Overview
Bute, or the Isle of Bute, is an island in the Firth of Clyde. Bute is also a county that comprises this island and number of surrounding islands. This society is a type of nineteenth-century county association.Ā In the stricter sense, county associations were groups whose members (or whose parents) were former residents of counties across Scotland who had moved to Glasgow. This type of group incorporated elements of a benevolent society in that they could offer a combination of accommodation, advice, referrals, and general assistance to newcomers in the city when they arrived, while also offering aid to widows, unemployed members, or members undergoing financial hardship. In addition, they might offer to provide for the education of their membersā children, or money to support their higher education.
The information on this society comes from their First Annual Report for their 1876-1877 session (October through March). There are 39 members listed on the roll. Membership was open to young men from the Isle of Bute who had moved to Glasgow. A meeting was held at Aitkenās Temperance Hotel, Argyle Street, on 20 March 1876 to discuss the formation of a new society.
According to this report, members met weekly on Tuesday evenings from October until March at 8pm at the Washington Temperance Hotel (located on Sauchiehall Street) for the purpose of encouraging study and self-education.
Date of Existence
3 October 1876-?
Source of Information
First Annual Report of the Glasgow Bute Literary Institute [1876-77] (Glasgow: K. & R. Davidson, Printers, 1877)
Repository
Mitchell Library Special Collections
Reference Number
Mitchell (GC) 806 26180
Additional Notes
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