History of the United Co-operative Baking Society Ltd. : $b A fifty years' record 1869–1919Reid, William
History
History of the United Co-operative Baking Society Ltd. : $b A fifty years' record 1869–1919
Reid, William
United Co-operative Baking Society, Ltd., Glasgow
Other baking societies were formed in the same district. Quite recently
one of these, Stenhousemuir Baking Society, was amalgamated with the
Stenhousemuir Equitable Society, after a separate existence of many
years. Another baking society was situated in the little village of
Carronshore. In the Hillfoots district some time in the late ’forties
baking societies came into existence at Alva and Tillicoultry. The
baking society at Tillicoultry amalgamated with the Tillicoultry Society
in 1905, and the Alva Society with the Alva Bazaar Society a few years
later.
BAKING SOCIETIES IN FIFE AND THE NORTH.
In Fifeshire, also, baking societies were coming into being; indeed, the
earliest baking society whose name is known was formed at Leven in 1828.
In 1840 Kingskettle Baking Society was formed, and it remains strong and
vigorous to-day. It is one of the few of these early baking societies
about which it is possible to give a little information. The society was
only a small affair at the beginning; indeed it is not very large even
to-day; but what it lacked in size it made up for in vigour, and since
its formation it has never looked back. It is recorded that in its early
days the bread was delivered by the aid of a donkey cart; to-day the
society has several vans on the road and supplies a population of
several thousands with bread.
Somewhat earlier than the formation of the society in Kingskettle a
baking society was formed in the village of Leslie, situated a few miles
from Kirkcaldy. The reason for its formation was the same as that
responsible for the formation of others in these early days—small wages
and the extortionate charges for their bread made by the local bakers.
The success which attended the baking venture led in 1840 to the
formation of a general society. In later years this society split over
the question of adopting the Rochdale system of disposing of the
surpluses, and a new society was formed which continues strong and
vigorous; and with this new society the baking society finally
amalgamated. Later still a society was formed in Dunfermline, which in
1866 showed a surplus on working of £493.
Meantime Co-operation was going ahead in the North. Societies had been
formed in Kirriemuir, Brechin, Arbroath, and Forfar, and very early in
its history Kirriemuir took up the baking of bread. Arbroath West Port
Association began the baking of bread in 1846, while in the year
immediately preceding—1845—Arbroath Guthrie Port Association, in
altering their rules, placed first in the list of the objects of the
society “to make bread and to deal in bread,” so that it is evident that
the society was then baking or had baking in contemplation. This is the
society which is now known by the name of Arbroath Equitable Society.
BAKING IN THE BORDERLAND.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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