Yorkshire village claims the ‘world’s first co-op shop’

OLD TIMES ... One of the first co-ops was Sheerness, which celebrated the society’s centenary in 1916 — it was trading 28 years before the Rochdale Pioneers came together

June 29 2010

A group of local history enthusiasts in Ripponden, West Yorkshire, are claiming that their village — not Rochdale — was the site of the world’s first co-operative shop.

According to established Co-op history, the first shop, though not the first co-operative, was opened in Toad Lane by the renowned Rochdale Pioneers on August 11, 1844.

But Ryburn Valley History Society believe a Co-op shop opened in Ripponden 12 years earlier in 1832.

Ripponden Parish Council has already erected put a blue plaque in Oldham Road to mark the spot.

Hazel Whiteley, President of the History Society, said: “It is a sad fact that co-operative historians have blanked us out and while the Rochdale Pioneers long claimed precedence, Ripponden has been too modest to assert its age.

“It is now time, long overdue, to give acknowledgement to our own social history and to the local men who founded the Ripponden Co-operative Society and kept the torch of co-operation alive.”

Records show that on November 24th, 1832, 24 people paid their first subscription of one shilling and the Ripponden Co-operative Society was founded.

Parish council chair Andrew Naylor said: “It is great to finally acknowledge the work these people did.”

Gillian Lonergan, from the National Co-operative Archive, told the News: “The Rochdale Pioneers didn’t claim to be the first, they said they learned from the experiences of those that went before and they built a workable model of co-operation that was copied by others and developed into a movement.

“Their Rochdale Principles have, over the years developed into the Co-operative Principles of today. We always talk about Rochdale Pioneers as being the founding of the modern movement.

“Ripponden Society was formed in 1832, however, they were not the first either — the Stockport Great Moor Society was formed in 1831 and the Sheerness Economical Co-operative Society was formed in 1816.”

Added Ms Lonergan: “There were even more earlier societies that did not survive very long, including the Fenwick Weavers in 1769 — the earliest society of which records survive. There may be earlier ones that we don’t know of because their records are no longer around!”

Category: Retail Societies