Transcript The Orange Order in Newfoundland in the Twentieth Century A Comparative Perspective Lord Nelson Loyal Orange Lodge #149 in Woody Point, Bonne Bay, St.

The Orange Order in
Newfoundland in the Twentieth
Century
A 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
100%
80%
60%
40%
20%
0%
1912
Other
Canada
Scotland
England
Ireland
1929
1937
1955
1994
Orange Density, International, 1920
40%
35%
30%
25%
20%
15%
10%
5%
0%
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
1993
1987
1981
1975
1969
1963
1957
1951
1945
1939
1933
1927
1921
1915
c. 1901
Orange Male Membership, Ontario
West, 1901-1995
1999
1992
1985
1978
1971
1964
1957
1950
1943
1936
1929
1922
1915
1908
1901
Orange Male Membership,
Newfoundland, 1901-2001
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
Other & Unidentified
9%
St. John's/Mt. Pearl
6%
Labrador
0%
Conception Bay
22%
South Coast
6%
Burin Peninsula
7%
West Coast Deer
Lake to Cadra
3%
Trinity Bay
14%
Northern Peninsula
5%
Notre Dame
Bay/Baie
Verte/Grand Falls
15%
Bonavista Bay
13%
Newfoundland Orange Membership, by district,
1945
St. John's/Mt. Pearl
Other & Unidentified
4%
5%
Labrador
1%
Conception Bay
16%
South Coast
11%
Trinity Bay
15%
Burin Peninsula
9%
West Coast Deer Lake
to Cadra
4%
Northern Peninsula
7%
Bonavista Bay
14%
Notre Dame Bay/Baie
Verte/Grand Falls
14%
Freemason Membership, by District, 1945
Twillingate
4%
Fortune
7%
Springdale
4%
Bonavista
2%
St Johns
45%
Burin/Grand Bank
15%
Corner Brook
8%
Bell Is
8%
Channel-Port aux Botwood
6%
Basques
1%
Orange Membership, Historical, by Region
Other & Unidentified
100%
St. John's/Mt. Pearl
90%
80%
Labrador
70%
South Coast
60%
Burin Peninsula
50%
West Coast Deer Lake to Cadra
40%
Northern Peninsula
30%
Notre Dame Bay/Baie Verte/Grand
Falls
20%
Bonavista Bay
10%
Trinity Bay
0%
1908
1945
1951
1961
1971
1981
1991
2001
Conception Bay
Orange Membership Density per Protestant
male population, by district, 1945
35.0%
30.0%
25.0%
20.0%
15.0%
10.0%
5.0%
0.0%
e
rin rav
G
Bu
de
er
de
ce
rt
ra e V
d
Po r G
ou Bay
rb
r/
Ha ea
ge
on
ita
rb rth
Ca No erm
/H
ity
in Bay
Tr
ne
th
rtu
Fo Sou
ity
in
ile
Tr is ta Po
v
La
na nd
a
Bo
t
eo es
rg
W
Bu tia
en
ac
Pl
go
Fo
LD
y
NF
Ba
rt
te
Po
hi
y
au
W Ba
rt land
en
Po
re ge/ ell Is
G
r
eo n/B
i
's
. G Ma
ry
St
r
ou . Ma
t
rb
Ha tia/S
en
e
ac
Pl gat
n
illi
Tw be
ar
. B lls
St Fa
nd
ra
G
r
be
m
Hu or
ad
br
La n's
oh
.J
St
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
14
Predictors of Orange Density, N.I. 1971
(TSCS; N = 100; R-sq = .99 )
Impact of Variable (Z score)
12
10
8
6
4
2
0
Protestant % (negative)
COI/Protestant (positive)
Predictor Variable
1971 Generation (negative)
Predictors of Orange Male Density,
Ontario, 1891-1961
(TSCS; N = 224, R sq = .74)
Impact (Z score)
14
12
10
8
6
4
2
0
Irish Protestant
French-Catholic
(1931 base) % [+]
[+]
Conservative
Protestant [+]
Predictor
Scottish
