Armadale Co-operatives
ARMADALE CO-OPERATIVE SOCIETY 1873-1976
A society was formed in 1861 with the objective of providing superior quality goods at cost price plus working expenses[1]. The first secretary of the society provided a store for rent. The society was registered in 1863. In the beginning the society offered credit and ran into trouble with bad debt. The society appointed a trained grocer and moved to another store in the town. However the rising debt from the increased membership resulted in the society being wound up in 1868.
In 1873 miner's wages were high. Members of the Thistle Lodge of Free Gardeners' Friendly Society proposed forming a co-operative society. At a public meeting this was agreed and a committee formed. The society took on the same name as the old society and rented McDonaId's Hall in West Main Street in November of that year as a store. In 1879 the society aquired the bakery business next door. The society insisted on cash sales. It was also found that customers were allowing their quarterly dividend to lie as share capital on which they could trade. In 1886 the society obtained a site and built a store that they extended over time to fill the plot.
With increses reserve funds the society built tenements in 1896 and 1898 for rent.
The society joined West Lothian in 1972.
| ARMADALE CO-OPERATIVE SOCIETY LTD | ||
|---|---|---|
| ||
| Source | (DRR) | |
| Filename | ArmadCoop.H | |
| Value | ½d | |
| Add Desc. | 1 is 4.7mm high, D is 2.6mm high | |
| Size (mm) | 22 | |
| Manufacture | Light Brown Plastic | |
| Notes | ||
| File:ArmadCoop.Ha.jpg | ||
| Source | (DRR) | |
| Filename | ArmadCoop.Ha | |
| Value | ½d | |
| Add Desc. | 1 is 4.7mm high, D is 2.6mm high | |
| Size (mm) | 22 | |
| Manufacture | Dark Brown Plastic | |
| Notes | ||
| File:ArmadCoop.Hb.jpg | ||
| Source | (DRR) | |
| Filename | ArmadCoop.Hb | |
| Value | ½d | |
| Add Desc. | 1 is wide and 3mm high, D is 1.7mm high | |
| Size (mm) | 22 | |
| Manufacture | Very Dark Brown Plastic | |
| Notes | ||
| File:ArmadCoop.1.jpg | ||
| Source | (DRR) | |
| Filename | ArmadCoop.1 | |
| Value | 1d | |
| Add Desc. | ||
| Size (mm) | 24 | |
| Manufacture | Black Plastic | |
| Notes | ||
| ||
| Source | (TCS 11) | |
| Filename | ArmadCoop.1a | |
| Value | 1d | |
| Add Desc. | Small lettering | |
| Size (mm) | 23 | |
| Manufacture | Black Plastic | |
| Notes | ||
| File:ArmadCoop.3.jpg | ||
| Source | (DRR) | |
| Filename | ArmadCoop.3 | |
| Value | 3d | |
| Add Desc. | ||
| Size (mm) | 22 | |
| Manufacture | Cream Plastic | |
| Notes | ||
| File:ArmadCoop.1S.jpg | ||
| Source | (DRR) | |
| Filename | ArmadCoop.1S | |
| Value | 1/- | |
| Add Desc. | ||
| Size (mm) | 28 | |
| Manufacture | Cream Plastic | |
| Notes | ||
- ↑ Armadale Past and Present: From its foundation to the present day, R Hynd-Brown, 1906