About Us

History

Barnsley Building Society was established in 1853 as the Barnsley Permanent Benefit Building Society with the objective of 'enabling persons to purchase their own residences, or other freehold or leasehold property, to pay off mortgages, or to invest money profitably.'

At the inaugural meeting, John Whitworth presided and on a proposition made by Edward Parker and seconded by Benjamin Hague, it was resolved that it was desirable to form a Building Society. The Society became incorporated under the Building Societies Act of 1874.

Having occupied an office over a grocer's shop and then moving to larger premises in 1890, the Society moved into its current home, Permanent Building, which was purpose built at a cost of £50,000, just prior to the Second World War, in 1938. The offices were opened by the Rt. Hon. The Earl of Harewood who held the post of president of the Building Societies' Association and of the Yorkshire County Association of Building Societies.

His opening comments on the day were as follows:

'I am doing something which will contribute, even though it may be in a comparatively small way, to the permanent bettering of the housing of people.'

In 1873 branches were formed in Mexborough and Clayton West, with the Society's assets standing at £679.

In 1953 the Society had grown to fifteen branches spanning Dartford in Kent to Blackpool. Assets at that time were strong and exceeded five million pounds with half a million in reserve funds.

On 31st December 2008 the Society merged with the Yorkshire Building Society, the UK's third largest building society. Following the merger the Barnsley has retained the Barnsley Building Society brand and has eight branches at:

Barnsley Cudworth, Wombwell, Mexborough Rotherham Doncaster Chesterfield Wakefield.

For further information about Yorkshire Building Society, click here.