S – Glasgow's Literary Bonds

Sandyford Burns Club

Overview Sandyford is an area located just to the west of Charing Cross. The Glasgow and District Burns Association website gives a brief history of the founding of this club: ‘The clubs’ [sic] motto is taken from the poem “Contented Wi Read More …

Sandyford Church Literary Association (appears to be the same as Sandyford Established Association)

Overview Sandyford is an area located just to the west of Charing Cross. The evidence for this group comes solely from the manuscript magazine that its members founded. At the very end of the 1883 issue is transcribed an ‘Extract Read More …

Scotch Girls Friendly Society

Overview There is little information currently known about this group. The only information that the 1894 Glasgow Post Office directory provides is an address, which is given as 59 Elmbank Street, located to the east of Charing Cross. It is Read More …

Scottish Society of Literature and Art

Overview The Glasgow Post Office directory for 1887-1888 provides a good summary of this society and its activities. Along with the society’s object — ‘[t]he cultivation of literature, music, elocution, and art generally, by the holding of meetings for the Read More …

Select Literary Society

Overview There is very little currently known about this society. The only evidence we have to date comes from a contemporary magazine article that provides only one line on the group: ‘The communication of the Select Literary Society, is not Read More …

Shakespeare Reading Class (Toynbee House, University Settlement Association)

Overview This society was one of several classes, clubs and societies formed by the University Settlement Association, Toynbee House, which was located at 130 Parson Street, Townhead, Glasgow. (For more information on this area, see the entry for ‘Townhead Glasgow. Read More …

Shettleston Burns Club

Overview Shettleston is an area in Glasgow’s east end. (For more information on this area, see Gordon Adams’s article on the ‘History of Shettleston‘ on the ‘East Glasgow History‘ website). According to the 1902 Annual Burns Chronicle and Club Directory, this Burns club Read More …

Speculative Society

Overview An article on Glasgow’s societies appeared in the February 1824 issue of The Western Luminary, a literary magazine published in the city. It briefly reports on the first meeting of this society: ‘The Speculative Society of Glasgow, has, for Read More …

Spoutmouth Bible Institution (St James’ Free Church) Mutual Improvement Association

Overview A manuscript magazine was produced by this institution in 1873 (see ‘Additional Notes’ below), but it is unclear if it was the production of a society formed within the organisation, or the result of a group effort by those Read More …

Springburn Burns Club

Overview Springburn is a district in the north of the city. (For more information on this area, see Gilbert T. Bell’s, ‘Second City of The Empire: 1830s to 1914. Neighbourhoods: Springburn‘ on The Glasgow Story website.) There is very little currently Read More …

St. Andrew Society

Overview In a scrapbook housed in the Mitchell Library, there can be found a type-written document about the St. Andrew Society. The (unknown) author records a brief history of the group, and gives its object (i.e. the purpose for meeting) Read More …

St. Columba Literary Association (later became St. Columba Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Association)

Overview Members of this association were most likely part of the congregation of St. Columba’s Gaelic Chapel in Glasgow. The National Records of Scotland’s online catalogue offers a brief history of the church: ‘Admin history A separate place of worship Read More …

St. John’s Parish Church Eclectic Literary Association (not the same as Eclectic Literary Society)

Overview St. John’s Parish Church was built between 1817 and 1819, and was located at the corner of Macfarlane Street and the Gallowgate. The parish was one of the poorest and most deprived in the city. (For more information about Read More …

St. Rollox Burns Club

Overview 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 Read More …

St. Rollox Debating Society

St. Rollox Jolly Beggars

St. Stephen’s Literary Association

Overview Members of this association were most likely part of the congregation of St. Stephen’s Church. At the time that this group was running, they would have been based at the church built in 1850 for the congregation on New Read More …

Strathbungo Parish Literary Association (aka Strathbungo Parish Church Literary Society)

Overview Strathbungo is an area in the south side of Glasgow. Members of this association were most likely part of the congregation of the Strathbungo Parish Church, located at 605 Pollokshaws Road. The earlier church was replaced by a new building Read More …

The Scottish Poets’ Club

Overview There is very little currently known about this club. The only information we have to date comes from the Glasgow Post Office directory, which briefly states the group’s object and lists the then current office bearers: ‘THE SCOTTISH POETS’ Read More …

Category: S