Alabama Societies (43 societies)

Huntsville

Huntsville Mechanic's Benevolent Association
Mutual aid society incorporated in 1843 with the intention of offering education to mechanics.

La Fayette

La Fayette Mechanics' Literary and Benevolent Association
Mutual aid society incorporated in 1844 with the intention of offering education to mechanics.

Mobile

Ancient Order of Hibernians of the city and county of Mobile
Mutual aid society incorporated in 1854. members Michael Jones, Thomas Kavanaugh, Thomas Mathews, James Finigan, Peter McEleary

Barton Academy
School in existence between1836 and 1839, proving some free education to poor children funded by state, city and private sources.

Mobile Baymen's Society
Society for 'prmoting propriety of conduct and benevolence of action among Baymen' founded in 1851 and incorporated in 1852.

Bethel Society
Voluntary society for visiting seamen founded in 1836, funded a church from 1837 and a sailor's home from 1846.

Brotherhood of the Church
Mutual society for Episcopalian church members and their families founded in 1855

Can't Get Away Club
Voluntary society founded in 1839 by gentlemen to provide healthcare to yellow fever sufferers. Incorporated in 1854.

Catholic Female Charitable Society
Voluntary society which provides and orphanage and a free school for poor children founded in 1838 and incorporated in 1840. Associated with Catholic Orphanage Asylum, eligible for state funding from 1846. Aka Female Catholic Benevolent Association - 'having general supervision of the Catholic pay and free schools and male and female asylums. President Mrs Frank David, Secretary Mrs Jane Masterson.' Mobile City Directory for 1859

Catholic Orphanage Asylum Mobile
Orphanages for boys under the control of the Christian Brothers and girls under the control of the Sisters of Charity, both founded in 1838.
See: Records from 1838 kept at St Mary's Home

Creole Free School
Formed before 1849

Creole Union Benevolent Society of the city of Mobile.
Mutual aid society formed by male creoles and incorporated in 1852.

Dorcas Society
Attached to the Presbyterian Church, in existence in 1840

Female Benevolent Society
Voluntary society for the helpless poor, founded in 1829, and incorporated in 1841. Mainly outdoor relief (food, clothing and medicine), but some indoor relief from 1831.
See: Minutes 1860-64 in the University of South Alabama archives in Mobile.
Click here for extracts

German Fusileers' Benevolent Society of Mobile
Incorporated in 1854 'for the purposes of mutual protection, and of benevolence and charity'.

German Turner's Society Mobile

Hibernian Benevolent Society of Mobile
Mutual aid society founded in 1822, incorporated in 1828 and re-incorporated in 1834 'for the purpose of extending benevolence to the natives of Ireland and their offspring who may be in distress'.

Humane Charity Hospital
Founded in Mobile in 1828, funded from city taxes for 'the comfort of all sick and disabled persons' possibly a re-branding of the city hospital.

Ladies Hebrew Benevolent Society
Founded in 1850

La Societe de Bienfaisance
French mutual aid society

Marine Hospital
In existence by 1859

Mobile Carpentry and Joiners Mutual Benefit Society
Mutual aid society founded in 1836 that also sought to exclude slaves from competing for work with white artisans.
See: Mobile Mercantile Advertiser for the Country, July 16, 1836.

Mobile Hebrew Relief Association
Mutual aid society incorporated in 1860

Mobile Mechanics' Association
Mutual aid society incorporated in 1851, changed its name to Mobile Mechanics' Institute in 1858.

Mobile Poorhouse and Hospital
City funded institution founded in 1824 for sick, poor and widows.

Mobile Port Society
Founded in 1835 to aid visiting seamen.

Mobile Turner Community
Incorporated in 1860 by John L Weison, Phillip Berch, Phillip Frank, Christopher Wintergert, J B Hoffman for 'purposes of improvement in mental and physical culture of benevolence and charity'.

Protestant Episcopal Church Employment Society
Voluntary society founded in 1860 providing work for seamstresses, with products sold in their own shop
See: Mobile Register (6/3/60)

Protestant Orphanage Asylum Society
Voluntary society founded in 1839 to provide indoor relief to children. Charter ammended 1857 to require written permission from a living parent before care offered, that judges approve binding out arrangements and that society able to invest part of its income.
See: 17 vols of Minutes 1839-1966 at Historic Mobile Preservation Society Archives, Oakleigh, Mobile. Click here for extracts; Miscellaneous records including admission and dismission rolls from 1851 at the Baptist Children's Home, Mobile; Constitution and First Annual Report of the Protestant Orphan Asylum Society of Mobile (Mobile: Farrow & Dennett, nd [1860])

Providence Infirmary of Mobile
Incorporated in 1858, to provide hospital care for the sick poor. Run by the Sisters of Charity.

Samaritan Society of Mobile
Founded during 1837 yellow fever epidemic to provide medicines to the sick. Incorporated in 1860.

St Andrew's Society
Scottish mutual aid society

St John's Female Benevolent Society
Founded at St. John's Episcopal Church c. 1856 to assist widows and orphans.

Montgomery

Hebrew Benevolent Society of Montgomery
Mutual aid society incorporated in 1852.

Chevra Mevacher Cholim
Jewish benevolent society formed by twelve families on November 17th, 1846, disanded on the formation of Kahl Montgomery Synagogue in 1849.

Female Benevolent Society
Founded in 1830.

Female Orphan Asylum
Founded in 1859 by Episcopal women.

Montgomery Mechanics' Association
Mutual aid society incorporated in 1851

Montgomery Relief Club
Founded in 1854 in response to a yellow fever epidemic.

Montgomery Typographical Union
Mutual aid society for printers incorporated in 1858, providing assistance to sick members and their families.

St Andrew's Society
In existence by 1860.

Tuscaloosa

Tuscaloosa Female Benevolent Society
Founded 1830.
See: Minutes and Roll Books 1853-1868 at Hoole Special Collections, University of Alabama Library. Click here for extracts.

Miscellaneous

Society for the Relief of Disabled Clergymen and of the widows and orphans of deceased clergymen of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the diocese of Alabama.
Mutual aid society formed in 1846.