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                  How do I trace the records of a Scottish friendly society?

                  The records of Scottish friendly societies are held by a wide variety of business, university, local and national archives and other bodies. It is best to start your search with the main websites that link to a range of archives such as Your Scottish Archives or The National Archives <https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/> or the Archives Hub <https://archiveshub.jisc.ac.uk/ > [both accessed 26 April 2024 If the Friendly Society still exists then they may have their own archives. You can also consult Ian MacDougall, ed., A Catalogue of Some Labour Records in Scotland (Edinburgh: Scottish Labour History Society, 1978) and find many friendly society regulations and publications mentioned in the catalogue of the National Library of Scotland.

                  Rules and regulations for friendly societies and similar bodies (such as building societies, industrial and provident societies, and some trades unions) dissolved before 1929 are held by the National Records of Scotland. They are listed under the reference FS. This is subdivided into:

                  • FS1 – Friendly Societies, 1st series (early friendly society rules and regulations lodged under the Friendly Society Acts, 1829 to 1852, deposited alphabetically under counties and towns).
                  • FS2 – Building Societies, 1st series (rules lodged under the Benefit Building Societies Act, 1836, deposited and arranged as FS1).
                  • FS3 – Friendly Societies, 2nd series (as FS1).
                  • FS4 – Friendly Societies, 3rd series (rules of societies removed from the register before 1920).
                  • FS5 – Industrial and Provident Societies, 1st series (rules of societies removed from the register before 1920).
                  • FS6 – Building Societies, 2nd series (rules of societies removed from the register before 1920).
                  • FS7 – Trades Unions, 1st series (rules of societies removed from the register before 1920).
                  • FS8 – Obsolete registers (names of societies and unions registered offices, and dates of certificates of registration – the information was transferred to register cards in 1922.
                  • FS9 – Friendly Societies collected rules (bound volumes containing copies of rules and regulations of friendly societies).
                  • FS11 – Building Societies, 3rd series (rules of societies removed from the register between 1920 and 1929).
                  • FS12 – Industrial and Provident Societies, 2nd series (rules of societies removed from the register between 1920 and 1929).