Overview
Members of this society were most likely part of the congregation of St. Matthew’s Free Church, located at the west end of Bath Street, to the west of the city centre. (For more information on this church, see ‘St Matthew’s Highlanders’ Memorial Church’ on The Glasgow Story website; see also ‘Glasgow — St. Matthew’s‘ on the Ecclegen website.)
There is little currently known about this society. The information we have comes from the Glasgow Post Office Directory for 1853-1854, which lists the society’s representatives in the Glasgow Free Church Literary Union (see below).
This group was one of 12 societies that made up the Glasgow Free Church Literary Union in 1853 (at least) (see ‘Additional Notes’ below).
Date of Existence
1853?-?
Source of Information
‘Glasgow Free Church Literary Union’, ‘Local Institutions–Religious’, Glasgow Post-Office Directory for 1853-1854… (Glasgow: William Mackenzie, 1853) p. 79
Repository
Mitchell Library
National Library of Scotland
Reference Number
–
Additional Notes
This society was part of the Glasgow Free Church Literary Union, which is listed separately.
See also Berkeley Street United Presbyterian Church Literary Association, as this society held a joint meeting with the Free St. Matthew’s Young Men’s Christian Association (it is currently unknown if this group is the same as or part of the Free St. Matthew’s Literary Society).
See also Wellington United Presbyterian Church Literary Association, with whom this society held at least one joint debate.
The Glasgow Post Office directories are available at the Mitchell Library and the National Library of Scotland. Digitised copies are available through the NLS website: https://www.nls.uk/family-history/directories/post-office/index.cfm?place=Glasgow