Retracing our roots…

Did you know? Sheffield Mutual was originally established on the 16 May 1892 as the ‘Sheffield Equalised Independent Druids’ to provide funeral and sickness benefit schemes to its members in times of financial hardship.

In the 19th Century, the Jug & Glass Public House (pictured above) in Langwith, a village on the Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire border, was a meeting place for the local branch. Members paid a small subscription to provide benefits to sick and injured mine workers.

This photo was taken after a meeting and is rather famous as there appears to be the ghost of a young boy in the foreground of the left hand line of men. Since then, the Society has had branches known as Dronfield United, Prince of Wales, Hope of Barnsley, The Portland, Middlesbrough Ironopolis and Pride of the Forest. Local branches no longer exist and the society was renamed the Independent Druids Friendly Society in 2002 before it became known as Sheffield Mutual Friendly Society in July 2005.