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

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