NEW ADDITIONS
PEOPLE CONNECTED WITH THE TRADES HOUSE
Two new articles have been uploaded to the website with details of the lives behind the names of two Deacon Conveners. To view these articles, please click on the following links:
Deacon Alexander Walker C.B.E., D.L., J.P., F.S.I.
Deacon Convener Walker was a member of the Incorporation of Bonnetmakers and Dyers and became Deacon in 1928. It was through his work with the Belgium refugees that he acquired the two oak benches which adorn the entrance hall of the Trades Hall.
Deacon Convener James Kirkwood
Deacon Convener Kirkwood was Deacon of the Incorporation of Coopers (1899) and Deacon Convener (1905-1906) and was Provost of Govan in 1892. He was one of the deputations to present the address in person to King Edward and Queen Alexandra on their State visit to Glasgow in 1903.
Deacon Conveners of the Incorporation of Barbers
The Incorporation of Barbers have had two Deacon Conveners, namely:
Deacon Convener Duncan Niven (1760 and 1761 : 1777 and 1778)
Deacon (1747 : 1755 : 1758) and
Deacon Convener Walter Ferguson (1813 and 1814)
Incorporation of Barbers (1797).
Since 1814 they have had two other Deacons who became Collectors of the Trades House but passed prior to taking up the office and they were:
Deacon David Borland (1919) he was Collector of the House in 1920 and died on the
9 October 1921
Deacon William A Hogg AIB (Scot), (1973 and 1968), he was Collector of the House in 1987 and died on the January 1989.
Heritage Newsletters
To date six Newsletters have been produced and one will be issued in September. To view the back issues, please click on the following links:
Heritage Newsletter No 1 April 2023
Heritage Newsletter No 2 June 2023
Heritage Newsletter No 3 September 2023
Heritage Newsletter No 4 December 2023
Heritage Newsletter No 5 March 2024
Heritage Newsletter No 6 June 2024
Two new articles have been uploaded to the website with details of the lives behind the names of two Deacon Conveners. To view these articles, please click on the following links:
Deacon Alexander Walker C.B.E., D.L., J.P., F.S.I.
Deacon Convener Walker was a member of the Incorporation of Bonnetmakers and Dyers and became Deacon in 1928. It was through his work with the Belgium refugees that he acquired the two oak benches which adorn the entrance hall of the Trades Hall.
Deacon Convener James Kirkwood
Deacon Convener Kirkwood was Deacon of the Incorporation of Coopers (1899) and Deacon Convener (1905-1906) and was Provost of Govan in 1892. He was one of the deputations to present the address in person to King Edward and Queen Alexandra on their State visit to Glasgow in 1903.
Deacon Conveners of the Incorporation of Barbers
The Incorporation of Barbers have had two Deacon Conveners, namely:
Deacon Convener Duncan Niven (1760 and 1761 : 1777 and 1778)
Deacon (1747 : 1755 : 1758) and
Deacon Convener Walter Ferguson (1813 and 1814)
Incorporation of Barbers (1797).
Since 1814 they have had two other Deacons who became Collectors of the Trades House but passed prior to taking up the office and they were:
Deacon David Borland (1919) he was Collector of the House in 1920 and died on the
9 October 1921
Deacon William A Hogg AIB (Scot), (1973 and 1968), he was Collector of the House in 1987 and died on the January 1989.
Heritage Newsletters
To date six Newsletters have been produced and one will be issued in September. To view the back issues, please click on the following links:
Heritage Newsletter No 1 April 2023
Heritage Newsletter No 2 June 2023
Heritage Newsletter No 3 September 2023
Heritage Newsletter No 4 December 2023
Heritage Newsletter No 5 March 2024
Heritage Newsletter No 6 June 2024
Trades House Heritage Committee
Ruth Maltman, Chair of the Heritage Committee
I’ve long been fascinated by Glasgow’s history and the part the Trades House and the Crafts have in it, and so it’s a joy to chair the House Heritage Committee which includes the Honorary Archivist, Honorary Librarian, Honorary Curator and leader of the House Guides.
They and their teams of volunteers are not only preserving and publicising our heritage, but they’re regularly discovering more and making it available to share with others. And we look forward as well as back, always questioning what we can and should do for the future. Our resources are limited but our aspirations aren’t. Please contact us if we can be of help to you – or the other way round!
