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 as ‘a debating society, open to lads between 15 and 18…some records of which still exist. Papers read at the meetings were afterwards written by their authors in the society’s year-book’.

([Thomas Lugton], ‘An Old Glasgow MS. Magazine. Lucubrations of the “Western Scientific Association”’, The Evening Times, 3 May 1907, p. 4)

(For more information about Thomas Lugton, see ‘Additional Information’ at the bottom of the entry for (Title currently unknown), Western Scientific Association (Glasgow), on our sister website, Literary Bonds.)

To date, the records of this society to which Lugton refers have not been located.

It is arguable whether or not this group should be included in this project. While it was predominantly a debating society, it is included in this survey of literary societies as the composition of original essays and poems were included amongst the group’s activities. These were collected and written into their society’s ‘yearbook’, which does not appear to have survived (see ‘Additional Notes’ below).

Date of Existence

1843-?

Source of Information

(Newspaper clipping, annotated:) ‘Times. 3 May 1907. Thomas Lugton’ ([Thomas Lugton], ‘An Old Glasgow MS. Magazine. Lucubrations of the “Western Scientific Association”’, The Evening Times, 3 May 1907, p. 4)

Repository

Mitchell Library Special Collections

Reference Number

Young’s Scrapbooks, Vol. 16 (p. 77)

Additional Notes

See also entry for the Western Scientific Association’s magazine (title currently unknown) on our sister website, Literary Bonds.