Young Men’s Association (Renfield Street United Presbyterian Church) (currently unknown if this is same society as Free Renfield Literary Society)

Overview

Members of this society were most likely part of the congregation of the Renfield Street United Presbyterian Church. The church, completed in 1848, was located on the corner of Renfield Street and Sauchiehall Street. (For more information about this church, see ‘Renfield Street UP Church‘ on The Glasgow Story website).

The information on this society comes from a published history of the church on the occasion of its jubilee. The Reverend James Taylor relates the history of the young men’s literary group. According to Taylor, in 1853, a young men’s association was started within the church. The group’s object was to instruct its members on becoming useful members of the church and more broadly in the larger community. At the meetings, essays were read and debates were held. The group changed names a few times, and it seems that it was not continuously running.

In the late 1880s or early 1890s, the group became the Literary Association and opened its membership to women. Taylor cites the last annual report for this later group as dating from 1894, which suggests that by 1898 at least, the group was no longer running.

Date of Existence

1853-?

Source of Information

Our Fifty Years; Being the Jubilee Book of Renfield Street United Presbyterian Church, Glasgow, ed. by Andrew F. Forrest, 2nd edn (Glasgow: Printed by Samuel A. C. Todd, 1898)

Repository

Mitchell Library Special Collections

Reference Number

Mitchell (GC) 285.241443 REN 189592

Additional Notes