Rochdale Society of Equitable Pioneers

Home > ... > History > Modern Europe > British and Irish History > ...

Essential reading Compare
side-by-side The Oxford Companion to ... A Dictionary of British History The Columbia Encyclopedia, ...

Rochdale Society of Equitable Pioneers

Rochdale Society of Equitable Pioneers one of the first consumers' cooperatives, founded in 1844 in Rochdale, England, by 28 Lancashire weavers. Influenced by the theories of Robert Owen , they opened a grocery store that was so successful that they were able to establish a cooperative factory and textile mill (see cooperative movements ). Their rules combined a fixed interest on capital with a distribution of profits in proportion to purchases. This has remained the basic structure of consumers' cooperatives.

Bibliography: See J. Reeves, A Century of Rochdale Co-operation, 1844-1944 (1944).

Create a link to this page

Copy and paste this link tag into your Web page or blog:

<a href="http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/.aspx#1E1-RochdlScy" title="Facts and information about Rochdale Society of Equitable Pioneers">Rochdale Society of Equitable Pioneers</a>

Give this article a thumbs-up on StumbleUpon

Cite this article
Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography.

MLA
Chicago
APA

"Rochdale Society of Equitable Pioneers." The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2010 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

"Rochdale Society of Equitable Pioneers." The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2010). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-RochdlScy.html

"Rochdale Society of Equitable Pioneers." The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. 2008. Retrieved February 10, 2010 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-RochdlScy.html

Learn more about citation styles

Rochdale Pioneers

A Dictionary of British History | 2004 | | © A Dictionary of British History 2004, originally published by Oxford University Press 2004. (Hide copyright information) Copyright

Rochdale Pioneers is the name given to William Cooper, Charles Howarth, and 26 founders of the Co‐operative movement, whose shop opened in Toad Lane in 1844. They had been encouraged by a lecture from George Holyoake on self‐help. It began on a small scale, opened only on Saturday and Monday evenings with the members serving in the shop. The principle was that profits should be redistributed to purchasers by means of a dividend. By 1851 there were 130 similar shops and by 1862 450 co‐operative enterprises. As the volume of business expanded, the original social, political, and educational objectives were pushed into the background by commercial considerations.

Create a link to this page

Copy and paste this link tag into your Web page or blog:

<a href="http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/.aspx#1O43-RochdalePioneers" title="Facts and information about Rochdale Society of Equitable Pioneers">Rochdale Society of Equitable Pioneers</a>

Cite this article
Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography.

MLA
Chicago
APA

JOHN CANNON. "Rochdale Pioneers." A Dictionary of British History. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2010 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

JOHN CANNON. "Rochdale Pioneers." A Dictionary of British History. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2010). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O43-RochdalePioneers.html

JOHN CANNON. "Rochdale Pioneers." A Dictionary of British History. 2004. Retrieved February 10, 2010 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O43-RochdalePioneers.html

Learn more about citation styles

Rochdale Pioneers

The Oxford Companion to British History | 2002 | | © The Oxford Companion to British History 2002, originally published by Oxford University Press 2002. (Hide copyright information) Copyright

Rochdale Pioneers is the name given to William Cooper, Charles Howarth, and the other 26 founders of the Co-operative movement, whose retail shop opened in Toad Lane in 1844. They had been encouraged by a lecture from George Holyoake the previous year on self-help. It began on a very small scale, opened only on Saturday and Monday evenings with the members serving in the shop. The principle on which they acted was that profits should be redistributed to purchasers by means of a dividend. By 1851 there were 130 similar shops and by 1862 450 co-operative enterprises. As the volume of business expanded, the original social, political, and educational objectives were pushed into the background by commercial considerations.

J. A. Cannon

Create a link to this page

Copy and paste this link tag into your Web page or blog:

<a href="http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/.aspx#1O110-RochdalePioneers" title="Facts and information about Rochdale Society of Equitable Pioneers">Rochdale Society of Equitable Pioneers</a>

Cite this article
Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography.

