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Friendly and Benevolent Societies,—The following are the principal Friendly and Benevolent Societies, with their objects and terms of subscription, according to official returns furnished at the Editor’s request by their respective secretaries. The Societies omitted are those from which his request for information has failed to elicit any reply:
ARTISTS’ BENEVOLENT FUND, 23, Garrick-street, Covent-garden. Subscription: Not mentioned. Object: To give pensions to widows and orphans of artists who, during their lives, had been subscribers to the Artists’ Annuity Fund, a branch of this fund.
ARTISTS’ GENERAL BENEVOLENT INSTITUTION, 24, Old Bond-street.— Subscription: Voluntary. Object: To assist meritorious and distressed artists, their widows and orphans.
BENEVOLENT SOCIETY OF ST. PATRICK (Instituted in 1874), 61, Stamford-st.— Subscription:  Life governors, £21; annual governors, £3 3s. Object: Educating, clothing, and apprenticing children of poor Irish parents resident in London. There are always 430 of such children in the society’s schools.
CHURCH OF ENGLAND TEMPERANCE, SICK AND BURIAL SOCIETY, 18Adam-street, Adelphi. Subscription: Various. Object: To provide for a weekly payment during the sickness of a member, and the payment of a sum of money on the death of a member or member’s wife
COMMERCIAL TRAVELLERS’ BENEVOLENT INSTITUTION, 13 Finsbury-place, South. Object: Expressed in title.
COMPOSITORS’ PERMANENT SICK FUND, 3, Racquet-court, Fleet-street. — Subscription: 3d per week, and 1s. per year to the guarantee fund; free in six months. Object: Payments in sickness: 12s. a week for 10 weeks and 6s. a week for 10 weeks.
CUMBERLAND BENEVOLENT INSTITUTION, 33, Cheapside— Subscription:  (no information). Object For the relief of natives of the county, or their widows, resident the metropolis, who have fall from prosperous or comfortable circumstances.
DRAMATIC, EQUESTRIAN, AND MUSICAL SICK FUND, 55, Beaufort-buildings, Strand. —Supported by annual subscription. Object: To aid the members of the above professions in sickness and distress, provide them with moneys for journeys, and sums at death. Income, £300 a year.
FRIENDS’ PROVIDENT INSTITUTION, 5, Bishopsgate–street- without (head-office, Bradford, Yorks). — Subscription: As per published tables. Object: Life assurances, and annuities, and endowments.
GARDENERS’ ROYAL BENEVOLENT INSTITUTION, 14, Tavistock-row, Covent-garden, \V. C — Subscription: £1 1s. annually £10 10s., life subscription. Object Providing pensions of £16 per annum to aged and infirm gardeners, and others interested in horticultural pursuits and their widows, who are allowed to reside in any part of the United Kingdom
GOVERNESSES’ BENEVOLENT INSTITUTION, 32, Sackville-street Object: Expressed in title.
HEARTS OF OAK BENEFIT SOCIETY, 57, Charlotte-st, Fitzroy-square.—Number of members On January 1, 1879, about 90,000; reserve fund, January 1, 1879, about £320,000; benefits paid to that date, more than £800,000. Object: The following benefits are secured to the members of this society upon a payment of  about 10s. per quarter of 13 weeks: In sickness, per week, 18s.; member’s funeral, £20, member’s wife’s funeral, £10; wife’s lying-in, £1 10s.;  loss by fire, £15; superannuation, per week, 4s.
HUNT SERVANTS’ BENEFIT SOCIETY, Messrs. Tattersalls, Albert-gate—Subscription: Honorary members, for life, £5 or upwards; annually, £1 or upwards; benefit members according to age and benefits subscribed for. Object: To provide for huntsmen, and whippers-in of fox or stag-hounds, sickness pay, annuities at 60 or 65 years of age, and provision for their widows and orphans.
LIVERPOOL VICTORIA LEGAL FRIENDLY SOCIETY, 1, Finsbury-square (corner of Chiswell-st).— Subscription: Weekly or monthly, to suit the convenience of assurers. Object: Assurances upon lives from £1to £200.
LONDON FRIENDLY INSTITUTION, 27, Farringdon -street.— Subscription:  Graduated scale of contributions according to benefits. Object: Relief of members in time of sickness, and friends of members at death.
