General Manager’s Report
By Terry Appleby

Early Cooperators
Had High Ideals

One of the seven Cooperative Principles is voluntary and open membership, meaning membership in a society is open to all persons willing to accept the responsibilities of membership, without gender, social, racial, political or religious discrimination. Because of this principle it has generally been a practice of cooperatives to avoid becoming engaged in political or highly divisive social issues. That is not to say cooperative societies have not been engaged in issues of importance. Early in its history the Rochdale Co-op provided key support for the abolition of slavery, even though support came at a price.

Inside the Rochdale Pioneers’ museum, the original one-room shop has been recreated. The Pioneers launched their cooperative business with five products: sugar, flour, oatmeal, butter and candles.

In the first half of the 19th century Rochdale was a center of the Lancashire cotton weaving industry and consequently relied on imported sources of raw cotton to supply its mills. After the outbreak of the Civil War in the United States the Union Navy blockaded Confederate ports and effectively shut off the supply of cotton to English mills. The result on the Lancashire economy was devastating, sending thousands out of work and plunging many more thousands of families into destitution. In Rochdale 27 percent of the population was receiving relief by 1863 and thousands were receiving their daily meals from soup kitchens. People in the county of Lancashire were aware of the cause of the cotton collapse and public opinion generally favored the South in the war. Yet despite the suffering being endured, the town of Rochdale stood for the Union.

What was different in Rochdale from the many other towns in the region? One prominent difference was the existence and influence of the Rochdale Equitable Pioneers Society. The Society was created not only to provide pure food to consumers, but also to provide education and enlightenment to working people. The original Pioneers were influenced by a desire to improve the lot of humanity through democratic process and a commitment to raising the conditions of its members through education and cooperative action. Through their strong adherence to the ideals of liberty and freedom they were advocates for the emancipation of America’s slaves, and thus ardent supporters of the North. A leading politician of the period was of the opinion that the newsroom and educational programs of the Rochdale Society in some ways insulated its members from the depressed conditions caused by the collapse of cotton. The Society was a center of learning for working class people and endeavored to not only spread the benefits of mutual and cooperative activity, but also of expanding their options for a livelihood beyond the mills. Throughout the period of the Civil War in America the Rochdale Society was preparing to go beyond the old economy based on cotton cloth and build a new economy based on the opportunities afforded through a cooperative, democratic model.

A reflection of the role Rochdale and members of the Society played in its support of the Union cause and against the institution of slavery was symbolized by a gift to the Rochdale Town Hall from the United States government. The gift was a bound volume of condolences sent to Mrs. Lincoln following the assassination of the President.

Note: Information for this article was taken from David Thompson’s wonderful book Weavers of Dreams, a copy of which Co-op members can borrow from the Co-op’s lending library.

Updated weekly: