The information that we currently have for the Glasgow Jewish Literary and Social Society comes from a 1904 catalogue of the society’s library. Use of the library was restricted to society members, but was free of charge. The library was relatively modest with only 60 items listed, 16 of which were ‘Novels and Tales’. Included in the catalogue is a list of the library’s regulations.

To date, it is unknown if the Glasgow Jewish Young Men’s Institute was related to the earlier group. Details on this society come from the Glasgow Post Office directories. The 1914-1915 directory gives the address as 4 Carlton Place (just south of the River Clyde), and lists the society’s objects: ‘

‘Objects — To provide the means of social and literary recreations by promoting lectures, debates, musical evenings, &c.’

(‘Glasgow Jewish Young Men’s Institute’, ‘Educational Institutions’, Glasgow Post Office Directory for 1914-1915… (Glasgow: Aird & Coghill Limited, 1914), p. 1831)

Date of Existence

1904?-?

Source of Information

1. Glasgow Jewish Literary and Social Society, Catalogue, Library (November 1904);

2. [Advertisements, Glasgow Jewish Literary and Social Society], Glasgow Herald, 27 November 1895, p. 8;

3. (For Glasgow Jewish Young Men’s Institute, see: ‘Glasgow Jewish Young Men’s Institute’, Educational Institutions’, Glasgow Post Office Annual Directory for 1913-1914… (Glasgow: William Mackenzie, 1913), p. 1828); also ‘Glasgow Jewish Young Men’s Institute’, ‘Educational Institutions’, Glasgow Post Office Directory for 1914-1915… (Glasgow: Aird & Coghill Limited, 1914), p. 1831)

Repository

Mitchell Library

Mitchell Library Special Collections (MLSC)

National Library of Scotland (NLS)

Reference Number

Mitchell (GC) 017.60941443 GLA 231828 (MLSC) (Catalogue, Library)

Additional Notes

The Glasgow Herald is available at the Mitchell Library and the National Library of Scotland in both hard copy and microfilm (check libraries for availability in both formats). Digitised issues are also available through the British Newspaper Archive: https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/

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

The Glasgow Young Men’s Society for Religious Improvement was founded in 1824. In 1877, it amalgamated with the Glasgow Young Men’s Christian Association (aka the G.Y.M.C.A., instituted in 1841, but this date is debatable) to become the Glasgow United Young Men’s Christian Association. This organisation was probably the largest of its type in Glasgow during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries: to give an example from one report at the end of the nineteenth century, the association’s ‘Synopsis for 1893-4’  reported that on 30 June 1894,  there were then 9,946 members on the rolls (The Annual Report of the Glasgow United Young Men’s Christian Association. For Year Ending 30th June, 1894 (Glasgow: [?], 1894) (MLSC, GC 267.39 41435).

Upon amalgamation with the G.Y.M.C.A., the Glasgow United Young Men’s Christian Association divided up the operations of the association according to the location of their societies in the city, for example, the Northern, Eastern, Southern and Western Sections, which were then subdivided into further subsections. The amalgamation also involved the union of all the reading rooms and libraries and their collections, with the main, central library being located at 280 George Street.

Many of the subsections had their own literary associations, although, to date, it has not been possible to ascertain the exact number of these societies in the last quarter of the nineteenth century. From the records, we know that the literary association meetings of these subsections were well attended. For example, in 1878, the First, Southern Section (‘Boundaries – On the North, the River Clyde. On the West, Eglinton Street’, thus in the Laurieston area) met in class rooms on 67 Cumberland Street at 8pm on Saturday nights. They reported an average attendance of 50 members, with the maximum attendance for the session being 80. The group’s Annual Report for 1898 notes that the evenings’ activities involved study and conversation on various literary and scientific topics, and did not exclude politics.

Date of Existence

1877-present (as Ypeople, Glasgow)

Source of Information

1. Annual Report of the Glasgow United Young Men’s Christian Association. 1877 (Note: in same book as Annual Report of the Glasgow Young Men’s Christian Association. For 1865-66. (Glasgow: Aird & Coghill, 1866)) (MLSC, Mitchell (GC) 267.3 43136);

2. Glasgow United Young Men’s Christian Association. Catalogue of the Circulating and Reference Libraries (1873) (MLSC, G018.2 GLA);

3. Catalogue of Library of the George Square Branch of the Glasgow United Young Men’s Christian Association (1882) (MLSC, G018.2 GLA);

4. Glasgow United Young Men’s Christian Association. Eastern Section. Library Catalogue (Glasgow: K. & R. Davidson, Printers, [1888?]), (MLSC, G 018.2 GLA);

