Records relating to the Regulation of Friendly Societies

Division within FS

c.1784-1980

Records relating to the regulation of friendly societies. Friendly societies are mutual insurance societies in which the members subscribe for provident benefits, in particular sickness, endowment and old age benefits.

Statutory documents of friendly societies submitted to or inherited by the Registry are in FS 1, FS 3, FS 15, FS 16 and FS 21, with indexes in FS 2 and FS 4. Files relating to rules, etc, of orders, branches and districts are in FS 5 and FS 10

For further records on the regulation of friendly societies see records of the Friendly Societies Commission: LV

Public Record(s)

English

9 series

Topics

Friendly societies

A few friendly societies still in existence were founded before 1700, the oldest extant dating from 1555, but it was not until the eighteenth century that the movement became widely established. The earliest statutory recognition of them was an Act of 1793 which granted them certain privileges in return for a measure of administrative control by which their rules were required to be confirmed by justices in quarter sessions. In 1829 the barrister who had been appointed in the previous year to certify the rules of savings banks was required to certify that the rules of friendly societies were in accordance with the law before they were deposited with the justices. These rules and other documents so deposited were taken into the custody of the registrar following the Acts of 1846 and 1875. In 1875 major changes were made in the system of registration and separate classes of society were distinguished by law.

Friendly societies are subject to the provisions of the Industrial Assurance Acts. Some friendly societies consist of a central body, called the order, and branches, which are usually grouped in geographical districts. Friendly societies are not to be confused with ?collecting societies? whose sole role was to provide death benefits for the families of deceased members.