{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} {{Infobox company | name = Burnley Building Society | logo = Burnley Building Society Logo.JPG | type = [[Building Society]] ([[Mutual organization|Mutual]]) | foundation = 1850 | defunct = 1984 | location = [[Burnley, Lancashire|Burnley]], [[Lancashire]], [[England]] | industry = [[Banking]]<br />[[Financial services]] | products = [[Savings]], [[Mortgages]], [[Investments]],<br /> [[Loans]], [[Insurance]] | assets = > £1,000 million | assets_year = 1982 | fate = Merger with Provincial Building Society | successor = National & Provincial }}

The '''Burnley Building Society''', incorporated in [[Burnley]] in 1850, was, by 1911, not only "by far the largest in the County of [[Lancashire]]... but the sixth in magnitude in the kingdom".<ref name="nat-arch">{{cite web |title=Burnley Building Society |publisher=[[The National Archives (United Kingdom)|The National Archives]] |url=https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/bb6711b3-7752-4a42-b87e-2ec271efd91e |access-date=15 May 2020}}</ref> Their motto was By Service We Progress.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Burnley Building Society|url=https://www.theheraldrysociety.com/shop/images/burnley-building-society-2/|access-date=2020-12-16|website=The Heraldry Society|language=en-GB}}</ref>

==History== The Burnley Building Society was founded as a permanent Building Society named the Burnley Benefit Building Society. The town had previously had "terminating societies" which were wound up once they had reached their goals. The earliest of these being the Hall Union Club prior to 1800 and Burnley Benefit Society in 1815.<ref name="clitheroeadvertiser.co.uk">{{Cite web|title=ROGER FROST: Burnley from above - St James's Street|url=https://www.clitheroeadvertiser.co.uk/news/opinion/columnists/roger-frost-burnley-above-st-jamess-street-2803868|access-date=2020-12-16|website=www.clitheroeadvertiser.co.uk|language=en}}</ref>

In 1968 it merged with the Borough Land and Building Society, another Burnley Society which, in 1911, was described as "by far the largest Building Society registered under the Industrial and Friendly Societies Acts".<ref name="nat-arch" />

In 1952 it had assets exceeding £32 million<ref>{{Cite web|title=Sign In to The Times & The Sunday Times|url=https://account.thetimes.co.uk/login?state=g6Fo2SAxMk1NQTVlenZpaENHYzd4dUR5cUcyOGtJRHY5ejZ2eKN0aWTZIDd0c2t2UGRORmZUREQ5TlBvS2E3VDZndjBvYU5oWlRBo2NpZNkgRG1zVTNCQm15bW9VWE9SblhvcXFycWlCTExLSTZJdko&client=DmsU3BBmymoUXORnXoqqrqiBLLKI6IvJ&protocol=oauth2&prompt=login&scope=openid%20profile%20email&response_type=code&redirect_uri=https%3A%2F%2Flogin.thetimes.co.uk%2Foidc%2Frp%2Fcallback&nustate=eyJyZXR1cm5fdXJsIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cudGhldGltZXMuY28udWsvYXJjaGl2ZS9hcnRpY2xlLzE5NTItMDMtMjkvOS8yNi5odG1sIiwic2lnblVwTGluayI6Imh0dHBzOi8vam9pbi50aGV0aW1lcy5jby51ay8ifQ%3D%3D|access-date=2020-12-17|website=The Times}}</ref> rising above £195 million by 1969<ref>{{Cite web|title=Viewing 1969/11/7 Page 4 - Burnley Building Society|url=https://www.thetimes.com/tto/archive/frame/viewer/1969-11-07/4/9.html|access-date=2020-12-16|website=The Times}}</ref> and it had surpassed £1,000 million by 1982.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Sign In to The Times & The Sunday Times|url=https://account.thetimes.co.uk/login?state=g6Fo2SBDUmQxRi00UjBkdHY4bm54YWM3MTA3M1hFdXVXX0E2Y6N0aWTZIEdVQjJPck5WU2VJSW5KaGtzZUd3TFRwRnpYckNkZHNho2NpZNkgRG1zVTNCQm15bW9VWE9SblhvcXFycWlCTExLSTZJdko&client=DmsU3BBmymoUXORnXoqqrqiBLLKI6IvJ&protocol=oauth2&prompt=login&scope=openid%20profile%20email&response_type=code&redirect_uri=https%3A%2F%2Flogin.thetimes.co.uk%2Foidc%2Frp%2Fcallback&nustate=eyJyZXR1cm5fdXJsIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cudGhldGltZXMuY28udWsvYXJjaGl2ZS9hcnRpY2xlLzE5ODItMTEtMjYvMTgvOS5odG1sIiwic2lnblVwTGluayI6Imh0dHBzOi8vam9pbi50aGV0aW1lcy5jby51ay8ifQ%3D%3D|access-date=2020-12-17|website=The Times}}</ref>

