The Orange Order in Newfoundland in the Twentieth
CenturyA Comparative Perspective
Lord Nelson Loyal Orange Lodge #149 in Woody Point, Bonne Bay, St. Barbe
The Orange Order
• Formed 1795 in Northern Ireland
• Stands for loyalty to British Crown & Protestantism
• Rapid spread internationally
• Associative cornerstone of British dominant ethnic groups in Canada, N.I., west-central Scotland
Research Strategy
• Based on Previously Restricted Membership Data• Previous research has only tracked the number of
lodges • Membership data highlights different patterns,
contrasts with census and electoral data• I will look at patterns of membership over time and
place• Also qualitative data from lodge rolls and internal
Orange reports of proceedings and minute books
International Orange Membership, 1912-1994
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
1912 1929 1937 1955 1994
Other
Canada
Scotland
England
Ireland
Orange Density, International, 1920
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
Nfld Ont Scotland N. Ireland
International Orange Strength
• Newfoundland the strongest Orange jurisdiction, similar to Ulster border counties
• Belfast area and Ontario similar
• WC Scotland and NW England much weaker
Orange Male Membership, Ontario West, 1901-1995
c. 1
901
1915
1921
1927
1933
1939
1945
1951
1957
1963
1969
1975
1981
1987
1993
Orange Male Membership, Newfoundland, 1901-2001
1901
1908
1915
1922
1929
1936
1943
1950
1957
1964
1971
1978
1985
1992
1999
20th c. International Orange Membership Trends
• Explosive growth in the 1900-1920 period in all locales, especially Ontario and Newfoundland
• Ontario declines first, 1920
• Newfoundland and Northern Ireland decline after 1960, though faster in NF
• Scotland declines from 1982, but from smaller base
Newfoundland Orange Lodges (adjusted by size), 1908
Orange Lodges (adjusted by size) Newfoundland, 1908 & 1961
Geographical Distribution of Newfoundland Orange Membership, 1908
Conception Bay22%
Trinity Bay14%
Bonavista Bay13%
Notre Dame Bay/Baie
Verte/Grand Falls15%
Northern Peninsula5%
West Coast Deer Lake to Cadra
3%
Burin Peninsula7%
South Coast6%
Labrador0%
St. John's/Mt. Pearl6%
Other & Unidentified9%
Newfoundland Orange Membership, by district, 1945
Trinity Bay15%
Bonavista Bay14%
Notre Dame Bay/Baie Verte/Grand Falls
14%
Northern Peninsula7%
West Coast Deer Lake to Cadra
4%
Burin Peninsula9%
South Coast11%
Labrador1%
St. John's/Mt. Pearl4%
Conception Bay16%
Other & Unidentif ied5%
Freemason Membership, by District, 1945
St Johns45%
Corner Brook8%
Burin/Grand Bank15%
Bonavista2%
Springdale4%
Twillingate4%
Fortune7%
Channel-Port aux Basques
1%
Bell Is8% Botwood
6%
Orange Membership, Historical, by Region
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
1908 1945 1951 1961 1971 1981 1991 2001
Other & Unidentif ied
St. John's/Mt. Pearl
Labrador
South Coast
Burin Peninsula
West Coast Deer Lake to Cadra
Northern Peninsula
Notre Dame Bay/Baie Verte/GrandFalls
Bonavista Bay
Trinity Bay
Conception Bay
Orange Membership Density per Protestant male population, by district, 1945
0.0%
5.0%
10.0%
15.0%
20.0%
25.0%
30.0%
35.0%
St. John's
Labrador
Humber
Grand Falls
St. Barbe
Twillingate
Placentia/St. Mary's
Harbour Main/Bell Island
St. George/Port au Port
Green Bay
White Bay
NFLDFogo
Placentia West
Burgeo and LaPoile
Bonavista
Trinity South
Fortune Bay/Hermitage
Trinity North
Carbonear/Bay de Verde
Harbour Grace
Port de Grave
Burin
Explaining Orange Strength
• Does the presence of Catholics stimulate membership?
• How important are Irish-Protestant immigrants?
• Is Orangeism associated with the Anglican (established) Church as opposed to Salvation Army/Pentecostals?
• Is Orangeism associated with rural areas?
