THE CO-OPERATIVE SOCIETY IN EARLSTON

Auld Earlston member Sheila McKay was delighted to find during her family history research that her great grandfather Robert Frater had been a founding member of the local Cooperative Society. She was prompted to find out more about the Co-op’s history. 

 Background 

In Scotland, Fenwick Weavers in Ayrshire set up in 1769 the first Co-op using bulk buying to buy essentials for workers to purchase at affordable prices.  Other early co-operatives were soon established – Hawick and Galashiels in 1839 and by 1867 Scotland had 130 such societies.  Key principles behind their operation were:  voluntary and open membership, democratic members’ control, a community ethos, and payment of dividends based on purchases.

Early Days in Earlston  

The earliest record found online, at British Newspaper Archive,  was in “The Southern Reporter:  19^th April 1883  when a meeting was held in the Good Templar Hall, Earlston  to hear a talk on the subject on   “Co-operation – its principles and benefits to the working classes”  delivered by Mr. J. McNair, Glasgow; Mr. J. Allan and Mr. T. Little, Galashiels and Mr. Lochhead, Edinburgh,   The chair was occupied by Mr. R. H. Dunn, tweed manufacturer, and elected as first Secretary was Robert Frater.

 

“There was a good attendance, and the addresses were listened to with the greatest interest and attention.   At the close, a party of ten formed themselves into a committee for the purpose of endeavoring to obtain support for the establishment of a co-operative store in the town.”

Who was Robert Frater?   

Robert Frater (1846-1938) was born in Galashiels, son of William Muir Frater and Janet Smith,   His father was very active in Galashiels affairs, serving as a Councillor and a strong advocate for the Co-operative movement.   19 year old Robert  came to Earlston to work in the local Tweed Mill, at that time owned by Mr. Charles Wilson, and continued working there as a woollen warper until his retirement.  He was closely involved in the local Earlston community - a staunch member of the Temperance movement, as well as being a follower of Liberal politics.    He was a keen Rifle Volunteer, attending what became to be known as ‘The Wet Review “at Edinburgh in 1881.    He was also a prominent member of the Bowling Club, Horticultural Society and the Reading Room.   Robert was one of the villagers involved in the setting up of the Co-operative Society in Earlston in 1883 as its first secretary and was elected to President in 1906.

Robert married Janet Thomson in 1870, and they had eleven children, eight daughters and three sons, all of whom survived to adulthood.    Robert died in 1938 at the grand old age of 92 in his home at Janefield, Earlston where he had lived with three of his unmarried daughters for many years. 

 Photograph:  Robert with his wife and two of their daughters outside their home in Rodgers  Place.

 The Turn of the 19^th Century saw the Co-operative Society in Earlston with 200 members, and in 1898 it purchased the Old Parochial School on Station Road. “The Southern Reporter” of 28^th December 1898 noted:

“The old parish school and playground purchased by Mr. Carter, Berwick, when the new school  [at the East End] was opened in 1877,  has been sold by him to the Co-operative Store Company at, it is said, £400.   The company intend to make extensive alterations and additions, for which the playground affords ample space, in order that the premises may be adapted to their greatly increased and increasing business”.

The Co-op on Station Road the right

 An interesting “Situations Vacant” notice  appeared in ”The Southern Reporter” 20^th June 1901 for van drivers at a time when cars were still regarded as luxury travel for pleasure and only beginning to be introduced for business purposes.  (No such thing as driving tests to prove competency at this early date).

  "Wanted, a Man to drive Grocery Van; also a Baker who is capable of driving a van.   Apply, stating wages, etc. to Robert Frater, Secretary, Co-operative Society, Earlston.” 

 

Annual Festivals

 The local press revealed that besides the quarterly and annual business meetings, the Society had an Annual Festival in the Corn Exchange.  The 1906 report commented on:

“A large attendance. Mr. Robert Frater, president of the society, occupied the chair.   After tea, the Chairman referred to the fact that Earlston Co-operative Society was the only association of the kind in Berwickshire, and that it had distributed amongst its members a sum of something approaching ten thousand pounds during the twenty three years of its existence.   If the members of the Earlston Society wished to keep up their dividend, they should be thoroughly loyal in their support of the store, and show their interest in the society by attending its meetings” 

A “Soiree” followed of musical entertainment and:

“The hall was then cleared for dancing, which was taken part in by many young people, who kept it up till early the following morning.    Excellent music was provided by the Earlston Orchestra." 

For the 1907 festival the  audience enjoyed:

"An exhibition of animated pictures with songs interspersed.  The pictures that were thrown on the screen being mostly of a humorous kind called forth repeated plaudits.   Many of them excited roars of laughter”.

Semi Jubilee

1908 marked the 25th anniversary of the Co-operative Society in Earlston and was celebrated in a grand fashion, as reported in “The Southern Reporter”:  25^th June.

"On Saturday, a long procession of boys and girls, carrying flags and banners, marched through the town, headed by Melrose Pipe Band, who, in their kilts and philabegs made a brave show, and discoursed excellent music.   From the town they made their way to the scene of the sports, and the president of the society, Mr. Robert Frater, welcomed the huge assemblage, which numbered little, if anything, short of 1000 people all told. 

