Aspatria Agricultural Cooperative Society facts for kids
The Aspatria Agricultural Cooperative Society started in Aspatria, England, way back in 1870! It was formed when a group of local farmers decided to work together. They wanted to buy things like special plant food (manures), animal feed, seeds, and farm tools.
Even though it was in a small town, this group was brave enough to stand up for themselves. They even sued big companies if the farm products they bought weren't as good as promised. This society was one of the very first of its kind, and it's still going strong today! Many others failed, but Aspatria's group kept going, and it might even be the oldest one like it in the world.
Because of this society, three local men were inspired to do even more for farming. They helped create the Aspatria Agricultural College, which was only the second farming college like it in the world!
Contents
How It All Began
In 1869, some special plant food for turnips arrived in the Aspatria area. It cost £7.50 for a ton. Two farmers, John Twentyman and William Norman, bought some. William Norman, who was also a chemist, thought the plant food didn't seem right.
He asked his old friend, Thomas Anderson, a professor at Glasgow University, to check it. Professor Anderson confirmed William's doubts. The plant food had much less of the good stuff than it claimed. Meanwhile, John Twentyman used his plant food and got very poor results on his turnip field.
The two farmers met through a local animal doctor, Henry Thompson MRCVS. Dr. Thompson suggested they start an Agricultural Society in Aspatria. Their first goal was to hold an annual Agricultural Show (like a big fair for farmers).
At the first show's dinner in September 1869, a local leader named Sir Wilfrid Lawson, 2nd Baronet of Brayton told farmers to join a similar group in Manchester. John Twentyman took this idea further. He organized a meeting for local landowners and farmers. They wanted to create a small company to buy farm supplies with guaranteed quality.
On January 24, 1870, twenty members agreed to a plan. They decided on a motto: "each for all and all for each." They also hired Henry Thompson as their secretary. On April 14, the society officially registered as a company. It was the first of its kind in Cumberland.
Fair Rules for Everyone
The society had clear rules to make sure members got good products.
- The main goal was to stop the sale of bad or fake farm items.
- Members would control the group that bought things for them.
- A committee, chosen by the members each year, would be in charge. This made it very hard for anything unfair to happen.
- If a member could find better supplies somewhere else, the society didn't expect them to buy from the society.
- However, members knew that any extra money (profits) the society made would be given back to them after costs were paid.
- The society promised to be very careful. They would test products and get guarantees to make sure everything was pure and of the best quality. This was their most important promise!
A Big Court Battle
Later in 1870, a ship arrived with a special kind of plant food called Peruvian guano. It was supposed to have 17% ammonia, a key ingredient. The society bought 50 tons and shared it among its members.
William Norman took samples from different batches. His tests showed the plant food had only 13.45% ammonia. The society's leaders quickly decided not to pay for the missing amount, which was about £59.
This made the seller very angry, and they took the society to the high court. The first decision went against the society, but they immediately appealed. The case went on for five years, going through several courts, all the way to the House of Lords.
Finally, the judge decided in favor of Aspatria. The case cost the society £630, but the seller's legal costs were much higher, over £2,400! This showed that the society had achieved one of its main goals: getting good value for money, not just making a profit. It took another 36 years before the British government made laws to guarantee the quality of farm supplies.
A Successful Business
In its first six months, the society sold £4,381 worth of goods and made a profit of £701. Most of this profit was given back to the members. By 1900, the society had 327 members, and annual sales reached £13,467. Almost all the profit went back to the members as interest and dividends.
In 1920, when the society celebrated its 50th anniversary, Henry Thompson retired. He had been the secretary since the very beginning. That year, the society, which was the oldest of its kind in Europe, had sales of £40,000. Since it started, total sales had reached £800,000. They had paid £4,000 in interest to shareholders and £8,100 in dividends to members who bought products.
Even though Thompson left a society that never tried to be the biggest, it was known for its honesty. It continued to operate with the main goal of making sure its goods and services were of high quality.
Modern Times
In 1919, the society decided not to join a larger group called the Aspatria Cooperative Wholesale Society. Instead, it continued to grow on its own. In 1976, the word "cooperative" was removed from its name. Then, in 1990, it changed its name again to Aspatria Farmers Ltd.
On November 1, 2006, Aspatria Farmers took over another company called Joseph Hillary Ltd. This company sold farm machinery. The business then moved to Hillary's location on Station Road in Aspatria.
Images for kids
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Aspatria Agricultural Cooperative Society Offices with Secretary Henry Thompson standing at the entrance
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Mr William Norman, a key person in starting the society.