Burnley Building Society (which also included the Whitehaven and Westmorland Building Societies)<ref name="clitheroeadvertiser.co.uk"/> and Provincial Building Society merged in 1984 to become [[National & Provincial Building Society]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.buildingsociety.com/past.shtml |title=Past Building Societies |website=BuildingSociety.com |access-date=15 May 2020}}</ref>

Lord [[Charles Kay-Shuttleworth, 5th Baron Shuttleworth|Charles Geoffrey Nicholas Kay-Shuttleworth, 5th Baron Shuttleworth]] [[Knight of the Order of the Garter|KG]], [[Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order|KCVO]] had been appointed as a director of Burnley Building Society in 1979 and subsequently became chairman of the newly formed National & Provincial and later deputy chairman of Abbey National.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Lord Shuttleworth – Derian House Childrens Hospice|url=https://www.derianhouse.co.uk/lord-shuttleworth/|access-date=2021-01-19|language=en-GB}}</ref>

On 4 August 1996 [[Abbey National]] took over the National and Provincial Building Society and shortly afterwards began to make arrangements for the disposal of the records of that Society and its predecessors which were stored at its offices in Parker Lane, Burnley.<ref name="nat-arch"/>

==Premises and Branches== [[File:Council Offices - geograph.org.uk - 1318794.jpg|thumb|Former Burnley Building Society head office in the town centre]] [[File:Former Burnley Building Society office - geograph.org.uk - 1218733.jpg|thumb|Former office at Duke Bar]]

The former headquarters were located on the corner of Parker Lane and Grimshaw Street, Burnley in a Grade II listed office block, built 1927–1930 to the designs of architects Briggs and [[Arnold Thornely|Thornley]].<ref>{{NHLE |num= 1245015|desc= Burnley Building Society Offices, Burnley|access-date= 1 November 2020}}</ref>

An example of a sculpted Burnley Building Society coat of arms is still in-situ above the entrance to a former branch, currently [[Caffè Nero|Cafe Nero]] at 16 [[Davygate|Davy Gate]] in [[York]], [[Yorkshire]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Burnley Building Society|url=https://www.theheraldrysociety.com/shop/images/burnley-building-society/|access-date=2020-12-16|website=The Heraldry Society|language=en-GB}}</ref> The coat of arms shares several similarities with the former Burnley County Borough coat of arms; namely the red chevron representing the rivers Calder & [[River Brun|Brun]] along with Bees and cotton plants representing the town's cotton industry.<ref>{{Cite web|title=CIVIC HERALDRY OF ENGLAND AND WALES - NORTH WEST REGION|url=http://www.civicheraldry.co.uk/north_west.html|access-date=2020-12-16|website=www.civicheraldry.co.uk}}</ref>

An edition of The Times newspaper from Friday November 7, 1969 shows an advert stating that London offices were located at 129 Kingsway WC2 presently a Boots store<ref>{{Cite web|title=London Kingsway|url=https://www.boots.com/stores/1521-london-kingsway-wc2b-6pp|access-date=2020-12-16|website=www.boots.com}}</ref> and 2 Hanover Street W1.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Viewing 1969/11/7 Page 4 - Burnley Building Society|url=https://www.thetimes.com/tto/archive/frame/viewer/1969-11-07/4/9.html|access-date=2020-12-16|website=The Times}}</ref>

