Pollokshields is an area in the south side of Glasgow. (For more information on this area, see Gerald Blaikie’s article, ‘Pollokshields, Glasgow. Origins & History‘ on the ScotCities website). Members of this society were most likely part of the congregation of the Pollokshields Parish Church. (For more information about this church, see ‘Shields Road‘ on The Glasgow Story website).

There is little currently known about this society. The only evidence we have to date comes from the syllabi of another literary group, the Queen’s Park U. P. Church Young Men’s Institute, which list the date on which the Pollokshields Parish Church Literary Society was scheduled to participate in a joint debates with them (see below).

Date of Existence

1901?-?

Source of Information

1. (Listed as having a joint debate with the Queen’s Park U. P. Church Young Men’s Institute on 18 January 1904: ‘Syllabus’, 1903-1904, Queen’s Park U. P. Church Young Men’s Literary Institute (Glasgow City Archives, Mitchell Library, Glasgow, Queen’s Park, St. George’s UP, UF Church, Literary Institute syllabus, 1875-1912);

2. (Listed as having a joint debate with the Queen’s Park U. P. Church Young Men’s Institute on 16 January 1905: ‘Syllabus’, 1904-1905, Queen’s Park U. P. Church Young Men’s Literary Institute (Glasgow City Archives, Mitchell Library, Glasgow, Queen’s Park, St. George’s UP, UF Church, Literary Institute syllabus, 1875-1912)

Repository

Glasgow City Archives

Reference Number

Langside is an area in the south side of Glasgow. (For more information about this area, see Gerald Blaikie’s article, ‘Langside & Battlefield. Illustrated Guide‘ on the ScotCities website.) Members of this society were most likely part of the congregation of the Langside Hill United Free Church. (For more information about this church, see ‘Langside Hill Church‘ on The Glasgow Story website).

There is little currently known about this society. The only evidence we have to date comes from the syllabus of another literary group, the Queen’s Park U. P. Church Young Men’s Institute, which lists the date on which the Langside Hill U.P Church Literary Institute was scheduled to participate in a joint debate with them (see below).

Date of Existence

1901?-?

Source of Information

(Listed as having a joint debate with the Queen’s Park U. P. Church Young Men’s Institute on 25 November 1901: ‘Syllabus’, 1901-1902, Queen’s Park U. P. Church Young Men’s Literary Institute (Glasgow City Archives, Mitchell Library, Glasgow, Queen’s Park, St. George’s UP, UF Church, Literary Institute syllabus, 1875-1912)

Repository

Glasgow City Archives

Reference Number

Camphill refers to the estate and Camphill House in the south side of Glasgow which were bought by Glasgow City Council in the late nineteenth century. (For more information about this area, see ‘Camphill Park‘ on The Glasgow Story website). The area is now part of Queen’s Park. Members of this society were most likely part of the congregation of the Camphill United Presbyterian Church, located at 20 Balvicar Drive.

There is little currently known about this society. The only evidence we have to date comes from the syllabi of another literary group, the Queen’s Park U. P. Church Young Men’s Institute, which list the dates in various years on which the Camphill United Presbyterian Church Literary Institute was scheduled to participate in a joint meetings with them (see below).

Date of Existence

1891?-?

Source of Information

1. (Listed as having a joint meeting with the Queen’s Park U. P. Church Young Men’s Institute, the Pollokshields Free Church Literary Institute, and Queen’s Park Free Church Literary Institue on 26 January 1891: ‘Syllabus’, 1890-1891, Queen’s Park U. P. Church Young Men’s Literary Institute (Glasgow City Archives, Mitchell Library, Glasgow, Queen’s Park, St. George’s UP, UF Church, Literary Institute syllabus, 1875-1912);

2. (Listed as having a joint meeting with the Queen’s Park U. P. Church Young Men’s Institute, the Pollokshields Free Church Literary Institute, and Queen’s Park Free Church Literary Institute on 1 February 1892: ‘Syllabus’, 1890-1891, Queen’s Park U. P. Church Young Men’s Literary Institute (Glasgow City Archives, Mitchell Library, Glasgow, Queen’s Park, St. George’s UP, UF Church, Literary Institute syllabus, 1875-1912)

[Note: this is not an exhaustive list; there are other later debates that were scheduled between this society and the Queen’s Park U. P. Church Young Men’s Institute; see Literary Institute syllabus, 1875-1912)

Repository

Glasgow City Archives

Reference Number

Govanhill is an area in the south side of Glasgow, and north of Queen’s Park. (For more information about this area, see the entry for ‘Govanhill‘ on Wikipedia.) It is currently unknown if this association was attached to one of the local churches (which is quite likely) or was an independent group.

