Stock No. 2810	Victorian copper medal - Female Friendly Society
Extremely decorative and well made Victorian copper medal for the Walgherton Female Friendly Dividend Society in Cheshire. Circa 1840. The medal has a contemporary piercing at the top so that it can be worn on a ribbon. Obverse: Stamped around the rim JOHN TWEMLOW ESQ. OF HATHERTON PATRON. In the centre, stamped in high relief is the Twemlow coat of arms with the family crest above of a parroquet standing on the stump of a tree, with a branch sprouting from the stump. The family crest is on a ribbon below - TENEO TENVERE MAJORES (I hold what my ancestors have held). Reverse: Stamped around the edge - WALGHERTON FEMALE FRIENDLY DIVIDEND SOCIETY. Stamped in the centre - INSTITUTED/ JULY 23rd/ 1833.

Condition :-Extremely Fine. The Patron's coat of arms and crest are stamped in high relief and are very crisp indeed. Pierced
Circa :- 1840
Size :- 1.7 inches (43.2 mm) long x 1.4 inches (35.6 mm) wide
This medal is steeped in social history. The Twemlow family took their responsibilities to the community seriously and there were a number of Magistrates among them as well as a Deputy-Lieutenant for the county of Stafford. Friendly Societies were established to provide insurance against sickness, old age and funeral expenses. They were started in the 17th century and in the 18th century they became a conventional alternative to parish relief and charitable assistance. These Societies spread quickly with the onset of the Industrial Revolution and by the Victorian era they had become the most important form of working-class insurance.

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