Overview
A summary of the history of the Kelvinside Literary Association is available on our sister website, Glasgow’s Literary Bonds (see ‘Additional Notes’ below).
In 1873, at the annual social meeting of this association, the President of the society mentioned that a proposal was put forward to start a magazine for the group, which was received with ‘great applause’. The topic was discussed at two subsequent meetings, when a decision was made to postpone looking into it further until later in the session. Up until the 1883-1884 session (the last session that is covered by the extant minute book), there is no further evidence that the issue was raised again. It appears that the proposal to start a society magazine never got off the ground.
This society was one of many groups in Scotland and England (and beyond) during the long nineteenth century that held discussions during their meetings about founding a group scrapbook, magazine or newspaper for their respective societies, but chose in the end not to start one.
It is debatable whether or not these societies should be included in this study. However, we would argue that the discussions and/or stated intentions of these groups to found a magazine for their societies demonstrates that the issue was important enough to be considered as part of their associational activities, indeed, to be part of their efforts for ‘improvement’ (this was variously defined as intellectual, religious and/or moral improvement) whether they ultimately decided to found one or not. The fact that they did at least discuss it should be recorded.
Name of Club, Society or Group That Produced the Magazine
Kelvinside Literary Association (later became The Young People’s At Home) (Glasgow)
Date of Existence
1865-(at least 1909)
Date of Magazine
(Currently unknown if ever produced)
Number of Issues
(Currently unknown)
Manuscript/Published Magazine
(Unknown)
Contents and Contributions
(unknown)
Repository
(Glasgow City Archives, see ‘Reference’ below)
Reference
(See minute book of this literary association for details on the meetings in which discussions took place about starting a society magazine: Glasgow, Kelvinside, Free Church, U.F., Literary association minutes, 1871-84, CH3/1012/11)
Additional Notes
This was a Free Church society and should not be confused with the Kelvinside Parish Church Literary Society, which was a Church of Scotland society. For more information about this group see entry for Kelvinside Parish Church Literary Society on our sister website, Glasgow’s Literary Bonds.
See also entry for Kelvinside Literary Association on our sister website, Glasgow’s Literary Bonds.