Ancient Order of Shepherds

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Introduction - Potted History- Beginnings

The Ancient Order of Shepherds was and most probably still is, 
a prosperous society in the many northern villages of Yorkshire. 

     At the turn of the 19th century, before the welfare state known today, 
was conceived, people who could not afford to look after their own needs and those of their families during the many periods of unemployment, sickness or bereavement, had to look to the inadequate "poor law system". 

     Even those who were in regular work often found difficulty in coping with hard times, and so to protect themselves, and their families, many of the working classes came together, to form "Self Help Societies".

   Friendly Societies had come into existence some two centuries earlier.  Two of the major Societies where "The Oddfellows" and "The Foresters". 
The great majority of members of these two organisations were to be found in Lancashire and Yorkshire.    Many splinter organisations came into being from these first movements and local groupings led to the establishment of a number of bodies of Oddfellows, as well as Druids, Shepherds and other bodies.


     The main objective of the Ancient Order of Shepherds was to provide a weekly sum of money in cases of sickness (Self-help Burial Society or Club).    In cases of bereavement they (the society) would bear the cost of funeral expenses.   Regular meetings invariably being held in public houses, created a strong social bond.  It seems almost that every public house hosted one or more of the societies, and certainly Lodge nights and anniversaries would provide welcome trade.

    To increase the sense of identity the society created rules and procedures similar to the principal secret society, the Freemasons, involving initiation, ritual and passwords.   Most of the members paid 4p (pence) on entry and 2p (pence) a quarter, the benefit on death being £2.   As the Society prospered, benefits would increase.  In 1878 it was £2 10s. 1886 it was £3.   In 1894 the introduction of a sliding scale of benefits came into being, relating to the length of  membership.    £3 up to ten years, £3 10s. up to twenty years, £4 up to thirty years, £4 10s. up to forty years and £5 above forty years. 

     Today there is a Shepherds Friendly Society, a mutual organisation, a society run and managed by its members for its members.