Overview 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 Read More …
Document Type: Newspaper/Magazine Article
Bridgeton Burns Club
Overview Bridgeton is an area to the east of Glasgow’s city centre. (For more information about this area, see Gordon Adams’s chapter, [Bridgeton & Dalmarnock], ‘Historical Background‘, on the East Glasgow History website.) The Bridgeton Burns Club’s website gives the group’s earliest Read More …
Brougham Literary Club (possibly same as Brougham Literary Institute)
Overview It is possible that this society was named for Henry Brougham (1778-1868), a highly influential advocate of social reform who helped to found the Edinburgh Review, and whose utilitarian philosophy was behind his Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge. The Read More …
Clifton Literary Society (currently unknown if this is the later Clifton Road Literary Society)
Overview Clifton is an area just to the west of Charing Cross. Not a great deal is currently known about this society, which was composed of both men and women. However, their (members’?) location near the West End, along with Read More …
Eclectic Literary Society (not same as St. John’s Parish Church Eclectic Literary Association)
Overview There is not a great deal currently known about this society. The Glasgow Post Office directory offers a list of office bearers in 1854 (these are also given in the newspaper articles listed below), while the articles in the Read More …
Gas Workmen’s Institution
Overview The information on this society comes from two issues of The Glasgow Mechanics’ Magazine. The May 7th issue for 1825 provides a good overview of this group: ‘The Gas Workmen’s Institution. – Out of these public associations has arisen Read More …
Glasgow Addisonian Literary Society
Overview Alexander Smith (1829-1867) was a well-known working-class Scottish poet, and was one of the founding members and Secretary of this society. (For more information on Smith, see, for example, ‘Alexander Smith (1829 – 1867)‘ on the Scottish Poetry Library Read More …
Glasgow Ballad Club
Overview The founder and first President of this club was William Freeland, who served from 1876 to 1903. There were 11 original members. The Glasgow Post Office directory for 1902-1903 gives a good overview of this club and its activities: Read More …
Glasgow Caithness Literary Association (aka Glasgow Caithness Literary Society)
Overview Caithness is a county in the far north of Scotland. This society is a type of nineteenth-century county association. In the stricter sense, county associations were groups whose members (or whose parents) were former residents of counties across Scotland who Read More …
Glasgow Carrick Burns Club
Overview Carrick is a district that is now part of South Ayrshire. Members of this Burns club were presumably from this area but had since settled in Glasgow. In the 1890s, the club had 40 members on the roll, and Read More …
Glasgow Cowal Society, Literary Department
Overview The name for this society refers to Cowal, a peninsula in Argyll and Bute in the Scottish Highlands, thus its members were almost certainly from the Highlands. This group is a type of nineteenth-century county association. In the stricter sense, Read More …
Glasgow Dickens Society
Overview The Glasgow Post Office directory for 1908-1909 provides an overview of this society: ‘The objects and aims of the Society are: — (1) To knit together in a common bond of friendship lovers of that great master of humour Read More …
Glasgow Foundry Boys’ Religious Society, Wellington Palace Branch
Overview The Glasgow Foundry Boys Religious Society was instituted in 1865, two years before the founding of the Wellington Palace Branch. According to the ‘Plan of Tea Tables and Names of Branches’ in the 1900 ‘Souvenir Programme’ for the annual Read More …
Glasgow Free Church Literary Union
Overview The Union was formed in 1850, seven years after the Disruption, when the Presbyterian church split in two. Its institution occurred during a period of active church building—and apparently society founding—by the newly-established Free Church. In 1853, this group Read More …
Glasgow Orkney and Shetland Literary and Scientific Association
Overview The members of this group (and/or their parents) were originally from Orkney and Shetland, and had since settled in Glasgow. This society is a type of nineteenth-century county association. In the stricter sense, county associations were groups whose members (or whose Read More …
Glasgow United Young Men’s Christian Association
Overview 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 Read More …
Glasgow University Dialectic Society
Overview The online catalogue of the University of Glasgow Archives Services, Archives Hub, offers a summary of this society and its activities: ‘Administrative / Biographical History Glasgow University Dialectic Society was instituted in 1861 at the University of Glasgow, Scotland, Read More …
Glasgow Young Men’s Society for Religious Improvement
Overview 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 Read More …
Govan Burns Club
Overview This club was based in Govan, an area south of the River Clyde and southwest of the city centre. (For more information about this area, see Gerald Blaikie’s article, ‘Govan, Glasgow. Architecture & History‘ on the ScotCities website.) It is currently unclear if Read More …
Literary and Commercial Society of Glasgow
Overview The Glasgow Literary Society was founded in 1752 and changed its name at the beginning of the nineteenth century to the Literary and Commercial Society of Glasgow. They changed premises as well, moving from the University of Glasgow (at Read More …
Literary and Scientific Association (associated with the Chartist Church, Glasgow)
Overview There is little currently known about this association. The article in the Northern Star mentions that there were three Chartist churches in Glasgow at the time (‘Chartist Intelligence. Glasgow’, Northern Star and Leeds General Advertiser, 31 July 1841, p. Read More …
Literary Society of St. Ninian’s Parish Church
Overview Members of this society were most likely part of the congregation of St. Ninian’s Parish Church, located at 429 Crown Street, in the Gorbals area of Glasgow. (For more information on this area, see the entry for ‘Gorbals, Glasgow. Origins Read More …