 

 

The occasion was celebrated “in the finest summer weather, and on the beautiful ground of Sorrowlessfield Haugh, on the right bank of the Leader, opposite Cowdenknowes mansion house, which from this point of view has its most striking aspect.   The society entertained a vast number of children and other guests to an abundant tea, and provided prizes for numerous sports which were keenly and numerously contested."  

 

The speeches made note that no less a sum than £10,000 had been handed over to the working men and working women of Earlston in dividends.    Mr. Robert Frater was presented with a handsome silver mounted walking stick as the only survivor of the six original office-bearers of the Society.

“In the course of the afternoon many sports were engaged in, and amusements of all kinds were provided for young and old.   The Earlston Orchestra also gave their services gratuitously, and to their stirring strains the lads and lasses danced right merrily on the grass.   The fete was a great success.” 

Robert Frater was last noted in press reports as President in 1909. He died in 1938 at the grand age of 92 with the local press paying fulsome tribute to him in obituaries.

Impact of the First World War

In 1914 membership of the Society stood at 280 and initially reports showed that it was in a good financial position. 

But as conscription was introduced, there was “in consequence a shortage of labour”, with the store severely depleted of its bakery staff. “   Shop hours were reduced, with a closure at lunchtime, and earlier closure in the evening. 

Appeals were made to the Military Tribunals to exempt staff and these were regularly reported in the press – as in this example from 1916:

“The President of the Earlston Co-operative Society petitioned on behalf of three workers:   John Brash, manager was granted a temporary exemption until the end of stock-taking  and that a man was found to take on his duties;  baker John Burrell,  was given an “absolute exemption", with van man Walter Brotherston’s claim  refused.”

In January 1916 the financial situation was more precarious and a request was made to other Co-operative Societies, as “Earlston, in existence for 26 years,   was in a very bad way”.  Societies responded with generous donations totalling £400 - £23,618 in today’s money terms.

By November 1918, the situation had reached crisis point and “The Berwickshire News” of 19^th November reported on a take-over by Galashiels Co-operative Society.

Galashiels Co-operative reported the event in “The Southern Reporter” 14^th November 1918:

Post 1918

In the inter-war period there was little news in the press on the activities of Earlston Cooperative Society, now part of   the Galashiels group of stores. In contrast the Earlston Co-operative Women’s Group received plenty of coverage on their regular meetings and activities.  

In the 1930’s a new shop was built on the site facing the Green. Note the shop fascia signage, identified as Earlston Branch – Galashiels United Co-operative Society Limited. 

 The chaps on the photo with the mobile shops are:   Left: Davie Waite; Centre: Jim Waite (Davie's father) and Right: Doug Kerr.

 

David Waite out and about in his Co-op van.

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Shopping Memories

 FFor an Auld Earlston exhibition in 2019, members of Earlston Wednesday Club  gave their memories of shopping in the Co-op.

·       "It was very different shop in the 1950’s - no self-service of course, but wooden counters all the way around where assistants waited to serve you with your groceries."

·       "Shoppers could hand in their order or “message line” and leave it to be put together and delivered by the message boy on his bicycle, with a large basket on the front.  All the grocers in the town offered a delivery service."

·       "The manager of the Co-op, Mr. McQuillin, who sang in the church choir, sat in a very important little booth and handed out milk tokens, to have milk delivered to the doorstep daily."

·       "Twice a year, Co-op members received “the divi”. A note was kept of the total amount of shopping done by each member and this was totalled up and paid as a loyalty dividend. This was a particularly busy day at the Co-op as members had to queue up at the manager’s booth to collect their cash." 

·       "My mother relied on getting the “Divi” to buy us children our shoes.

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In More Recent Times

In the 1960s the shop was converted into a self-service store.

Earlston Co-op overlooking the Green, c.1980's.  Note the changed fascia heading.

Through the 1990's Galashiels United Co-operative Society expanded through mergers to become the Lothians, Borders & Angus Co-operative Society.  In 2008, the Board and Membership voted to transfer its assets to the  much larger Co-operative Society. 

Helen Reid,  (great granddaughter of Robert Frater, first Secretary of Earlston Co-operative Society, and later its President)  on her last day of  working at the store on the Green in 2014.

December 2015 saw the Earlston Store relocating to enlarged premises on to the A68 Melrose Road at the former Rutherford’s petrol station and shop, with 19 staff and provision for parking of 32 vehicles.

Nine months later, the team at Co-op Earlston was celebrating after the store was crowned "Scotland's  Best Forecourt Retailer 2016", as reported in "The Border Telegraph":  22nd September 2016.

2020 saw the launch of the Co-op Local Community Fund, helping local groups, as featured in "the Border Telegraph: 17th January.  Groups from across the region, including Earlston have benefited from access to a share of millions of pounds of charitable donations,  made by Co-op members using their membership cards. 

So the same community ethos that inspired the founders of the movement in the 19th century is still reflected in it operation today.

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Contributed by Sheila McKay and Susan Donaldson of the Auld Earlston Group