Women's Co-operative Guild (WCG) ©Bishopsgate Institute Catalogued by Stefan Dickers, January 2006 1 Table of Contents WCG/1: Annual Reports p. 7 WCG/2: National Executive Committee and Other Minutes p. 18 WCG/3: Congress Material and Circulars p. 20 WCG/4: Miscellaneous Manuscripts p. 30 WCG/5: Mrs Ben Jones Convalescent Fund p. 41 WCG/6: Hints for Speakers p. 46 WCG/7: Co-operative Women's Guild Centenary p. 51 WCG/8: Branch Records p. 55 WCG/9: Miscellaneous Items p. 150 2 WCG Women's Co-operative Guild 1889-2016 Name of Creator: Women's Co-operative Guild Extent: 110 boxes, 13 posters & 1 framed photograph Administrative/Biographical History: The Co-operative Women's Guild was formed in 1883 following the first inclusion of a women's page in "Co-operative News". Its aim was to spread the knowledge of the benefits of co-operation and improve the conditions of women with the slogan "co-operation in poor neighbourhoods". In 1885 the organisation changed its name to the Women's Co-operative Guild. In 1889 Miss Margaret Llewelyn Davies became General Secretary on a voluntary basis and Miss Lilian Harris was appointed Cashier to the Guild. Under the direction of these two women the organisation expanded rapidly from 51 branches and a membership of 1700 in 1889 to a peak of 1500 branches and a membership of 72000 in 1933. By this time the name of the organisation had again been changed to the Co-operative Women's Guild. Custodial History: Material arrived at Bishopsgate Institute in the 1980s in the post. The deposit was unsolicited and the reason for sending material to the Institute is unknown. WCG/5/18-20 'Evergreeen Books', deposited with Bishopsgate Institute by Sue Bosanko as part of Sue King's personal archive, 7 February 2017. Scope and Content: Papers of the Women's Co-operative Guild, including: Annual reports of the Women’s Co-operative Guild (incomplete), 1889-1988; Minutes of the National Executive Committee of the Women’s Co-operative Guild, with minutes of Joint meetings with Sectional Secretaries and of Sectional Secretary meetings, 1969- 1979; Circulars, programmes and resolutions from Annual Congresses of the Women’s Co-operative Guild, along with texts of presidential addresses and other Congress-related ephemera, 1904-1989; Miscellaneous Women’s Co-operative Guild papers, including circulars from Margaret Llewelyn-Davies and others, papers relating to Guild properties, Llewelyn Davies’ publications on maternal welfare and the Committee of Inquiry into Domestic Service, along with material regarding A.Honora Enfield, Victoria House Printing Company Limited and the Guild’s ‘People Who Care’ campaign, 1910-1988; Minute books, financial accounts, correspondence, petty cash, bank and postage books regarding the Women’s Co- operative Guild’s Mrs Ben Jones Convalescent Fund, 1908-2016; Typescript papers, ‘Hints for Speakers’, produced centrally by the Women’s Co-operative Guild for external Guild speakers on a variety of social, political and economic topics, 1910- 1955; Papers, ephemera and correspondence regarding the Women’s Co-operative Guild’s centenary and related celebratory events, including organisational correspondence of General Secretary, Kathleen Kempton, papers regarding the Centenary Congress at Worthing, proposed pageant and other national and local events, 1980-1983; Minute books, member’s attendance and contributions and 3 financial records compiled by 117 branches of the Women’s Co-operative Guild, primarily in the London, Surrey and Kent area, along with various national branches, 1892-1988; Miscellaneous items regarding the Women’s Co-operative Guild, including certificates, copper printing blocks and framed photograph, 1909-1934. System of Arrangement: The Women’s Co-Operative Guild Archive is divided into the following nine sections: WCG/1: Annual reports WCG/2: National Executive Committee and Other Minutes WCG/3: Congress Material and Circulars WCG/4: Miscellaneous Manuscripts WCG/5: Mrs Ben Jones Convalescent Fund WCG/6: Hints for Speakers WCG/7: Co-operative Women's Guild Centenary WCG/8: Branch Records WCG/9: Miscellaneous Items Language/scripts of material: English Access conditions: OPEN Copying conditions: Photocopying, scanning and digital photography (without flash) is permitted for research purposes on completion of the Library's Copyright Declaration form and with respect to current UK copyright law. Finding Aids: Adlib catalogue and copy of handlist available in researcher’s area. Rules and Conventions: Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997. 