The
Nether Stowey Female Friendly Society was started
by Tom Poole a local Tanner in 1806. It was started to provide
funds for the ladies of the village "for mutual relief and
maintenance of the
members thereof in sickness"
Every year on the Saturday nearest Midsummer's day the ladies of Nether Stowey gather at the cross for their annual walk to the church. Led by a brass band and one of the flower girls carrying their blue banner, which is embroidered with the society's motto. When the society was originally formed the Hon. Secretary was a man, as at the time women rarely held any important position, this was well before the suffragette, women's rights were not discussed. The society had its regulations one of which was that money wasn't to be paid to a member guilty of "disorderly or immoral conduct"!!
Tom Poole did allot for the people of the village, Nether Stowey's School (Now the library) which he had built on land next to his tannery in 1813 was the second free School in the country,( the first Enmore was started by his cousin John). He also founded a men's friendly society, a Book Society and helped set up the Quantock Savings Bank in 1817. He was friendly with the great and the good, he gave help to anyone who asked. Coleridge was a great friend and Tom Poole helped him gain an allowance from the potter Wedgewood of a £100 a year. Many people had reason to thank the quiet intelligent gentleman.
The reasons for the society being formed no longer are necessary in the advent of the national health but the ladies have continued with their annual walk. It has become a village tradition for the ladies of the village to parade and remember with thanks Tom Poole who helped so many people when he formed the Friendly Societies for the villagers of Nether Stowey and the surrounding area.
Today any female resident of the villages of Nether Stowey or Over Stowey are welcome to join the parade and to partake of the lovely tea afterwards. It is mainly because of the hard work of a few that this tradition still exists. Many thanks should go to Dot Davis who helped organise and so continue this fine tradition, and also the lovely ladies who provided such a beautiful tea for everyone to enjoy.
