Wigan Album
*UNKNOWN* - Can You Help?
7 Comments
Photo: Ron Hunt
Item #: 34086
Ron, can you post a picture of this medal on Wigan World so we can see if we can learn anything out about it?. It is silver and around the perimeter it says G.U.O of O.F 1892. Presented by the Wigan District for services as D.M. The reverse says Thomas Brown D.M 1900. It came from a family in Cumbria who’s roots are from Wigan but know nothing about it, mining was in the family roots but may mean nothing. I was wondering if D.M stands for Deputy Manager maybe????
Could it be Grand United Order of Oddfellows ?
I think John has hit the nail on the head with his suggestion of 'Grand United Order of Oddfellows'.
The colour of the ribbon is significant, as this purple is the colour of ranks and orders in some oddfellows associations.
It is also interesting to note that in 1842, fifty years before this medal was awarded, a Wigan group of Oddfellows played host to a similar group from America.
Further to the above, the initials 'D.M.' could stand for Deputy Master; a rank within Oddfellows lodges and groups.
A couple of problems with the identification of this with the Grand United Order of Oddfellows - firstly, the crown is not one of the many symbols used by the Oddfellows (such as the globe and laurel wreath, the all-seeing-eye, the heart on the hand) - a Google search will get you many examples of medallions etc issued by them; and secondly, wherever I've come across them, the Oddfellows have been organised in grandly-named Lodges, rather than Districts. A grave in St Wilfrid's churchyard is a good illustration of this - I'll post it on the Album.
Following on from my earlier Comment - I've posted a pic of an Oddfellow's grave from Standish churchyard. Looking properly at the inscription, I see I was wrong to say the Oddfellows were not organised into Districts - they were.
Regarding the initials 'D M' - going from the above, and looking through Oddfellows' titles, the initials would more likely have been 'District Master'... except that the title would have been 'District Grand Master'... so I think there may still be doubt about it being an Oddfellows' medal. Also - as the grave inscription illustrates - locally, the Manchester Unity of Independent Oddfellows was the Oddfellows' organisation usually found. Did the Grand United Order still have representation in Wigan?
The Oddfellows didn't have a lodge listed as Wigan. The nearest was listed as being Bolton.
The Grand United Order of Oddfellows established a lodge in Wigan in 1863.
The first Grand Master was a J.M. Cumow (possibly Curnow).