Dubach Lodge Room Account Book

Account Book of Dubach Lodge Room, 1881-1892.

Dubach Lodge Room was a Friendly Society based in Ffestiniog, Merioneth. It is believed that Mr Lloyd George attended the meetings when he first became a solicitor in the area.

The idea of friendly societies goes back at least as far as the seventeenth century and grew as new towns and industries developed in the nineteenth century and people found it difficult to rely on village communities. At first, many societies were locally based and by the late 1800's there were about 27,000 registered Friendly Societies in small villages and large towns. The early meetings were often held as a social gathering when the subscriptions were paid with members contributing an amount regularly, providing payments to those who needed them, with the remainder being saved or invested.

With the introduction of state welfare provision, which the friendly societies helped run between 1911 and 1948, numbers were greatly reduced. They still exist today, albeit in a reinvented form as financial services providers. Further information is available from the Association of Friendly Societies

Incorporated into the General Collection of Bangor Manuscripts

Open to all users.

Donated by Mr J.W. Jones, Minffordd in May 1946.

Description compiled by Elen Wyn Hughes, July 2003.

A typescript catalogue is available at the Archives Department of the University of Wales Bangor. Reference number : General Collection of Bangor Manuscripts 5781

Usual copyright conditions apply. Reprographics are made at the discretion of the Archivist.