Friendly society brasses were the emblems of village

friendly societies A friendly society (sometimes called a benefit society, mutual aid society, benevolent society, fraternal organization or ROSCA) is a mutual association for the purposes of insurance, pensions, savings or cooperative banking. It is a mutual org ...

or clubs common in the

west of England West of England is a combined authority area in South West England. It is made up of the Bristol, South Gloucestershire, and Bath and North East Somerset unitary authorities. The combined authority is led by the Mayor of the West of England Dan ...

between the late 18th and early 20th centuries. The use of brasses as emblems was particularly prevalent in

Somerset ( en, All The People of Somerset) , locator_map = , coordinates = , region = South West England , established_date = Ancient , established_by = , preceded_by = , origin = , lord_lieutenant_office =Lord Lieutenant of Somerset , lord_ ...

and the surrounding counties.

Use

On the society's annual feast day or walking day, usually in spring, the members would hold a parade around the village, with the officers or sometimes all the members carrying poles or staves between four and eight feet (1.2 to 2.4 meters) in length and usually painted. Some poles (also known as rods, wands or 'club sticks') were headed by garlands of flowers, while in the

West Country The West Country (occasionally Westcountry) is a loosely defined area of South West England, usually taken to include all, some, or parts of the counties of Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Somerset, Bristol, and, less commonly, Wiltshire, Glo ...

, the poles were commonly headed by a

brass Brass is an alloy of copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn), in proportions which can be varied to achieve different mechanical, electrical, and chemical properties. It is a substitutional alloy: atoms of the two constituents may replace each other wit ...

finial with a distinctive shape and decorated with ribbons. It is thought that the use of brass was due to the proximity of the brass industries in

Bristol Bristol () is a city, ceremonial county and unitary authority in England. Situated on the River Avon, it is bordered by the ceremonial counties of Gloucestershire to the north and Somerset to the south. Bristol is the most populous city in ...

and Bridgwater, and the two separate manufacturing centres may account for there being two principal forms of brass pole-head. Those used north and east of a line drawn between Bridgwater and

Yeovil Yeovil ( ) is a town and civil parish in the district of South Somerset, England. The population of Yeovil at the last census (2011) was 45,784. More recent estimates show a population of 48,564. It is close to Somerset's southern border with ...

were generally flat and cut from sheet brass, while those south and west of the line were more three-dimensional. The flat Brasses most commonly took the form of an elaborate

spear A spear is a pole weapon consisting of a shaft, usually of wood, with a pointed head. The head may be simply the sharpened end of the shaft itself, as is the case with fire hardened spears, or it may be made of a more durable material fasten ...

-head or a

fleur-de-lis The fleur-de-lis, also spelled fleur-de-lys (plural ''fleurs-de-lis'' or ''fleurs-de-lys''), is a lily (in French, and mean 'flower' and 'lily' respectively) that is used as a decorative design or symbol. The fleur-de-lis has been used in the ...

, while the three-dimensional forms were

cast Cast may refer to: Music * Cast (band), an English alternative rock band * Cast (Mexican band), a progressive Mexican rock band * The Cast, a Scottish musical duo: Mairi Campbell and Dave Francis * ''Cast'', a 2012 album by Trespassers William ...

and based on a ball or column shape. There was often a symbolic element in a brass emblem. For example, the addition of a crown could indicate loyalty to the monarchy, while an acorn or

oak An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus ''Quercus'' (; Latin "oak tree") of the beech family, Fagaceae. There are approximately 500 extant species of oaks. The common name "oak" also appears in the names of species in related genera, notably ''L ...

leaves indicated strength or longevity. Other symbols include clasped hands or two figures shaking hands indicating friendship and community, religious symbols such as anchors or the

Agnus Dei is the Latin name under which the " Lamb of God" is honoured within the Catholic Mass and other Christian liturgies descending from the Latin liturgical tradition. It is the name given to a specific prayer that occurs in these liturgies, and ...

, and horseshoes. Some Brasses may replicate the sign of the

inn Inns are generally establishments or buildings where travelers can seek lodging, and usually, food and drink. Inns are typically located in the country or along a highway; before the advent of motorized transportation they also provided accommo ...

where the Society met.

Stave dances

Stave dances may have been dances performed after the procession, with the dancers carrying and using the staves with their brass heads in the course of the dance, for example to form arches or stars. There are few records of the dances themselves, but some from Somerset, and from Stourton Caundle and

Fifehead Magdalen Fifehead Magdalen is a small village and civil parish in the county of Dorset in southern England. It lies within the Blackmore Vale, about south-southwest of Gillingham and west of Shaftesbury. It is sited on Corallian limestone soil and surro ...

Dorset Dorset ( ; archaically: Dorsetshire , ) is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The ceremonial county comprises the unitary authority areas of Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole and Dorset. Covering an area of , ...

, have been found. Some modern-day

Morris dance Morris dancing is a form of English folk dance. It is based on rhythmic stepping and the execution of choreographed figures by a group of dancers, usually wearing bell pads on their shins. Implements such as sticks, swords and handkerchiefs may ...

groups have revived stave dancing, for example 'Somerset Morris' based near

, and the 'Mendip Stave Dancers' from Oakhill in

Gallery

File:Templecombe_Friendly_Society_Brass_2.JPG,

Templecombe Templecombe is a village in Somerset, England, situated on the A357 road five miles south of Wincanton, east of Yeovil, and west of Salisbury. The village has a population of 1,560. Along with the hamlet of Combe Throop, it forms the parish of ...

Friendly Society Brass on display in Wells and Mendip Museum File:Chilcompton and Butleigh Friendly Society Brasses.JPG,

Chilcompton Chilcompton is a village and civil parish in Somerset, England, situated in the Mendip Hills two miles south of Midsomer Norton and 3.0 miles south-west of Westfield. It is situated on the B3139 road between Radstock and Wells, close to the A ...

and Butleigh Friendly Societies Brasses File:Bishops Lydeard and Goathurst Friendly Society Brasses.JPG, Bishops Lydeard and

Goathurst Goathurst is a small village and civil parish in the English county of Somerset, around 3 miles from the town of Bridgwater. The parish includes the hamlets of Andersfield and Huntstile. The village is on the route of the Samaritans Way South Wes ...

Friendly Society Brasses

References

{{reflist Friendly societies of the United Kingdom