(Title currently unknown)

Overview The evidence for the Jedburgh Mutual Improvement Association and its magazine comes solely from an article in a local newspaper, The Jedburgh Gazette. A further investigation of the local press and archives may provide further information on this group. According Read More …

Hawick Literary Society MS Magazine

Overview There are few details currently known about this society and its magazine. According to an obituary notice for Frank Hogg in The Hawick Express, it may have been the Hawick Literary Society that was referred to as the ‘young Read More …

The Excelsior Manuscript Magazine

Overview There are nine extant issues of the manuscript magazine that was produced by this mutual improvement society. The title was taken from the poem, ‘Excelsior’, written in 1841 by the American poet, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, and the poem’s message Read More …

The Spoutmouth Institution Magazine

 Overview A summary of the history of the Spoutmouth Bible Institution is available on our sister website, Glasgow’s Literary Bonds (see ‘Additional Notes’ below). There is only one extant issue of this group’s manuscript magazine. It consists of 136 pages with 11 Read More …

The Literary Magazine

Overview A summary of the history of the Literary Debating Society is available on our sister website, Glasgow’s Literary Bonds (see ‘Additional Notes’ below). Whilst becoming more proficient in their rhetorical skills at their meetings, the purpose of starting a society magazine Read More …

Aemulus

Overview The mutual improvement group that produced this magazine was based at River Terrace Church (River Terrace was later renamed Colebrooke Row), Islington, London. The church was built in 1834 for its Scottish congregation. The River Terrace Young Men’s Association Read More …

Barony M.S. Magazine

Overview A summary of the history of the Barony Mutual Improvement Society is available on our sister website, Glasgow’s Literary Bonds (see ‘Additional Notes’ below). The society was formed in 1863 by young men from the congregation of the Barony Church (Church Read More …

Dundee Literary and Scientific Institute Magazine

Overview George Tawse, one of the founding Literary and Scientific Institute members, wrote a light-hearted and affectionate recollection of the society’s early days in 1846, in which he depicted its humble beginnings as eight or ten “mere lads”, meeting on Read More …

Gems of Poesy

Overview Gems of Poesy is an MS magazine compiled by William Gardiner, who also compiled The Wreath of Wild Flowers. The two magazines had identical publication schedules and readers’ lists, so probably served as companion volumes. Each issue is numbered Read More …

Kent Road Quarterly

Overview A summary of the history of the Kent Road United Presbyterian Church Young Men’s Institute is available on our sister website, Glasgow’s Literary Bonds (see ‘Additional Notes’ below). The one extant issue of this magazine is a miscellany comprising 162 pages with Read More …

New Literary Club Magazine

Overview A summary of the history of the New Literary Club is available on our sister website, Glasgow’s Literary Bonds (see ‘Additional Notes’ below). The first issue of this magazine was produced in January 1893, four months after the club was founded. According Read More …

Newington Literary Magazine

Overview The young men’s association that founded this magazine met on Friday evenings in the 1860s at least. It is currently unknown if it was connected to the Newington United Presbyterian Church. The church was opened in 1848 and located Read More …

Our Literary Album

Overview The one (extant?) issue of this magazine currently housed in Argyll and Bute Archives is a photocopy of the original manuscript. The ‘Order of Circulation’ at the front of the issue lists 36 male members. From the ‘Introductory remarks Read More …

Park Manuscript Magazine

Overview Name of Club, Society or Group That Produced the Magazine Park Literary Society and Park Young Men’s Association (in association with Park Congregational/United Reformed Church) (Halifax) Date of Existence 1874?-? Date of Magazine 1874 Number of Issues 1 Manuscript/Published Read More …

Sandyford Literary Association MS Magazine

Overview A summary of the history of the Sandyford Church Literary Association is available on our sister website, Glasgow’s Literary Bonds (see ‘Additional Notes’ below). This was a first attempt at a magazine from this association, and either it was not a success Read More …

The Attic Journal

Overview The Attic Journal, launched in 1848, while not explicitly affiliated with a particular society, was edited by Peter Begg, who was also a member of other literary societies in Dundee. Its readers included John Sime and two members of Read More …

The Dundee Literary Society’s Magazine

Overview Dundee Literary Society’s decision to launch a magazine in December 1846 was mainly focused on extending the reach of its influence, meaning that those who could not attend meetings because of time or location could share in some of Read More …

The Holyrood Magazine

Overview A summary of the history of the Holyrood Literary Society is available on our sister website, Glasgow’s Literary Bonds (see ‘Additional Notes’ below). This magazine has a paper cover (as shown in the accompanying photograph) and has been hand-stitched with blue ribbon, Read More …

The Newingtonian

Overview Name of Club, Society or Group That Produced the Magazine Young Men’s Association in connection with Newington United Presbyterian Church (Note: see Newington Literary Society; currently unclear if this is the same assoc.) (Edinburgh) Date of Existence 1887?-1888? Date Read More …

The Torch

Overview Name of Club, Society or Group That Produced the Magazine Kirkwall Young Men’s Literary Association (later the Kirkwall Young Men’s Literary and Scientific Association?) (Orkney) Date of Existence 1857-29 Mar. 1899 Date of Magazine No. 1-No. 9, Mar. 1875-Nov. Read More …

The Weekly Miscellany

Overview According to the ‘Preface’ of the 1849 volume, The Society for Mutual Improvement was formed in 1846. Since that time, it had admitted 48 men (see below) and had 108 essays delivered at its meetings. The society had its Read More …

The Wreathe of Wild Flowers

Overview This magazine is in the handwriting of William Gardiner (1809-1852), aged 25 when the first issue was compiled. Gardiner’s work appears under the pseudonym Sylvanus. All of the contributors appear under classically alluding pseudonyms, including Daphnus, Corydon and Damon, Read More …

(Title currently unknown)

Overview A summary of the history of the Western Scientific Association is available on our sister website, Glasgow’s Literary Bonds (see ‘Additional Notes’ below). The members of this all-male group wrote down the papers that they gave at the meetings into a Read More …

(Magazine Evening)

Overview A summary of the history of the Govan Parish Young Men’s Association is available on our sister website, Glasgow’s Literary Bonds (see ‘Additional Notes’ below). This association held its first ‘Manuscript Magazine Evening’ on 6 December 1892. These meetings took place Read More …

(Magazine Evening)

Overview The first ‘Annual Report of the Committee of the Airdrie Young Men’s Christian Association’ (in manuscript) provides a brief history of the group’s inaugural year from it’s founding in February 1872 until January 1873. The association was nonsectarian and Read More …

Wellpark F. C. Literary Society M.S. Magazine

On Overview A summary of the history of the Wellpark Free Church Literary Society is available on our sister website, Glasgow’s Literary Bonds (see ‘Additional Notes’ below). There are three extant issues of this magazine, which together contain an eclectic mixture of prose Read More …