There is little currently known about this society. The only evidence we have comes from the syllabus of another literary group, the Queen’s Park U. P. Church Young Men’s Institute, which lists the date on which the Govanhill Literary Association was scheduled to participate in a joint debate with them (see below).

Date of Existence

1889?-?

Source of Information

(Listed as having a joint debate with the Queen’s Park U. P. Church Young Men’s Institute on 14 February 1889: ‘Syllabus’, 1888-1889, Queen’s Park U. P. Church Young Men’s Literary Institute (Glasgow City Archives, Mitchell Library, Glasgow, Queen’s Park, St. George’s UP, UF Church, Literary Institute syllabus, 1875-1912)

Repository

Glasgow City Archives

Reference Number

CH3/1471/45

Additional Notes

See also Queen’s Park, St. George’s UP, UK Church Literary Institute, with whom they had a joint debate in 1889.

This church was located on the corner of Victoria Road and Pollokshaws Road in the south side of Glasgow in the Gorbals area. (For more information about this area, see ‘Gorbals, Glasgow. Origins & History‘ on the ScotCities website). Members of this society were most likely part of the congregation of the Victoria Free Church. (For more information about this church, see ‘Glasgow — Victoria‘ on the Eccelen website, and see ‘Tram procession 1905‘ on The Glasgow Story website).

There is little currently known about this society. The only evidence we have comes from the syllabus of another literary group, the Queen’s Park U. P. Church Young Men’s Institute, which lists the date on which the Victoria Free Church society was scheduled to participate in a joint debate with them along with Pollokshields Free Church Literary Institute (see ‘Additional Notes’ below).

Date of Existence

1875-?

Source of Information

(Listed as having a joint debate with the Queen’s Park U. P. Church Young Men’s Institute, and Pollokshields Free Church Literary Institute on 3 December 1888: ‘Syllabus’, 1888-1889,  Queen’s Park U. P. Church Young Men’s Literary Institute, Session 1888-1889 (Glasgow City Archives, Mitchell Library, Glasgow, Queen’s Park, St. George’s UP, UF Church, Literary Institute syllabus, 1875-1912)

Repository

Glasgow City Archives

Reference Number

John Street is located in the heart of Glasgow’s city centre. Members of this society were most likely part of the congregation of the John Street U. P. Church. (For more information about this church, see ‘John Street UP Church‘ on The Glasgow Story website).

There is little currently known about this society. The only evidence we have comes from the syllabus of another literary group, the Queen’s Park U. P. Church Young Men’s Institute, which lists the dates in various years on which the John Street society was scheduled to participate in a joint debate with them (see below).

Date of Existence

1875-?

Source of Information

1. (Listed as having a joint debate with the Queen’s Park U. P. Church Young Men’s Institute on 30 November 1875 and on 29 February 1876: ‘Syllabus — 1875-1876’, Queen’s Park U. P. Church Young Men’s Literary Institute, Session 1875-1876 (Glasgow City Archives, Mitchell Library, Glasgow, Queen’s Park, St. George’s UP, UF Church, Literary Institute syllabus, 1875-1912);

2. (Listed as having a joint debate with the Queen’s Park U. P. Church Young Men’s Institute on 30 October 1877 and on 22 January 1878: ‘Syllabus — 1877-1878’, Queen’s Park U. P. Church Young Men’s Literary Institute, Session 1875-1876 (Glasgow City Archives, Mitchell Library, Glasgow, Queen’s Park, St. George’s UP, UF Church, Literary Institute syllabus, 1875-1912)

Repository

Glasgow City Archives

Reference Number

Members of this literary society were most likely part of the congregation of the Barony Free Church, which was located at 43 Castle Street, in the Townhead area of Glasgow. (For more information about this church, see ‘Glasgow — Barony‘ on the the Ecclegen website, and Gordon Adams’s article, ‘Barony North Church of Scotland‘, on the East Glasgow History website. For more information about the Townhead area of Glasgow, see Gerald Blaikie’s article, ‘Townhead Glasgow. Cathedral Precinct‘, on the ScotCities website.)

