Friendly Society of Iron Founders of England, Ireland and Wales (FSIF) (including a few records of successors)

Rules and orders, 1809-1917; executive committee minutes, 1860-1913; emergency committee and national executive council minutes, 1913-1920; anniversary committee minutes and notes, 1889-1903; conference report, 1911; correspondence and other records, 1809-1913; financial records, 1903-1921; minutes and reports of conferences with engineering employers and other unions, 1912-1918; papers concerning agreements on pay and conditions in foundries, 1918-1920; annual, half-yearly, quarterly and monthly reports, 1839-1919; items relating to the history of the union, (1809)-1961; circulars, 1841-1866; centenary souvenir, 1909; staffing records, [c1885]-1919; legal records, 1907-1913; property records, 1904-1917; records, including minutes and membership registers, of the Burnley, Cleckheaton, Lincoln, Porstmouth, Smethwick, Stalybridge and Worcester branches, 1831-1920.

The society was established as the Friendly Iron Moulders' Society in 1809. In 1837 it held its first delegate conference in Manchester and changed its title to the Friendly Society of Operative Iron Moulders of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. In 1846 this was changed to the Friendly Society of Iron-Moulders of England, Ireland and Wales and in March 1855 to the Friendly Society of Iron Founders of England, Ireland and Wales. In 1920 it amalgamated with the Amalgamated Society of Coremakers of Great Britain and Ireland and the Associated Iron Moulders of Scotland to form the National Union of Foundry Workers.

Reference: H.J. Fyrth and H. Collins, The foundry workers, a trade union history (Manchester, 1959)

The reference codes of these records were determined by a superseded catalogue arrangement. The codes are therefore not necessarily in order in the catalogue.

This collection is available to researchers by appointment at the Modern Records Centre, University of Warwick. See http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/services/library/mrc/using/

Link to full catalogue: http://mrc-catalogue.warwick.ac.uk/records/FSI

The archive has been deposited in the Centre on indefinite loan by the Amalgamated Union of Engineering Workers (Foundry Section). The first deposit consisted of fifty shelf feet of records collected from the AUEW office in Manchester by Janet Druker on 24th April 1974. The records with references prefixed MSS.41B were received in the autumn of 1985 shortly before the Amalgamated Union of Engineering Workers (Foundry Section) moved its Manchester offices to new premises in London.

Records of the Constructional Engineering Union (MSS.273); the Amalgamated Engineering and Electrical Union (MSS.259); the Technical, Administrative and Supervisory Section (MSS.101/DA); and the working papers of H.J. Fryth (MSS.224)