Accrington and Church Co-Operative Society

[bekibird]

Having been researching my family history for about a year now I have been trying to find out more information about the Accrington and Church Co-Operative Society. My Great Grandfather was employed by them up until his death in 1933 (the society also paid for his funeral and burial) and he worked for them in the painting and decorating department. I was wondering if anyone knew of where I could find out more about the society and it workings in Accrington and perhaps the possibility of there being any form of employment records that may be held somewhere. My Great Grandafther is turning out to be something of an enigma as I know he was a prisoner of war in Germany but am struggling with how to find out where and when and also what regiment he was in. Any help or pointers would be gratefully received!

[Marie Ball]

I have a book called Accrington and Church Industrial Co-operative Society Limited History of Fifty years' progress by James Haslam, but it only goes up to 1910. if there's anything I can look up for you, just say, Marie

[Retlaw]

Originally Posted by bekibird

Having been researching my family history for about a year now I have been trying to find out more information about the Accrington and Church Co-Operative Society. My Great Grandfather was employed by them up until his death in 1933 (the society also paid for his funeral and burial) and he worked for them in the painting and decorating department. I was wondering if anyone knew of where I could find out more about the society and it workings in Accrington and perhaps the possibility of there being any form of employment records that may be held somewhere. My Great Grandafther is turning out to be something of an enigma as I know he was a prisoner of war in Germany but am struggling with how to find out where and when and also what regiment he was in. Any help or pointers would be gratefully received!

His name, Regiment, and number would help, a previous address even more so.
The Accrington Co-operative Society was first formed in the upstairs room of a property in Brigg's yard off Hargreaves St, back in the mid 1800's in bid to beat the truck act.


Retlaw.

[Bob Dobson]

Have a look at the website of the Lancashsire record office. Their holdi ngs are on it. In addition, there is a Co-operative Wholesale Society library in Manchester and they have lots of records. The postal adddress is probably Balloon Street. The Society paid for hundreds of funerals as ther was a sceme, just as today, where members paid a penny or so a week and it paiod for the funeral. Even if they were not a member of the scheme and engaged the Co-op to run the funeral instead of (say) Kirby's, then they would get some back in the form of 'divi' (dividend) which was allocated to them through their membership number. Even today. the Co-op is the largest funeral business in the country

[Taggy]

It would be interesting to know how many co-op businesses there were in this area, and indeed throughout Lanc/Yorks!...My Mum used to work on the Millinery Counter at the Co-Op on Abbey Street..the one that had the Stuffed Bear in it! I still recall collecting those little blue stamps!


Best Regards - Taggy

[cashman]

Originally Posted by Taggy

It would be interesting to know how many co-op businesses there were in this area, and indeed throughout Lanc/Yorks!...My Mum used to work on the Millinery Counter at the Co-Op on Abbey Street..the one that had the Stuffed Bear in it! I still recall collecting those little blue stamps!


Best Regards - Taggy

was the blue stamps yer Divvy?

[jaysay]

Originally Posted by cashman

was the blue stamps yer Divvy?

Thats out of order Mr Cashman, Taggy is a nice chap, and not a Divvyand besides he's a fellow Rover

[Retlaw]

Originally Posted by Taggy

It would be interesting to know how many co-op businesses there were in this area, and indeed throughout Lanc/Yorks!...My Mum used to work on the Millinery Counter at the Co-Op on Abbey Street..the one that had the Stuffed Bear in it! I still recall collecting those little blue stamps!


Best Regards - Taggy

To start you off, there was the main one that occupied most of the top end of Warner St, with branches on Higher Antley St, Nuttall St, Co-op Joiners in Birtwistle St, there was also the Co-op down around the Barnes St area of Clayton.
Where the branches were in Church, haven't a clue.
The Co-op in Accrington was formed by the Accrington Weavers Assoc, at a meeting at the home of Mr Thomas Briggs in 1849, in a bid to beat the mill owners. Many mills had shops attached to their premises, and paid 1/2 the wages in their own tokens, which could only be spent in the mill shop, at their prices, even though the practice was outlawed by the government, it carried on for many years. Thats why workers Co-operatives were formed.
Look at some of the early census returns and you will come across entries, Mill owner & Grocer, employing xx men, xx women and xx boys & girls, some of those children were not 10 years old.
You won't find any entries listing these children as working in any mill, they will be shown as scholar, but that was only 1/2 time.

Retlaw.

[wadey]

1900

A total of 1,439 co-operative societies now registered.

The Co-operative | our history

[bekibird]

Thanks everyone for your messages - albeit after three years of originally posting!! The power of the internet eh!! I will check out the suggestions and see what I can come up with.
As for the prisoner of war thing - my Grandfather was called John Southworth and his regiment number was 2874. He served with the Batt Loyal North Lanc Regt and he was listed at the time of signing up at 40 Peel Hall Street, Preston. I have no idea how to go about looking for where he might have been held but I do have an account with Ancestry where I found his service records. Any help with where to look next would be much appreciated.
Thanks
Bekibird.

[JEFF]

Originally Posted by Retlaw

To start you off, there was the main one that occupied most of the top end of Warner St

Was it not the top of Oak Street ?

[Retlaw]

Originally Posted by JEFF

Was it not the top of Oak Street ?

Your right, it was Oak St, my excuse is so much has been destroyed and rebuilt, I some times get .
led astray.
Same with Nuttall St, from Wellington St to South St, I now can't say exactly where Dicky Scents was.
or the french polishers.
Retlaw

[Taggy]

Originally Posted by jaysay

Thats out of order Mr Cashman, Taggy is a nice chap, and not a Divvyand besides he's a fellow Rover

LOL!!...Been a few years since ive been called a Divvy Jaysay,in fact with some of the things i have been called over the years, it rather feels complimentary!!

Best Regards - Taggy

[JEFF]

Here are a few photos
Co-op Abbey.JPGCo-op Abbey Tailoring.JPGCo-op Abbey Street.JPGCo-op Abbey Street.JPGCo-op Abbey Street.JPG
Co-op Abbey Street.JPGCo-op Abbey Street.JPGCo-op Abbey Street.JPG

[JEFF]

Here are a few more

Co-op Drapery.JPG Co-op Edleston.JPG Co-op Ellison.JPG Co-op Garbett.JPG Co-op Harvey.JPG Co-op Haywood.JPG Co-op Huncoat.JPG Co-op Manor.JPG Co-op Market Street.JPG Co-op Market Street, Church.JPG