LONDON AND SOUTH-WESTERN FRIENDLY SOCIETY, 54, Wandsworth-rd, Vauxhall. Subscription According to a scale. Object: Sick payments to members with medical attendance, funeral money at death of members or wives.
LONDON GENERAL PORTERS BENEVOLENT ASSOCIATION, 33 Cheapside. — Subscription:  (no information). Object: For granting pensions to infirm or permanently disabled porters and messengers, and to their necessitous widows and orphans.
MASTER MARINERS’ BENEVOLENT SOCIETY, 12, Borough High street. Object: Expressed in title.
METROPOLITAN BEER AND \VINE TRADE ASYLUM AND BENEVOLENT FUND, 9, King-street, Finsbury-square. Subscription: 10s. per annum. Object: For providing a home and maintenance for aged and decayed members of the trade when they are in distress.
METROPOLITAN COMMERCIAL TRAVELLERS AND WAREHOUSE-MEN’S ASSOCIATION, 33, Cheap-side. — Subscription: (no information). Object: Allowances in sickness, medical advice, and payment of fixed sum upon the death of members.
MILLINERS AND DRESSMAKERS’ PROVIDENT AND BENEVOLENT INSTITUTION, 32, Sackville-street, Piccadilly.— Subscription:  : Members, 20s., 25s., and 35s. per annum. Object: The relief of members (of the Institution only) when in necessitous circumstances, also gratuitous medical advice in cases of sickness.
MUTUAL BENEFIT ASSOCIATION OF OIL AND COLORMEN, DRUGGISTS, AND DRYSALTERS, “City Arms,” Blomfield-street.— Subscription: First Division— Payments: Under 35 years of age, 10s 7d. per quarter; from 25to 30, 11s. 1d. ; from 30 to 36, 11s, 10d. Benefits: First 26 weeks at 20s. per week; second at 14s. ; afterwards at 4s. ; at a member’s death, £20 ; member’s wife’s death, £10. Second Division— Payments: Under 25 years of age, 7s. 1d. ; from 25 to 30, 7s. 7d.; from 30 to 36, 8s. 1d. Benefits: First 26 weeks at 12s. per week; second at 7s.; afterwards at 2s. 6d.; at a member’s death, £12; member’s wife’s death, £6. Including medical attendance. Free in 12 months. Entrance fee and Rules: Under 25 years of age, 4s.; 25 and under 30, 6s. 6d. ; 30, and not exceeding 36, 9s. A benevolent fund has been established for the purpose of further benefitting the members in old age and infirmities, also their widows and orphans. It is supported by members, honorary members, voluntary contributions or donations. Object: Granting pecuniary and medical assistance to the members in time of sickness; the payment of stated sums in sickness and death according to the above table.
MUTUAL PROVIDENT ALLIANCE FRIENDLY SOCIETY, 2, Albion-place, Blackfriars-bridge.—Object: Relief in sickness, annuities, sums payable at death, endowments for adults or children.
NATIONAL SOCIETY LIMITED, 76, Aldersgate-street. — Subscription: 5s. per month per certificate. Object: A mutual, provident society to enable members to buy stocks, shares, &c., with their interest.
NEWSPAPER PRESS FUND, 55, Strand. Subscription: Annual, £1 1s.; life, £10 10s. Object: The relief in waist or distress of professional journalists; who shall be members of the fund, and for the widows and families of deceased members.
NEWSVENDORS’BENEVOLENT AND PROVIDENT INSTITUTION, 28 Martin’s-lane, Cannon-street, and Lambeth Savings Bank. —Subscription: £10 10s. constitutes a vice-president, £3 3s. a life subscription, or 5s. a year to one of the trade is an annual subscription, and gives one vote at every election of annuitants. Object: To grant annuities to decayed men and women of the trade, also temporary relief, after due enquiry into the applicant’s case has been made by visiting committee.
PRINCESS LOUISE HOME AND NATIONAL SOCIETY FOR THE PROTECTION OF YOUNG GIRLS, 26, New Broad-street.— Subscription: Annual, £1 1s., or more or less; life, £5 5s. Object: To save young girls (not thieves) between the ages of eleven and fifteen, whether orphans or otherwise, who are, from any circumstance, in danger of becoming abandoned; to educate, train, feed, clothe, and prepare them for future usefulness as domestic servants; to protect them during the most critical period of life; to land them safe into womanhood; to procure situations for them; to provide them with an outfit, and generally to watch over them; to advise, counsel, and reward them, and in every possible way to become their guardians.
