The Kidwelly Branch of Loyal Bright Lodge of Philanthropists

This intriguing photograph, recently shared with the Kidwelly Local History Society by Mr Gareth Thorburn, offers a rare glimpse into a largely forgotten chapter of the town’s past.

The group pictured is believed to be members of the Kidwelly Branch of the Loyal Bright Lodge of Philanthropists — an organisation recorded in the town as early as 1894. Although little is presently known about the lodge’s activities or influence, its existence suggests a structured society that played some part in the civic or social life of Kidwelly at the turn of the twentieth century.

Two of the men have been identified. In the back row, second from the left, stands William Rees Thorburn, grandfather of Gareth Thorburn. Back row, second from the right, is Thomas Thomas, who lived at Rose Lawn on Station Road, Kidwelly. The identities of the remaining men, however, have yet to be confirmed.

The photograph is thought to date from around the time of the First World War — a period of profound change for communities across Wales. If so, these men would have lived through, and perhaps contributed to, a transformative era in local and national history.

As with many early local societies, records appear to be scarce, and much about the Loyal Bright Lodge of Philanthropists remains uncertain: its purpose, its membership, and its role within the community are still to be explored. This image therefore stands not only as a portrait of individuals, but as evidence of an organisation whose story has faded from collective memory.

Further information, documents, or recollections may help to illuminate who these men were and what the lodge represented within the life of Kidwelly.

Loyal Bright Lodge of Philanthropists who were they…

THE NEW LIGHT IN OUR MIDST

The Loyal Bright Lodge of Philanthropists Formed—A Brotherhood Dedicated to Charity, Education, and Moral Uplift

Towards the end of the 19th Century, in a hall warmly lit and reverently adorned, a new fraternal society was formally constituted in our town under the name The Loyal Bright Lodge of Philanthropists, was established, the Lodge would stand firmly in the noble tradition of the great friendly and benevolent orders that have so long labored for the good of working men and their families.

The founding officers declared that the Lodge was inspired by the same principles that guide the venerable Independent or Independent Order of Odd Fellows-Brotherly Love, Relief, and Truth—and by the long-standing customs of the Manchester Unity of Oddfellows whose lodges throughout the Empire have served as a bulwark against poverty, sickness, and misfortune.

A Society of Mutual Aid

Fraternal orders of this century have arisen not as secret cabals, but as earnest associations of working men seeking security where none was provided by the state. The Loyal Bright Lodge is to follow this honored course: members will contribute weekly dues to a common fund, from which assistance shall be rendered in times of illness, unemployment, and bereavement. Widows and orphans will not be forgotten, for the Lodge’s charter binds it to acts of mercy and relief.

One of the speakers, a former member of a lodge affiliated with the Manchester Unity of Oddfellows reminded those present that such societies were “the poor man’s insurance and the labourer’s safeguard,” long before any public provision for welfare was known.

Philanthropy and Learning

Beyond mutual aid, the Loyal Bright Lodge has pledged itself to public charity. Plans were announced for the establishment of a small educational fund, intended to assist the schooling of deserving children whose parents are unable to meet the expense. The Lodge will also contribute to local relief efforts and, in the words of its Master, “raise the fallen, instruct the ignorant, and comfort the distressed.”

Such aims echo the broader fraternal spirit seen across the century in lodges of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, whose members are known for visiting the sick, burying the dead, and supporting the needy.

A Moral and Social Influence

Observers note that lodges of this character have often exerted a quiet but powerful influence upon public morals. In many towns, they have promoted temperance, honest labor, and civic responsibility, while encouraging men of modest means to cultivate learning and self-respect.

Though little is yet known of the future of the Loyal Bright Lodge of Philanthropists, its foundation reflects a growing desire among our citizens to unite in bonds of charity and mutual support. If it remains true to the principles proclaimed at its birth, it may, in time, take its place among the most respected benevolent institutions of our age.

Thus, in an era of hardship and rapid change, another light has been kindled—bright with hope, loyalty, and the promise of good works for all.

(Image Copyright Mr G Thorburn, article created by Mr G Smith)