows to also attend freemasonry, yet with both societies remaining mutually independent.

Odd Fellows (disambiguation)

Odd Fellows or Oddfellows is an international fraternity and their members.

It may also refer to:

Organisations

United Kingdom