Foresters' Courts in Newent, Parkend, Lydbrook & Longhope. (General)

by Jefff , West London, Middlesex, Thursday, March 06, 2014, 02:05 (3917 days ago) @ Jefff

I suspect a search of our local papers will be more forthcoming, either the DF Mercury by visiting Cinderford library if you can, or the Gloster Citizen etc using the British Newspapers Archive website; all these cover the 1950s that you mention. I'm not a subscriber so can only give brief hints from the BNA's free search, it give several hits from the Citizen but these are mainly national-level meetings as above, but do include

“... LONGHOPE. Anniversary.--The eighteeenth anniversary of Court Hope, No. 3,057, the Ancient Order of Foresters, was celebrated at ... ”
Saturday 15 July 1876 , Gloucester Journal

"... MITCHELDEAN. Foresters' Gala Day — The Loyal Forest of Dean Court of Foresters held its fifteenth anniversary yesterday in fine weather. The Court, which is 120 strong, ...
Saturday 21 August 1889 , Gloucester Citizen

“... LONGHOPE. Ancient Order of Foresters. On Friday evening the audit of accounts for the year 1889 of Court No. 3,057, and the juvenile ... ”
Monday 13 January 1890 , Gloucester Citizen.

“... LONGHOPE. Foresters' Funeral.— The picturesque little churchyard at Huntley presented an unusual appearance Sunday, when members Court ... ”
Tuesday 18 March 1890 , Gloucester Citizen

"ANNUAL SUPPER AT NEWENT. The annual supper of Court Robin Hood 3,435 of the Ancient....."
2 February 1892, Gloucester Citizen
(Newent Court is reported many times after this time, including "Annual" Summer Fete/Sports Days in 1911,1912 etc.

The Citizen also reports on a 1902 district meeting at Newnham, and another at Cinderford in April 1897. Also in Hereford etc. It's to be hoped these articles may give more detail and even some member's names.
http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/search/results?basicsearch=ancient%20order%20f...

If you haven't tried the BNA site I recommend it, as a newcomer you'll probably be offered a few free search/downloads, just for giving your email address, and no pestering emails afterwards ! I did this a few weeks ago and I found the Citizen's report of the Funeral of my Great grandfather, lifelong inhabitant of Longhope who died in 1935 aged 75. It was very nice to read a detailed report which included

"he was wellknown & highly esteemed by all who knew him..... a usefull cricketer....
He worked at the local saw mills# for nearly 50 years...
A member of the Ancient Order of Foresters' Court Hope Lodge for 67 years, having joined as a juvenile, and served as Chief Ranger. The Foresters' service was read by Mr John Constance before the Cortege left the house......to the Church.
Those representing the Ancient Order of Foresters were Mr J Constance, Mr J Davies, Mr E James, Mr H James, Mr F Acton, Mr Hook and Mr J Hancox....."

#Like much of the village he worked at James Constance & Son's Saw Mills in Longhope, a woodturner; his son & my dear Grampy was also a turner there, man & boy. He was also highly-regarded locally and another fine cricketer, they must have been disappointed in me ;-)

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I presume the "Foresters' Service" was/is a special private prayer, maybe written by the Order itself, it being apparently said independant of the Church service itself, I would love to know what it's words may have been ?

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So Gill and anyone else, I strongly recommend the local papers, they can be very rewarding. Apologies for hijacking your thread with my personal indulgence, I hope it helps give an insight into your Grandfather's likely involvement with the Foresters, from all I've read they were a very good Society indeed to be involved with.

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The British History website carries these brief mentions of the Foresters within the FoD;

Re Parkend, very near Yorkley
"Several friendly societies met at the Fountain in the mid 1850s and a branch of the Ancient Order of Foresters dined at another inn in 1863".

Re Lydbrook,
"A friendly society met at the Bell in 1808 and there were many societies, including branches of the Odd Fellows and the Ancient Order of Foresters, based on Lydbrook's inns in the mid 19th century. One of the largest, the Royal William Benefit Society formed in 1834, had 170 members in 1853. A friendly society for women was started in 1853."
From: 'Forest of Dean: Social life', A History of the County of Gloucester: Volume 5: Bledisloe Hundred, St. Briavels Hundred, The Forest of Dean (1996), pp. 381-389.
URL: http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=23270
Date accessed: 06 March 2014.

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Finally Gill, does your sash look like these, it seems they were part of an exhibition in London last year. Clicking the photo will greatly-enlarge it, altho sadly no clues on the emblem as to where it's from. Lovely item though and no doubt you treasure yours, I know I would !
http://timethedeer.wordpress.com/2013/06/19/ancient-order-of-foresters-sashes/