Identifying a star badge worn in an 1860s portrait — Horobin (General)

by SilentFox3970, California, (1 day, 3 hours, 32 min. ago)

Hello,

I'm researching my Forest ancestors from California, and I'd be grateful for local eyes on a family portrait.

The sitter is Samuel Horobin, baptized at Drybrook on 13 March 1831, son of Thomas Horrobin, collier, of Coalway Lane End. Samuel married Mary Ann Hale at Parkend on 29 May 1852; he was a collier and appears at Coalway Lane End in the 1851, 1861 and 1871 censuses. He emigrated to Pennsylvania in 1881.

The portrait is large — about 4½ by 5½ feet. His daughter Edith took it to America, and it is still in the family here.

He is shown standing in a studio interior, in a dark three-piece suit, wearing a badge on his left breast: a five-pointed star inside a circular medal, hanging from a broad plain ribbon. Our family notes call it Masonic, but I wonder whether it is more likely a friendly society or temperance order — Foresters, Oddfellows, Rechabites, Good Templars, or perhaps a local benefit or burial club.

Has anyone seen this badge in photographs of Forest men in regalia? I'm happy to email photographs and close-ups to anyone able to take a look, or to post them here if attachments are possible.

Many thanks,

Lottie Aston

Identifying a pentagram badge

by slowhands, proud of his ancient Dean Forest roots, (12 hours, 34 minutes ago) @ SilentFox3970

Hi

there is a long association of the Pentagram with freemasonry.

Other groups like -The Buffaloes (RAOB) (a society that my FoD family were involved with) typically had a buffalo in their regalia.

regards

--
Ἀριστοτέλης A Gloster & Hereford Boy in the Forest of Dean ><((((*>

Identifying a pentagram badge

by SilentFox3970, California, (3 hours, 41 minutes ago) @ slowhands

Thank you — that's useful, and it cuts down the possibilities.

Good to have the Buffaloes ruled out; I hadn't known their regalia carried a buffalo. And thank you for the point about the pentagram and freemasonry — I had been leaning away from the family's Masonic attribution, so it is worth my testing properly rather than dismissing.

I have since found that the Royal Forest of Dean Lodge No. 1067 was warranted in May 1865 and consecrated in June 1866, meeting at the Town Hall in Coleford and at the Speech House — about a mile from where Samuel lived. It moved to Newnham-on-Severn from 1869, which would have been a long walk from Coalway Lane End. A search of the Grand Lodge membership registers returns three possible entries under Horobin and Harobin, though I cannot see the details without a subscription, so I have asked the Museum of Freemasonry whether any of them relate to a Gloucestershire lodge.

If they come back with an answer I will post it here, in case it is of use to anyone else.

Might I ask one thing: do you know whether the friendly societies in the Forest — the Oddfellows, the Foresters, or local benefit or burial clubs — used a five-pointed star in a circular badge? The one in the portrait hangs from a broad plain ribbon on the left breast, with no apron or collar.

With thanks,

Lottie Aston

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