I’ve long been fascinated by Glasgow’s history and the part the Trades House and the Crafts have in it, and so it’s a joy to chair the House Heritage Committee which includes the Honorary Archivist, Honorary Librarian, Honorary Curator and leader of the House Guides.
They and their teams of volunteers are not only preserving and publicising our heritage, but they’re regularly discovering more and making it available to share with others. And we look forward as well as back, always questioning what we can and should do for the future. Our resources are limited but our aspirations aren’t. Please contact us if we can be of help to you – or the other way round!
Craig R Bryce, Honorary Archivist
I became involved with the Trades House Archives after being asked by Ex Deacon Convener Ruth Maltmen along with Ken Gibb (who became Honorary Curator) and Murray S. Blair, (who became Honorary Librarian).
We had been looking in the cupboard at the back of the Saloon and found the fascinating past Collector’s receipts. This find was to become the start of the Archives and there were many more exciting discoveries that took place when I had the freedom to check the numerous cupboards and nooks and crannies in the House.
In 2014 I was asked to join the then Trades House Museum Committee who were investigating putting some of our items into either the Peoples Palace or the about to be re-opened Kelvinhall Museum. It was during this time that I set up the Trades House Virtual Museum as the practicality of the other options seemed unlikely to bear fruit.
I had been interested in history for a long time and while working at North Glasgow College, I was a Director of Springburn Museum. The cottage that my wife Una and I stay in was built circa 1674 and I have been the village archivist for many years.
I have often been asked why I still carry out the roll of Honorary Archivist and the answer is very simple. The history that the small team of people working in the archives has discovered is fascinating and it has been a great pleasure working with them and in my home, digitising material and transcribing some of the old books and texts.
I became involved with the Trades House Archives after being asked by Ex Deacon Convener Ruth Maltmen along with Ken Gibb (who became Honorary Curator) and Murray S. Blair, (who became Honorary Librarian).
We had been looking in the cupboard at the back of the Saloon and found the fascinating past Collector’s receipts. This find was to become the start of the Archives and there were many more exciting discoveries that took place when I had the freedom to check the numerous cupboards and nooks and crannies in the House.
In 2014 I was asked to join the then Trades House Museum Committee who were investigating putting some of our items into either the Peoples Palace or the about to be re-opened Kelvinhall Museum. It was during this time that I set up the Trades House Virtual Museum as the practicality of the other options seemed unlikely to bear fruit.
I had been interested in history for a long time and while working at North Glasgow College, I was a Director of Springburn Museum. The cottage that my wife Una and I stay in was built circa 1674 and I have been the village archivist for many years.
I have often been asked why I still carry out the roll of Honorary Archivist and the answer is very simple. The history that the small team of people working in the archives has discovered is fascinating and it has been a great pleasure working with them and in my home, digitising material and transcribing some of the old books and texts.
Carol Parry, Honorary Librarian
Carol has been Honorary Librarian since April 2016. She was formerly the Library and Heritage Manager at the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow (RCPSG), where she worked for 20 years. While at the RCPSG she achieved Museum Accreditation for the collections and in November 2015 was awarded a Fellowship of the Royal College for her outstanding contribution to the College Library. An archivist by profession she has extensive experience of libraries and archives and previously worked at Bedfordshire Record Office, the Tank Museum, Bovingdon, and Leicestershire Record Office. She is currently Editor of the journal of the Scottish Records Association, Scottish Archives.
Carol has been Honorary Librarian since April 2016. She was formerly the Library and Heritage Manager at the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow (RCPSG), where she worked for 20 years. While at the RCPSG she achieved Museum Accreditation for the collections and in November 2015 was awarded a Fellowship of the Royal College for her outstanding contribution to the College Library. An archivist by profession she has extensive experience of libraries and archives and previously worked at Bedfordshire Record Office, the Tank Museum, Bovingdon, and Leicestershire Record Office. She is currently Editor of the journal of the Scottish Records Association, Scottish Archives.
Peter Trowles, Honorary Curator
Peter spent 30 years as Mackintosh Curator at Glasgow School of Art curating art and design exhibitions at home and abroad. During that time be contributed to multiple publications and journals and participated in numerous international conferences and seminars. In 2019 he founded his own company, Cultural Perspectives Ltd, focusing on arts and heritage tourism and promotion.
