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Excerpt from Messenger Prize Essay on Friendly Societies In the 16th and 17th centuries some of these institutions which had survived the preceding period, and still retained sufficient cohesion, were reformed, whilst many new societies were started, embodying some of the features of the guilds, but in conformity with more modern ideas. As the organization of the trade guilds, following the general tendency of the times, gradually changed, the various trade societies, having vastly increased in numbers and become more democratic, re-united themselves into aid societies, which combined in them selves some of the characteristics both of the religious and the trade guilds. The relief and economic system of these societies, moreover, underwent a radical change, in the direction of requiring fixed contributions to be made by the members for the grant of specific benefits. As an illustration of the financial basis of such societies, it may be interesting to note that in one society the subscriptions were 2d. Weekly, to provide for benefits, during sickness, of 63. Weekly for the first year, and 3s. 6d. Per week for the remainder of illness, while a levy of 6d. Per member was made at each death. About the beginning of the 18th century a movement arose in the Guild of Masons which exercised a great influence in stimulating the rapid growth of friendly societies. By the introduction of mystic rites and Observances, and by other changes which need not be detailed here, the Guild of the craft of Masonry was transformed into the order of Freemasons. Members of the aristocracy joined the new and highly successful order, while the mystery with which they surrounded their transactions took the public fancy, and created desire in other societies to imitate them. The Odd Fellows are known to have existed shortly after this period, though in a form having little or nothing in common with their modern development, the oldest lodges being practically social clubs. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

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