In the 1860s, Colchester was a small country town, surrounded by village hamlets such as Lexden Heath, Old Heath, Blackheath and Shrub End. The railway reached Colchester in 1843, and by 1882, on July 4th, the line to Clacton on Sea was opened.Silk, clothing and boot manufacture provided the main employment. In 1861 Charles Dickens gave a reading from his own works at the Theatre Royal in Queen Street. The year also saw another event take place which was to change the face of shopping in Colchester, and which was to provide help and employment to many ordinary local men and women.

On the 13th May 1861, just 17 years after the first Co-operative shop in Rochdale had opened, a general meeting was held in Colchester of interested persons, to draw up the rules for a Colchester Co-operative Society. A committee of 28 was formed, and by August 9th a special meeting of members was held in Culver Street, on the premises of John Taylor of the Essex Standard, to mark the official opening of the first shop.

Originally it was open for the sale of bread and flour. Later butter, sugar, cheese, soap, soda and starch, blues, backing, black lead and mustard were offered for sale. The first balance sheet showed sales of £429, assets of nearly £89, and the dividend was declared at 1/- (5p) in the pound on members’ purchases.

An Educational committee was formed in 1865, and enthusiastically pioneered a programme of activities based upon the co-operative ideals of self-improvement, self-help, sharing and comradeship in action. In 1890 the Colchester Co-op Womens Guild was formed, and other activities flowed forth such as lending libraries, reading rooms, choirs, drama groups, children’s clubs, exhibitions, outings, talks and conferences.

From these humble beginnings Colchester inherited one of the most successful Co-operative Societies in the country.

Dates in which other Co-op’s amalgamated with Colchester and East Essex

9th November 1921, Tiptree Self Help
14th April 1931, Clacton Co-operative Society
3rd November 1945, Coggeshall Heart in Hand Society
6th March 1967, Harwich & Dovercourt and Parkeston Society
6th November 1967, Maldon Society
6th June 1970, Witham Society
2nd August 1970, Earls Colne Society