A branch was located on Bradshaw Gate, [[Bolton]], Lancashire.<ref>{{Cite web|title=17 Bradshawgate - Bolton bygone scenes and now|url=https://bolton.webeden.co.uk/17-bradshawgate/4593430513|access-date=2020-12-16|website=bolton.webeden.co.uk}}</ref>

==Advertising and Promotion== “Build the world you want . . . with The Burnley” was used as a newspaper advert tagline in 1972.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Sign In to The Times & The Sunday Times|url=https://account.thetimes.co.uk/login?state=g6Fo2SA2eDhaQzQtN0lPYzdvNE9zT0tpUHBwUmdrM0I1XzBsQqN0aWTZIFFUTWNaTnFYbmxjVkgza0xvU29NSVp6YzZ0aTROdTlwo2NpZNkgRG1zVTNCQm15bW9VWE9SblhvcXFycWlCTExLSTZJdko&client=DmsU3BBmymoUXORnXoqqrqiBLLKI6IvJ&protocol=oauth2&prompt=login&scope=openid%20profile%20email&response_type=code&redirect_uri=https%3A%2F%2Flogin.thetimes.co.uk%2Foidc%2Frp%2Fcallback&nustate=eyJyZXR1cm5fdXJsIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cudGhldGltZXMuY28udWsvYXJjaGl2ZS9hcnRpY2xlLzE5NzItMDMtMzAvMjQvOC5odG1sIiwic2lnblVwTGluayI6Imh0dHBzOi8vam9pbi50aGV0aW1lcy5jby51ay8ifQ%3D%3D|access-date=2020-12-28|website=The Times}}</ref>

In the late 1970s the Burnley Building Society produced a promotional 7-inch single titled "The Best Things Begin With B" recorded at [[Dean Street Studios|Good Earth Studios]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk/1999/jan/22/danglaister|title = After the Satanic Verses, the romantic lyrics|date = 22 January 1999}}</ref> It was performed by [[Londonbeat|George Chandler]] and lyrics were written by [[Salman Rushdie]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk/1999/jan/22/danglaister |title=After the Satanic Verses, the romantic lyrics |first=Dan |last=Glaister |work=[[The Guardian]] |date=22 January 1999 |access-date=15 May 2020}}</ref>

Blackpool Transport's illuminated rocket which was launched in 1961<ref name="Illuminated Rocket 732">[https://www.fyldett.org.uk/our-trams/illuminated-rocket-732/ "Illuminated Rocket 732"], Fylde Transport Trust.</ref> was sponsored by the Burnley Building Society around the late 1970s to early 1980s. The tram was emblazoned with an illuminated Burnley Building Society logo on the front and the side<ref>[http://ltt-news.blogspot.com/2012/02/rocket-tram-to-shine-again.html "Rocket tram to shine again?"], LTT (Lancastrian Transport Trust), 22 February 2012.</ref> and carried a giant rocket that said "Go Up In The World With The Burnley."<ref name="Illuminated Rocket 732" />

{| class="wikitable" |+ Promotional Filmography<ref>[https://www2.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b9a2347cc "Burnley Building Society"]{{dead link|date=October 2023|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}, BFI.</ref> |- ! Year !! Title |- | 1972 || Burnley Building Society (30 Sec Version) |- | 1975 || Burnley Building Society: Your Pound |- | 1976 || Burnley Building Society: Your Pound - Revised |- | 1980 || Burnley Building Society: Disco |- | 1981 || Burnley Building Society: Red Carpet |}

==See also== *[[Listed buildings in Burnley]]

==References== {{Reflist|30em}}

'''Attribution:''' * {{OGL-attribution|''Burnley Building Society'' in the National Archive (1997)}}

{{Former UK Building Societies}} {{Borough of Burnley culture}}

[[Category:Building societies of England]] [[Category:Organizations established in 1850]] [[Category:Organisations based in Lancashire]] [[Category:1850 establishments in England]] [[Category:Companies based in Burnley]] [[Category:History of Burnley Borough]]