The Independent United Order of Mechanics (IUOM) was established in England in 1757 and received its authority by an Act of the British Parliament. Branches were established in South Africa, Jamaica, Demerara, Trinidad, Cuba, Panama, Canada, Barbados, Grenada, Suriname, Dutch West Indies, Belize, Honduras, and Guatemala. The lodge’s head office in England ceased to operate and has been relocated to Brooklyn, New York.