4 WCG Woman's Co-operative Guild 1889-2016 Papers of the Women's Co-operative Guild, including: Annual reports of the Women’s Co- operative Guild (incomplete), 1889-1988; Minutes of the National Executive Committee of the Women’s Co-operative Guild, with minutes of Joint meetings with Sectional Secretaries and of Sectional Secretary meetings, 1969-1979; Circulars, programmes and resolutions from Annual Congresses of the Women’s Co- operative Guild, along with texts of presidential addresses and other Congress-related ephemera, 1904-1989; Miscellaneous Women’s Co-operative Guild papers, including circulars from Margaret Llewelyn-Davies and others, papers relating to Guild properties, Llewelyn Davies’ publications on maternal welfare and the Committee of Inquiry into Domestic Service, along with material regarding A.Honora Enfield, Victoria House Printing Company Limited and the Guild’s ‘People Who Care’ campaign, 1910- 1988; Minute books, financial accounts, correspondence, petty cash, bank and postage books regarding the Women’s Co-operative Guild’s Mrs Ben Jones Convalescent Fund, 1908-2016; Typescript papers, ‘Hints for Speakers’, produced centrally by the Women’s Co-operative Guild for external Guild speakers on a variety of social, political and economic topics, 1910-1955; Papers, ephemera and correspondence regarding the Women’s Co- operative Guild’s centenary and related celebratory events, including organisational correspondence of General Secretary, Kathleen Kempton, papers regarding the Centenary Congress at Worthing, proposed pageant and other national and local events, 1980-1983; Minute books, member’s attendance and contributions and financial records compiled by 117 branches of the Women’s Co-operative Guild, primarily in the London, Surrey and Kent area, along with various national branches, 1892-1988; Miscellaneous items regarding the Women’s Co-operative Guild, including certificates, copper printing blocks and framed photograph, 1909-1934. OPEN 5 WCG/1 Annual Reports 1889-1988 Annual reports of the Women’s Co-operative Guild (incomplete) (1889 - 1988) OPEN WCG/1/1 7th Annual Report 1889-1890 Seventh Annual Report of the Women's Co- operative Guild (front page only) (1p) (April 1889 - April 1890) OPEN WCG/1/2 8th Annual Report 1890-1891 Eighth annual report of the Women's Co- operative Guild (annotated) (32pp) (April 1890 - April 1891) OPEN WCG/1/3 9th Annual Report 1891-1892 Ninth Annual Report of the Women's Co- operative Guild (51pp) (April 1891 - April 1892) OPEN WCG/1/4 10th Annual Report 1892-1893 Tenth Annual Report of the Women's Co- operative Guild (70pp) (April 1892 - April 1893) OPEN WCG/1/5 11th Annual Report 1893-1894 Eleventh Annual Report of the Women's Co- operative Guild (63pp) (April 1893 - April 1894) OPEN WCG/1/6 12th Annual Report 1894-1895 Twelfth Annual Report of the Women's Co- operative Guild (2 different copies) (63pp & 28pp) (April 1894 - April 1895) OPEN WCG/1/7 13th Annual Report 1895-1896 Thirteenth Annual Report of the Women's Co- operative Guild (64pp) (April 1895 - April 1896) OPN WCG/1/8 14th Annual Report 1896-1897 Fourteenth Annual Report of the Women's Co- operative Guild (2 different copies) (63pp & 24pp) (April 1896 - April 1897) OPEN 6 WCG/1/9 15th Annual Report 1897-1898 Fifteenth Annual Report of the Women's Co- operative Guild (2 different copies) (64pp & 32pp) (April 1897 - April 1898) OPEN WCG/1/10 16th Annual Report 1898-1899 Sixteenth Annual Report of the Women's Co- operative Guild (2 different copies) (72pp & 24pp) (April 1898 - April 1899) OPEN WCG/1/11 17th Annual Report 1899-1900 Seventeenth Annual Report of the Women's Co- operative Guild (72pp) (April 1899 - April 1900) OPEN WCG/1/12 18th Annual Report 1900-1901 Eighteenth Annual Report of the Women's Co- operative Guild (2 different copies) (77pp & 30pp) (April 1900 - April 1901) OPEN WCG/1/13 19th Annual Report 1901-1902 Nineteenth Annual Report of the Women's Co- operative Guild (87pp) (April 1901 - April 1902) OPEN WCG/1/14 20th Annual Report 1902-1903 Twentieth Annual Report of the Women's Co- operative Guild (2 different copies) (55pp & 23pp) (April 1902 - April 1903) OPEN WCG/1/15 21st Annual Report 1903-1904 Twenty-first Annual Report of the Women's Co- operative Guild (2 different copies) (59pp & 23pp) (April 1903 - April 1904) OPEN WCG/1/16 22nd Annual Report 1904-1905 Twenty-second Annual Report of the Women's Co-operative Guild (24pp) (April 1904 - April 1905) OPEN 7 WCG/1/17 23rd Annual Report 1905-1906 Twenty-third Annual Report of the Women's Co- operative Guild (24pp) (April 1905 - April 1906) OPEN WCG/1/18 24th Annual Report 1906-1907 Twenty-fourth Annual Report of the Women's Co-operative Guild (28pp) (April 1906 - April 1907) OPEN WCG/1/19 25th Annual Report 1907-1908 Twenty-fifth Annual Report of the Women's Co- operative Guild