He currently sits on the board of the Charles Rennie Mackintosh Society in Glasgow and is a Trustee of the Auchindrain Township museum outside of Inverary, Argyllshire. Although he only joined the Trades House as its Honorary Curator in May 2023, he is looking forward to finding ways to promote the history of the institution and its important collections to new audiences.
Peter spent 30 years as Mackintosh Curator at Glasgow School of Art curating art and design exhibitions at home and abroad. During that time be contributed to multiple publications and journals and participated in numerous international conferences and seminars. In 2019 he founded his own company, Cultural Perspectives Ltd, focusing on arts and heritage tourism and promotion.
He currently sits on the board of the Charles Rennie Mackintosh Society in Glasgow and is a Trustee of the Auchindrain Township museum outside of Inverary, Argyllshire. Although he only joined the Trades House as its Honorary Curator in May 2023, he is looking forward to finding ways to promote the history of the institution and its important collections to new audiences.
To contact any of the Heritage Committee, please use the Contact Page on this website.
Digital Library
Trades House Reference Library
The library was originally established in 1897 following the gift of a large oak bookcase by David MacLean Esq which had belonged to his brother, late Deacon-Convener William MacLean. Members of the house were invited to contribute books on the topic of guild life and history and the history of Glasgow. From the beginning the library was a reference library only and this policy has continued. The library keeps to very much the same collecting policy established in 1897 and has a substantial and important collection of books relating to the Trades House and the City. The original oak bookcase has been replaced by purpose-built shelving which was installed by the 1994 Chain Gang in celebration of 200 years of the Trades Hall. Many of the original donations were deposited in the Mitchell Library in the 1960s and the books in the Trades House now consist mostly of more recent donations and the extensive collections of the Old Glasgow Club and the Colquhoun Library, the library of the Junior Chamber of Commerce.
The library’s main holdings date from the late 19th and 20th centuries and include histories of individual firms, churches and organisations as well, of course, of the individual crafts.
Lists of the books and periodicals held in the library are available below:
(Books in the Library PDF) Periodicals PDF Old Glasgow Club Archives
A new addition to the Digital Library is a copy of the index to the Bailie. This is a marvellous series of articles on Glasgow and the People of Glasgow and those that visited in between 1872 and 1899. For a free copy of the index please click on one of the following links:
Bailie ~ Surname Index Bailie ~ Date Index
The Bailie was a magazine in a similar style to the magazine "Punch" of today. Each edition has a caricature of the main person being written about, the following links enables you to download the magazine or the wonderful images of the famous and sometimes infamous people of the past. Anyone wishing a larger file for personal use should use the Contact page and request a copy of the image desired.
Complete Volumes of the Bailie can be found at:
Bailie Volume 1 1872 to 1873 Bailie Volume 2 1873
Bailie Volume 3 and 4 1873 to 1874 Bailie Volume 5 1874 to 1875
Bailie Volume 6 1875 Bailie Volume 7 1876
Bailie Volume 8 1876 Bailie Volume 9 1876 to 1877 Part 1
Bailie Volume 9 1877 Part 2 Bailie Volume 10 1877 Part 1 Bailie Volume 10 1877 Part 2 Bailie Volume 11 1877 to 1878
Bailie Volume 12 1878 Bailie Volume 13 1878 to 1879
Bailie Volume 14 1879 Bailie Volume 15 1880
Bailie Volume 16 1880 Bailie Volume 17 1880 to 1881 Bailie Volume 18 1881 Bailie Volume 19 1881 to 1882
Bailie Volume 20 1882 Bailie Volume 21 1883
Bailie Volume 22 1883 Bailie Volume 23 1883 to 1884
Bailie Volume 24 1884
For images only, please use the following links:
Bailie Volume 3 and 4 ~ 1873 to 1874
Bailie Volume 5 and 8 1874 to 1876
Bailie Volume 9 and 10 ~ 1876 to 1877
Bailie Volume 11 and 12 ~ 1878 to 1879
Bailie Volume 13 and 14 ~ 1878 to 1879
Bailie Volumes 15 and 16 ~ 1880
Bailie ~ Volume 17 and 18 ~ 1880 to 81
Bailie ~ Volume 19 and 20 ~ 1881 to 82
Bailie ~ Volume 21 and 22 ~ 1883
Bailie ~ Volume 23 and 24 ~ 1884
Bailie ~ Volume 25 and 26 ~ 1884 to 85
Bailie ~ Volume 27 ~ 1885 ~ 1886
Bailie ~ Volume 28 and 29 ~ 1886 to 87
Bailie ~ Volume 30 and 31 ~ 1887 to 88
Bailie ~ Volume 32 and 33 ~ 1888 to 89
Bailie ~ Volume 34 and 35 ~ 1889 to 90
Bailie ~ Volume 36 ~ 1890
Bailie ~ Volume 37 ~ 1890 to 1891
Trades House Reference Library
On the wall in the library is a copy in oils of the “Four Philosophers” by Peter Paul Rubens.
