Denton & Haughton Co-operative Society Ltd
& Denton & Haughton Equitable Co-operative Society Ltd

Ashton Rd
This co-operative store and hall was on the east side of Ashton Rd on the corner of Amelia St. It was erected in 1893 of Accrington Nori brick with two large Dutch gables on the Ashton Rd frontage and a smaller one on the corner. The walls were relieved by stone dressings and the first-floor windows had chevron-shaped brick arches and stone sills. The large hall on the first floor was accessed from the Amelia St corner.

The Denton & Haughton Co-operative Society was registered in 1867 and the first co-operative hall on, or near, this site was originally the Ashton Road Trinity Wesleyan Church that was bought from the church authorities in 1872 for £500. In 1968 the Denton & Haughton Co-operative Society amalgamated with the Manchester & Salford Co-operative Society. Following a series of complicated mergers, the British co-operative movement became the Co-operative Group Ltd in 2007, trading as, 'The Co-operative'. Demolition of this former co-operative store and hall commenced during the week ending 24 Jun 2017.

Upper inscription over the hall entrance, Oct 2008.

D & H C S LD

Lower inscription over the hall entrance, Mar 2017.

A.D. 1893

Denton & Haughton Co-operative Store, Mar 2008.

Denton & Haughton Co-operative Store, Mar 2008.

The Silver Springs public house is in the foreground.

Denton & Haughton Co-operative Store, Apr 2008.

North elevation from Amelia St. The ground floor of the building has been altered on the left and two original arches are still extant above the left-most lintel.

East elevation the Denton & Haughton Co-operative Store, from Annan St, Oct 2008.

Detail of the gable at the north elevation, Mar 2017.

A search of trade directories for 1903, 1909, 1911 & 1914 gave the following details:

Description Secretary
Denton & Haughton Co-operative Society Ltd,
Grocers, Butchers & Drapers
John H Hall

Some ephemera associated with the Co-operative Society hall has survived. A broadsheet invites Hat Trimmers and Formers to attend a meeting at the hall on the 3 Nov 1886 and a facsimile of this is illustrated below. Another broadsheet invites members of the Amalgamated Society of Journeymen Felt hatters to attend a tea party at the hall on the 17 Sep 1887.

Dances were also held at the hall and a programme for an Old Time Dance on the 27 Sep 1913 has survived. The Conductor of the Denton Brotherhood Orchestra was Arnold Eaton and the Master of Ceremonies was Harry Brooks.

½d token issued by the Denton & Haughton Equitable Co-operative Society Ltd.

A token was a 'coin' or similar object issued in place of official coinage. They enabled members to obtain their dividend from purchases made at the store. Tokens were issued equal to the sum spent and these were kept by a member until the quarterly or half-yearly dividend (or 'divvy') was declared.

The tokens were then taken to the Denton & Haughton Equitable Co-operative Society office at 5 Amelia St (see below) to be redeemed for cash. For example, if the dividend was 2s 0d in the pound (10%), then £5 in tokens would result in 10s 0d in coins of the realm being given to the member in return for the tokens, (10% of £5 = 10s 0d).

It is understood that the metal-token system of recording members' purchases was introduced in the 1850s. Eventually this was replaced by a paper system in which the member was given a number and every purchase was recorded in triplicate. The society retained two copies and the member was given the third copy. It seems that originally this may have been a receipt but later it was recorded in the member's dividend or share book. Eventually, the paper system was abandoned in favour of the 'Co-op stamp', whereby shoppers were given a number of stamps in proportion to the cost of the purchase.

The one shilling and two shilling tokens shown here were issued by the Manchester & Salford Equitable Society Ltd. As mentioned above, the Denton & Haughton Equitable Society Ltd eventually amalgamated with the Manchester & Salford Equitable Society Ltd. These tokens were manufactured by G Y Iliffe of Suffolk St, Birmingham. This business of tool makers, diesinkers and stampers was founded in 1874/75 by George Yorke Iliffe and Frederick Robert Wood but on the 18 Sep 1875 Frederick Robert Wood stepped down as a partner. Frederick Gardner then joined George Yorke Iliffe as a business partner, the company being styled as Iliffe and Gardner. On the 31 Dec 1880 Frederick Gardner stepped down and George Yorke Iliffe continued the business alone, the business being styled as G Y Iliffe.

Denton & Haughton Equitable Co-operative Society Ltd, 5 Amelia St
This office building was erected on the north side of Amelia St in 1903. It operated as a bank where members of the Denton and Haughton Equitable Co-operative Society Ltd (Register No. 1028 R) could claim dividends (‘divvy’) on the amount of their purchases at society shops. This company was registered with the Chief Registrar of Friendly Societies.

This company ceased to exist on the 13 Oct 1969 when its engagements were transferred to the Manchester and Salford Equitable Co-operative Society Ltd (Register No. 73 R). Ref: The London Gazette, Issue 44958, Page 10601, 16 Oct 1969.

The building was severely damaged by fire in 1993 and it was never repaired.

Equitable Co-op Society Office, 1980s.
Credit: J Marlor.

The north side of Amelia St showing the ruinous remains of the office building of the Denton & Haughton Equitable Co-operative Society Ltd, 2008.

The office entrance is on the corner and the first four bricked-up windows have large ornamental keystones.

Detail of the bricked-up entrance to the office, 2008.

The ornate stone lintel above the entrance shows that the building was erected in 1903.