THE Friendly SOCIETY FOR WIDOWS BEING A PROPOSAL for Supplying the Defect of jointures, and Securing Women from falling into Poverty and Distress at the Death of their Husbands.  
EXperience Informs us every Day, of the Misery and Calamity of Women after the Death of their Husbands, which chiefly falls on such Women who mary Clergy-men, Shop-keepers, and Artificers, who, tho they may bring considerable Fortunes to their Husbands, are often times le●● in a very mean Condition.  
For the Relief and Support of such, and that they may be Provided for whatever the Circumstances and encumbrances of their Husbands may Expose them to; There is no Office of Assurance, by ●ay of Friendly Society ●●●cted for Widows, Wherein 〈◇〉 the Women wh● Subscribe to be Contributors to the said Society, shall be assu●ed to Receive 500 l. at the Death of their Husbands. Being a Proposal of real public Benefit, and with very small Advantage to the Undertakers.  
In this Office Subscriptions are taken, the Books for that purpose being opened on the 27th. of November, 1696. where every Married Woman, or her Husband for her, may Enter her Name into a Register kept for that purpose, and shall Receive a Policy or Obligation Sealed by the Common Seal of the said Office, in the Presence of one or more of the Governours of the said Office, for the Conditions of the following Settlement, which is made by Advice of Council, and may be seen at large at the said Office.  
Into which Register, any Woman, whose Name is so Entered that shall become a Widow at any time after Six Months, from the time of the Books being shut up, on Notice and Proof made at the Office, the manner of which Proof is at Large Stated in the Settlement, and to be seen at the said Office, she shall Receive within Six Months after such Notice and Proof made, the sum of Five Hundred Pounds, without any Deductions, except certain small Fees 〈…〉 Officers, which are also settled, and to be seen at the said Office.  
〈…〉 Consideration whereof, every Person whose Name is so Entred and registered 〈…〉 agree, by way ●f Friendly Society, to Contribute her or their Propor●… or Part of the said ●umm of Five Hundred Pounds, whenever any Mem●… of the said Society becomes a Widow, provided the said Proportion does 〈…〉 exceed the sum of Five Shillings.  
And for the Maintenance of the said Office, and keeping the said Register every Contributer is to Pay Five Shillings at the time of their Subscribing and One Shilling and Four Pence Quarterly, without any other Claims or pretention whatsoever.  
Every Subscriber is to have due Notice of every Claim, 〈◇〉 the same being published and posted up in some of the Eminentest Places of the City; after which, on Non-payment, according to Reasonable Limited time adjusted in the said Settlement, they lose the Benefit of their former Contributions.  
Any Subscriber having continued a Member of the Society, as long as he or she pleases, may at any time withdraw th●●r Subscription and and no longer obliged, upo● Notice in Writing given to the Secretary of the Office, for the time being, and delivering the Policy of Assurance up to be canceled.  
A Copy of the Settlement is left at the Office, for any Person who is a Subcriber to peruse; wherein are many other Articles for completing the Proposal, and for the Advantage of the Subscribers.  
And because 'tis very proper to ask what Security shall be given for the Performance of the Conditions of this Proposal, the Undertakers hereof have Appointed, That all the Money shall be Deposited into the Hands of Ten Trustees, and those Trustees not to be name by the Undertakers, but by the Subscribers themselves; so that they are Keepers and Disposers of their own Money, and no Claim to be, but what shall be Signed by the said Trustees: The said Trustees to be Chosen within Twenty Days after the Closing of the said Books; and in the mean time, the Management of the said Office is under the Disposal and Government of the following Gentlemen, to be joined to the said Ten Trustees, so to be Chosen by the Subscribers. All which may at Large be seen in the Settlement aforesaid.  
The Books for this Subscription, are to be opened on the Twenty Seventh day of November, at the General Office of Assurance for WIDOWS, in Aldermary Church-yard in Watling-street, London, and will be shut up as soon as 2000 Subscriptions shall be made where the whole Settlement as aforesaid may be seen; and Attendance is daily given, for the taking the said Subscriptions.  

The Names of the present Governors are,  
Anthony Bowyer, Esq; one of the Members of Parliament for the burrow of Southwark.  
Dalby Thomas, Esq; one of the Commissioners of the Glass-Office.  
James Isaacson, Esq; one of the Commissioners of the Stamp-Office.  
Thomas Firmin, Esq;  
Samuel Tuffley, Esq;  
William Dockwra, Esq;   
One of which said Governours will be always present at the taking the Subscriptions, as aforesaid.  
Novemb. 25th, 1696.   

LONDON: Printed by F. C. in the Old-Bailey. 1696.