[1] The Order of True Ivorites was founded by Thomas Robert Jones (1802-1856) and was named after Ifor Hael, one of Dafydd ap Gwilym's patrons.
As well as helping the poor and needy, the order furthered the Welsh language through organising local Eisteddfodau.
In The Laws and Regulations of the Order, published in 1839, states that the True Ivorites Society is an institution 'to encourage the Welsh language, to preserve its members as far as possible from want'.
[3] This reflects the competition from other societies and the change in the number of Welsh speakers in Glamorgan during the later nineteenth century.
[3] The Ivorites, along with fellow friendly society the Oddfellows, were especially strong in Glamorgan, and survived well into the twentieth century.