MLA
Chicago
APA

JOHN CANNON. "Rochdale Pioneers." The Oxford Companion to British History. 2002. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2010 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

JOHN CANNON. "Rochdale Pioneers." The Oxford Companion to British History. 2002. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2010). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O110-RochdalePioneers.html

JOHN CANNON. "Rochdale Pioneers." The Oxford Companion to British History. 2002. Retrieved February 10, 2010 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O110-RochdalePioneers.html

Learn more about citation styles

Free newspaper and magazine articles

The story so far: people's instinct to co-operate rather than compete has formed human experience everywhere in the world--but it keeps taking different shapes. Here the NI outlines the growth of the international co-operative movement.(History)
Magazine article from: New Internationalist; 6/1/2004

Facts and information from other sites

Related articles from newspapers, magazines, and more

	Retail pioneers Newspaper article from: The Northern Echo; 5/7/1999; 305 words ; ...was born in December 1844 with the opening of a small store by the 28 founding members of the Rochdale Equitable Pioneers Society. The Rochdale Pioneers' big idea spread like wildfire, anchored on the principles of voluntary and open membership...
	Co-ops: The Post-Corporate Activism. Magazine article from: Synthesis/Regeneration; 9/22/2000; ; 700+ words ; ...depends on how closely they adhere to the Rochdale Principles, a set of principles governed...the first successful consumer co-op in Rochdale, England. The Rochdale Equitable Pioneers Society existed at a time when people were rioting...
	AFTER 150 YEARS, CO-OPS ARE TIME-TESTED AND MEMBER APPROVED PR Newswire; 10/3/1994; 700+ words ; ...group of poor trades people in Rochdale, England began the first successful...employers had failed them. The Rochdale Equitable Pioneers Society opened a store on Toad Lane...Cooperatives, examines the Rochdale principles and practices that...
	EXPLANATION OF GRANGE'S FAILURE UNCONVINCING.(EDITORIAL)(Review) Newspaper article from: The Capital Times (Madison, WI); 3/16/2001; 700+ words ; ...refers to is the so-called Rochdale Plan, whose earliest and most...hailed from Wisconsin. The Rochdale Plan, inspired by the work...strategy popularized by the Rochdale Equitable Pioneers Society in Lancashire, England, in...
	A Movement that may still pay dividends Newspaper article from: The Northern Echo; 2/24/2000; ; 700+ words ; ...West. In 1844, the Rochdale Equitable Pioneers Society was formed by 28 weavers. The pioneers' warehouse in Toad...benchmark. Their Society was democratic with...actually pre-dates Rochdale by two years but the...
	Now United Co-operatives decides to join the fight for Somerfield Newspaper article from: Yorkshire Post; 5/7/2005; 678 words ; ...been approached to advise the society about a possible move for Somerfield...announcement ensured everyone knew the society's hat was in the ring. Peter...years to the creation of the Rochdale Equitable Pioneers Society. After its food stores, its...
	1844 SATURDAY 21 DECEMBER Newspaper article from: The Independent - London; 12/21/2007; 232 words ; First co-op shop The Rochdale Equitable Pioneers Society opened a co-operative shop on Toad Lane, Rochdale, selling basic items such as flour, butter, tea and candles. Every customer of the shop became a society member
	Cotton mill plan for local property firm; Developer looks over the Pennines.(News) Newspaper article from: Huddersfield Daily Examiner (Huddersfield, England); 4/2/2008; 700+ words ; ...ordinary. It's a very special place - next to Rochdale Canal and natural lakes - so it is perfect for...the founding members of the early co-operative Rochdale Equitable Pioneers Society. The mill provided employment for 41 people...
	COMPETITION FORCES FOOD COOPERATIVES TO GROW UP.(MAIN) Newspaper article from: Albany Times Union (Albany, NY); 12/13/1998; 700+ words ; ...movement was founded in England in 1844 by the Rochdale Equitable Pioneers Society, a group of artisans who objected to the social...economic inequities of competitive capitalism. The Pioneers laid out seven business principles by which their...
	Speech by Economic Secretary to The Treasury, Ed Balls MP, to the Building Societies Association's annual lunch, London, 9 November 2006. M2 Presswire; 11/9/2006; 700+ words ; ...already contributed over half a million more mutual society members. 6. This is an industry that is vital to...that the mutual movement had its origins with the Rochdale Equitable Pioneers, 28 men and women who came together out of a sense...