The Order of the Golden Age (OGA) was an international

animal rights Animal rights is the philosophy according to which many or all Animal consciousness, sentient animals have moral worth that is independent of their Utilitarianism, utility for humans, and that their most basic interests—such as avoiding s ...

society with a Christian,

theosophical Theosophy is a religion established in the United States during the late 19th century. It was founded primarily by the Russian Helena Blavatsky and draws its teachings predominantly from Blavatsky's writings. Categorized by scholars of religion a ...

and

vegetarian Vegetarianism is the practice of abstaining from the consumption of meat (red meat, poultry, seafood, insects, and the flesh of any other animal). It may also include abstaining from eating all by-products of animal slaughter. Vegetariani ...

emphasis, which existed between 1895 and 1959.

History

The Order of the Golden Age (OGA) was founded by Rev. Henry John Williams (younger brother of Howard Williams) in 1882.Gregory, James. (2007). ''Of Victorians and Vegetarians: The Vegetarian Movement in Nineteenth-Century Britain''. Tauris Academic Studies. p. 109. Sidney Hartnoll Beard re-established the OGA in 1895.Anonymous. (1978). ''Who Was Who Among English and European Authors, 1931-1949''. Volume 1. Gale Research Company. p. 114. Open Library Ref: OL21034929M; The renewed OGA's headquarters were located at Beard's residence in

Ilfracombe Ilfracombe ( ) is a seaside resort and civil parish on the North Devon coast, England, with a small harbour surrounded by cliffs. The parish stretches along the coast from the 'Coastguard Cottages' in Hele Bay toward the east and along t ...

."Sidney H. Beard (1862-1938)"
Order of the Golden Age. Retrieved August 10, 2019. The Order promoted

psychical research Parapsychology is the study of alleged psychic phenomena (extrasensory perception, telepathy, precognition, clairvoyance, psychokinesis (also called telekinesis), and psychometry) and other paranormal claims, for example, those related to near- ...

spiritualism Spiritualism is the metaphysical school of thought opposing physicalism and also is the category of all spiritual beliefs/views (in monism and Mind-body dualism, dualism) from ancient to modern. In the long nineteenth century, Spiritualism (w ...

and vegetarianism. In 1904, the OGA's new headquarters were located at Barcombe Hall in

Paignton Paignton ( ) is a seaside town on the coast of Tor Bay in Devon, England. Together with Torquay and Brixham it forms the borough of Torbay which was created in 1998. The Torbay area is a holiday destination known as the English Riviera. Paignt ...

. Beard was the editor of the ''Herald of the Golden Age'' (1896–1918), the official journal for the OGA.Kuhn, Philip. (2017). ''Psychoanalysis in Britain, 1893–1913: Histories and Historiography''. Lexington Books. pp. 73-74. The aim of the journal was to promote the "fruitarian system of living, and to teach its advantages." The journal promoted vegetarianism from a Christian perspective. According to an advertisement of the journal, it "challenges the morality of Carnivorous Customs and advocates Practical Christianity, Hygienic Common Sense, Social Reform, Philanthropy and Universal Benevolence. It is opposed to War, Slaughter, Cruelty and Oppression, and is designed to promote Goodness, but not goody goodyism, and Orthodoxy of Heart, rather than Orthodoxy of Creed." Josiah Oldfield, the noted British lawyer, physician and promoter of fruitarianism, was a member of the OGA. By 1909, the OGA was active in 47 countries, and its headquarters transferred to London. The OGA organised successful concerts at the Royal Albert Hall. The OGA even claimed to have converted Pope Pius X to the

vegetarian diet Vegetarian diet may refer to: *Vegetarianism *Vegetarian cuisine *Plant-based diet (i.e., not necessarily stemming from vegetarian beliefs) *Veganism Veganism is the practice of abstaining from the use of animal product—particularly in diet ...

during 1907.''The Herald of the Golden Age'', July 1907, p. 132. In 1938, the Order decamped to

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the Atlantic Ocean, South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the ...

upon the death of their official Founder and President, Sidney Hartnoll Beard, to become forgotten about by the vegetarian movement until the 21st century.

Legacy

A commemorative website was created in 2006 and the OGA was mentioned in a modern published history of the vegetarian movement a year later. A large collection of volumes of ''The Herald of the Golden Age'' were digitised by the

Internet Archive The Internet Archive is an American digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It provides free public access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, software applications/games, music, ...

in 2008.

Notes

References

External links

Order of the Golden AgeThe Herald of the Golden Age
- International Association for the Preservation of Spiritualist and Occult Periodicals {{Vegetarianism

History

Legacy

See also

Notes

References

Further reading

External links