The Philanthropic Order of True Ivorites
Encyclopedia
The Philanthropic Order of True Ivorites commonly referred to as the Ivorites Society or The Ivorites was a friendly society
founded in Wrexham
, Wales
in 1836.
's patrons. The society's motto was 'Cyfeillgarwch, Cariad a Gwirionedd' (English: Friendship, Love and Truth), and was the only friendly society which conducted its business exclusively in Welsh
. As well as helping the poor and needy, the order furthered the Welsh language through organising local Eistedfoddau. In The Laws and Regulations of the Order, published in 1839, states that the True Ivorites Society is an institution 'to encourage the Welsh language, to preserve its members as far as possible from want'. The laws also stated that 'all books and accounts belonging to this Society be kept in the Welsh Language'. These laws were then amended in 1858, when the ruling regarding the usage of Welsh stating that the secretaries of the lodges should be competent in record keeping in both English and Welsh. This reflects the competition from other societies and the change in the number of Welsh speakers in Glamorgan during the later nineteenth century.
The Ivorites, along with fellow friendly society the Oddfellows, were especially strong in Glamorgan
, and survived well into the twentieth century.The societies were often a substitute for trade union
s, but were never a threat to the union's existence and the unions tended to grow out of the activities of the friendly societies.
Although not a secret society
the Ivorites had their own handsigns and handshake
s which were published in a booklet.
Friendly society
A friendly society is a mutual association for insurance, pensions or savings and loan-like purposes, or cooperative banking. It is a mutual organization or benefit society composed of a body of people who join together for a common financial or social purpose...
founded in Wrexham
Wrexham
Wrexham is a town in Wales. It is the administrative centre of the wider Wrexham County Borough, and the largest town in North Wales, located in the east of the region. It is situated between the Welsh mountains and the lower Dee Valley close to the border with Cheshire, England...
, Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
in 1836.
History
The Order of True Ivorites was founded by Thomas Robert Jones (1802-1856) and was named after Ifor Hael, one of Dafydd ap GwilymDafydd ap Gwilym
Dafydd ap Gwilym , is regarded as one of the leading Welsh poets and amongst the great poets of Europe in the Middle Ages. Dafydd ap Gwilym (c. 1315/1320 – c. 1350/1370), is regarded as one of the leading Welsh poets and amongst the great poets of Europe in the Middle Ages. Dafydd ap Gwilym...
's patrons. The society's motto was 'Cyfeillgarwch, Cariad a Gwirionedd' (English: Friendship, Love and Truth), and was the only friendly society which conducted its business exclusively in Welsh
Welsh language
Welsh is a member of the Brythonic branch of the Celtic languages spoken natively in Wales, by some along the Welsh border in England, and in Y Wladfa...
. As well as helping the poor and needy, the order furthered the Welsh language through organising local Eistedfoddau. In The Laws and Regulations of the Order, published in 1839, states that the True Ivorites Society is an institution 'to encourage the Welsh language, to preserve its members as far as possible from want'. The laws also stated that 'all books and accounts belonging to this Society be kept in the Welsh Language'. These laws were then amended in 1858, when the ruling regarding the usage of Welsh stating that the secretaries of the lodges should be competent in record keeping in both English and Welsh. This reflects the competition from other societies and the change in the number of Welsh speakers in Glamorgan during the later nineteenth century.
The Ivorites, along with fellow friendly society the Oddfellows, were especially strong in Glamorgan
Glamorgan
Glamorgan or Glamorganshire is one of the thirteen historic counties and a former administrative county of Wales. It was originally an early medieval kingdom of varying boundaries known as Glywysing until taken over by the Normans as a lordship. Glamorgan is latterly represented by the three...
, and survived well into the twentieth century.The societies were often a substitute for trade union
Trade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
s, but were never a threat to the union's existence and the unions tended to grow out of the activities of the friendly societies.
Although not a secret society
Secret society
A secret society is a club or organization whose activities and inner functioning are concealed from non-members. The society may or may not attempt to conceal its existence. The term usually excludes covert groups, such as intelligence agencies or guerrilla insurgencies, which hide their...
the Ivorites had their own handsigns and handshake
Handshake
A handshake is a short ritual in which two people grasp one of each other's like hands, in most cases accompanied by a brief up and down movement of the grasped hands.-History:...
s which were published in a booklet.