• Home
  • Trades House
    • Deacon Convenors
    • Clerks to the Trades House
    • Trades House Outings
  • Incorporations
    • Incorporations B - G >
      • Bakers >
        • Past Deacons
        • Bakers' Clerks
        • Bakers Members from 1700 to 1931
        • Bakers' membership Genealogy from 1890 to 1931
        • Bakers Membership Applications from 1896
        • Bakers Membership Applications Book 2
        • Scholars in Trades Free School 1873 - 76
      • Barber >
        • Past Deacons
        • Barbers' Clerks
        • The Barbers' Officer
        • Barbers' Members from 1714 to 1976
      • Bonnetmakers >
        • Past Deacons
        • Bonnetmakers' Clerks
        • Members of the Bonnetmakers & Dyers 1930
        • Scholars in Trades Free School 1873 - 76
      • Coopers >
        • Past Deacons
        • Cooper's Clerks
        • Scholars in Trades Free School 1873 - 76
      • Cordiners >
        • Past Deacons
        • Cordiners Members
        • Scholars in Trades Free School 1873 - 76
      • Fleshers >
        • Past Deacons
        • Fleshers members from 1770 to 1913
        • Fleshers World War 1 Roll of Honour
        • Scholars in Trades Free School 1873 - 76
      • Gardeners >
        • Past Deacons
        • Gardeners' Clerks
        • Gardener Members 1616 to 1903
        • Gardeners members' Genealogy in 1903
        • Scholars in Trades Free School 1873 - 76
    • Incorporations H - W >
      • Hammermen >
        • Past Deacons
        • Hammermens' Clerks
        • Members of the Hammermen from 1616 to 1911
        • Scholars in Trades Free School 1873 - 76
      • Maltmen >
        • Past Visitors
        • Maltmens' Clerks
        • Members of the Incorporation of Maltmen from 1605 to 1879
        • Scholars in Trades Free School 1873 - 76
      • Masons >
        • Past Deacons
        • Masons' Clerks
        • Mason Members 1574 to date
        • Scholars in Trades Free School 1873 - 76
      • Skinners >
        • Past Deacons
        • Skinners' Clerks
        • Skinners' Members from 1516 to 1936
        • Scholars in Trades Free School 1873 - 76
      • Tailors >
        • Past Deacons
        • Tailors Roll of Honour 1914-18
      • Weavers >
        • Past Deacons
        • Weavers' Clerks
        • Weavers Members 1896
        • Members of the In corporation of Weavers in 1905 and 1948
        • Weavers Roll of Honour 1914 ~ 18
      • Wrights >
        • Past Deacons
        • Wrights' Clerks
        • Wrights' Members 1800 to 1900
        • Scholars in Trades Free School 1873 - 76
    • Closely Associated Organistation >
      • Lord Provosts of Glasgow 1450 to 2012
      • Lord Deans of Guild 1605 to 2013
      • Grand Antiquity Society >
        • Preses
        • Grand Antiquity Society Members to 1942-3
        • Grand Antiquity Society Artefacts.
      • Association of Deacons >
        • Chairperson and Treasurers
        • Association of Deacons' Artefacts
        • Association of Deacon's Outings
      • Trades House lodge >
        • Right Worshipful Master
        • Trades House Lodge Artefacts
      • Society of Deacons and Free Preseses >
        • Preses
        • Society of Deacns & Free Preses Rules & Members
        • Society Photographs
        • Society's Box Contents
        • Society Pensioners from 1891 to 1923/4
      • Ladies Association
    • Associated Organistation >
      • North Parish Washing Green Society >
        • North Parish Washing Green Society ~ Preses and Treasurers
        • North Parish Washing Green Society ~ Clerks
        • Members from 1903 to 1953
      • Weavers Society of Anderston >
        • Preses
        • List of Office Bearers of the since 1738 to 1879
        • List of members of the Weavers of Anderston
      • Govan Weavers Society >
        • Deacons
        • Clerks
      • Tailors of Rutherglen >
        • Past Deacons
        • Tailors of Rutherglen's Artifacts
    • Incorporations outwith Glasgow >
      • Aberdeen Trades
      • Arbroath Trades and Guildry
      • Banff Burgess Roll etc.
      • Dundee Merchants and Trades
      • Dunfermline Incorporations
      • Edinburgh Trades and Guildry
      • Elgin Trades and Guildry
      • Kirkwall Trades
      • Perth Incorporations
      • Stirling Incorporated Trades
      • St. Andrews Trades
    • Glasgow Irvine Society
    • Incorporated Trades of Irvine ~ 1909
  • Glasgow
    • Education Books
    • Emigration
    • Entertainment Books
    • People
    • Places
    • Genealogy
    • Health Books
    • Law Books
    • Miscellaneous Books
    • Robert Burns
    • Slavery/Emancipation
    • Social & Club Books
    • Trade Books
  • Military and Rolls of Honour
    • Pre- 1914 Books
    • Rolls of Honour
    • World War 1 Books
  • VIRTUAL MUSEUM
  • Archives
  • Membership
  • Contact Us
The Trades House Digital Library

