Digital Archive of Irish Tontines

Description

Name: The Friendly Brothers of St Andrews Tontine Society
Year: 1848
Type: Mutual Aid Tontine
Subscription Cost: 7d. per week
Status: Operational

Formed in 1848, the Brothers of St Andrew's Tontine Friendly Society was a sickness and burial scheme. The rules of the tontine stated that the organisers wished 'to prove [themselves] Christians, as far as [their] poor circumstances [would] allow' and that they had 'formed this mutual subscription for the relief of the attack of old age, sickness or infirmity, and to administer some relief to the widow and children of such of [the] fraternity [as] shall happen to die'. Members paid a weekly subscription of 7d, with 6d going to the 'sickness, burial and divide funds', and 1d going into a sinking fund. In exchange, a sick member was paid 8s. 7d. for the first 13 weeks of sickness, followed by 4s. 7d. for the next 13 weeks. If sickness continued, the member would then be paid 2s. 7d. from the sinking fund. If a member or their wife died, the beneficiary would receive a payment of £4, along with 1s. from every other member.

Included in the rules were various stipulations which exerted significant moral and social control over society members. A fines system which penalised behaviours deemed disagreeable to the society was in place. Minor infractions of etiquette carried modest penalties; for instance, swearing and insulting fellow members incurred a small fine of 2d. Quarrelling or fighting carried a larger fine of 2s. Meanwhile, members who became 'a habitual drunkard or rioter' were to be expelled. And any sickness caused while intoxicated did not qualify for a benefit.

Sources: Royal Irish Academy, HP 2036/20. The Friendly Brothers of Saint Andrew Tontine Society, instituted January, 1848, (Dublin, 1848). The first nine pages are provided.

Reproduced with permission from the Royal Irish Academy. Please appropriately cite any sources used.