The following appeared in The Hereford Journal 26th Dec 1827.

Died Monmouth age 28. Mr James LEWIS jun. Stay-maker, he was a member of The Ancient Order of Druids, and he was interred with all honours of the society.

I believe that he is the son of James LEWIS Stay-maker who owned property in Monnow St, Monmouth, and the brother of Elizabeth LEWIS, Stay-maker.

I am hoping that the Forest of Dean is close enough to Monmouth to have members which might be able to shed some light, on Druidism in Monmouth at that time.

Many thanks

Happy New Year

Barbara

Hi Barbara

Well apparently they are not a religious order, as you might have expected from the name! They started in London in 1781 and then spread.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancient_Order_of_Druids

They had Lodges in the mining areas of South Wales:

http://www.aod-uk.org.uk/home.htm

Hi Barbara, Happy New Year to you and all other members !

Fear not, Monmouth is an important Forest town and always has been. I'm not sure why, but Monmouth Rugby Club's second side has been called the Druids for as long as I recall. Being one of Wales' oldest clubs formed in 1873, the club may well have historical links to the Order of Druids. However I suspect the "Druids" name may have only been used since 1969, when the club acquired the old Druid's Head pub for it's clubhouse, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Druid%27s_Head_Inn,_Monmouth
More research(phonecalls) needed.

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Re the Order itself; a quick search of the Welsh Newspapers site shows that, as Chris says, the Order has a long association with Monmouth and many other Welsh towns, plus their Lodges in Crewe, Oxford and Derby in England get mentions.

The main Welsh paper, the "Cambrian" out of Swansea, on 22nd December 1827 carried the same Family Notice re James Lewis as the Hereford Times,
http://welshnewspapers.llgc.org.uk/en/page/view/3326608/ART10/monmouth%20druids

Another early mention, again from the Cambrian, 21 September 1822;
"On Thursday the 5th instant, a Lodge, No. 91 of Ancient Druids, was opened at the Brockwear Boat and Anchor, Monmouth, by the N.A.V.A.P.N.A. and brothers of the Silurean Lodge, No. 42, of the city of Hereford, assisted by Brothers of different Lodges, under a dispensation granted from the Grand Lodge of England, when 47 persons were admitted members of that most Ancient Order."
http://welshnewspapers.llgc.org.uk/en/page/view/3325243/ART8/monmouth%20druids

The various reports all suggest the Order is a group of well-behaved respectable members of the local business community, maybe akin to modern-day Rotarians; so not the cloak-wearing characters at Stonehenge I'm ashamed to admit I was initially visualising !.

eg from the Illustrated Usk Observer & Raglan Herald, 14 July 1866;
"MONMOUTH.
THE ORDER OF DRUIDS.— The annual meeting and festival of this excellent institution came off on Monday last, at the lodge-house, the Butcher's Arms Inn, Monnow- street, and was attended by nearly 200 persons, including several influential tradesmen and farmers of the neighbourhood. The dinner, as usual, was served up in capital style by the host and hostess, Mr and Mrs Wilkes, and much satisfaction was expressed at their catering. On the removal of the cloth, Brother P.D.G.M. Thomas Tippins undertook the duties of Chairman, in the place of Brother Edward Pugh, N.G.A., and Brother V.G.A. Jas. Shellard performed the duties of Vice-chairman; and it is almost superfluous to say that each post was most ably filled. The splendid band of the Royal Monmouthshire Militia attended, under the directorship of Mr Thompson, and their musical abilities were greatly appreciated. From the statement of accounts presented, it appeared that the society, after paying all the expenses of the past year, possesses a reserve fund of £120. Os. 6d., and this, notwithstanding an unusually great outlay on account of sickness had been experienced, viz., £96. 8s. The expenditure on the management account was about the average, and the amount of dividend received by each member was £ 1. Os. 2d. The usual loyal and patriotic toasts were proposed in the course of the evening, and most cordially received. The principal officers of the society were deservedly complimented in some excellent speeches, and the entertainment was of a more harmonious character than bad been experienced for some years past.

