According to club records, this group was founded in 1871 by William Sloan, and its ten original members were dominies (Scots for schoolmasters). Meetings took place on Friday nights on North Street (in the Anderston area, to the west of the city centre). (For more information about this area, see Michael Moss’s article, ‘Industrial Revolution: 1770s to 1830s. Neighbourhoods. Anderston‘ on The Glasgow Story website). Over the years, the venue would change, with meetings being held at various restaurants and hotels across the city. From its beginnings, in addition to their weekly meetings, members met on a number of other occasions during the year for Burns suppers, Christmas suppers, concerts, and for various local and regional excursions during the summer.

Whilst being more informal and primarily social in nature, the meetings were nonetheless well-organised: members took it in turns to read aloud their original compositions on a variety of topics, which the other members then ‘criticised’ the piece (in the sense that they expressed their judgement). The chairman resided over the proceedings. Recruitment of new members was confined to friends of current members who came along to the meetings, and (eventually) a vote would be called to decide if they were to be admitted.

A rather interesting tradition has evolved in the meetings. Included in the club’s possessions is ‘The Green Lady’. This is a small, green, early twentieth-century terracotta suffragette bell that bears the inscription, ‘Votes for Women’. According to the Archivist of the club:

‘[t]he bell is placed on the table during Ours Club meetings. If any member thinks that any speaker is being unduly verbose he places the green lady in front of him. The hint it taken.’

(‘The Green Lady’, D. K. Macaskill,  [Inventory of the Glasgow Philological and Literary Society. Ours Club. Archive — Minutes and Associated Paper], 12 January 2015 (copy of original in possession of club Archivist, D. K. Macaskill)).

The club produced a magazine in 1909 that included original contributions written by the members (see ‘Additional Notes’ below).

The group continues to meet at the Glasgow Art Club (185 Bath Street).

Date of Existence

1871-present

Source of Information

1. Minutes and associated papers (includes minutes, club rules, members lists, syllabi, original poems and songs: ‘A Book of Ours’, Burns suppers, Christmas suppers, concerts, photos, 1871-1971 (GCA, TD1896); records from 1971-present are in possession of club Archivist, D. K. Macaskill (Glasgow);

2. ‘A Book of “Ours”‘ (“Ours” Literary and Social Club. A book of “Ours.” Contributions by the members. [Andrew Lyon, Editor] (Glasgow, 1909) (print magazine)

Repository

Glasgow City Archives (GCA) (minutes and associated papers)

University of Glasgow Special Collections (UGSC) (print magazine)

Reference Number

TC1896 (GCA)

Sp Coll Bh11-c.28 (Wylie Collection) (UGSC)

Additional Notes

Thomas Gildard was President of the “Ours” Club from 1882-1893, and was also a member of The Literary and Artistic Society.

See also entry for A Book of “Ours” on our sister website, Literary Bonds.

This club was formed in Glasgow as it was thought there was a need for the city to have its own society similar to the ones then running in Edinburgh and beyond.

The object of the club was to encourage the study and knowledge of drama as well as the works of Shakespeare. Members had to be at least 18 years old to join. The amount of the entry money to be paid upon joining is not given. The club started its own library.

The meetings took place at 8.30pm on the second Monday in the months of February, May, August and November. At ordinary meetings (that is, meetings not devoted to business or social matters), members read original essays, and held conversations and discussion, with every other week being devoted to ‘conviviality’. In addition, the club held a yearly dinner to celebrate Shakspere’s birthday.

There are 12 Honorary Members on the roll who joined between 1838 and 1848 whose residences crossed the globe: while 5 (at least) lived in Glasgow, there was one member who moved to New Zealand, another to New York, and yet another who lived in Calcutta. In addition, there are 54 Ordinary Members on the roll who joined between 1838 and 1850.

There are a few interesting aspects of this club. The first is that the members wore some form of insignia during the meetings, as set out in the ‘Laws and Regulations’. It is currently unclear what form this took. The second was that every member had to choose a sobriquet from the characters of Shakespeare by which they would be addressed when at the meetings. Thirdly, the laws of the club required that all members had to know the Bard’s work so well as to be able to recite any passage should the President call upon them to do so. Lastly, the club had a detailed list of fines to be paid for various infractions, and these were dependent upon whether the transgressor was an office-bearer, a member, or an orator/respondent, with a few selected infractions having a fine ‘common to all’. The greatest fines were ‘For resigning office’ (2s 6d), ‘For refusal to accept office’ (2s 6d), ‘For absence at half-past 9 o’Clock’ (making him a half hour late, at 6d), and ‘For absence from Anniversary’ (1s), respectively.

Date of Existence

1838-1850?

Source of Information

Laws, Articles and Regulations of the Glasgow Shakspere Club, Instituted 1838 (Glasgow: Printed by Muir, Gowans, & Co. 1839) (also includes manuscript, ‘Bye & New Laws’, list of Honorary Members, and Ordinary Members with dates admitted, names, ‘cognomen’, and ‘remarks’)

Repository

Mitchell Library Special Collections

Reference Number

Mitchell (GC) 822.33 324627

Additional Notes

This club should not be confused with the Monday Shakspere Club (10 April 1879-November 1882?).

According to the 1881 printed list of rules for this group, the group’s object was the study of Shakespeare’s works. The meetings were to alternate between the reading of a play and criticism (i.e. discussion). The meetings in which criticism was to feature would begin with a paper on the play that was previously read.

The entry free upon joining was 2s 6d, and 5s for the year, which made this an expensive club to join. Members would most likely have been from the middle class. Membership was restricted to 20 (later changed to 30), but there were usually less than a dozen attendant at each meeting. Books were bought by the club upon the approval of the majority of the members.

This club was unusual in that it initially had two sessions during the year (the norm was one): meetings were held at 8pm on the first Monday of the month between April and September, and on the first and third Mondays between October and March. Later, the rules were revised, reducing the meetings to one session, with meetings being held only between the months of October and May on the second and fourth Mondays at 8pm.

Date of Existence

10 April 1879-November 1882?

Source of Information

Monday Shakspere Club, Minute Book, 1879-82 (includes printed ‘Rules’, various years, and printed ‘Monthly Abstract of Proceedings’, 9 June 1882)

Repository

Mitchell Library Special Collections

Reference Number

Baillie’s Library, 35495

Additional Notes

This club should not be confused with the Glasgow Shakspere Club (1838-1850?).