Brief History of the Grand Antiquity Society

Instituted      16th November 1756
Incorporated by Royal Charter, 2nd August 1899 and by Supplementary Royal Charter, 20th April 1969
Patron          HRH The Princess Royal

The Society is one of the Seventeen Burgess Associations of the City, the members of which must be Burgesses and Guild Brethren of Glasgow. The other organisations are: the Trades House, the fourteen Incorporations and the Deacons' Association.

The Grand Antiquity Society was instituted on 16th November 1756, by a number of persons, all Burgesses, for the purpose of uniting the old Burgess families of the City, preserving the continuity of Burgess-ship amongst them from generation to generation, and of affording relief to each other and their widows.

The qualification for membership goes beyond the simple Burgess and Guild Brother qualification required for the Incorporated Trades. Each applicant for enrolment must be a third generation Burgess and Guild Brother or Guild Sister in direct line or the husband or wife of such a third generation Burgess. Some of the existing members have a Burgess connection which extends through seventeen generations.

After the abolition of the exclusive privileges of Craft Guilds (in 1846), the Society was registered as a Friendly Society, the fear being that the Fourteen Incorporations (the chief feeder of membership) might gradually die out. This actually occurred in some other Burghs, but in Glasgow all the Incorporations continue to flourish as charitable and social associations.

In course of years Friendly Society status was thought to be inappropriate for the Society whose funds were used in charity but in such a way that no members could make a demand for assistance and it was abandoned when a new Royal Charter was obtained in 1899.

The sentiment which brought the Society into existence, love and pride in this City, is still strongly in evidence. Many grandparents enrol their grandchildren and present them with the Diploma as a suitable birthday present.

On 4 September 1992 the Society was honoured when The Princess Royal followed family tradition by joining as Royal Patron and honorary member.

Other members of the Royal Family who have enrolled include King Edward VIII, King George VI, The Queen Mother, Princess Margaret  and the late Dukes of Gloucester and Kent.

Other honorary members include Sir William Kerr Fraser, former Chancellor of Glasgow University and his wife Lady Marion Fraser LT, a former High Commissioner to the General Assembly and The Very Rev'd Dr William J Morris, formerly Minister of Glasgow Cathedral, The Most Rev'd Dr Mario Conti, Archbishop of Glasgow and The Right Rev'd Dr Idris Jones, formerly Bishop of Glasgow and Galloway and Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church.

The number of members of the Roll is 4,000 including about 1,400 ladies. The funds of the Society amount to approximately a quarter of a million pounds with the revenue from investments used for grants to members and their families in need.

Entry monies are £100 for both near and far hand categories - apart from that there is no annual or other subscription.

Newspaper Articles from 1887 to 1946

Grand Antiquity Society Members from 1756 to 1942-3
Published: 1942 
Available from:  Grand Antiquity Society Members  
​​
Trades Hall
Trades House
Copyright
All photography has have been taken by George Mahoney and the Trades  House acknowledges and thanks him for his kind work.