The Timberscombe Friendly Society on the Village Square
Title
The Timberscombe Friendly Society on the Village Square
Subject
Description
An undated photograph of members of the Timberscombe Friendly Society gathered in the Village Square of Timberscombe. Seen to their left is the Old Forge and unseen to their right would be Lion Inn. The front of the Old Forge looks much like it does at SP-012, with a small rectangular sign reading "C. PHILLIPS & SON GENERAL SMITHS" at the centre of the arch over it's doorway. Charles Phillips died in 1941 and his son, Henry Arthur (but known as Harry) died in 1936 (1). The sign cannot be read here and certainly may have been kept with it's lettering changed.
Behind the gentlemen of the Friendly Society (and one small boy) is Jubilee Terrace, with Combe House to the left and Jeffery's, a provisions shop, to the right at No. 3 Jubilee Terrace, run by James and Emma (nee Williams) Jeffery. Mr. Jeffery, born in 1878, was also a bricklayer and a sometime Methodist preacher (2). Part of the Jeffery's sign is visible over the shop window. Jeffery's was still operating into the early 1950's. The shop can be seen at SP-008 and is mentioned in the journals of J. B. Martin, the minister at the Methodist Chapel and the author of the "Uncle" books. Selections of these journals are reprinted in "J.P. Martin Father of Uncle A Master of the Great English Nonsense Tradition", written by his daughter, Stella Martin Currey and published in 2016 by Matador. Writing about his time in Timberscombe and reprinted in the chapter, "A Dance of Joy on A Lonely Road, 1948-60", Mr. Martin recalled his "awkward old friend, Jeffery" and his shop, from 1949 to Mr. Jeffery's death in May 1953.
The first Timberscombe Friendly Society was formed in 1827 (3), to provide for others in need of financial aid by arranging insurance, loans, pensions or cooperative banking. They also aided the ill, the insane and those in need of burial. At Timberscombe, the Society held a procession known as the Timberscombe Club Walk, either on the first Tuesday (4) or Thursday in June, and later on Whit-Monday (5), marching with their staffs (as seen here), adorned with flowers, foliage and ribbon. A breakfast was traditionally held at St.Petrock's Church, a village fair might be held in the village and sports played at the club fields. Some door to door collecting of money might be done at gaily decorated houses, all to raise funds for the Society's social endeavours (6).
This may be a smaller group than those in the 19th and earlier 20th century. The last Timberscombe Club Walk is recorded as being held in 1939 (7). The Timberscombe Friendly Society did not disband until shortly after World War II (8). It is possible this is a more modest gathering after the Club Walks ended.
Times were changing. In 1908, Winston Churchill had advocated national unemployment insurance and in December of 1910, David Lloyd George was exploring a State Insurance Program. On the 4th of May 1911, the National Health Insurance Bill was introduced into the House Of Commons (9) and the Insurance Act of 1911 was passed. The need of Friendly Societies had become less urgent. They still existed but had to be approved by The National Health Insurance Joint Committee and the National Health Insurers. In July 1912, the Timberscombe Society was approved, as designated to "Mr. J. Coles, Timberscombe, Taunton" (10). This apparently was not John Coles, living at Timberscombe's Great House Farm, but his son, John Coles, Junior, an Assistant Overseer of the Post Office (11). In 1892, The Timbercombe Friendly Society had around 130 members. In the 1930's the amount of members was about 60 (12). This photograph may have been one of the later groups.
Behind the gentlemen of the Friendly Society (and one small boy) is Jubilee Terrace, with Combe House to the left and Jeffery's, a provisions shop, to the right at No. 3 Jubilee Terrace, run by James and Emma (nee Williams) Jeffery. Mr. Jeffery, born in 1878, was also a bricklayer and a sometime Methodist preacher (2). Part of the Jeffery's sign is visible over the shop window. Jeffery's was still operating into the early 1950's. The shop can be seen at SP-008 and is mentioned in the journals of J. B. Martin, the minister at the Methodist Chapel and the author of the "Uncle" books. Selections of these journals are reprinted in "J.P. Martin Father of Uncle A Master of the Great English Nonsense Tradition", written by his daughter, Stella Martin Currey and published in 2016 by Matador. Writing about his time in Timberscombe and reprinted in the chapter, "A Dance of Joy on A Lonely Road, 1948-60", Mr. Martin recalled his "awkward old friend, Jeffery" and his shop, from 1949 to Mr. Jeffery's death in May 1953.
