The New Poor Law of 1834 was intended to discourage dependence on parish relief by making the workhouse the only source of assistance for most able-bodied people. Unsurprisingly, many working families looked for another way to protect themselves against illness, injury and death.
One answer was the friendly society.
Members paid a regular subscription into a common fund. If they became too ill to work, they received weekly payments to replace some of their lost wages. Their families could also receive help with funeral expenses, preventing the cost of a burial becoming an additional hardship.
In Armitage and Handsacre, two of the best-known societies were the Ancient Order of Foresters and the Independent Order of Oddfellows. By the late nineteenth century they had become an important part of village life, combining practical financial support with a strong social element.
Their annual walks and wakes were among the highlights of the village calendar.
The Staffordshire Advertiser described Handsacre Wake in 1890:
“The Foresters and Old Oddfellows’ Lodges marched in procession to the parish church with banners and flags flying, led by the Armitage Brass Band…”
The procession was followed by a special church service, dinner together at the Red Lion, fairground swings and stalls, and dancing in the evening. What appears at first glance to have been simply a village celebration was also an annual display of mutual support and solidarity.
Behind the banners and music lay a practical purpose. Another newspaper report published in 1890 explained the benefits available to members of the Foresters. A member unable to work through illness or injury received 10 shillings a week for the first twenty-six weeks, 5 shillings a week for the next twenty-six weeks and 2 shillings and 6 pence a week thereafter. On the death of a member, the society paid £10 towards funeral expenses, while the death of a member’s wife attracted a payment of £5. Life assurance was also available.
For many village families these societies offered something the parish no longer could: security without the stigma of the workhouse.