Manufacturers: Jackson China, Mayer China, Carr China Company, Syracuse China
User: Odd Fellows – F.L.T.
Date of Jackson plate: 1917 – 1930s
Date of Mayer plate: 1930s – early 1940s
Date of Carr plate: 1939
Date of Syracuse plate: 1948
Notes: The initials F, L and T (Friendship, Love, Truth) within the links of a chain are associated with the Three Links Fraternity – The Independent Order of Odd Fellows, dedicated to elevating and improving the character of man. For more information, refer to the group's website: https://odd-fellows.org.
From the Wikipedia: "The Independent Order of Odd Fellows (I.O.O.F.) is a fraternal organization derived from English Oddfellows orders of the mid-1700s.
"The Patriotic Order in England was followed by the Union of United Orders and the Loyal Order. In 1813, various lodges of the Union Order organized the Manchester Unity of Oddfellows. Several unofficial lodges existed in New York City, but American Odd Fellowship is regarded as being founded in Baltimore in 1819, by Thomas Wildey, and the following year affiliated with the Manchester Unity. Within a few years the new American Lodges separated from the English Orders and formed the Independent Order of Odd Fellows.
"Its ladies' auxiliary is known as the Rebekahs. Both the Odd Fellows and Rebekahs have higher branches known as Encampments and Patriarchs Militant. Today, some branches of the order (i.e. some countries) allow women to join the Odd Fellows itself, leading the Rebekahs to have declined in importance…The most widely encountered symbol of the Odd Fellows – on signage and gravemarkers – is the three-link chain ("the Chain With Three Links", "Triple Links") with three initials, 'F', 'L' and 'T', one each inside each link, signifying Friendship, Love and Truth."
Odd Fellows china frequently includes a topmark of three chain links with the three letters F L T within the three links of chain – or – R (for the Rebekahs) within the second of the three links of chain – or – I.O.O.F. without the chain.
For related info:
Rebekahs, by Jackson China
Rebekahs 2, by Carr China
Contributors:
Syracuse photo: Dick Bond – dbstoneware
Carr photos: Susan and Ed Phillips
Mayer photos: Linda Way Whitney