PROVIDENT ASSOCIATION OF WAREHOUSEMEN, TRAVELLERS, AND CLERKS, 98, Cheapside.— Subscription: From 2s. 6d. to 7s. 6d. per month. Object: For providing a certain and fixed sum for its members when thrown out of employment, medical attendance and medicine during sickness, assistance during life in old age or total incapacity from following any employment, and in special cases of want and distress.
RAILWAY GUARDS’ UNIVERSAL FRIENDLY SOCIETY, 29, Southampton - buildings.— Object: To raise, by the contributions of the members, or by voluntary subscriptions or donations, a stock or fund for the relief and maintenance of such members in sickness and for a provision for their fami1ies at their death; for granting allowances for life to those who may become permanently injured or disabled, and to raise a stock or fund for the use of the widows and orphans of deceased members. Estab1ished June, 1849.
REFUGE FRIENDLY SOCIETY LIMITED, 78, Myddelton-street, ClerkenwellSubscription: From 1d per week upwards. Object:
Industrial life assurance.
ROYAL LONDON FRIENDLY SOCIETY FOR GRANTING POLICIES OF INSURANCE TO THE WORKING CLASSES, 28, Finsbury-place. — Subscription: Weekly payments generally. Object: For providing sums of money, payable upon the death of a member, member’s wife, or children.
ROYAL MASONIC BENEVOLENT INSTITUTION FOR AGED FREEMASONS AND WIDOWS OF FREEMASONS, 4, Freemasons’ Hall, Gt. Queen-street.— Subscription: 5s. for one vote, £10 10s. for life governorship. Object: Granting annuities of £40 to aged freemasons of 6o years of age, and to the widows of freemasons of 55 years of age £32, with the option of residence in the institution.
ROYAL STANDARD BENEFIT SOCIETY, 42, Great Ormond-street, Bloomsbury.—Subscription: 11s. 6d. per quarter (which wholly ceases after 35 years’ membership). Entrance fee, under 25 years of age, 5s.; 25 and under 30, 7s. 6d.; 30 and upwards, 10s. Rules included, Object: To secure to free members, in sickness, per week, £1 1s. ; member’s wife’s funeral, £10; member’s funeral, £20; wife’s lying-in, £2; loss of tools by fire £15; superannuation, per week, 2s. to 8s. Partial benefit is allowed in the case of sickness and funerals for non-free members, and no deduction is made from the funeral benefit upon the death of a superannuated member or his wife. Has no public-house meetings, as the whole of the business is conducted at the society’s offices by its own members. Respectable healthy men under 35 years of age, whose average earnings are not less than 28s. per week, are invited to join.
STOCK EXCHANGE CLERKS’ PROVIDENT FUND, Stock Exchange.—Subscription: First-class, 1 1s. per annum; second-class, 10s. 6d.; entrance fee, 2s. 6d. Object: To assist clerks while out of employment; to make payments at death; to assist clerks when laid aside by illness; to make grants in special cases of distress; to aid subscribers in obtaining situations.
UNITED KINGDOM BENEFIT SOCIETY, 27, Great Ormond-st. Established 40 years Subscription: £2 2s. per annum. Object: Allowance of £1 per week in sickness; £20, member’s death;  £10, member’s wife’s death; 30s wife’s lying-in; 5s. per week pension.
UNITED KINGDOM RAILWAY OFFICERS AND SERVANTS’ ASSOCIATION, 29, Moorgate-station-buildings— Subscription: 5s. and upwards per annum entitle to one or more votes. Donors of £5 5s. become life governors and are entitled to one vote for life at every election. A donation of £250 in one sum entitles the donor to nominate a pensioner at once, and a donor of £500 is entitled to always have a pensioner on the funds during his or her life-time. Object: To give temporary and permanent assistance to persons in the service of railway companies or railway contractors in cases of accident or severe illness ; to provide them annuities in old age, or if otherwise incapacitated for work, and at death to assist their families.
WESLEYAN METHODIST LOCAL PREACHERS’ MUTUAL AID ASSOCIATION, 19, Exeter Hall, Strand. — Subscription: Benefit members, 12s. per annum; hon. members, £1 1s., and upwards. Object: To afford relief to the members during periods of sickness and old age, and to provide a sum of money payable at death.

Charles Dickens (Jr.), Dickens's Dictionary of London, 1879