Rochdale Society of Equitable Pioneers
The Rochdale Society of Equitable Pioneers, founded in 1844, was an early consumer co-operative, and one of the first to pay a patronage dividend, forming the basis for the modern co-operative movement. Although other co-operatives preceded them, the Rochdale Pioneers' co-operative became the prototype for societies in Great Britain. The Rochdale Pioneers are most famous for designing the Rochdale Principles, a set of principles of co-operation that provide the foundation for the principles on which co-ops around the world operate to this day. The model the Rochdale Pioneers used  is a focus of study within co-operative economics. History. The Rochdale Society of Equitable Pioneers was a group of 28 that was formed in 1844. This figure of 28 came about because it was believed that £28 was raised to begin the store, and that each member contributed a £1. Examination of the actual Minutes of the Pioneer Society prove that this is incorrect. Many members contributed much less than £1 to start and at no time did the records register 28 members. The Pioneer Minute books indicate that that there were more likely 46-50  members of the Society prior to the store opening. Despite these facts being available, many historians (and the Rochdale Pioneer Museum) still refer to the number of 28. Around half were weavers in Rochdale, Lancashire, England. As the mechanisation of the Industrial Revolution was forcing more and more skilled workers into poverty, these tradesmen decided to band together to open their own store selling food items they could not otherwise afford. With lessons from prior failed attempts at co-operation in mind, they designed the now famous Rochdale Principles, and over a period of four months they struggled to pool  £1 per person for a total of 28 pounds of capital. Again this is not substantiated by the Minute books. On 21 December 1844, they opened their store with a very meagre selection of butter, sugar, flour, oatmeal and a few candles. Within three months, they expanded their selection to include tea and tobacco, and they were soon known for providing high quality, unadulterated goods. By the end of their first year trading, the Pioneers had 80 members and £182 of capital. By 1900, the British co-operative movement had grown to 1,439 co-operatives covering virtually every  area of the UK. The archive for the co-operative movement in Rochdale is held by Local Studies, Rochdale Boroughwide Cultural Trust. Rochdale Pioneers traded independently until 1991, with name changes inspired by mergers with neighbouring co-operatives, as Pioneers from 1976, and Norwest Pioneers from 1982, based in Wythenshawe, Manchester by 1991. In 1991, then Norwest Co-operative Society transferred its engagements to United Co-operatives, that was run from Rochdale when it in turn transferred to the Manchester-based national hybrid society, The Co-operative Group, in 2007. Objectives. At the outset, the Pioneers had a clear set  of what we now would call objectives – in 1844 they called them 'Objects'. The objects of the Society were stated in "Law the First" of their rules and were: Many aspects of these objects can be seen directly in the modern-day co-operative movement. Museum. The Pioneers rented their first store at 31 Toad Lane and moved out in 1867 but the co-operative movement later purchased it, and opened it as a museum in 1931. The museum resurrected the legal name Rochdale Equitable Pioneers Society in 1989, the name having been abandoned by the original co-operative in  1976 on merger with the Oldham Co-operative.