Temperance Building Society

The Temperance Building Society was formed in London in 1854 by non-conformists and abstainers. Using only agencies, it grew to be the largest building society in the early 1900s. However, a disinclination to adopt more modern practices led to a relative decline in the inter-war period. A revival began in 1942 when a new general manager was appointed, and a national branch network was established within a couple of years. By the time of the Temperance’s official history in 1954, the Society was once again in the top ten. In 1974 the Temperance merged with the Bedfordshire Building Society to form the Gateway Building Society, breaking the long-standing association with the temperance movement. The Gateway in turn merged with the Woolwich Equitable in1988 to form the Woolwich Building Socie rdf:langString