This growth was spurred by the growth caused by the Industrial Revolution, the lack of Trade Unions, and the lack of personal or public insurance; only by joining mutual friendly societies like the Oddfellows could ordinary people protect themselves and their families against illness, injury or death. In 1911, when Asquith's Liberal government was setting up the National Insurance Act in Britain, the Oddfellows protected so many people that the government used the Oddfellows' actuarial tables to work out the level of contribution and payment required. At that time the Oddfellows was the largest friendly society in the world. Notable members Throughout history some members of the fraternities have made no secret of their involvement, while others have not made their membership public. In some cases, membership can only be proven by searching through a fraternity's records. Such records are most often kept at the individual lodge level, and may be lost due to fire, flood, deterioration, or simple carelessness. Grand lodge governance may have shifted or reorganised, resulting in further loss of records on the member or the name, number, location or even existence of the lodge in question. In areas of the world where odd fellows have been suppressed by governments, records of entire grand lodges have been destroyed. Because of this, membership can sometimes be difficult to verify. George IV, King of United Kingdom (1820–30) Winston Churchill, Wartime Prime Minister of United Kingdom John Wilkes, English radical, journalist and politician. Sir George Savile, 8th Baronet, English politician. Stanley Baldwin, Prime Minister of United Kingdom (1923–24, 1924–29, 1935–37) William Massey, Prime Minister of New Zealand 1912–25 See also Grand United Order of Oddfellows Odd Fellows Odd Fellows (disambiguation) Notes References External links Independent Order of Oddfellows Manchester Unity Clubs and societies in Greater Manchester 1810 establishments in the United Kingdom Leeds Blue Plaques