Our History

George Holloway was born in 1825, and at an early age he came to Stroud with his brother, Henry Adam Holloway, who went into partnership together and opened a small shop in the High Street, manufacturing clothes for the wholesale trade. A successful turning point in business for the brothers was with utilisation of steam powered sewing machines. It was believed that Holloway & Co were the first in the world to ‘sew by steam’ 

Holloway was known for its 10 hour shifts in a warm comfortable environment (something we still enjoy today!) where employees earned first class wages! It appeared there were many benefits to employees when working for Holloway, the company grew to have a highly respected reputation employing a large percentage of the Stroud population.

In 1878 George Holloway wrote a prize winning essay, written on the success of the firm ‘Holloway, Crowe & Holloway’, it was on these principals that he based his famous Holloway Society which was founded in 1880, initially calling itself ‘The Stroud Working Men’s Benefit Society’ which later became ‘The Mid Gloucester Conservative Association Benefit Society’ – their motto being ‘God helps those who help themselves’.

When the 1867 Reform Act passed by a Conservative Government gave the vote to the working man, George Holloway was the chief creator of the Stroud Conservative Working-mans Association which set out to win the votes of the working class. George soon became an icon ‘for the working class people’, in his election address he claimed to be the ‘Working man’s candidate’

In 1875 he held his first Lodge night at Badbrook Hall, Stroud, enrolling his first 34 members. Himself of course being the very first, and his close friend, Sir John Dorington, being 2^nd. George Holloway believed that if the members’ contributions were wisely invested, it would very quickly provide a large sum, that effectively would not only provide sickness benefit but it would also provide a sum payable at the age of 65, this was seen as a comforting benefit for the member. After three years the society had taken off dramatically and the membership had risen to 1,000, this was noticed as an incredible achievement. Societies were soon formed copying the same principles of the ‘new style’ Holloway Benefit Society and by the end of 1924 there were 42 ‘Holloway’ Societies in existence.

George Holloway made five attempts to represent Stroud in parliament for the Conservatives and was finally successful, in 1886 George Holloway was elected MP for Stroud he did this until his death on the 26^th August, 1892.

When George Holloway died he was commemorated in two ways, in 1894 a statue of George Holloway was placed in Stroud it was unveiled on 6^th August by Lady Dorington. The other tribute was the conservative association. It was not only built for the association but as a conservative club and benefit society. The Foundation Stone for this building was laid on the same day by Mrs. Arthur Playne and in 1896, Lord George Hamilton, Secretary of State for India, opened it.

After some years the society eventually had nothing to do with the Conservative organisation. In 1968 The Stroud Holloway Original Benefit Society joined forces with the Gloucester and West of England Holloway Society to form ‘The Original Holloway Society’ which is how we know it to this day.

For over 130 years, George Holloways principles and objects of the first Benefit Society have stood the test of time, proving themselves as an example to many others and although we now live in a ‘modern society’ his Victorian theories are still very much needed today. Holloway Friendly still provides sickness and accident cover for the working persons.