Hello Listers, I just thought I would clarify a few points about the Orange Order, which might help those looking for information about relatives who may have been in the Order. Orange Lodges in Ireland are granted an "authority" by the Grand Orange Lodge of Ireland (GOLI), called a "Warrant", and each Lodge has a unique name & number by which it is known eg Gwynne's Temperance LOL (Loyal Orange Lodge) No. 419. Lodges normally meet monthly to conduct business. For more more information see the GOLI website: http://www.grandorangelodge.co.uk/index.html There are links there for Grand Lodges in England & Scotland, and also photos for those who may be interested. Family tradition often plays a big part in lodge membership, so it is not unusual to find someone living in one part of Northern Ireland who belongs to a lodge elsewhere, simply because his father & grandfather were also in the lodge. This is why it can often be useful to genealogists. In order to begin the search, you need to either have a lodge name or number - many Orange sashes or collarettes bear the Lodge number that your relative belonged to, so this would be your starting point. I would suggest you write to The Grand Orange Lodge of Ireland, Schomberg House, 368 Cregagh Road, BELFAST BT6 9YE giving the Lodge name and/or number & explain that you are trying to find details of your relative(s) who belonged to that Lodge & ask if the lodge is still in existence (see notes below) & if so ask for the secretary's name & address or alternatively if your letter could be passed on to the appropriate lodge. However, there are some points to bear in mind: 1. Some lodges are no longer in existence & records may not be available. 2. Old records for some lodges may no longer exist or have been destroyed eg some lodges have lost many artefacts recently in what has been a concerted attack on Orange Halls across Northern Ireland over the last few years. 3. Previous postings have indicated that researchers have had a limited or no response - don't give up!! Try writing to the Editor of the Orange Standard at Schomberg House - the Standard is published monthly by GOLI. 4. It would be almost impossible for Lodges to search their records for someone in the area who might have been a member or to trawl through their records looking for particular surnames. The above is only relevant to Northern Ireland & the Republic of Ireland - I don't know what the position would be in England or Scotland, but it may be the same - I would suggest you write to the appropriate Grand Lodge. Local newspapers sometimes have articles about Orange Lodges eg some papers may have reports of installations of Lodge Officers for the coming year, usually held in January In NI & RoI, or there may be reports about the annual 12th of July Parade. It is worth trying to find if newspaper archives are held. Good luck with your research Eddie Kelso --------------------------------- Sent from Yahoo! - a smarter inbox.