There is very little currently known about this society. The sole evidence comes from the 1883-84 syllabus of another literary group. According to their syllabus for this year, the Wellpark Free Church Young Men’s Literary Society had a joint debate with the Barony Free Church Literary Society on ‘Monarchism v. Republicanism’, which was held on 20 November 1883.

Date of Existence

1883?-?

Source of Information

Members of this literary society were most likely part of the congregation of the Barony Church (Church of Scotland), which was located in the Townhead area of Glasgow and near the cathedral. (For more information about the church, see ‘Barony Church, Glasgow. History‘, on the University of Strathclyde Archives online catalogue. See also Gordon Adams’s article, ‘Barony Church of Scotland‘, on the East Glasgow History website. For more information about the Townhead area of Glasgow, see Gerald Blaikie’s article, ‘Townhead Glasgow. Cathedral Precinct‘, on the ScotCities website.)

This group met weekly on Wednesdays at 8pm in M’Lauchlan School Room (Free School), which was located at 107 Cathedral Street in the city centre. The subscription for membership was three shillings per annum (a bit more expensive than the average, which was 2s 6d) and entitled members to use of the society’s Library. The Library (also located at the M’Lauchlan School Room) was open on the last Wednesday of every month at 8pm. While membership was restricted to male members of the congregation, women nonetheless contributed to the society’s magazine, which was not unusual.

The group produced a magazine for their society in manuscript between 1863 and 1875 (at least) (see ‘Additional Notes’ below).

Date of Existence

1863-1875?

Source of Information

Members of this literary association were most likely part of the congregation of the Berkeley Street United Presbyterian Church, which was located at Charing Cross. (For more information about this church, see ‘Berkeley Street UP Church‘ on The Glasgow Story website).

There is very little known about this group. The association is mentioned as taking part in a Parliamentary Election, along with the Free St. Matthew’s Y.M.C. Union and the Wellington Church Literary Association, on 28 November 1892.

Date of Existence

1892?-?

Source of Information

(Mentioned in records for Wellington United Presbyterian Church Literary Association: Wellington United Presbyterian Church Literary Association, ‘Syllabus 1892-93’, in Fifth Minute Book, 1892-96, p. 26)

Repository

Glasgow City Archives

Reference Number

Calton is a district just to the east of Glasgow’s city centre. (For more information about this area, see Gordon Adams’s article, ‘Calton’ on the East Glasgow History website.) Members of this young men’s society were most likely part of the congregation of the Calton Wesleyan-Methodist Church. According to the Glasgow Post Office directory, the church was one of three Wesleyan Methodist chapels in the city at the time when this society was running. Daniel S. Tatham was minister in 1839.

To date, we don’t know how many young men belonged to this society, nor how long the group was in existence. The information we do have comes from the society’s magazine that was produced by and for its members (see ‘Additional Notes’ below). There are a total of 15 extant issues of this magazine.

Date of Existence

1839-1840?

Source of Information

Calton Wesleyan-Methodist Congregational Young Men’s Society Magazine, ed. by G. Currie, March 1839-January 1840, with Supplement to Dec. 1839; Mar. 1840-May 1840

Repository

Mitchell Library Special Collections

Reference Number

Mitchell (AL) 585510-585510a

Additional Notes

From the Mitchell Library online catalogue on the magazines: ‘Note: Handwritten anthology of essays and poems on religious subjects, missionary intelligence, letters to the editor[.] Donated by Miss H.E. Waddel’ [accessed 21 January 2018].

See also entry for Calton Wesleyan-Methodist Congregational Young Men’s Society Magazine on our sister website, Literary Bonds.