Male Orange Density, N.I., 1971
N.I. Counties, by Protestant Percentage, 1971
Church of Ireland Protestants, N.I. Counties, 1971
Roman Catholic Percentage, Scottish Counties, 1961
Male Orange Lodges, Southern Ontario, c. 1975
Predictors of Orange Density, N.I. 1971 (TSCS; N = 100; R-sq = .99 )
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
Protestant % (negative) COI/Protestant (positive) 1971 Generation (negative)
Predictor Variable
Imp
act
of
Va
ria
ble
(Z
sco
re)
Predictors of Orange Male Density, Ontario, 1891-1961
(TSCS; N = 224, R sq = .74)
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
Irish Protestant(1931 base) % [+]
French-Catholic[+]
ConservativeProtestant [+]
ScottishProtestant (1931
base) [-]
Rural [+]
Predictor
Imp
ac
t (Z
sc
ore
)
Predictors of Scottish Orange Male Density, 1860-1991
(TSCS; N = 1202; R sq = .115
02468
1012141618
IrishProtestantIndicator
(1901 base)[+]
Wartime [-] PolicyLosses [-]
ThreateningEvents [+]
Social &Political
Stimuli [+]
% Catholic[+]
% inAgriculture
[-]
Predictors
Imp
act
(Z s
core
)
Orange Order Density 1991
Orange Density and % Catholic, Newfoundland, 1945
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%30%
35%
40%
45%
50%
St. John's
Labrador
Humber
Grand Falls
St. Barbe
Twillingate
Placentia/St. Mary's
Harbour Main/Bell Island
St. George/Port au Port
Green Bay
White Bay
NFLDFogo
Placentia West
Burgeo and LaPoile
Bonavista
Trinity South
Fortune Bay/Hermitage
Trinity North
Carbonear/Bay de Verde
Harbour Grace
Port de Grave
Burin
Predictors of Orange Density, 1945
0
1
2
3
4
In-migration from otherdistr
males per 100 females %Catholic
Predictor
Sig
nif
ican
ce (
t-st
at)
Orange Density, Sex Ratio (m/f) and % In-migrants, by district, 1945
-10.0%
-5.0%
0.0%
5.0%
10.0%
15.0%
20.0%
25.0%
30.0%
35.0%
Orange Density
Sex Ratio (adj)
In-migration
Explaining Orange Strength
• Does the presence of Catholics stimulate membership? NO
• Are Irish-Protestant immigrants important? NO
• Is Orangeism associated with the Anglican (established) Church as opposed to Salvation Army/Pentecostals? NO
• Is Orangeism associated with rural areas? YES?
Lodge Decline: LOL# 127, Port Leamington, Green Bay
• Membership decline: from 44 members 1908, 47 members in 1943, 18 in 1971, defunct thereafter
• Average age in 1971: 59
• 8 pensioners of 15 members in 1971
Orange Membership Decline: Francois LOL #207, 1929-78
• 1929: average age of 25, membership 70, nearly all fishermen (95%)
• 1952: average age of 36, membership 43, nearly all fishermen (95%)
• 1978: average age of 40, membership 20, 65% fishermen, 10% retired, 25% bourgeois and government
Freemason Membership, Newfoundland, 1909-2000
0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
3000
3500
19091914
19191924
19291934
19391944
19491954
19591964
19691974
19791984
19891994
1999
Membership Totals, Orange Order and Masonic, 1901-2001
19
01
19
06
19
11
19
16
19
21
19
26
19
31
19
36
19
41
19
46
19
51
19
56
19
61
19
66
19
71
19
76
19
81
19
86
19
91
19
96
20
01
Orange
Masons
Masonic Initiates, St. John's, Newfoundland• 1912-18. Average age: 44
– Medical Doctor
– Manufacturer
– Merchant
– Jeweller
– Dentist
– Hardware dealer
– Journalist
– Manufacturing manager
– Merchant
– Merchant
– Acting judge
– Merchant
– Jeweller
– Accountant
– Merchant
– Manager
– Clerk
– Manager
– Tailor
– Draper
• 1992 Initiates. Average age: 43.5– Investment officer– Police officer– Company president– Semi-retired– Manager– Insurance adjuster– Investigator– Business owner– Insurance sales– Transport canada– Nfld hydro– Retired– Retired– Retired– Paramedic– Car sales– Teacher
Orange vs. Masonic Occupations
• Francois LOL# 207 (Burgeo& Lapoile), Members, 1928-29– Average age: 24.6
– Occupations: • 66 Fishermen
• 2 Teachers
• 2 Clerks
• Fortune (Bay), Masonic Lodge, Initiates, 1921– Average age: 30.7
– Occupations:• 1 seaman
• 1 master mariner
• 4 clerks
• 1 clergyman
• 1 bank manager
• 4 Fishermen
• 1 Farmer
Masonic Membership, Newfoundland, by district, 1997
Gander13%
St Johns25%
Channel-Port aux Basques
4%
Stephenville3%
Corner Brook8%
Burin10%
Bonavista2%
Lew isporte3%
Wabush3%
Springdale4%
Goose Bay4%
Tw illingate3%
Fortune2%
Bell Is3%
Clarenville3%
Botw ood4%
Trinity5%
Social & Political Influence- Canada
• Politically influential by 1867
