‘The principle of mutual support’: female friendly soci - PowerPoint Presentation

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‘The principle of mutual support’: female friendly societies in Scotland c. 1789-1830Jane RendallSlide2

Regulations for the Galston Female Society ([Kilmarnock]: printed by H. Crawford, 1811). NLS 5.3021(20)Slide3

Regulations for the Galston

Female Society,

p. 3Slide4

Distribution of all registered friendly societies in Scotland, 1831: Source: Return of the number of Friendly Societies filed by Clerks of the Peace of each County, etc, since 1 January 1793, pp. 36-44, House of Commons Papers, 1831-32 (90) XXVI.291. Slide5

Mahogany deacon’s box with three locks from the Society of Journeymen Bakers in Glasgow, founded 4 October 1765. Glasgow Museums’ CollectionsSlide6

Articles of the Beith Humane Society, Constituted 27th March 1800 (Dalry: J. Gemmill, 1801), NLS RB.s

. 927 (20)Slide7

Distribution of female friendly societies in Scotland, 1789-1830Slide8

Sederunt Book of the Justices of the Peace for the County of Dumfriesshire 1779-1815, ff67v, entry for 5 August 1794, Ewart

Library, Dumfries, EGD 046/2 Slide9

Rules & Regulations for the Irvine & Halfway Female Friendly Society, instituted May 5, 1805 (Irvine: printed by J.Mennons, 1815) Ayrshire Archives, AA/DC33/1/1Slide10

Rules & Regulations for the Irvine & Halfway Female Friendly Society, p. 2

Every

member, whether poor or rich, when in trouble, has a right to, and must receive, the benefit affixed by the Society to her particular case: thus no one gives or

receives

money as charity, but as a just compensation for what she has given, or is subjected to give, to others in distress, and thus the members mutually, and in a most friendly manner, contribute to each other’s support, and thereby promote each other’s

happiness.Slide11

Regulations for the Galston Female Society, p. 3Slide12

Caledonian Mercury, 8 August 1814

Montrose Aug. 5. On Tuesday last, the Montrose Female Friendly Society availed themselves of the annual procession of St John’s Lodge of Free Gardeners, to accompany them through the principal streets of that burgh. The females, to the amount of nearly 200, neatly and uniformly attired in white muslin dresses; their caps ornamented with blue ribbon, corresponding with their neckerchiefs, proceeding from the Town-hall in which they assembled,

headed

by their office-bearers

uncovered,

and preceded by their patroness, Mrs Carnegie of

Charleton

, supported by the two lady key-keepers. The gardeners, who had previously assembled, and being joined by deputations of seven other lodges from the neighbouring towns, formed a line on each side, through which the females passed under an arch composed of the choicest productions of Flora

.

They then proceeded in mutual procession with the ensigns of the various lodges, and accompanied by music. Slide13

The institution may be very good and we really believe it is; but we confess we cannot approve of so extraordinary and singular an innovation; there certainly appeared something unseemly in such a scene:—it is the first time we ever heard of females marching, in martial order, to the sound of a drum, since the Amazons of ancient times—indeed it will now be nothing surprising to see our females exhibiting as pugilists, or contending for the prize of might with the rough part of the creation. It is an inversion of the order of nature, and an unseemly infraction of the line necessarily drawn between the sexes.

Montrose, Arbroath and

Brechin

Review

, 5 August 1814