5. Library catalogue and rules [Glasgow United Young Men’s Christian Association] (1895) (MLSC, Mitchell (GC), 018.2 GLA 157770);

6. Annual report of the Glasgow United Young Men’s Christian Association: 1878: adopted at annual meeting and conversazione, held in the Corporation Galleries, on 29th April, 1879 (Glasgow: Central Rooms, Christian Institute, 1879) (UGL), Research Annexe, Store HA03910)

7. (Note: this list is by no means an exhaustive one — there are numerous annual reports and various types of administrative papers available across both the Mitchell Library’s and the University of Glasgow Library’s collections; in addition, there also many newspaper articles on the activities of this association, see the British Newspaper Archive: https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/)

Repository

Mitchell Library Special Collections (MLSC)

University of Glasgow Library (UGL)

Reference Number

(See Source of Information)

Additional Notes

See also Glasgow Young Men’s Christian Association, and Glasgow Young Men’s Society for Religious Improvement.

This society was instituted in 1824. In 1877, it amalgamated with the Glasgow Young Men’s Christian Association (aka G.Y.M.C.A., instituted in 1841, although this date is debatable) to become the Glasgow United Young Men’s Christian Association in 1877. In 1824, there were 14 associations connected with this society in Glasgow.

Ralph Wardlaw, D.D. (1779-1853) gave a sermon on the night of 19th September 1824 at the George Street Chapel on behalf of this society. He strongly promoted the formation of an association for young men’s improvement. He was particularly concerned about the young men who grew up in the country and came to the city looking for work. Groups like the Young Men’s Society for Religious Improvement offered a lifeline. He also discussed the origin of this society, which was to work as a supplement to Sabbath Schools. He also sets out its object and rules, which was to be the formation of societies in Glasgow and the surrounding region that would encourage mutual improvement in its young male members with a focus on religion. In addition, a library of suitable religious works and biographies was to be instituted.

The ‘Regulations of the Glasgow Young Men’s Society for Religious Improvement’ are given as an Appendix to this Sermon.

Date of Existence

1824-1877

Source of Information

1. Wardlaw, Ralph, Sermon: [for] the Glasgow Young Men’s Society for Religious Improvement (Glasgow Young Men’s Society for Religious Improvement (1825)) (ML, Mitchell (GC), 41446);

2. Wardlaw, Ralph, The divine dissuasion to the young, against the enticements of sinners: a sermon preached in George-Street Chapel, Glasgow, on the evening of Sabbath, 19th September, 1824: in behalf of the Glasgow Young Men’s Society for Religious Improvement (Glasgow: Wardlaw & Cunninghame, [etc.], 1825) (UGSC, Sp Coll T.C.L. 4010);

3. Heugh, Hugh, The importance of early piety: a sermon preached for the Glasgow Young Men’s Society for Religious Improvement: January 8th, 1826 (Glasgow: Printed by W. Lang, for the Glasgow Young Men’s Religious Tract Society, 1826) (UGSC, Sp Coll T.C.L. 3982);

4. Wardlaw, Ralph, Religion the duty, the happiness, and the hope of youth: a sermon, delivered in Greyfriars’ Chapel, Glasgow, on the evening of Lord’s-Day, May 27th, 1838, in behalf of the Glasgow Young Men’s Society for Religious Improvement (Glasgow: Printed for the Society by Aird & Russell, 1838) (UGSC, Sp Coll T.C.L. 3953);

5. Campbell, J., Memoirs of David Nasmith, his labours and travels in Great Britain, France, United States and Canada (London, 1844) (NLS, NF.1346.e.11);

6. Address delivered at the reunion of those who were members of the Regent Place Young Men’s Society; subject: Dr. Heugh … 23d March, 1852, by David Young, United Presbyterian minister at Glasgow (1852) (UGSC, Sp Coll Mu39-h.32);

7. Thirty-fifth annual report of the Glasgow Young Men’s Society for Religious Improvement: read 24th February, 1859 (Printed by K.& R. Davidson, 1859) (UGL, Library Research Annexe, Ba4-g.10);

8. Annual Report of the Glasgow United Young Men’s Christian Association, 1865-83, 1893-1937 (ML, Mitchell (GC) 267.3 43136);

9. Catalogue of the circulating and reference libraries. Glasgow Young Men’s Society for Religious Improvement. 1873 (ML, Mitchell (GC), 017.2 9368);

10. Douglas, John D., The advantages of the adoption of the Public Libraries Act: first prize essay: Glasgow Young Men’s Society for Religious Improvement (1874) (ML, Mitchell (GC), 027.4 9372);

11. Binfield, Clyde, George Williams and the Y.M.C.A., online resource: <http://www.thirdsector.co.uk/brand-report-ymca-glasgow-becomes-y-people/communications/article/1053222> [accessed 23/03/15]

Repository

Mitchell Library (ML)

University of Glasgow Library (UGL)

University of Glasgow Special Collections (UGSC)

National Library of Scotland (NLS)

Reference Number

(See Source of Information)

Additional Notes

See also Glasgow Young Men’s Christian Association and Glasgow United Young Men’s Christian Association.