Protestant (1931
base) [-]
Rural [+]
Impact (Z score)
Predictors of Scottish Orange Male
Density, 1860-1991
(TSCS; N = 1202; R sq = .115
18
16
14
12
10
8
6
4
2
0
Irish
Protestant
Indicator
(1901 base)
[+]
Wartime [-]
Policy
Losses [-]
Threatening
Events [+]
Social &
Political
Stimuli [+]
Predictors
% Catholic
[+]
% in
Agriculture
[-]
Orange Order Density 1991
50%
45%
40%
35%
30%
25%
20%
15%
10%
5%
0%
Orange Density and % Catholic, Newfoundland,
1945
e
de
av
rin Gr
er
Bu de ace e V
r
rt G y d
a
Po ur
B
/
o
r b ear
ge
ita
Ha n
b o r th r m
e
ar o
C y N y/H
it
a
in B
T r n e th
r tu o u
F o ty S
ile
i
Po
in ta
Tr vis La
d
na an t
Bo eo es
rg a W
Bu nti
e
ac
Pl
go
Fo
rt
LD y
Po
NF Ba
au d
te
hi ay rt lan
W n B /Po ll Is
e e e
re g B
G eor in/ y's
a r
.G M a
St our t. M
rb ia/S
Ha ent
a c te
Pl nga
illi e
T w ar b
ls
. B al
St d F
n
ra
G er
b
m r
Hu ado
br ' s
La hn
o
.J
St
Significance (t-stat)
Predictors of Orange Density, 1945
4
3
2
1
0
In-migration from other
distr
males per 100 females
Predictor
%Catholic
Orange Density, Sex Ratio (m/f) and % In-migrants, by district,
Orange Density
1945
Sex Ratio (adj)
-10.0%
ve
rin
ra
Bu
G
de
de
ce
er
rt
ra
V
G
Po
r
de
ou
ay
rb
/B
Ha
ar
e
on
ge
rb
ita
rth
Ca
No erm
H
ity
y/
in
Tr
Ba
ne
rtu
h
ut
Fo
So
ity
in
ile
Tr
ta
s
Po
vi
La
na
d
Bo
an
t
eo
es
rg
W
Bu
tia
en
ac
Pl
go
Fo
LD
y
NF
Ba
rt
te
hi
Po
y
W
au d
Ba
rt
n
en
Po Is la
re
e/
G
l
rg
el
eo n/B
. G Mai
s
St
y'
r
ar
ou
M
rb
t.
Ha ia/S
t
en
ac te
Pl
a
ng
illi
Tw
be
ar
. B lls
St
Fa
nd
ra
G
r
be
m
Hu or
ad
br
La
s
n'
oh
.J
St
-5.0%
In-migration
35.0%
30.0%
25.0%
20.0%
15.0%
10.0%
5.0%
0.0%
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
3500
3000
2500
2000
1500
1000
500
0
99
19
94
19
89
19
84
19
79
19
74
19
69
19
64
19
59
19
54
19
49
19
44
19
39
19
34
19
29
19
24
19
19
19
14
19
09
19
Membership Totals, Orange Order
and Masonic, 1901-2001
Orange
Masons
2001
1996
1991
1986
1981
1976
1971
1966
1961
1956
1951
1946
1941
1936
1931
1926
1921
1916
1911
1906
1901
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
Tw illingate
3%
Goose Bay
4%
Trinity
5%
Fortune
2%
Gander
13%
Springdale
4%
Wabush
3%
Lew isporte
3%
Bonavista
2%
St Johns
25%
Burin
10%
Botw ood
Corner Brook
4%
Bell Is Clarenville
8%
Channel-Port aux
Stephenville
3%
Basques
3%
3%
4%
Social & Political InfluenceCanada
•
•
•
•
•
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 InfluenceNewfoundland
• 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
Orange Order
All fraternals
100%
Catholic fraternity
Mason
80%
60%
40%
20%
0%
1927
1930
1937
1952
1961
1967
1975
1981
1982
1989
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'
Significance (t-stat)
Predictors of Confederation Vote, 1948
3
2.5
2
1.5
1
0.5
0
Orange density
Avg income
Predictor
% Catholic
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 IrishProtestant 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