Glasgow Orcadian Literary and Scientific Society

Overview

The members of this group and/or their parents were originally from Orkney 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 parents) were former residents of counties across Scotland who had moved to Glasgow. This type of group incorporated elements of a benevolent society in that they could offer a combination of accommodation, advice, referrals, and general assistance to newcomers in the city when they arrived, while also offering aid to widows, unemployed members, or members undergoing financial hardship. In addition, they might offer to provide for the education of their members’ children, or money to support their higher education.

There is little information currently known about this society, which further research will help to rectify. The group is mentioned in the ‘Ninth Annual Report of the Glasgow Orkney and Shetland Literary and Scientific Association’ (1871). The report states that there was some discussion during the session to amalgamate the Glasgow Orkney and Shetland Literary and Scientific Association,  Glasgow Orkney and Shetland Benevolent Society, and the Glasgow Orcadian Literary and Scientific Society, to form a Benevolent Literary and Scientific Association. There were various difficulties with this for the Benevolent Society, but regardless, the Glasgow Orcadian Literary and Scientific Society was clearly against the idea.

Date of Existence

1870?-?

Source of Information

1. (Mentioned in the Ninth Annual Report of the Glasgow Orkney and Shetland Literary and Scientific Association, given 2 May 1872, 1870-71 session, in Glasgow Orkney and Shetland Literary and Scientific Association, Minute Book No. 2, 8 March 1867-15 April 1878, p. 199 (SA, D58/1/2);

2. [Prospectus], Glasgow Orcadian Literary and Scientific Society, Session 1872-3 [includes list of Office-Bearers, 1872-3 and Syllabus] (OLA, ‘Papers – Literary societies: miscellaneous’, 800YZ);

3. [Prospectus], Glasgow Orcadian Literary and Scientific Society, Session 1873-74 (OLA, ‘Papers – Literary societies: miscellaneous’, 800 YZ)

Repository

Orkney Library & Archive (OLA)

Shetland Archives (SA)

Reference Number

(See Source of Information)

Additional Notes

See Glasgow Orkney and Shetland Literary and Scientific Association.