A Q&A with Patrick Coleman
Credit: Patrick Coleman
Tell us a bit about your book
The Orange Order: A Global History is the first book to offer a major overview of the Orange Order across space and time from its beginnings in 1795 until the present day. For the uninitiated, the Orange Order is a Protestant fraternal organisation founded in rural County Armagh, Ireland in 1795. The ‘orange’ comes from William III, the Dutch King of England. Colloquially known as ‘King Billy’, his image is central to the Orange Order and appears on much of their material culture such as banners and collarettes. The Orange Order examines the Order’s origins and spread coinciding with the expansion of the British Empire. Some of the more unusual destinations of this spread included Ghana, Hong Kong, Singapore and Togo. The book’s coverage is wide-ranging, looking at the Orange Order’s internal workings such as its rituals, outward aspects such as bands and parades, and a focus on the neglected Junior Orange Movement. My overarching argument is that despite the best efforts of the Orange Order to challenge its reputation as a male-dominated, bigoted and often violent organisation, this perception endures to this day.
Credit: Patrick Coleman
What inspired you to research the Orange Order?
The inspiration for this topic has been a gradual process. My first introduction to the Orange Order was in an honours course in Australian history. In the course there was mention of the Orange Order in Sydney. I was intrigued and decided to write a research essay on them. Many years later when deciding on a topic for my PhD, I expanded my focus to the global Orange Order. Throughout my research journey I was often asked if I was a member of the Orange Order, as if this would be the only reason I would be doing this. My response was that I wanted to research what I don’t know rather than what I do know.
Did you discover anything particularly strange or surprising?
One aspect of my research that was particularly surprising was discovering the work of women and children within the Orange Order. So much representation has been of men in bowler hats marching. Even the term ‘Orangemen’ is so widespread that it ignores Orangewomen who were active and had their own lodges. As I wrote my global history, I was able to compare the differences between Ireland and the Orange diaspora. An example of this is how in Ireland lodges are divided by gender while in the Orange diaspora there are mixed lodges. This is a result of the Irish Orange Order having separate institutions for men and women while the Orange diaspora have a variety of structures.
Courtesy of Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales
Did you get exclusive access to any new or hard-to-find sources?
Accessing sources is a mixed bag for historians. I still remember one fellow master’s student who chose her topic based on all the resources being in the university library. For me that would have been too convenient. I found out early on that a lot of material on the Orange Order had been destroyed by rogue members. Despite this I worked with members of the Orange Order to access privately held materials. These were either in Orange halls, in storage or simply in their homes. A great example was in England, where I worked with the late Michael Phelan who generously gave of his time and resources that he had collected over many years. Discussing the Orange Order over a pint or two in an old English pub beat sitting for hours in a library.
Did your research take you to any unexpected places or unusual situations?
I suppose the advantage of doing a global history meant I had to travel to various parts of the world. Arriving in Toronto and experiencing a blizzard in spring was a highlight. Traipsing through snow to get to the Orange headquarters each day did mean I really worked hard to get my sources! Doing a public talk to the Orangemen and Orangewomen in Glasgow had its own challenges, in no small part due to the Glaswegian accents peppered with local phrases!
Credit: Patrick Coleman
Has your research in this area changed the way you see the world today?
Rather than changed I would say enhanced the way I see the world. Spending so much time with one organisation you can see its impact. The Orange Order is an organisation that provokes extreme responses. I think that having an in-depth understanding of any group in society is important as it helps you understand how and why they exist. It’s like the old phrase ‘one person’s freedom fighter is another’s terrorist’. These words get conflated in the media as it’s easy to have pithy phrases and sound bites rather than spend the time to understand a group or organisation.
What’s next for you?
I’ve been doing a lot of reading lately across multiple genres from biographies to fantasy to historical fiction. This has helped to inspire my thought processes as I pivot to my next project. Using my history training I’m thinking about writing some historical fiction on a topic yet to be determined. Then again, I may just write another history book with an Irish flavour!
About the Book
Studies the rise and decline of the global Orange Order since its beginning in 1795, covering multiple countries and the activities of men, women and children.
‘Outstanding in its geographic sweep and temporal range, Patrick Coleman offers a compelling transnational account of the rise and global spread of the Orange Order. This timely and deeply researched book provides compelling insights into the world of Orangeism and its extensive political and cultural impacts.’ – Malcolm Campbell, The University of Auckland
About the Author
Patrick Coleman is the Kaikōtui | Academic Programme Partner at Te Whare Wānaka o Aoraki | Lincoln University, New Zealand. Patrick has previously presented and published on other aspects of the Orange Order.
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