NEW LODGE OF THE ORDER OF DRUIDS.— We have been informed that a new Lodge of this order is about to be established at the Griffin Inn, in this town. Mr. Williams, the host, is much respected, and it is only reasonable to anticipate that a good and respectable number of candidates will present themselves for admission into this venerable order."
http://welshnewspapers.llgc.org.uk/en/page/view/3082067/ART69/monmouth%20druids

I think these PRs are Chairman Thos Tippings;

Record_ID: 404965
Entry_Number:
Year: 1819
Month: Jan
Day: 10
Parents_Surname: TIPPINS
Child_Forenames: Thomas
Fathers_Forenames: George
Mothers_Forenames: Amelia
Mothers_Surname:
Residence: of this parish
Occupation: shoemaker
Officiating_Minister:
Event: Baptism
Memoranda: 9 Apr 1818
Notes:
Register_Reference:
Page_Number:
Parish_Chapel: Monmouth
Soundex: T152

Record_ID: 330173
Entry_Number: 656
Year: 1887
Month: Oct
Day: 3
Surname: TIPPINS
Forenames: Thomas
Residence: Monmouth
Age_at_death: 69
Officiating_Minister:
Event: Burial
Cause_of_death:
Memoranda:
Notes:
Register_Reference:
Page_No:
Parish_Chapel: Monmouth
Soundex: T152

and from LDS,

"England and Wales Census, 1881"
Name: Thomas Tippins
Age (Original): 62
Gender: Male
Birth Year: 1819
Birthplace: Monmouth, Monmouthshire, England
Relationship to Head of Household: Head
Marital Status: Widower
Occupation: Boot Maker
Address: Agincourt St
Event Place: Monmouth, Monmouthshire, England
Disability:
Record Type: Household
GS Film number: 1342259
Affiliate Publication Number: RG11
Piece/Folio: 5228 / 54
Page Number: 26
Household Gender Age Birthplace
Head Thomas Tippins M 62 Monmouth, Monmouthshire, England
Son In Law Oliver Parry M 25 Monmouth, Monmouthshire, England
Daughter Mary Ann Parry F 27 Monmouth, Monmouthshire, England
Grand Daughter Bessie M Parry F 0 Monmouth, Monmouthshire, England

"England and Wales Census, 1871"
Name: Thomas Tippins
Event Type: Census
Event Date: 1871
Gender: Male
Age: 52
Relationship to Head of Household: Self
Birthplace: Monmouth, Monmouthshire
Schedule Type: Household
Registration District: Monmouth
Sub-District: Monmouth
Parish: Monmouth
County: Monmouthshire
Household Gender Age Birthplace
Self Thomas Tippins M 52 Monmouth, Monmouthshire
Daughter Mary A Tippins F 18 Monmouth, Monmouthshire

Record_ID: 409200
Entry_Number:
Year: 1852
Month: Aug
Day: 22
Parents_Surname: TIPPINS
Child_Forenames: Mary Ann
Fathers_Forenames: Thomas
Mothers_Forenames: Mary Ann
Mothers_Surname:
Residence: of this parish
Occupation: bootmaker
Officiating_Minister:
Event:
Memoranda:
Notes:
Register_Reference:
Page_Number:
Parish_Chapel: Monmouth
Soundex: T152

The following link is to a lengthy research paper by Dr Andrew Prescott discussing in great detail the history and aims of all forms of Freemasonry in Wales. I'm unable to copy any text to this post, but it makes very interesting reading. It states that in the late 1700s "there was an upsurge in formation of Masonic Lodges in Wales, and that many of these were in old Tory centres such as Wynnstay, Holywell, Swansea and Monmouth". It goes on to say that the Ancient Order of Druids was revived in Soho(London) in 1781, and the Order quickly became very popular."
A Druid's Lodge was established in Hereford in 1809, which in turn led to the establishment of their first Lodge in Wales at Monmouth. By the time of the foundation of the Druids Lodge in Merthyr in 1837, there were over 230 Lodges in the Order. The Ancient Order was very popular in Wales in the first half of the nineteenth century, altho Welsh interest in the order subsequently declined".

Please see
http://www.freemasons-freemasonry.com/prescott10.html

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Altho perhaps irrelevant to this post, if like me you have an interest in Sir Winston Churchill, you may be interested to know that as well as being a Freemason like his father before him, in 1908 he also joined a Druids Lodge near his Oxfordshire family home. He's standing at centre of this photo of his initiation at Blenheim Palace.
https://historicengland.org.uk/services-skills/education/educational-images/ancient-ord...

This may have been purely to aid his career, as such memberships were very fashionable at the time particularly within the upper classes, altho' it can only have been beneficial when working with US President and fellow Freemason F.D. Roosevelt during WW2.
http://www.freemasons-freemasonry.com/beresiner7.html