The chairs used by the Deacons and Visitor of the fourteen Incorporations are also kept in the library.
The library’s main holdings date from the late 19th and 20th centuries and include histories of individual firms, churches and organisations as well, of course, of the individual crafts.
Lists of the books and periodicals held in the library are available below:
(Books in the Library PDF) Periodicals PDF Old Glasgow Club Archives
A new addition to the Digital Library is a copy of the index to the Bailie. This is a marvellous series of articles on Glasgow and the People of Glasgow and those that visited in between 1872 and 1899. For a free copy of the index please click on one of the following links:
Bailie ~ Surname Index Bailie ~ Date Index
The Bailie was a magazine in a similar style to the magazine "Punch" of today. Each edition has a caricature of the main person being written about, the following links enables you to download the magazine or the wonderful images of the famous and sometimes infamous people of the past. Anyone wishing a larger file for personal use should use the Contact page and request a copy of the image desired.
Complete Volumes of the Bailie can be found at:
Bailie Volume 1 1872 to 1873 Bailie Volume 2 1873
Bailie Volume 3 and 4 1873 to 1874 Bailie Volume 5 1874 to 1875
Bailie Volume 6 1875 Bailie Volume 7 1876
Bailie Volume 8 1876 Bailie Volume 9 1876 to 1877 Part 1
Bailie Volume 9 1877 Part 2 Bailie Volume 10 1877 Part 1 Bailie Volume 10 1877 Part 2 Bailie Volume 11 1877 to 1878
Bailie Volume 12 1878 Bailie Volume 13 1878 to 1879
Bailie Volume 14 1879 Bailie Volume 15 1880
Bailie Volume 16 1880 Bailie Volume 17 1880 to 1881 Bailie Volume 18 1881 Bailie Volume 19 1881 to 1882
Bailie Volume 20 1882 Bailie Volume 21 1883
Bailie Volume 22 1883 Bailie Volume 23 1883 to 1884
Bailie Volume 24 1884
For images only, please use the following links:
Bailie Volume 3 and 4 ~ 1873 to 1874
Bailie Volume 5 and 8 1874 to 1876
Bailie Volume 9 and 10 ~ 1876 to 1877
Bailie Volume 11 and 12 ~ 1878 to 1879
Bailie Volume 13 and 14 ~ 1878 to 1879
Bailie Volumes 15 and 16 ~ 1880
Bailie ~ Volume 17 and 18 ~ 1880 to 81
Bailie ~ Volume 19 and 20 ~ 1881 to 82
Bailie ~ Volume 21 and 22 ~ 1883
Bailie ~ Volume 23 and 24 ~ 1884
Bailie ~ Volume 25 and 26 ~ 1884 to 85
Bailie ~ Volume 27 ~ 1885 ~ 1886
Bailie ~ Volume 28 and 29 ~ 1886 to 87
Bailie ~ Volume 30 and 31 ~ 1887 to 88
Bailie ~ Volume 32 and 33 ~ 1888 to 89
Bailie ~ Volume 34 and 35 ~ 1889 to 90
Bailie ~ Volume 36 ~ 1890
Bailie ~ Volume 37 ~ 1890 to 1891
Trades House Reference Library
On the wall in the library is a copy in oils of the “Four Philosophers” by Peter Paul Rubens.
The chairs used by the Deacons and Visitor of the fourteen Incorporations are also kept in the library.