Mauchline Society (aka Glasgow-Mauchline Society)
Overview Mauchline is a town in East Ayrshire. Robert Burns lived there for a time on Mossgiel Farm. This group is a type of nineteenth-century county association. In the stricter sense, county associations were groups whose members (or whose parents) were Read More …
New Literary and Philosophical Society
Overview The formation of this new group is discussed in an article published in 1824 that also included a summary of a number of different Glasgow literary societies. The foundations of New Literary and Philosophical Society were laid out at Read More …
Original Union Club
Overview There is very little information currently known about this club. The information that we have comes from a newspaper clipping from the ‘Times’, possibly the Glasgow Evening Times. This newspaper article was placed in a scrapbook complied by William Young Read More …
Partick Burns Club
Overview Partick is an area in the West End of Glasgow. (For more information on this area, see the entry for ‘Partick, Glasgow. Origins & History‘ on the ScotCities website). This was a fairly large Burns club, having 213 members in 1896. Membership Read More …
Pollokshields Free Church Literary Institute
Overview Pollokshields is an area in the south side of Glasgow. (For more information on this area, see see Gerald Blaikie’s article, ‘Pollokshields, Glasgow. Origins & History‘, on the ScotCities website). Members of this society were most likely part of the congregation of the Pollokshields Free Read More …
Provand’s Lordship Literary Club
Overview The Provand’s Lordship Literary Club was set up for the preservation of one of the very few medieval buildings left in Glasgow. The group was founded in 1906 and met in this house, and through subscriptions and various fundraising activities, Read More …
Rosebery Burns Club (not same as Kilbirnie Rosebery Burns Club)
Overview This was a fairly large Burns club, with 94 members on the roll in 1893, and it nearly doubled its size in 1902, with 180 members reported. The group met from September until April on Tuesdays at 8pm (later Read More …
The Royal Philosophical Society of Glasgow (not the same as Philosophical Society, 1795-1796?)
Overview This group began as the Glasgow Philosophical Society and later became the Philosophical Society of Glasgow. A Royal Charter was granted in 1901. The Royal Philosophical Society of Glasgow’s website offers an excellent summary of the long history of this Read More …
Select Literary Society
Overview There is very little currently known about this society. The only evidence we have to date comes from a contemporary magazine article that provides only one line on the group: ‘The communication of the Select Literary Society, is not Read More …
Speculative Society
Overview An article on Glasgow’s societies appeared in the February 1824 issue of The Western Luminary, a literary magazine published in the city. It briefly reports on the first meeting of this society: ‘The Speculative Society of Glasgow, has, for Read More …
St. John’s Parish Church Eclectic Literary Association (not the same as Eclectic Literary Society)
Overview St. John’s Parish Church was built between 1817 and 1819, and was located at the corner of Macfarlane Street and the Gallowgate. The parish was one of the poorest and most deprived in the city. (For more information about Read More …
Tam O’ Shanter Club (aka the Tam O’ Shanter Burns Club)
Overview According to the 1882 Glasgow Post Office directory, the object (i.e. purpose for meeting) of this Burns club was ‘the annual celebration of the birth-day of Robert Burns; occasional reunions for the cultivation of social and intellectual intercourse amongst Read More …
The Literary and Artistic Society (aka Literary and Artistic Association) (possibly same society as The Literary and Artistic Club)
Overview The information that we have on this group comes mostly from an article written (anonymously) by Thomas Gildard that was published in May 1892 in The Bailie, a Glasgow weekly magazine. The article itself was transcribed by William Young (Glasgow Read More …
The Thirteen Club (aka The Glasgow Thirteen)
Overview From the start, this club was intended to have a small, exclusive membership limited to 13 members. Discussions were to be on literature and art. The first meeting was held on Friday, 15 January 1891 at Moir’s Restaurant on Read More …
Tollcross Burns Club
Overview Tollcross is an area in Glasgow’s east end, approximately three miles from the city centre. (For more information about this area, see Gordon Adams’s A History of Tollcross & Dalbeth, a digitised copy of which is available on the Read More …
Toynbee House Literary Society (University Settlement Association)
Overview This society was one of several classes, clubs and societies formed by the University Settlement Association, Toynbee House, which was located at 130 Parson Street, Townhead, Glasgow. (For more information on this area, see the entry for ‘Townhead Glasgow. Read More …
University Printing Office Literary & Scientific Institution
Overview The staff at the University Printing Office of the University of Glasgow followed the model set by the Gas Workmen’s Institution (1825-?) in setting up their own institution (see ‘Additional Notes’ below). A library was formed first and began Read More …
Wellpark Free Church Literary Society
Overview The Wellpark Free Church was located in Dennistoun, an area in the east end of the city. (For more information about this church, see ‘Glasgow — Wellpark‘ on the Ecclegen website, and Gordon Adams’s article, ‘Wellpark Church of Scotland‘ on the East Glasgow Read More …
Western Literary Club (currently unknown if this is Western Club, founded 1825)
Overview There is little currently known about this club. The information we have comes from an 1846 newspaper article in the Glasgow Courier, which was reprinted in the London Morning Post. According to the article, in 1841, William Wordsworth accepted the Read More …
Western Scientific Association
Overview The information that we have on this society comes solely from a newspaper article attributed to Thomas Lugton and written over fifty years after the group’s last recorded activity. The article states that this association was founded in 1843 Read More …