Orangemen are a Protestant fraternity with members throughout the world. 

The name comes from William III, Prince of Orange, whose victory over despotic power laid the foundation for the evolution of Constitutional Democracy in the British Isles -- including Ireland in 1690-1691 (see links:  http://orangeroots.tripod.com/index.htm  and  

http://orangeroots.tripod.com/find.htm   ).  This is significant because by 1902, after almost 75 years of strong emigration of Protestants from Ireland to Canada, over half of the members of the Orange Order worldwide lived in Canada and they numbered almost half a million. It is estimated that as many as one in three members of the Orange Association in Canada at the turn of the twentieth century came from Ireland.

All primary Orange Lodges in Canada have had at one time or another membership lists. However there were once 3,000 or more Lodges in Canada and now there are a small fraction of that number. Some records were not properly kept, others have gone missing or were not retained. There was never a central registry of Orange members.

Autonomous Grand Lodges are still found today in Scotland, England, the U. S., West Africa, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.  See links:

The Orange Order was established in 1795 at Loughall in Armagh (Ulster) and used the Freemasons as a model for expanding the organization. Lodges were the base unit.  The Order was illegal during the early portions of the nineteenth century, so many lodges did not keep membership lists

in the early years.

Today in Ireland and Canada, unionist marches are organized by such groups as the Loyal Orange Order, the Black Perceptory and Apprentice Boys, fraternal/religious lodges, whose membership is closed to Catholics. These loyal defenders of the union with Great Britain argue that their parades are part and parcel of their cultural tradition.

I began investigating investigation of the Anglo-Irish Twamleys' Orange Roots in Ireland due to the following reasons:

1) The time of the Twamleys arrival in Ulster was around 1690 in Dublin, which is right after The British Revolution of 1688-1689 ended, and it was coincidental to the date/time of the Williamite's Battle of Boyne and subsequent Irish battles that defeated the Jacobites;

2) Richard Twamley was piked to death because Catholic rebels said he was an "Orangemen"* (see the excerpt inline below from The Rebellion in Wicklow below, by Ruan O'Donnell);

3) Twamley intermarriages with noble families such as Richard Maunsell and several Molyneuxs who were known members of the Orange Order (see attachment, titled Members of the Orange Order in Ireland and Canada).

*The following excerpt is from The Rebellion [of 1798] in Wicklow, by Ruan O’Donnell; Pg. 267, Chapter Five, ‘Late Rebellion to ‘Brigand war’: July-November 17981

"...In the days following the battle of Ballygullen small groups of rebels made their way towards Whelp Rock camp near Blessington. One group killed several loyalists whom they encountered en route just as they had on 2 July when marching to Ballyrahan. Edward Neil of Carnew was leading several mounted rebels on the Kilpipe Road on 6 July when they unexpectedly met George Hepenstall of Rosnastraw in company with John Myers and George Twamley of Coolaney. Twamley’s teenaged son Robert and brother Richard also formed part of the company, and were taken by the rebels to Aghavannagh camp. The Loyalists had sensed the danger of their predicament which spurred George Twamley to make good his escape when confronted by Neil’s patrol. The others were brought to Aghavannagh, where 200-300 rebels attached to Anthony Perry had collected. The mood in the camp was dark following the privations and losses of the Wexford campaign and Hepenstall and Richard Twamley were promptly piked as 'Orangemen'."

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COMPELLING EVIDENCE:

Evidence that points to a strong Orange Order connection between Lanark and Wicklow families, in addition to a probability that they secretly held meetings at Aghold Church or in someone's home are as follows:

Background:

Orange Institution of Ireland, 1835

"In 1835 there were Orange Lodges throughout the island of Ireland and the Headquarters of the Grand Orange Lodge of Ireland was in Dublin. In the early 1800's the majority of Dublin's population was Protestant."  There was also a Wicklow group and many local meeting places throughout Ireland.

1.)Ven. Archdeacon Magee of Wicklow was the Grand Chaplain of the Orange Order in Wicklow:**

"GRAND CHAPLAIN OF THE ORANGE ORDER:

Ven. Archdeacon Magee, Wicklow"**

2.  Members living in or near vicinity of the Wicklow/Carlow Codds, Halpennys, Twamleys, Chamneys, Mortons, Nixons, and so forth includes Dicksons/Dixons; Nixons and more.***

***Many Wicklow Nixons were members...  The Nixons lived close to the Chamneys at Ballyraheene Hill (also spelled Ballyraghine, Ballyrahine, Ballyraheen, etc.).  Joseph Dickson was a member, from Ballyfree, Wicklow. 

See attachment.

**ORANGE INSTITUTION OF IRELAND, 1835:

Grand Master

FIELD MARSHALL HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS THE DUKE OF CUMBERLAND, K.G.,etc., Key Palace, London

Prelate

THE RIGHT REVEREND THE LORD BISHOP OF SALISBURY, Palace, Salisbury

Deputy Grand Masters

THE RIGHT HONORABLE THE EARL OF ENNISKILLEN, Florence Court, Fermanagh

ROBERT HEDGES EYRE, ESQ., Macroom Castle, Macroom, County Cork

COLONEL WILLIAM VERNER, M.P., Church Hill, Verner's Bridge, Armagh

THE RIGHT HONORABLE LORD COLE, M.P., Florence Court, Fermanagh

THE RIGHT HONORABLE LORD LANGFORD, Summerhill House, Summerhill, Meath

THE RIGHT HONORABLE VISCOUNT MANDEVILLE, M.P., Tanderagee Castle, Tanderagee, Armagh

THE RIGHT HONORABLE THE EARL OF RODEN, Tullymore Park, Castlewellan, Down

THE RIGHT HONORABLE THE EARL OF RATHDOWNE, Charleville, Bray, Wicklow

THE RIGHT HONORABLE VISCOUNT CASTLEMAINE, Moydrum Castle, Athlone, Westmeath

THE RIGHT HONORABLE LORD FARNHAM, Farnham Hall, County Cavan

THE MOST NOBLE THE MARQUESS OF ELY, Ely Lodge, Enniskillen, Fermanagh

THE MOST NOBLE THE MARQUESS OF THOMOND, Rostellan Castle, Cork

THE RIGHT HONORABLE VISCOUNT POWERSCOURT, Powerscourt, Enniskerry, Wicklow

THE HONORABLE RANDALL E. PLUNKETT, Dunsaney Castle, Dunshaughlin, Meath

Grand Chaplains

REVEREND JOHN GRAHAM, Magilligan Glebe, Newtown Limaviddy, Derry

REVEREND HOLT WARING, Warringstown, Banbridge, Down

REVEREND CHARLES BOYTON, Letterkenny, Donegal

*******VENERABLE ARCHDEACON MAGEE, Wicklow*********

REVEREND FRANCIS BAKER, Curduff, Swords, Down

HONORABLE AND VENERABLE ARCHDEACON STOPFORD, Clonmore Glebe, Hacketstown, Carlow

REVEREND JOHN C. MARTIN, Killeshandra, County Cavan

REVEREND MARCUS BERESFORD, Clonervey Glebe, County Cavan

VENERABLE ARCHDEACON SAURIN, Segoe, Portadown, Armagh

REVEREND JAMES JONES, The Palace, Armagh

HONORABLE AND VENERABLE ARCHDEACON TRENCH, Ballinsloe, Galway

REFERENCE MATERIAL: 

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All for now.  More to come.

Best Wishes,

Sherry Twamley