Colne & District Co-operative Society

This series consists of records created by Colne & District Co-operative Society including poisons registers, correspondence, and title deeds and agreements.

Colne & District Co-operative Society was established in 1886 through the merger of three seperate Societies at Parliament Street, Waterside, and Primer Bridge. The first President was Mr Joseph Chester, and the Committee consisted of Benjamin Marshall, John Duerden, William Dorrill, Isaac Heys, Edwin Scott, and W H Riding. Premises were erected at Church Street.

By 1896 the Society had 9 grocery branches, 3 boot and shoe shops, and drapery, tailoring and coal departments. In 1897 a bakery, abbattoir, and joinery department were opened at Stanley Street. By 1906 they also had 9 butcher's shops. In 1903 Colne Hall was purchased and in 1907 all the departments were brought together in this building.

In 1907 a branch was opened at Kelbrook, and in 1916 and 1921 Salterforth and Winewall Societies joined Colne. Further branches were opended at Laneshaw Bridge, Clare Avenue, Ruskin Avenue, and Harrrison Drive. In 1932 Earby Society amalgamated with Colne, and in 1935 Trawden joined them.

In 1930 a boot and shoe repairing factory was opened at Albert Road premises, and extensions were made to the grocery warehouse in Brown Street East. 1930 also saw the purchase of the Royal Arcade which was opened in 1932. In 1935 half the share capital in Nelson CO-operative Society's laundry was taken up and it was renamed the Nelson, Colne and District Co-operative Laundries Association Ltd.

In 1968 Colne & District Co-operative Society joined Pendle Co-operative Society which became part of the Co-operative Retail Services in 1971.

Source: 'Jubilee Souvenir: Being an Historical Review of the Society During the Fifty Years Between 1886-1936', (1936).