Brighouse Co-operative Society

This Foldout looks at the co-operative movement in Brighouse Contents:

Brighouse Flour & Industrial Society

In the 1850s, a group of residents of Fool's Penny Row, Rastrick – who were workers at Calder Dye Works – set the local co-operative movement in motion.

The men were keen gardeners and a similar group from Queenshead, seeing their results, remarked

You can grow good cucumbers in Brighouse, why don't you try to grow co-operators

In August 1856, a preliminary meeting was held at Brighouse Oddfellows' Hall. William English was Chairman and John Holdsworth recorded the proceedings. Holdsworth and James Brighouse proposed the Brighouse Flour & Industrial Society be formed.

The entrance fee was to be 1/- per member.

The first members of the Committee and the Board included

These were later joined by

Presidents of the Society included

Their branches included

Around 1862, the name became the Brighouse District Industrial Society

Brighouse District Industrial Society

There were branches at

The familiar beehive symbol appeared on most of their buildings.

In 1865, they began building cottages for members. In 1869, they began larger building projects.

In the 1950s, a Co-operative Union Committee stressed the importance of using the word Co-operative on the societies' shops, and the name became the Brighouse Co-operative Society

Brighouse Co-operative Society

An AGM held in late 1978, decided to merge with the former Bradford Co-operative Society.

From January 1979, it became the West Yorkshire Co-operative Society. From that time, many of the Society's stores were called Sunwin House.

The Society had

See St Paul's Methodist Chapel and The Rydings

This & associated entries use material contributed by Malcolm Terry

© Malcolm Bull 2024
Revised 18:24 / 16th November 2024 / 9773

Page Ref: KK_213

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