Independent Order of Oddfellows Manchester Unity

This article is about the odd fellows fraternity founded in 1810 in Manchester, United Kingdom. For other uses, see Odd Fellows (disambiguation).

Independent Order of Oddfellows Manchester Unity
Formation1810; 214 years ago (1810)
TypeFraternal order
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The Independent Order of Oddfellows Manchester Unity Friendly Society Limited, also called the Manchester Unity of Oddfellows; trading as The Oddfellows, is a fraternal order founded in Manchester in 1810.[a]

Some of its lodges claim histories dating back to the 18th century.[1][2][3][4][5][6][b] These various organisations were set up to protect and care for their members and communities at a time when there was no welfare state or National Health Service. The aim was and still is to provide help to members and communities when they need it. The friendly societies are non-profit mutual organisations owned by their members. All income is passed back to the members in the form of services and benefits.

The Oddfellows had spread to America in the late 18th century, and several unofficial lodges existed in New York City; but American Odd Fellowship is regarded as being founded in Baltimore in 1819, by Thomas Wildey, and the following year affiliated with the Manchester Unity.[5][6] In 1843, the Oddfellows in America declared their independence from the Manchester Unity of Oddfellows and became a self-governing Order – the Independent Order of Odd Fellows – which established lodges across the world (and continues to this day),[5][6][7] although inter-fraternally recognised.[8]

The Oddfellows are also fundraisers for local and national charities; lodges raise money for local causes, and the society as a whole raise significant amounts for charities.


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  1. ^ Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Oddfellows, Order of" . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 19 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 996.
  2. ^ Beresford, Rachael (8 February 2006). "History of the Oddfellows". Manchester, UK: The Oddfellows (The Independent Order of Oddfellows Manchester Unity Friendly Society Limited). Archived from the original on 6 October 2007. Retrieved 2 September 2007..
  3. ^ "History : The history of our society". GUOOFS (The Grand United Order of Oddfellows Friendly Society). Retrieved 1 January 2015.
  4. ^ "History of Oddfellowship". The Grand United Order of Odd Fellows in America and jurisdiction. Retrieved 2 January 2015.
  5. ^ a b c "History of the Oddfellows". Manchester, UK: The Oddfellows (The Independent Order of Oddfellows Manchester Unity Friendly Society Limited). 2012. Archived from the original on 7 October 2015. Retrieved 1 January 2015.
  6. ^ a b c "The Oddfellows Over the Years". Manchester, UK: The Oddfellows (The Independent Order of Oddfellows Manchester Unity Friendly Society Limited). 2012. Archived from the original on 29 April 2016. Retrieved 1 January 2015.
  7. ^ Wildey, Thomas (1937) An Account of the Origin of Odd Fellowship in the United States
  8. ^ IOOF International Network Archived 30 September 2009 at the Wayback Machine, IOOF Grand Lodge of South Australia, www.keyinvest.com.au/ioofsa