There was no welfare state to protect  people in difficult times and insurance was only for property. Friendly Societies provided the popular answer. They promotes friendship and mutual assistance amongst the members and provided assistance in time of sickness or old age. Most Societies were developed to meet the local needs although a few such as the Liverpool Victoria Friendly Society and the Foresters grew to become national organisations. There were dozens of Friendly Societies in Essex such as the United Brothers at Bradwell on Sea and the Dengie White Horse Friendly Society. They all operated similarly Members had to be healthy adults, usually male, who would pay a small entrance fee and then a similar sum of money monthly to the local representative. At the age of 65 years, members would receive a weekly pension which would be roughly 5 times their weekly contribution. On a members death a small lump sum was given to his widow or in the case of a widower to his children and his basic funeral costs were covered. If a member became sick, lame, blind or suffered from another problem which made him incapable of working he would receive a weekly payment of about 7 times his weekly contribution. If the injury involved a broken bone he would receive payment to cover his surgeons fees. The exemption to this payment was illness or injury to which quarrelling, drunkenness or debauchery was a contributory feature. The friendly Socities certainly provided one of the few safety blankets for people in rural Essex. Even so with the average labourers wage at 8 shillings the wekly contribution of  one shilling and sixepnd often provided too high for the poorer families who were forced to rely on the workhouse when problems occurred.