John Street is located in the heart of Glasgow’s city centre. Members of this society were most likely part of the congregation of the John Street U. P. Church. (For more information about this church, see ‘John Street UP Church‘ on The Glasgow Story website).

There is little currently known about this society. The only evidence we have comes from the syllabus of another literary group, the Queen’s Park U. P. Church Young Men’s Institute, which lists the dates in various years on which the John Street society was scheduled to participate in a joint debate with them (see below).

Date of Existence

1875-?

Source of Information

1. (Listed as having a joint debate with the Queen’s Park U. P. Church Young Men’s Institute on 30 November 1875 and on 29 February 1876: ‘Syllabus — 1875-1876’, Queen’s Park U. P. Church Young Men’s Literary Institute, Session 1875-1876 (Glasgow City Archives, Mitchell Library, Glasgow, Queen’s Park, St. George’s UP, UF Church, Literary Institute syllabus, 1875-1912);

2. (Listed as having a joint debate with the Queen’s Park U. P. Church Young Men’s Institute on 30 October 1877 and on 22 January 1878: ‘Syllabus — 1877-1878’, Queen’s Park U. P. Church Young Men’s Literary Institute, Session 1875-1876 (Glasgow City Archives, Mitchell Library, Glasgow, Queen’s Park, St. George’s UP, UF Church, Literary Institute syllabus, 1875-1912)

Repository

Glasgow City Archives

Reference Number

The listing for this society in the 1854-1855 Glasgow Post Office directory gives a brief summary of this group and its activities:

‘[…] The Society meets in the Sheriff Court Hall, County Buildings, every Wednesday evening during the session, at a quarter past eight o’clock. Its principal object is the discussion and elucidation of disputed and undecided questions in law, with which is combined the preparation of essays on subjects of a legal and literary character’.

(‘Juridical [Society]’, ‘Educational and Scientific Institutions’, Glasgow Post-Office Annual Directory for 1854-1855… (Glasgow: William Mackenzie, 1854), p. 133)

Of note is that the later listing for this group in the 1887 to 1888 directory does not mention any ‘literary’ aspect to the group’s proceedings, which may or may not mean that by then it became more focused on juridical issues and less on ‘subjects of a […] literary character’. In the late nineteenth century, the term ‘literary’ still encompassed a wide range of subjects and included — but was by no means restricted to — literature:

‘[…] The objects of this society are the discussion of legal cognate speculative subjects, and the consideration of questions of juridical interest. Admission to it is restricted to members of the legal profession and law students, and its meetings are held every Wednesday evening at 8 o’clock, from November to April, in the Faculty buildings, St George’s Place.’

( ‘Glasgow Juridical Society’, ‘Literary and Scientific Institutions’, Post Office Glasgow Directory for 1887-1888… (Glasgow: William Mackenzie, 1887), p. 117)

Date of Existence

6 November 1847-1887?

Source of Information

1. ‘Juridical [Society]’, ‘Educational and Scientific Institutions’, Glasgow Post-Office Annual Directory for 1854-1855… (Glasgow: William Mackenzie, 1854), p. 133;

2. ‘Glasgow Juridical Society’, ‘Literary and Scientific Institutions’, Post Office Glasgow Directory for 1887-1888… (Glasgow: William Mackenzie, 1887), p. 117;

3. Birrell, Augustine, The Nature of Proof in Judicial Proceedings. Address Delivered to the Glasgow Juridical Society, [18-?] (ML, Mitchell (GC) 347.06 GLA/BIR 475725; GCA, Papers of Robert Renwick, TD/490/10/6)

Repository

Mitchell Library (Glasgow Post Office directory, and Address)

National Library of Scotland (NLS) (Glasgow Post Office directory)

Glasgow City Archives (GCA) (Address)

Reference Number

(See Source of Information)

Additional Notes

The Glasgow Post Office directories are available at the Mitchell Library and the National Library of Scotland. Digitised copies are available through the NLS website: https://www.nls.uk/family-history/directories/post-office/index.cfm?place=Glasgow