Glenbuchat Heritage

18 Glenbucket Friendly Society 1-4

Click for Callam family introduction

Index of Pages of the Minutes of the Friendly Society

Click for pages 5 - 8
Click for pages 9 - 12.
Click for pages 13 - 16
Click for pages 17 - 20
Click for pages 21 - 25.
Click for pages 26 - 29
Click for pages 30 - 33
Click for pages 34 - 37.
Click for pages 38 - 41
Click for pages 42 - 46

Click for Introduction to Glenkindie Free Masons Friendly Society Handbook


The Glenbucket Male and Female Friendly Society
Founded Feb. 1822 - dissolved 1835.

Above are the first 4 pages of the minutes for he Glenbucket Male and Female Friendly Society (See foot of page for larger Version)

John Callam, 1804 - 1884 was one of several successive generations of Callam carpenters at Newton He was the third generation of John Callams’ to live in Glenbucket. His father and grandfather John before him and his son Alexander and his grandson John followed after him. (See his family history below). He lived at the Newton croft in Glenbucket and in the census reports he is at various times labelled as farmer, master carpenter, crofter.

Buried within a note book containing the accounts for his carpenter’s business, and handed down by the family, are an introduction by him to an essay from a fellow member, and three essays written by him, very probably for presentation to the Class about 1850. (The notebook itself was originally the minute book of the Glenbucket Male and Female Friendly Society 1822 - 1835).

On demise of Society in 1835 he kept the note book, and in subsequent years used the remaining empty pages to record his carpentry business accounts. The note book was passed down in Callam family and in the early 1980’s Ken Cruickshank obtained photo copies of examples of his accounts but not all of them. (Also a few minor diary entries about harvest on the croft and a reference to the Muckle Spate of 1829.)

John Callam, clerk for the life of the Soc.1822 - 1835. Appointed at the age of 18 years. Probably left school at an early age to apprentice to his father as a carpenter. Kept the records of Soc. in a note book supplied by Soc. Recorded minutes of meetings, register of members, financial income and outgoings etc. Beautifully written minutes, with no errors in spelling or grammar. There is mention of him being allocated sums for paper and candles for recording the minutes. A fair copy may have been transcribed into the Society’s Minute Book from sheets of paper written at the meetings.

Friendly Societies

Friendly Societies became extremely popular in the late 18th century and remained so throughout the 19th century. A successful Victorian institution and some still exist today.
They were seen as a means for working people to band together, and through mutual insurance, provide an element of financial security against ill health and hard times. Not dependent on charity.

Friendly societies were originally organisations through which ordinary people, mainly tradesmen, were able to save money to cover the costs of burial, provide pensions for dependants and make provision for loss of earnings through sickness, infirmity or old age. Some were in existence in the 17th century but reached their peak in the 19th century. They were, and are, mutual benefit societies, owned by their members.

To begin with individual societies were often organised fairly informally, consisting of little more than a charity box, from which needy members of a society could be given a hand out, at the discretion of the membership or officials of the society. In the late 18th century, many societies became better organised and they were encouraged by the Registration of Friendly Societies Act 1793 (33 Geo. III, c.54). Many societies folded in the 1820s when rising unemployment and increasing age of the membership put severe pressure on funds, which had stagnated because of under-subscription or unchanging subscription levels in periods of monetary inflation. The more fortunate societies survived the recession. The Friendly Societies Act 1855 (18 & 19 Vict., c.63) established the Registrar of Friendly Societies.

In the early 1800 s several such societies were formed in the Donside area

The Alford Farmer Friendly Society - dissolved 1831

The Kildrummy Male and Female Friendly Society - dissolved 1840

The Strathdon and Glenbucket Wright Friendly Society - dissolved 1836

The Glenbucket Male and Female Friendly Society - founded Feb. 1822 - dissolved 1835.

The Lonach Highland and Friendly Society formed 1823 - the largest and most long lived of all.

The New Statistical Account of Scotland (1845) Volume XII - Aberdeen) Parish of Strathdon. Surveyed 1839.

Friendly Society. —The Lonach Highland and Friendly Society was instituted fifteen years ago. As its name imports, its object was twofold, viz. the preservation of the Highland garb, and the Celtic language; and also, the establishment of a Friendly and Insurance Society for affording weekly allowances to sick members, and widows, and orphans. At the outset, owing to the imperfect knowledge of the equitable principles on which such institutions should be founded, this society was not free from some of the prevalent errors of the time. The want of proper caution and foresight in the enrolling members, early caused an undue pressure on the funds. Fortunately, its capital was strong, and it surmounted its difficulties. Aided by the Report of the Highland Society upon Benefit Societies, it is now conducted on sound principles, its funds are prosperous, and it proves a most useful association.

All the Societies formed and then dissolved, except The Lonach, in a short time period in the first half of the 19th century. The GMFFS distinguished its self from its larger neighbour, The Lonach, in that it was founded a year earlier, admitted both male and members, and admitted members from out with the parish. All the societies were, apparently, solvent at dissolution, and wound up with a final distribution of remaining funds to members.

Although many Friendly Societies were formed, few survived more than a decade or two, simply because the founders had miscalculated the finances. It must be remembered that, in the main, the societies were managed by working men without any background of sophisticated financial management or access to actuarial advice. Of those that did survive, The Braemar Wright Society, now The Braemar Royal Highland Society, vies with Scottish Widows (both 1815) as being possibly the oldest in Scotland that are still operational, followed by The Lonach Highland and Friendly Society (1822).

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