Grand United Order of Oddfellows

Grand United Order of Oddfellows Friendly Society (GUOOFS) is an odd fellows grand lodge founded in 1798 and based in Manchester, United Kingdom.

As a result of the Glorious Revolution of 1688, (when the Protestant William of Orange replaced the Catholic King James II), in the mid-18th century the Oddfellows split into The Order of Patriotic Oddfellows (based in the south of England and supporting William) and The Ancient Order of Oddfellows (based in the north and favouring the Stuarts).

Subsequent to the failure of Bonnie Prince Charlie's uprising, in 1798 the two former orders formed a partial amalgamation as the Grand United Order of Oddfellows. These days they are more commonly known as "The Grand United Order of Oddfellows Friendly Society" (GUOOFS).

The Grand United Order of Odd Fellows in America (GUOOF) was founded as an independent fraternity in 1843 by the Afro-American sailor Peter Ogden for black members, allegedly chartered by the Grand United Order of Oddfellows in the United Kingdom. Although still in existence, membership in the United States has declined, due to the mainstream Independent Order of Odd Fellows no longer being accused of racial segregation and the decline in fraternal membership in general.

The Grand United Order of Odd Fellows is a direct offshoot of the Grand United Order in England and still is. The ultimate Authority for the Grand United Order of Odd Fellows in America is still to this day the Order in England.

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