Co-op

Co-op Dividend

Another bite sized chunk of Blantyre History

Another item of interest to historians of Blantyre was that in the early 1930’s the then Blantyre Co-op had heard that the Auchinraith pit was closing down and they had just recently introduced the delivery of coal throughout Blantyre so they started negotiations with the management to buy The Auchinraith pit.

Then Co-op formed in Blantyre was a tremendous boost to the economy and lives of the Blantyre Folks who all shared in the dividends that were paid out each year.

The average wage of a miner in 1883 when the Blantyre Co-op was formed was about 3 shillings and sixpence per day, to join the Co-op it would cost him 1 shilling and 2 pence. This gave him a share in the company and a share in the dividend. One has to remember that in 1883, there were still a lot of miners who were under the yoke of the owners, maybe not as obvious as before, but that which you and your families had lived with for many a year and was hard to break away from, if you could.

It had to have been a mind shattering occurrence for some miners, he comes up out of the pit and someone comes over to him and says that he will give him a share in a business for 1 shilling and 2 pence and that will give him the rights to go in to a grocery etc. store and buy goods for a price lower than other stores in the neighbourhood including the store owned by his employer, and at the end of the year they will pay him some money for doing so.

Two of my families were involved in the formation of the Co-op, I found this out by reading through the yearly report. This I did not know! Again this was history of my family, telling me who they were and substantiating dates. It’s amazing where you can dig up this info and without trying just by reading a report.

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Continuing the conversation between Thomas Dunsmuir Hartman in Chicago, formerly Logan Street, (known as TDH or Drapadew) and Margaret in Queensland Australia on TalkingScot.

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