This group is an interesting example of a literary society whose history was not straight-forward, being the result of alliances made and broken — societies being formed, amalgamated with other societies, dissolved and/or re-formed as new clubs — over the course of its history.

There are varying accounts on the origin and history of this club and the New Literary Club, their histories being intertwined over the years. Further research on these clubs may help to untangle them. As we currently understand it,  The Holyrood Literary Society was founded in 1894. On September 24th, 1897, it amalgamated with the Literary Twenty-one Club (formerly known as the New Literary Club), and became The New Holyrood Club. The group then changed its name to The Holyrood Club. The minutes for this group continue up until the 1940s.

The Holyrood Literary Society was comprised of men and women who met at 17 Holyrood Crescent, in the West End of Glasgow. At the meetings, essays were read and debates were held on a variety of topics. In 1897, this group began to produce a magazine in manuscript written by and for its members (see ‘Additional Notes’ below).

Date of Existence

20 September 1894 – 24 September 1897 (amalgamation with Literary Twenty-One Club); 24 September 1897 – 26 March 1898 (as The Holyrood Club); 26 March 1898 – 1946? (as The New Holyrood Club, and later simply The Holyrood Club)

Source of Information

1. Holyrood Literary Society, Minutes, 1894-1904;

2. Holyrood Club, The Holyrood Magazine, Christmas, 1897;

3. New Holyrood Club, Minute Book, Vol. 4, 14 January 1905-29 March 1913;

4. Holyrood Club Minutes, 1937-1946

Repository

Mitchell Library Special Collections (MLSC)

Reference Number

(All records for this society are housed together with the records of the Holyrood Club (MLSC, 891047))

Additional Notes

The records for this club also include those of the Holyrood Club and the Literary Twenty-one Club (MLSC, 891047).

See also New Literary Club (Literary Twenty-one Club), Round Table Club, with whom the Holyrood Society had a joint meeting.

See also entry for The Holyrood Magazine on our sister website, Literary Bonds.

This society was made up of young men from the congregation of the Hope Street Free Gaelic Church. (For more information on this church, see ‘Glasgow — Hope Street‘ on the Ecclegen website, and ‘Glasgow, 58 Waterloo Street, Gaelic Free Church‘ on ScotlandsPlaces website.)

Meetings were held every Tuesday evening, but later became fortnightly. Essays read include: ‘Literary Pursuits’; ‘Man, A Study’; ‘Be Men of the Times’; ‘The importance of our opinions as a guide of Life’; Cromwell’; ‘Characterists [sic] of Highlanders’; and ‘Self-culture’ to name a few. Meetings were of the order of addresses, debates, essays and business meetings.

There were 28 members on the Secretary’s Roll for the first session (1889-1890), but usually about half or even less attended each meeting. Some of these meetings were open to ladies. ‘[S]trangers & friends’ were also allowed to attend, although their numbers were not recorded. Among the papers is a document with a list of the office-bearers for 1891-1892, and on the inside is the ‘Syllabus, 1891-92′. On the back of the Syllabus are the Constitution and Rules, which gives the society’s object as the members’ moral and intellectual improvement.

Date of Existence

1889-?

Source of Information

Records of Hope Street Gaelic Free Church, Glasgow, Bundle of papers relating to Hope Street Free Church Literary Society, 1889-92

Repository

Glasgow City Archives

Reference Number

CH16/3/11

Additional Notes

–

According to its listing in Charles Sanford Terry’s A catalogue of the publications of Scottish historical and kindred clubs and societies, the Hunterian Club was founded ‘for the reproduction of the works of Scottish writers of Elizabethan times‘.

(Terry, Charles Sanford, A catalogue of the publications of Scottish historical and kindred clubs and societies, and of the volumes relative to Scottish history issued by His Majesty’s Stationery Office, 1780-1908, with a subject index (Glasgow: James MacLehose and Sons, 1909), p. 92)

It is question of debate whether or not this club should be included in this list of ‘literary’ societies. The Hunterian Club is a book club (used in the historical sense, aka a printing club or text publication society), wherein subscription fees were pooled to acquire rare, old and/or out-of-print materials considered to be of historic and literary value, and to have these reprinted. These reprinted books might then be distributed to the club members (as per agreement upon payment of the subscription) or could be sold to members at a reduced cost, or even sold to the public. This club is included here as the group’s intention was to encourage the study of historic texts thought to be of importance to Scottish literary culture.

Date of Existence

1871-1902?

Source of Information

Terry, Charles Sanford, A catalogue of the publications of Scottish historical and kindred clubs and societies, and of the volumes relative to Scottish history issued by His Majesty’s Stationery Office, 1780-1908, with a subject index (Glasgow: James MacLehose and Sons, 1909), pp. 92-3

Repository

There are copies available at the University of Glasgow and University of Strathclyde:

University of Glasgow Library (UGL)

University of Glasgow Special Collections (UGSC)

University of Strathclyde Library (USL)

University of Strathclyde Special Collections (USSC)

Reference Number

History Bibliog DV300 1909-T 1780-1908 (UGL)

Sp Coll Mu7-c.19 (UGSC)

D 016.9141 TER (USL)

Robertson Collection D 016.9141 MAT (USSC)

Additional Notes

–

Hutchesontown is an area to the south of the River Clyde and forms part of the Gorbals. (For more information about the area, see ‘Gorbals , Glasgow. Origins & History‘ on the ScotCities website.)

Members of this society were most likely part of the congregation of the Hutchesontown Free Church, located at 114 Eglinton Street, just down the street from the Eglinton United Presbyterian Church. (For more information on this church, see ‘Glasgow — Hutchesontown‘ on the Ecclegen website.)

There is little currently known about this society. The only information we have comes from the minute book of the Free Church Students’ Literary Association, wherein this group is mentioned.

Date of Existence

1869-?

Source of Information

(Mentioned in Minute-Book of Free Church Students’ Literary Association: Minute-book of Free Church Students’ Literary Association, Glasgow, 1869-1871)

Repository

University of Glasgow Special Collections

Reference Number

MS Gen 898

Additional Notes

See also Free Church Students’ Literary Association.