A good summary of the history of the Wellington Church can be found on the Discover Glasgow website:

‘The Wellington United Presbyterian Church congregation gained its name from their original church that was located on Wellington Street in the city centre. That church, completed in 1827 and designed by John Baird, served the congregation for fifty years.

By this time their membership numbers had expanded beyond the church’s capacity, and so a competition was held for the design of a new one, with Thomas Lennox Watson beating out John Burnet. A suitable site was found on University Place, opposite the University of Glasgow’s main building which had moved west the decade before […]

While Baird’s original church was demolished in 1909, the current Wellington Church is still very active […].’

(‘Wellington Church’, Discover Glasgow <http://www.discoverglasgow.org/religious-wellington/4573943352> [accessed 01/04/18]).

A brief history of the church’s Literary Association comes from Alexander Fleming’s, Historical Sketch of Wellington United Presbyterian Congregation, Glasgow (1792-1892) (1893). According to this account, in 1839, a group of young men from the congregation formed The Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Association, which was to be short-lived. The group was revived in 1851, and, at the time of publication, was still running as the Literary Association.

The 1892 Constitution for this society sets out the group’s object as its members’ moral and intellectual improvement. While the earlier group was exclusively for young men, in the late nineteenth century, the association accepted both young men and women as members. The annual subscription charge was quite low, being only 1s, as compared to the average for other literary societies during this period (2s 6d). The meetings were held at 8pm in the Library Room of Wellington Church, which was just around the corner on Ann Street (now known as Southpark Avenue), Hillhead. In March 1892, there was a total of 58 members, which grew to 132 in 1896.

This association was very active in its participation with the literary culture of the period by hosting joint meetings and itself taking part in other literary societies’ meetings across the city (see ‘Additional Notes’ below). In 1900, the group became the Wellington United Free Church Literary Association.

Date of Existence

1851-?

Source of Information

1. Mitchell, James, Lecture on the principles of the Secession Church: delivered to the Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Association, in connection with Wellington Street Congregation, Glasgow, on 12th May, 1863 (UGSC, Sp Coll T.C.L. 4126);

2. Jubilee of the United Presbyterian Church, Wellington Street, Glasgow. Report of Services (Glasgow: Aird & Coghill, 1878); see ‘Report of Congregational Meeting, on 21st November, 1877 in Wellington Street Church, in Connection with the Jubilee Celebration’ (GCA, CH3/1238/1-2);

3. Wellington United Presbyterian Church, Literary Association [Fifth] Minute Book, 1892-1896 (GCA, CH3/1238/1-2);

4. Fleming, Alexander, Historical Sketch of Wellington United Presbyterian Congregation, Glasgow (1792-1892), with an Account of the Proceedings in Connection with the Celebration of the Centenary of the Congregation and of the Rev. Dr. Black’s Semi-jubilee as its Minister (Glasgow: Maclure, Macdonald & Co., 1893) (MLSC, Mitchell (GC) 285.241443 WEL 475664);

5. Report of Wellington United Free Church, Glasgow, for the Year Ended 30th September, 1901 (GCA, CH3/1238/1);

6. Report and year book, Wellington United Free Church (Glasgow: [The Church]); Notes from the Mitchell Library online catalogue: GC: 1905/06-1919/20, 1921/22-1926/27; 285.241443 (MLSC, Mitchell (GC), 285.241443 WEL 575166)

Repository

Glasgow City Archives (GCA)

Mitchell Library Special Collections (MLSC)

University of Glasgow Special Collections (UGSC)

Reference Number

(See Source of Information)

Additional Notes

See also Langside (Literary) Society, St. Columba Literary Association, St. Stephen’s Literary Association, College U.F. Church Literary Society, Berkeley Street U.P. Church Literary Association, Free St. Matthew’s Y.M.C. Union, St. Columba’s Literary Association, Sandyford Church Literary Association [aka Sandyford Established Association], and Free College Church Association, with whom this society had a least one joint meeting.