The first Timberscombe Friendly Society was formed in 1827 (3), to provide for others in need of financial aid by arranging insurance, loans, pensions or cooperative banking. They also aided the ill, the insane and those in need of burial. At Timberscombe, the Society held a procession known as the Timberscombe Club Walk, either on the first Tuesday (4) or Thursday in June, and later on Whit-Monday (5), marching with their staffs (as seen here), adorned with flowers, foliage and ribbon. A breakfast was traditionally held at St.Petrock's Church, a village fair might be held in the village and sports played at the club fields. Some door to door collecting of money might be done at gaily decorated houses, all to raise funds for the Society's social endeavours (6).
This may be a smaller group than those in the 19th and earlier 20th century. The last Timberscombe Club Walk is recorded as being held in 1939 (7). The Timberscombe Friendly Society did not disband until shortly after World War II (8). It is possible this is a more modest gathering after the Club Walks ended.
Times were changing. In 1908, Winston Churchill had advocated national unemployment insurance and in December of 1910, David Lloyd George was exploring a State Insurance Program. On the 4th of May 1911, the National Health Insurance Bill was introduced into the House Of Commons (9) and the Insurance Act of 1911 was passed. The need of Friendly Societies had become less urgent. They still existed but had to be approved by The National Health Insurance Joint Committee and the National Health Insurers. In July 1912, the Timberscombe Society was approved, as designated to "Mr. J. Coles, Timberscombe, Taunton" (10). This apparently was not John Coles, living at Timberscombe's Great House Farm, but his son, John Coles, Junior, an Assistant Overseer of the Post Office (11). In 1892, The Timbercombe Friendly Society had around 130 members. In the 1930's the amount of members was about 60 (12). This photograph may have been one of the later groups.
Creator
Anonymous
Source
Date
possibly 1930s into the 1940s
Contributor
Language
English
Identifier
Members of the Timberscombe Friendly Society at the Village Square / Timberscombe / Village Centre
Acquisition Date
2019
Acquisition Method
Gift
Category
PEOPLE: Organisations / Timberscombe
Condition
Good
Condition Notes
Entered by Tom Sperling
Condition Date
2020
Dimension Type
W X L
Dimension Units
cm
Dimension Value
11 X 19.5
Institution Name
St. Petrock's History Group
Notes
(1) England & Wales, Civil Registration Death Index, 1916-2007 and Find My Past.co.uk, forebears. io, Death Index, 1837-2008 (2) 1939 England and Wales Register (3) Victoria County History New Letter, Spring/Summer 2014 (4) VCH (5) "THE VILLAGE OF TIMBERSCOMBE AND IT'S CHURCH" by B. L. K. Henderson and G. O. E. Henderson, printed by E. Goodman & Son, Ltd., The Phoenix Press, Taunton, 1955 (6) "THE VILLAGE OF TIMBERSCOMBE AND IT'S CHURCH" (7) "THE VILLAGE OF TIMBERSCOMBE AND IT'S CHURCH" (8) VCH (9) Spartacus Educational.com (10) www.dippan.ac.uk/eppi/documents (11) TIMBERSCOMBE 1910 LIST OF RESIDENTS, minehead-online.co.uk (12) VCH
Storage Location
St. Petrock's History Group Archive
Storage Date
2020
Storage Notes
St. Petrock's History Group PHOTOGRAPHS
Item Reference
SP-111
Technique
Copy
Collection
Citation
Anonymous, “The Timberscombe Friendly Society on the Village Square,” St. Petrock's History Group, accessed May 17, 2024, https://stpetrockshistorygroup.omeka.net/items/show/3214.
Comments