Glasgow Central Burns Club (aka Glasgow Central Burns Club and Literary Society, Ltd.)

Overview

This club’s object was ‘[t]o promote the study of Burns’s works and other literary and social subjects’.

(‘No. 145. -GLASGOW Central Burns Club and Literary Society, Ltd.’, ‘Directory of Burns Clubs and Scottish Societies on the Roll of the Burns Federation, 1907’, in Annual Burns Chronicle and Club Directory, ed. by D. M’Naught, No. XVI (Kilmarnock: Burns Federation, January 1907), p. 172)

It was a fairly large club in the early twentieth century: in 1906, it had over 200 members, with ‘nearly 300’ on the roll in the following year. The club met at 3 Dundas Street in the city centre, and its Club rooms were described as ‘large and commodious, and are supplied with billiards, bagatelle, and other games, newspapers, and a library’ (‘Directory of Burns Clubs and Scottish Societies on the Roll of the Burns Federation, 1906’, in Annual Burns Chronicle and Club Directory, ed. by D. M’Naught, No. XV (Kilmarnock: Burns Federation, January 1906), pp. 162-63).

The frequency and type of meetings varied: in 1906, the club had quarterly meetings in addition to their monthly meetings, while in 1907, it had ‘Committee meetings every fortnight (Tuesdays); Smoking Concert and Lecture alternately on Fridays assisted by professionals from the various places of entertainment in city’ (‘Directory of Burns Clubs and Scottish Societies on the Roll of the Burns Federation, 1907’, p. 172).

Date of Existence

1905-? Federated 18 August 1905

Source of Information

1. ‘Directory of Burns Clubs and Scottish Societies on the Roll of the Burns Federation, 1906′, in BC, ed. by D. M’Naught, No. XV (Kilmarnock: Burns Federation, January 1906), pp. 162-63;

2.’Directory of Burns Clubs and Scottish Societies on the Roll of the Burns Federation, 1907′, in BC, ed. by D. M’Naught, No. XVI (Kilmarnock: Burns Federation, January 1907), p. 172;

3.’Directory of Burns Clubs and Scottish Societies on the Roll of the Burns Federation, 1909’, in BC, ed. by D. M’Naught, No. XVIII (Kilmarnock: Burns Federation, January 1909), p. 175

Repository

Mitchell Library Special Collections (MLSC)

National Library of Scotland (NLS)

Reference Number

BNS19BUR (MLSC) (Annual Burns Chronicle)

General Reading Room (stored offsite), Y.233, available no. 1-34 25th Jan. 1892-Jan. 1925 (NLS) (Annual Burns Chronicle)

Additional Notes

BC‘ refers to the Annual Burns Chronicle and Club Directory, which was published yearly since 1892. Hard copies are available at the Mitchell Library Special Collections and the National Library of Scotland. Many of them have been digitised and are available through the Robert Burns World Federation website: http://www.rbwf.org.uk/digitised-chronicles/.

This list of Burns chronicles as sources of information gives the first year the club was included in the chronicle, and thereafter only for the years where the information is different from the previous year’s listing. In keeping with the scope of this study (1800-1914), only the chronicles published between 1892 and 1914 are included.