• Many Tory MPs were members
• Involved in most national issues
• 1/3 of Ontario legislature was Orange in 1915
• 1/3 of Ontario males were members during 1870-1920
• Hundreds of thousands in the wider Orange fraternity as late as the 1950's
Political Influence in N. Ireland
• Helped found Ulster Unionist Party
• Guaranteed 15% of seats on Ulster Unionist Council
• Virtually all Official Unionist MPs are, and have been, Orange members
• Orange Order an influential lobby
Social & Political Influence- Newfoundland
• Many Newfoundland Prime Ministers, Premiers and Statesmen were members (Squires, Coaker, Smallwood, etc)
• 50% of Protestant members of House of Assembly in 1885 were Orangemen (Senior 1959)
• Roughly 20% of the Newfoundland social register were Orangemen, 1927-37
Listings in the Newfoundland Who's Who, 1927-1989
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
1927 1930 1937 1952 1961 1967 1975 1981 1982 1989
Orange Order
All fraternals
Catholic fraternity
Mason
An Order Divided?
• How much did the 'Orange vote' count?
• January, 1895 debate in Brigus LOL# 59, Conception Bay:– Royal Commission/Crown Colony vs.
Confederation– 8 speakers spoke for either side. 'Decision was
reached in favour of Royal Commission/ Crown Colony'
• Divisions also evident over 1948 Confederation Debate
The 'Orange Letter' Incident• 1948 'Orange Letter' warns of Catholic
conspiracy, driven by Catholic paper, 'The Monitor'
• Resolution was first proposed by men's and women's lodges in Little Catalina:– 'We..have come to the conclusion that the Roman
Catholic Church is endeavouring to dominate Newfoundland. We have reached this conclusion after careful consideration of the results of votes from the various RC settlements during the National Referendum' (1948 report of proceedings)
LOL # 26, Cupids (Conception Bay), 1949
• 1948: 'Bro Butler gave a very interesting address on Confederation with Canada and stated his reasons why he was not in favour [of] Newfoundland joining up with Canada. It was moved and seconded that this lodge tender Bro. Butler a vote of thanks for his able address'
• 1949: 'Whereas there was a resolution passed by the Provincial Grand Lodge in session at Grand Falls in July 1948 relative to the attitude of the RC Church towards the Referendum … the funds of the PG lodge were used for printing these unnecessary copies.'
• 'We demand an investigation into those who distributed this letter to the general public when it was intended only for Orangemen'
• 'We protest against use of Grand Lodge funds for printing unnecessary circulars'
Predictors of Confederation Vote, 1948
00.5
11.5
22.5
3
Orange density Avg income % Catholic
Predictor
Sig
nif
ican
ce (
t-st
at)
Moderate Orangeism?• Few 20th c references to distribution of government posts or
spending, Catholic conspiracies, or major national issues (contrast with other provinces and Britain/Ireland)
• Joey Smallwood supports initiatives like Brotherhood Week and Royal Bi & Bi Commission
• As Grand Master of Canada in the mid-1960s, George Warren urges an open attitude to immigration and a change in the traditional Orange attitude of being 'agin everything'
• Newfoundland Order pushes for annulment of intermarriage ban from 1970s, succeeds in 1990s against Ontario's opposition
Conclusion• The Orange Order was stronger in Newfoundland than in
any other major jurisdiction in the world• The Order peaked in the twentieth century around 1920,
but, unlike the rest of Canada, remained strong until 1965 after which it rapidly declined
• The Order drew strength from settled, close-knit outport communities with few in-migrants and an even sex ratio
• Unlike elsewhere, neither Catholic competition, Established Church membership nor Irish-Protestant immigration can explain membership strength
Conclusion• This suggests that rural conviviality/ceremony and lack
of fraternal competition, rather than ideology or ethnic conflict, holds the key to the success of Newfoundland Orangeism
• The Order's ideology was generally moderate, practical and oriented around Newfoundland identity/problems
• The Order's influence at the elite level was less than that of the Masons, and began to decline around WWII
• The Order's membership was generally too divided politically to act as a unified electoral force