A friendly society is a mutual association for the purposes of insurance, pensions, savings or cooperative banking. It is composed of a body of people who join together for a common financial or social purpose. Before modern insurance and the welfare state, friendly societies provided financial and social services to individuals, often according to their religious, political, or trade affiliations.
A fraternal order is a voluntary membership group organised as an order, with an initiation ritual and traits alluding to religious, chivalric or pseudo-chivalric orders, guilds, or secret societies. Fraternal orders typically have secular purposes, serving as social clubs, cultural organizations and providing a form of social welfare through reciprocal aid or charitable work.
BURNHAM FRIENDLY SOCIETY
This report from the Western Gazette on 13th June 1879 indicates that the society was formed in 1852.
The photo below may be of the Burnham Friendly Society, clearly of a later (unknown) date. However the collars are similar to those used by the Good Templars (see below). Please let us know if you have any information about this.
ODDFELLOWS
The Oddfellows is an international fraternity consisting of lodges first documented in 1730 in London. “Convivial meetings were held “in much revelry and, often as not, the calling of the Watch to restore order.” (from History of the Oddfellows).
This report of the anniversary, being unnumbered, would suggest that the Burnham society had been formed in the previous year.
GOOD TEMPLARS
The Good Templars is a fraternal organization which is part of the temperance movement, promoting abstinence from alcohol and other drugs.
Weston Super Mare Gazette 1st August 1873:
Weston Super Mare Gazette 1874:
Weston Super Mare Gazette 18th March 1882:
Images below from catalogue of Good Templars’ regalia (I.O.G.T. = International Order of Good templars):
