"Sheffield Equalized Independent Druids"

[hillsbro]

Does anyone know anything about druids in Sheffield? I have a postcard in my collection showing a group of early 1900s men and boys, neatly turned out in their best clothes and wearing sashes, in front of a banner declaring “Sheffield Equalized Independent Druids”. Here is the photo:

 

http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u219/twigmore/Druids.jpg

 

Click on the photo to enlarge it. The druids were evidently a sort of friendly society, but the banner with its motto of EQUALITY TRUTH & FIDELITY features compasses, triangle and handshake motifs, suggesting something similar to freemasonry. Can anyone tell me where the photo was taken? My instinct suggests that it might be somewhere in the Trippet Lane area, though I have little evidence for this. On my next visit to Sheffield I might have a walk round the city centre, photo in hand!

 

I do have a Sheffield directory for 1925 which mentions the “Sheffield Equalized District Order of Druids” with offices at 93 Queen Street, and Mr “John A. Short, corresponding secretary.”

Edited March 14, 2012 by hillsbro

[Elmambo]

I can remember my parents telling me that when they married and set up home, the furniture was purchased via a loan from the Druids. So I would guess it would be termed a Friendly Society, don't think they went in for funny handshakes etc. More of a non-profit mutual-help organisation. There were others around at the time. I suppose increasing affluence has rendered them redundant.

Think the office was somewhere near the Station in the sixties

[hillsbro]

Thanks Elmambo – In fact I’ve been doing a bit of homework, and was surprised to find that the Druids Sheffield Friendly Society still exists (albeit in Wath-on-Dearne) – see http://www.druidsfriendly.com/

 

I imagine that the founders of such organisations had similar beliefs and values to freemasons - that is, holding meetings, having an established hierarchy etc., and as part of their charitable work they established non-profit mutual-help organisations as you say. Another such organisation that I remember from my early days at the Midland Bank (early 1970s) was one of our customers, the “Independent Order of Rechabites Friendly Society” which developed from the temperance movement 100 or so years ago. They had an office on Union Street.

 

I’d really like to know where the photo was taken, where the early-1900s druids held their meetings etc. Maybe a trip to the Local Studies Library would be worthwhile.

[HughW]

White's 1919/20 Directory suggests that there were 2 different kinds of 'Druids' in Sheffield. As well as the "Equalized District Order" in Queen Street (Mr Short already secretary) there is...

 

Sheffield Equalized Independent Druids (Isaac Wright, general sec.), 35 & 37 Suffolk road.

 

I wonder if the 'Idependent' means there had been a split in the Order, with this being a 'breakaway' group.

 

Because of the address of the second group, I've been comparing the building to the Suffolk Works, as in this engraving (an advert?) but it only works assuming a lot of artistic licence.

 

Hugh

[hillsbro]

Thanks, Hugh. I also had wondered if the word "independent "indicated a split, which wouldnt be unusual in this sort of organisation. About 30 years ago we had a neighbour who told me he was a druid; it's a pity I didn't ask him more about it (I imagined someone in long white robes scattering fruits of the earth at Stonehenge on Midsummers Day etc.) I remember that he had corresponded with druids all over Europe and visited some druids in Bulgaria, so there is evidently more to the organisation than the Friendly Society, or at least, there was in the 1970s. As you say there are similarities with the Suffolk Works; hard to be sure.

[HughW]

I found these in the Sheffield Local Register (digest of local news stories up to 1908 )

 

12 Oct 1891

The Druids’ Society: Sheffield Equalised District decides by 9018 votes to 282 to secede from the order.

[this secession allowed on 26 Feb 1892]

 

8 Aug 1892

First Quarterly meeting of the Sheffield Independent Druids; secession completed.

 

9 May 1898

Half-yearly meeting of the Sheffield Equalised Independent Druids. Membership, 21,134; capital, £72,723. 12s. 10¾d....

 

There are lots of other mentions of both organisations. It seems that the Independent Druids (and possibly their rivals) were running into financial problems after 1900 when outgoings were exceeding income by substantial ammounts

 

Hugh

[hillsbro]

Thanks again Hugh - that's very interesting! I'll have to pay a vist to the Local Studies Library to see what they have; it may even be that someone has written a history of the druid organisations in Sheffield. I'd just like to see how they fitted into the life of the city at the turn of the last century etc. I suppose that before the welfare state and popular banking, these Friendly Societies fulfilled an important role, apart from the more spiritual and moral aspects of their ethos.

[hilltock]

Does anyone know anything about druids in Sheffield? I have a postcard in my collection showing a group of early 1900s men and boys, neatly turned out in their best clothes and wearing sashes, in front of a banner declaring “Sheffield Equalized Independent Druids”. Here is the photo:

 

 

 

Click on the photo to enlarge it. The druids were evidently a sort of friendly society, but the banner with its motto of EQUALITY TRUTH & FIDELITY features compasses, triangle and handshake motifs, suggesting something similar to freemasonry. Can anyone tell me where the photo was taken? My instinct suggests that it might be somewhere in the Trippet Lane area, though I have little evidence for this. On my next visit to Sheffield I might have a walk round the city centre, photo in hand, but if anyone can spare my shoe leather I would be grateful!

 

I have a Sheffield directory for 1925 which mentions the “Sheffield Equalized District Order of Druids” with offices at 93 Queen Street, and Mr “John A. Short, corresponding secretary.”

 

the link to the photo does not work i would like to see a copy of this as my gr Uncle was a member of this group in the late 1800 early 1900's

Bev

Also in Lincolnshire

[hillsbro]

Hi Bev - I deleted the photo a couple of weeks ago as it seemed nobody had looked at it for several months; here's another link:

http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u219/twigmore/Druids.jpg PM me an email address I'll send a high-resolution JPEG.

I just noticed that a man near the middle of the front row (with the light-coloured flat cap) is holding a book with HOSPITAL FUND on the cover.

[sharrovian]

I worked at Loxley Bros. Ltd. back in the 50s and 60s and remember we printed a quarterly or half-yearly magazine for them, Trippet Lane seems to ring a bell.