I think you're right - our local historian may have got his facts wrong or I misinterpreted what he said when I did a history walk with him. Ours dates back to 1888 so a mere youngster compared to Rochdale. We the the first something but now I've no idea what! A trip to the local museum beckons.
After being made redundent after many years in heavy industry,i finally got a part time job at the CO-OP,during my induction to the company they gave a talk about the history of CO-OP and they were if i remember rightly called the Rochdale Pioneers which then went on the be called the Coperative Society then shortened to CO-OP.
I drink to make others more interesting