Extremely decorative and well made Victorian copper medal for the Walgherton Female Friendly Dividend Society in Cheshire. Circa 1840 (dated 1833). 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 the Armorial Bearings of John Twemlow of Hatherton (coat of arms): Quarterly 1st & 4th Argent a chevron Or between three squirrels sejant Gules (Ancient Arms), 2nd & 3rd Azure two bars engrailed Or charged with three boars heads two and one erect couped Sable (Modern Arms) charged with a crescent for difference (second son). Crest: A perroquet standing on the stump of a tree a branch sprouting therefrom proper. The family motto 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 (dated 1833)
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.