Hawick Co-operatives

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Hawick was an important market town, becoming a burgh of regality in 1669 and the second lagest town in the Scottish border region - Dumfries is significantly larger. It developed from the late 17070s to become an important manufacturer of textiles and knitwear. In 1771 John Hardie, a carpet manufacturer, obtained a knitting machine for the production of stockings and others followed. The decline in the stocking trade around 1815 led to weaving manufacturers converting stocking trade operations. The town continued to adopt to fashion changes, manufacturing textiles, hosiery and knitwear. The term "Tweed" originated in the town in the 1830s. Since the 1980s the town has seen a steady decline in production, only only a few smaller businesses remaining.

The town had a railway station in 1849 that was part of southern terminus the Waverley liner. This was repositioned when the line was extended to Carlisle in 1862. The station closed in 1969 with the closure of the Waverley line.

The coloured photograph opposite shows Hawick High Street around 1900.

HAWICK CO-OPERATIVE SOCIETY 1839-1968

The society owes it's origins to the Chartist movement. The Hawick Chartist Association was formed in 1838 by Hawick stocking makers. They members of the association had been in the habit of jointly purchasing goods. To extend this principle in 1839 they formed a joint stock company, the Hawick Chartist Provison Company, with shares priced at 5s. Members of the store had to be members of the association and have at least one share, unless a widow or poor. The store was opened in November 1839 at 1 Silver Street, with trading on Tuesday evenings, Thursday evenings and Saturday afternoons. The as well as relying on member's share capital, the society obtained credit to epand and in 1842 moved to a larger store in Sandbed that they called The Chartist Store - see opposite. In 1852 the Excise authorities insisted that the name of a member must be above the door so the society decided to call the store Henry Dove & Co, Henry Dove being one of the more active Chartists in the society. He left for the USA in 1853 and the authorities again insisted on a name change but nothing was done.

In 1852 the society changed its rules to align with those of he Galashiels Store Company, which included a dividend on purchases and changed it's name to the Hawick Cooperative Store Company. These changes were adopted with some resistance. In 1862 the society abandoned the requirement for members to be Chartists and admitted anyone on payment of 1s. In 1867 the society passed a motion that all members making cash purchases would recieve a dividend that was 50% of the member's annual dividend. The society also agreed to form a seperate society to sell butcher meat. It was agreed for this society that every purchaser would recieve 50% of the member's annual dividend and that the purchases would be recorded using checks. This society was called the Butcher Meat Co-operative Society. The Butcher Meat co-operative society got involved in a law suit that used up most of it's capital. This resulted in the manager being sacked and the Butcher Meat society going into liquidation in 1869.

By 1885 the society had 2,000 members and seven branches. In this year the drapery and shoe department on HIgh Street was converted into the main branch, which was added to over time to finally extend from Tannage Close to Baker Street). The society changed it's name to Hawick Co-operative Society in 1892. By 1932 the society had obtained a farm.

In 1966 the society had 7,881 members, the High Street Department Store, a supermarket and a Teenage Fashion Store. The society united with Jedburgh to form Hawick & Jedburgh in 1968.

The tokens below deted 1889 would have been issued in that year to celibrate the society's jubilee - 50 years in operation.

HAWICK CO-OPERATIVE STORE CO LIMITED ?
File:HawickCoop.HSov.jpg
	Source	(DRR)
	Filename	HawickCoop.HSov
	Value	HALF SOVN
	Add Desc.
	Size (mm)	19
	Manufacture	Brass
	Notes
File:HawickCoop.£1.jpg
	Source	(DRR)
	Filename	HawickCoop.£1
	Value	£1
	Add Desc.
	Size (mm)	21
	Manufacture	Brass
	Notes

HAWICK CO-OPERATIVE STORE COY LD
	Source	(DRR)
	Filename	HawickCoop.Ha
	Value	½d
	Add Desc.
	Size (mm)	21
	Manufacture	Yellow Plastic
	Notes
File:HawickCoop.1a.jpg
	Source	(DRR)
	Filename	HawickCoop.1a
	Value	1d
	Add Desc.	1889
	Size (mm)	21
	Manufacture	Maroon Plastic
	Notes
	Source	(DRR)
	Filename	HawickCoop.1b
	Value	1d
	Add Desc.	1889
	Size (mm)	21
	Manufacture	Red Plastic
	Notes
File:HawickCoop.6a.jpg
	Source	(DRR)
	Filename	HawickCoop.6a
	Value	6d
	Add Desc.	1889
	Size (mm)	25
	Manufacture	Blue Plastic
	Notes
File:HawickCoop.1Sa.jpg
	Source	(DRR)
	Filename	HawickCoop.1Sa
	Value	1/-
	Add Desc.	1889
	Size (mm)	31
	Manufacture	Light Blue Plastic
	Notes
File:HawickCoop.1Sb.jpg
	Source	(DRR)
	Filename	HawickCoop.1Sb
	Value	1/-
	Add Desc.	1889
	Size (mm)	31
	Manufacture	Mauve Plastic
	Notes
File:HawickCoop.1Sc.jpg
	Source	(DNW N Beaton Collection)
	Filename	HawickCoop.1Sc
	Value	1/-
	Add Desc.	1889
	Size (mm)	31
	Manufacture	Blue Plastic
	Notes
File:HawickCoop.2S6a.jpg
	Source	(DRR)
	Filename	HawickCoop.2S6a
	Value	2/6
	Add Desc.	1889
	Size (mm)	29
	Manufacture	Black Plastic
	Notes

HAWICK CO-OP SOCIETY LTD
File:HawickCoop.HPtd.jpg
	Source	(DRR)
	Filename	HawickCoop.HPtd
	Value	½ PINT
	Add Desc.
	Size (mm)	22
	Manufacture	Yellow Plastic
	Notes
File:HawickCoop.1Ptd.jpg
	Source	(DRR)
	Filename	HawickCoop.1Ptd
	Value	1 PINT
	Add Desc.
	Size (mm)	32
	Manufacture	White Plastic
	Notes

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HAWICK & JEDBURGH CO-OPERATIVE SOCIETY 1968-1984

Hawick & Jedburgh was formed by the merger of Hawick and Jedburgh in 1968. As Hawick is the larger town and had a much larger memebership, the headquarters would have been in Hawick.

Hawick & Jedburgh merged with Border and Selkirk & Kelso in 1984 to form Central Borders. Central Borders merged with Dumfries in 1986 to form Border Regional. Border Regional merged with East Lothian in 1992 to form Lothian and Borders. This society merged with East Angus in 1998 to form Lothian, Borders & Angus. In 2008 Lothian, Borders & Angus was absorbed by the CWS

H & J CO-OP SOCIETY
File:H&JCoop.HPt.jpg
	Source	(DRR)
	Filename	H&JCoop.HPt
	Value	½ PINT
	Add Desc.
	Size (mm)	22
	Manufacture	Light Blue Plastic
	Notes
File:H&JCoop.1Pt.jpg
	Source	(DRR)
	Filename	H&JCoop.1Pt
	Value	1 PINT
	Add Desc.
	Size (mm)	25
	Manufacture	Red Plastic
	Notes

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