The Jubilee History of the Leigh Friendly Cooperative Society Limited, 1857-1907

us a glimpse of the parochial life of the town in the eighteenth century.

It was not, however, until 1848, when the Leigh Advertiser was first published, that we get any connected record of the life of the town. A monthly magazine was published by a committee of the Leigh Mechanics' Institution, which consists of twelve numbers, from November, 1844, to October, 1845. These twelve numbers are bound in one volume, the only copy of which is in the Leigh Free Library.

During the years 1875 to 1883 Mr. Josiah Rose published in the Leigh Chronicle a large number of interesting notes, which contain many references to the district in olden times. These notes were contributed mainly by Mr. Rose, Mr. W. D. Pink, and the Rev. Canon Stanning.

It is not to be considered that these introductory notes and extracts are intended as any attempt at a historical review of Leigh.

They are simply intended as an introduction to a brief history of the Leigh Friendly Co-operative Society; and are more particularly designed to give some account of the condition of the silk weavers in the district prior to the commencement of the Society, because the inception of the Society is due mainly to these same silk weavers; and it was thought that some account of their trials and troubles might be interesting to present-day readers. What is stated. in reference to the silk trade consists mainly of extracts from a pamphlet published in 1845, dealing with the question of "unjust abatements"; also of reports of

numerous meetings of the weavers, held from time to time, and reported very fully in the Leigh Chronicle; from an article written by the late Mr. Thomas Hope, of Atherton, in the "Bee," the Leigh Technical School Students' Magazine; these being supplemented by the recollections of old silk weavers, still living, to whom the compiler of these notes is deeply indebted.

So far as regards the history of the Society, which has had a more chequered career than perhaps any other society in the country, owing to its productive departments, it would require the pen of a Holyoake to do full justice to it. The writer's difficulty has not been from lack of material, but rather how to condense the mass of information at his disposal into reasonable limits.

The story as it is told is a plain record of facts, without any attempt at literary embellishment, such being outside the capacity of the writer.

Special thanks are due to many old members of the Society, and old silk weavers, who have assisted by giving their personal recollections. Several of these have departed hence, from the troubles of this life, since being interviewed; may they rest in peace, and their good works live after them.

Llibres