The Albany Burns Club was founded by a few members of the soon-to-be-defunct Albany Bowling Club in order ‘[t]o keep up the old and valued friendships that were made on its turn’ (‘Club Notes’, ‘ALBANY BURNS CLUB’, in Annual Burns Chronicle and Club Directory, ed. by D. M’Naught, No. X (Kilmarnock: Burns Federation, January 1901), pp. 107-8). They formed their club ‘for the purpose of affording its members an opportunity of studying the works of our National Bard as well as meeting together throughout the winter months in a social capacity’ (Ibid).

The club met monthly between October and March at the Trades’ House Restaurant on Glassford Street (Merchant City, in the heart of the city centre) with membership being restricted to 150 members.

Date of Existence

1899?-? (the 1901 Annual Burns Chronicle gives 1900 as the founding year, while the 1904 Chronicle gives 1899); Federated 1900

Source of Information

1. Roseberry [sic] Donation, Catalogue of the Burns Exhibition. Galleries of the Royal Glasgow Institute of the Fine Arts, 175 Sauchiehall Street, Glasgow (Glasgow: William Hodge & Co., 1896), [title page] (Mitchell Library Special Collections, 907880);

2. ‘Burns Anniversary. Celebrations in Falkirk and District. Falkirk Burns Club’, Falkirk Herald, 27 January 1909, p. 6;

3. ‘Burns’ Anniversary. Celebrations in Falkirk and District. Falkirk Burns Club’, Falkirk Herald, 28 January 1914, p. 3;

4. ‘Burns’ Anniversary. Celebrations in Falkirk and District. Falkirk Burns Club’, Falkirk Herald, 31 January 1914, p. 3;

5. ‘Club Notes’, in BC, ed. by D. M’Naught, No. X (Kilmarnock: Burns Federation, January 1901), pp. 107-8;

6. ‘Club Notes’, in BC, ed.  by D. M’Naught, No. XI (Kilmarnock: Burns Federation, January 1902), p. 122; 146;

7. ‘Directory of Burns Clubs and Scottish Societies on the Roll of the Burns Federation, 1904’, in BC, ed. by D. M’Naught, No. XIII (Kilmarnock: Burns Federation, January 1904), p. 147;

8. ‘Directory of Burns Clubs and Scottish Societies on the Roll of the Burns Federation, 1905’, in BC, ed. by D. M’Naught, No. XIV (Kilmarnock: Burns Federation, January 1905), p. 157;

9. ‘Directory of Burns Clubs and Scottish Societies on the Roll of the Burns Federation, 1909’, in BC, ed. by D. M’Naught, No. XVIII (Kilmarnock: Burns Federation, January 1909), p. 172.

Repository

Mitchell Library Special Collections (MLSC) (Catalogue, and Annual Burns Chronicle)

National Library of Scotland (NLS) (Annual Burns Chronicle)

Reference Number

907880 (MLSC) (Catalogue)

BNS19BUR (MLSC) (Annual Burns Chronicle)

General Reading Room (stored offsite), Y.233, available no. 1-34 25th Jan. 1892-Jan. 1925 (NLS) (Annual Burns Chronicle)

Additional Notes

This Burns club sent visitors to and held joint meetings with the following: Rosebery Burns Club, Glasgow Carlton Burns Club, Bridgeton Burns Club, and Sandyford Burns Clubs.

‘BC‘ refers to the Annual Burns Chronicle and Club Directory, which was published yearly since 1892. Hard copies are available at the Mitchell Library Special Collections and the National Library of Scotland. Many of them have been digitised and are available through the Robert Burns World Federation website: http://www.rbwf.org.uk/digitised-chronicles/.

This list of Burns chronicles as sources of information gives the first year the club was included in the chronicle, and thereafter only for the years where the information is different from the previous year’s listing. In keeping with the scope of this study (1800-1914), only the chronicles published between 1892 and 1914 are included.

