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