Close Hill Industrial and Provident Society

Also referred to as the Close Hill Co-operative Society.

For the year 1890, the society reported to have 569 members and sales of £21,578.[1]

Extracts

A Century of Co-operative Endeavour 1847-1947 (1947):

Close Hill Industrial and Provident Society was started in 1847 by J Armitage, G Eastwood, Ely Matthewman, W Blamires, and Zachariah Liversidge. They met in Newsome in a pub kept by J Armitage. They decided to follow the example of mutual trading set by the Rochdale Pioneers. They began by selling flour.

W Armitage, a farmer of Blagden Lane, undertook the cartage of the flour and sold it to the Society's 37 members from the kitchen of the pub. By the end of 1847 they also began to sell candles, treacle, spices, tobacco, butter, sugar, and other groceries. They also sold boots and shoes. Due to the expansion in trade they required bigger premises and began renting a cottage at Pump Lane at Close Hill. By the end of the first year they had a surplus of £36. 1s. 1d.

In the following years progress was steady. In 1872 a new store was built. In 1874 the Society entered into the coal business. In 1877 the Society took up butchery and boot repairs. In 1891 the millinery department opened and 1893 saw extensions to the store. In 1926 a branch was opened at Taylor Hill and in 1932 a confectionary branch was opened at Taylor Hill. In 1947 the Society celebrated its Centenary.

In 1961 Close Hill Industrial and Provident Society joined with the Co-operative Retail Services.

Known Locations

Notes and References

  1. "Co-operative Trading" in Huddersfield Daily Examiner (19/Mar/1892).