City Readers Digital Historic Collections at the New York Society Library

The Friendly Sons of St. Patrick, or The Society of The Friendly Sons of St. Patrick for the Relief of Emigrants from Ireland, is an American social organization for Irish-Americans founded in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on March 17 (St. Patrick's Day), 1771.

General Stephen Moylan was one of society's organizers and its first president. Other founding members included:

• Thomas Barclay
• John Nixon
• William West
• Thomas Fitzsimons

Other early members included:

• Commodore John Barry
• General Anthony Wayne
• General John Cadwalader
• General William Irvine
• General Richard Butler
• General William Thompson
• Tench Francis, Jr.

Honorary members included:

• George Washington
• Robert Morris
• Richard Bache
• John Dickinson