The Grand United Order of Galilean Fishermen (or simply Galilean Fishermen) was a benevolent African American fraternal organization founded in Baltimore on 21 Feb 1857 by Hemsley Nichols.[1] (Later sources claim a date of 4 July 1856, but this is probably apocryphal.) It was incorporated in 1869.
The Galilean Fishermen provided vital services to African Americans at a time when many banks and insurance companies served only whites. Members who were unable to work were paid a weekly allowance, and the order also provided for funeral expenses.[2] The order also founded cemeteries, orphanages, and homes for the elderly and disabled. [3]
National Grand Rulers of the Order edit
- Hemsley Nichols, 1857 – 1877
- Thomas I. Hall, 1877 – 1896
- Rev. Thomas H. Short, 1896 – ?
References edit
- ^ Baltimore Sun. 7 October 1895.
{{cite news}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ^ "The Galilean Fishermen: Peculiarities of a Large Secret Society of Colored People in Baltimore". New York Times. 5 August 1877. Retrieved 23 February 2011.
- ^ Phillips, Clarenda M. African American fraternities and sororities: the legacy and the vision. p. 86.