The evidence for this society comes from the syllabus for the Spring 1862 session and from the three extant issues of a magazine produced in manuscript by its members (see ‘Additional Notes’ below). The ‘Order of Readers’ at the front of the April 1862 issue lists 21 readers (presumably all male; the July issue only lists 17), which suggests that this was a relatively small group.

At the front of the April 1862 issue of The Albion Journal can be found a flyer for the April to June 1862 syllabus. From this, we know that members met weekly on Wednesday evenings at 1 Cross Gibson Street in the Gallowgate area (in the heart of the city centre). They read essays and held debates on a variety of subjects. According to a note at the bottom of the syllabus, ‘Grammar, &c., will be engaged in each evening’, and a formal ‘Conversation’ between the members on a pre-arranged topic was held on nights when essays were read.

Within the April 1862 issue is transcribed an address given by their President to the group at the inauguration of the society in September 1860. Speaking  for the society, he said that it was through their mutual improvement class, through reading, writing and debating — indeed their ‘labour‘ — that members hoped they could improve their position in and contribute to society.

Date of Existence

13 September 1860-1863?

Source of Information

Anderston is an area just over a mile to the west of Glasgow’s city centre. (For more information about this area, see Michael Moss’s article, ‘Industrial Revolution: 1770s to 1830s. Neighbourhoods. Anderston‘ on The Glasgow Story website).

According to John M’Dowall, author of The People’s History of Glasgow (1899): 

‘The Anderston Social Club was formed on 13th June, 1813. It was originally composed of thirty members, who chiefly resided in the villages of Anderston and Finnieston. It met in a tavern in Anderston, belonging to John Adam, every Monday night, from half-past eight till eleven o’clock. In addition to talking over the latest war news, poetry was a specialty with the members, among whom was William Glen, the author of “Wae’s me for Prince Charlie.” Many of the songs composed by the members are contained in the minute-books of the club.’

(John K. M’Dowall, The People’s History of Glasgow. An Encyclopedic Record of the City From the Prehistoric Period to the Present Day (Glasgow: Hay Nisbet and Co. Ltd., 1899), pp. 92-3)

It is currently unknown if these minute books still exist.

Date of Existence

13 June 1813-?

Source of Information

There is very little currently known about this club. According to the Annual Burns Chronicle and Club Directory, members met on the first Saturday of each month at an establishment on St. Vincent Street (to the west of the city centre, no number given).

Date of Existence

1900-? Federated 13 October 1913

Source of Information

1. (Mentioned in annual report in Glasgow and District Burns Club minute book: ‘Annual Report for Session 1913-1914’, Minutes, Glasgow and District Burns Club, 12 September 1912-30 April 1919, p. 60 (MLSC, 891709));

2. ‘Directory of Burns Clubs and Scottish Societies on the Roll of the Burns Federation, 1914’, in BC, ed. by D. M’Naught, No. XXIII (Kilmarnock: Burns Federation, January 1914), p. 231

Repository

Mitchell Library Special Collections (MLSC) (minutes, and Annual Burns Chronicle)

National Library of Scotland (NLS) (Annual Burns Chronicle)

Reference Number

891709 (MLSC) (minutes)

BNS19BUR (MLSC) (Annual Burns Chronicle)

General Reading Room (stored offsite) Y.233, available no. 1-34 25th Jan. 1892-Jan. 1925 (NLS) (Annual Burns Chronicle)

Additional Notes

See also Glasgow and District Burns Club.

‘BC‘ refers to the Annual Burns Chronicle and Club Directory, which was published yearly since 1892. Hard copies are available at the Mitchell Library Special Collections and the National Library of Scotland. Many of them have been digitised and are available through the Robert Burns World Federation website: http://www.rbwf.org.uk/digitised-chronicles/.

This list of Burns chronicles as sources of information gives the first year the club was included in the chronicle, and thereafter only for the years where the information is different from the previous year’s listing. In keeping with the scope of this study (1800-1914), only the chronicles published between 1892 and 1914 are included.