The information on this society comes from two issues of The Glasgow Mechanics’ Magazine. The May 7th issue for 1825 provides a good overview of this group:

‘The Gas Workmen’s Institution. – Out of these public associations has arisen one upon a more confined but most useful plan, applicable to every large manufactory. The Gas Light Company’s men, between 60 and 70 in number, have formed themselves, on the suggestion of Mr. J. Neilson the manager, into a society for mutual instruction; laying by a small sum monthly, they have collected about 300 volumes, and the Company giving them a library room, which they light and heat, the men meet every other evening, to converse upon literary and scientific subjects, and once a week to lecture; any one who chooses, giving a fortnight’s notice that he will treat on some subject which he has been studying. The books are of all kinds, with the exception of theology, which, from the various sects the men belong to, is of necessity excluded […]’.

(‘History of Mechanics’ Institutions. Glasgow. The Gas Workmen’s Institution’, The Glasgow Mechanics’ Magazine; and Annals of Philosophy, Vol. III, No. LXXII, 7 May 1825, pp. 216-7)

Date of Existence

1825-?

Source of Information

1.‘History of Mechanics’ Institutions. Glasgow. The Gas Workmen’s Institution’, The Glasgow Mechanics’ Magazine; and Annals of Philosophy, Vol. III, No. LXXII, 7 May 1825, pp. 216-7;

2. ‘Glasgow Gas Workman’s Institution. Re-opened for the Season. Introductory Address’, The Glasgow Mechanics’ Magazine; and Annals of Philosophy, Vol. IV, No. XCVII, 29 October 1825, pp. 169-72

Repository

Mitchell Library Special Collections

Reference Number

Mitchell (AL) 19 GLA 52873

Additional Notes

See also University Printing Office Literary & Scientific Institution. The staff at the University Printing Office of the University of Glasgow followed the model set by the Gas Workmen’s Institution (1825-?) in setting up their own institution.

For full holdings of The Glasgow Mechanics’ Magazine, apply to staff at Mitchell Library Special Collections.

St. Rollox was located in the north of the city in the Springburn area. The area was home of the St Rollox Railway Works, and St Rollox Chemical Works, which was reportedly the largest in Europe. (For more information on these companies, see ‘Caledonian Railway No 21‘ and ‘Chemical Workers‘ on The Glasgow Story website).

The group met on Monday nights at 8pm in a school room conducted by one Mr Kemps. In 1800, a large chemical factory was built in St. Rollox by Charles Tennant and his partners. Between 1800 and 1827, there were at least a couple of schools running in the area (Hugh Aitken Dow, History of St. Rollox School, Glasgow, Together with Memorabilia of Same, and a Poetical Sketch of the old School and its Notabilities (Edinburgh: Murray and Gibb, 1876), p. 30). It was only in 1827 that Tennant built the St. Rollox School to provide education for his employee’s children (‘St Rollox School’, GCA, Department of Education, The Glasgow Story <www.theglasgowstory.com/image/?inum=TGSA02010>).  It is possible that the society was composed of employees and/or their children.

In the society’s minute book, there are 11 members listed. Interestingly, ‘C J Tennant’, or Charles James Tennant, one of Tennant’s nine children, was included as a member of this society in 1822, but his name at some point was scored out.

The entry free was 1s 6d, which was cheaper than the average (2s 6d), and the money was used ‘to defray the expense of heating and lighting the room’.

Date of Existence

(prior to) 1822-1823?

Source of Information

St Rollox Debating Society, Minute book, 27 September 1822-2 December 1823

Repository

Glasgow City Archives

Reference Number

GB243 TD1943

Additional Notes

–

The staff at the University Printing Office of the University of Glasgow followed the model set by the Gas Workmen’s Institution (1825-?)  in setting up their own institution (see ‘Additional Notes’ below). A library was formed first and began with a donation of books by John M. Duncan, a co-partner in the printing office, in 1822. In 1825, it had 210 volumes ‘consisting principally of historical works, travels, romances, and poems’. Between 90 and 95 men and boys were employed at the printing office in that year. Figures for the year before state that 54 workers subscribed to the library, and entry money was based on income.

The majority of those who subscribed were apprentices aged between 14 and 21, with only 17 of the more senior journeymen making up the rest, as it was reported that these men chose to get their books from the larger collections available at the Mechanics’ Library, Anderson’s Institution Library, and the North Quarter Library. Duncan suggested that a literary and scientific institution be formed based on the same principles as the Gas Works, and the library and institution were joined shortly after the institution’s founding.

The committee, made up of some of the more senior staff, were requested to provide the lectures, the subjects being on scientific, mechanical, and chemical principles. The speaker who provided the introductory address, the surgeon, James M’Conechy—described by The Glasgow Mechanics’ Magazine as a person ‘(who appears to have interested himself considerably in the originating of this Institution,)’ —concludes his speech with what amounted to a manifesto in support of ‘Popular Education’.

Date of Existence

19 March 1825-?

Source of Information

1. McConechy, James, ‘An introductory address … on the formation of a literary and scientific institution among the workmen of the university printing office’ (Glasgow, 1825) (ML, Mitchell (GC) 374 53662–Copies are also available at NLS (Special Collections Reading Room, 1938.27(12)) and UGL (Library Research Annexe, Bf76-k.11);

2. ‘Literary and Scientific Institution at the University Printing Office, Glasgow’, The Glasgow Mechanics’ Magazine; and Annals of Philosophy, 3, 1825, pp. 341-4 (MLSC, Mitchell (AL) 19 GLA 52873– for full holdings apply to staff);

3. ‘University Printing Office’, The Glasgow Mechanics’ Magazine, 3, 1825, p. 217 (MLSC, Mitchell (AL) 19 GLA 52873– for full holdings apply to staff)

Repository

Mitchell Library Special Collections (MLSC)

National Library of Scotland (NLS) (‘An introductory address’)

University of Glasgow Library (UGL) (‘An introductory address’)

Reference Number

(See Source of Information)

Additional Notes

See also Gas Workmen’s Institution.