TABLE OF CASES CITED. er PAGE 143 161 172 Card v. Carr...... .123, 156 118 Catt v. Tourle....... 155 Cilfoden Build. Soc., In re 178 Clark, Ex parte..... 179 Clennell, Ex parte..... 144 Clowes v. Hughes, In re . 173 177 176, 177 Cotterell v. Stratton 148 Cousins v. Smith 101 122, 128, 136, 145, 170 Dewhurst v. Clarkson, 158, 159 Dixon v. Holden 129 PAGE re, ex parte Clark 179 Fleming v. Self, 104, 108, 128 Huntley v. Bulwer......... 162 Jones' case .140, 141 ... Matterson v. Elderfield... 146 Mosley v. Baker. 133 141 129 re, ex parte Williamson 140 163 Goldsmith .152, 208 119 116 134 Pinhorn v. Souster. ......... 171 162 v. Planet Build. Soc... 145 Price v. Taylor .143, 144 Professional Bg.Soc., In re 178 R. v. D’Eyncourt 168 124 105 Richardson v. Williamson 142 169 v. Commisrs. of Inland 165 162 162 150 179 Smith v. Pilkington 108 Southampton Dock Com. v. Richards...... 117 Standen v. Christmas 172 Templar v.. MacLachlan . 162 Thompson v. Planet Buil. Soc. 119 Thomson v. Thomson 101 Third British Build. Soc. v. Barrett 172 Timms v. Williams 119 Turner v. Barnes......136, 172 Varney v. Hickman 100 Vestry of Bermondsey v. Ramsey 146 Victoria Building Society Empson's case 132 Victoria Building Society Hills and Jones' cases 140, 141 Walker v. Brit. Guarantee Association ...............: 174 Walker v. Giles ......136, 171 Watts v. Justices of Kent. 105 West Lon. Ry.v. Bernard 117 Williamson, Ex parte 140 Wilson v. Tucker 162 Wright, v. Deeley 179 INTRODUCTION. I. PREVIOUS to the year 1836, societies then commonly called Building Societies” had (as we learn from the preamble to the statute 6 & 7 Will. 4, c. 32), “ been established in different parts of the kingdom, principally amongst the industrious classes, for the purpose of raising by small periodical subscriptions a fund to assist the members thereof in obtaining a small freehold or leasehold property.” That Act was passed with the declared object of affording encouragement and protection to such associations; but, with the view, it is probable, of restricting the operations of the societies formed thereunder to the classes amongst which Building Societies had originated, certain limitations were introduced, which, in practical application, have been found to be inoperative. The result has been to widely extend the beneficial effect of the statute. Under it societies have been established, which have afforded the medium for the profitable investment of very great sums of money, and have assisted many thousands of persons in becoming the proprietors of their own houses. B II. Interesting information is afforded as to the extent of the operations of Building Societies under the Act of 1886, in the second report of Her Majesty's Friendly and Building Societies Commissioners. They found their inquiry beset with difficulty, in consequence of the absence of any provision in that Act for requiring returns from societies, or for establishing any register of facts relating to them. Yet they gathered from the statistics laid before them that the number of Building Societies in existence might be estimated at 2,000 in England, 88 in Scotland, 17 in Ireland, their members at 800,000 in England, more than 20,000 in Scotland, nearly 4,000 in Ireland, their annual income at £11,000,000 in England, 119,000 in Scotland, 20,000 in Ireland, and their total assets at £17,000,000 in England, 645,000 in Ireland. III. It may not be an extravagant estimate to suppose that since 1836, as many as 100,000 persons have become possessors of houses or land by means of Building Societies. The Act of 1836, however, though so widely beneficial in its application, was |