National Society of Coppersmiths, Braziers and Metalworkers and predecessors

Committee of Management minutes, 1929-53; account book, 1902-10; annual reports, 1892-1959 (incomplete); monthly reports, 1913-58; rule books; London Branch minutes, 1912-48; Swindon branch accounts, 1932-58; Liverpool United Society balance sheet, 1883-84.

Annual reports and statements of accounts, 1939-1949; balance sheets and annual accounts, 1850-90 (incomplete); relief books, 1847-66; quarterly reports, 1957-1959 deposited by MSF, January 2000.

Additional records deposited in 2014 from Unite (Acc.1018)

The London Friendly Society of Workers in Copper was established in 1846. It changed its name to the London Friendly Society of Coppersmiths in about 1869, to the London and Provincial Friendly Society of Coppersmiths in about 1892, to the London and Provincial Society of Coppersmiths in 1901, to the London and Provincial Society of Coppersmiths and Metalworkers in 1909, and to the National Society of Coppersmiths, Braziers and Metalworkers in 1912. It absorbed the Liverpool United Society of Coppersmiths and Braziers (founded in 1860) in 1913. The Society ran in parallel with the National Union of Sheet Metal Workers and Braziers until the two merged in 1959 to form the National Union of Sheet Metal Workers and Coppersmiths.

Reference: Ted Brake, Men of Good Character: A history of the National Union of Sheet Metal Workers, Coppersmiths, Heating and Domestic Engineers( Lawrence and Wishart: London, 1985).

The records form part of the archive of Manufacturing, Science, Finance (MSS.101) and within that are a constitutent of the archive of the National Union of Sheet Metal Workers, Coppersmiths, Heating and Domestic Engineers (MSS.101/SM). Additional records deposited seperately (MSS.411/NS) have been integrated.

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/

This archive was transferred to the Modern Records Centre from the National Museum of Labour History in October 1989 and April 1990. Additional records were deposited by MSF in Jan 2000 (MSS.411/NS).The two deposits were brought together in May 2008.

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

There are no restrictions on the use of this archive, apart from the requirements of copyright law.

This collection has been weeded for duplicates.

Further deposits are not expected.

The records of the National Union of Sheet Metal Workers, Coppersmiths, Heating and Domestic Engineers and many of its other predecessors are also held at the Modern Records Centre (MSS.101/SM). These include further records of the London and Provincial Friendly Society of Coppersmiths (MSS.101/SM/LOW). The Modern Records Centre also holds further records of the National Society of Coppersmiths, Braziers and Metalworkers (MSS.411/NS).