Does anybody know whether there is still a RAOB lodge in Swan Village, West Bromwich?
My great grandfather, Harvey Jinks, was a member of the Swan Lodge, he was initiated into the lodge in October 1922 (I have the original certificate).
He was originally an iron moulder, but in 1921 he was unemployed (family history says that he was injured, or disabled in some way), and by 1928 he's a shopkeeper (he had an "outdoor" or off licence in Railway Street). He was also a local councillor for a number of years. He was also supposed to have been active in the trade union movement but I haven't been able to confirm this.
I would love to know more about what the lodge did for the local community.