Voluntary Societies and the Urban Local Community: A Case Study of the Halifax Mechanics' Institution

Abstract

This article considers the structure of the Halifax Mechanics' Institution, located in one of the principal manufacturing and commercial towns in the nineteenth-century West Yorkshire, based on the local primary sources, printed sources and my original historical computer database. Although some established works have described Mechanics' Institution as one of the most active societies in the second quarter of the nineteenth century, the hitherto-research has paid little attention to an aspect of its urban public institution. The Mechanics' Institution dealt with disputes within the institution, established hierarchical structure among its members, made social relationships inside and outside the institution, and aimed to have interrelationships with other urban bodies. Such practices were of vital importance for strengthening the ties between the institution and the urban local community of Halifax in order to bring about stability and order in the urban society.